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Personal finance

Personal finances become top-of-mind in January. Here are the three big stories to report in 2018. (Image by QuinnthIslander via Pixabay, CCO Creative Commons)

Big personal finance stories for 2018

Many personal finance experts recommend that consumers think about financial steps for the new year in the fourth quarter of the old year, but January

Piggy bank surrounded by coins

Unbanked facts to jump-start a business story

Most personal finance coverage assumes that consumers have access to credit cards and checking and savings accounts, but that’s not always the case. In fact, research

The Fed's interest continuing rate creep comes with solid personal finance story ideas for reporters. (Image from "Republica" via Pixabay, CCO Public Domain)

Interest rates and your readers

A quarter-percentage-point here, a quarter-percentage-point there. The Federal Reserve has been raising short-term interest rates so slowly that many consumers haven’t felt the pinch yet.

Percent of Balance 90+ Days Delinquent by Loan Type (Source: New York Fed Consumer Credit Panel/Eaquifax)

Covering household debt in your community

After the shock of the financial crisis, Americans began weaning themselves off plastic. In each of the 19 consecutive quarters since 2008, however, debt has

Many Americans make savings one of their New Year's resolutions. This data should jump-start a business story. ("Attack of the Piggy banks" image by "Low Jianwei" via flickr, CC B Y 2.0)

Story jump-start: Big data on savings

For many Americans, New Year’s brings a recurring resolution: Save more money. That can mean coming up with a retirement strategy, strategizing about college debt, paying off

Consumer Finance Photo

Better consumer finance reporting

Amid the rush to cover corporate earnings or the latest big acquisition, reporters often skip over consumer stories. But helping out the reader is a basic

Business beats tips book

Five tips for covering personal finance

Covering personal finance means offering information to readers and sometimes, it even means offering financial counseling. Readers want to learn how to improve their finances and

Holiday roadside aid deals

With legions of Americans about to hit the road for a three-day weekend provided by the Independence Day holiday’s serendipitously falling on a Friday this

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