According to a report released this month by the Pew Charitable Trusts, an estimated 27 percent of payday loan borrowers say the loans caused them to overdraw their accounts. more

Major banks have quickly become behind-the-scenes allies of Internet-based payday lenders that offer short-term loans with interest rates sometimes exceeding 500 percent. more

Payday loans are advertised as quick fixes. But a new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts found the average borrower ends up in debt for five months. more

A staggering 86 percent of payday loan customers can't afford to repay their loans from their monthly household budgets, according to a new study from Pew Charitable Trusts. more

President Obama’s proposed commission on electoral reform aimed at improving voting efficiency and reducing long wait times for voters is producing heated criticism from advocates on both the right and the left. more

Children whose families took part in a home-visiting program in their earliest years showed some positive benefits once they enrolled in school, compared with their peers who did not receive home visits, according to a recently-released study from Healthy Families New York, a home visitation program that enrolls about 5,600 families each year. more

And a recent Pew Center report gave the state an F for its efforts to prevent decay by improving access for low-income children to dental sealants — clear plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of molars. Hawaii was one of five states to receive a failing grade. more

Dental problems are impacting attendance and grades in Pierce County schools (California), prompting county health officials to target the root of the problem.
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Tax breaks for Ben Affleck. Tax hikes for everyone else. As he calls for $1.9 billion in new taxes, that proposal didn’t add up for Governor Deval Patrick. So, he’s also proposing to cap the film tax credit at $40 million, according to CommonWealth Magazine. more

It seems just about everyone has heard about the plight of recent college graduates who are saddled with heavy debt, unable to find jobs in their chosen fields and stuck living at home with little to do except perhaps some low-paying work. more

From mandatory-arbitration clauses that waive jury trials to fees on empty envelopes and cash deposits, your bank is keeping disclosures tied to your checking accounts heavily cloaked in fine print and sometimes not in any print at all. more

Pennsylvania has received a D for its efforts to protect low-income children from tooth decay. The grade comes from the Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-profit that identifies problems within the states and promotes solutions. more