The Cost of Spousal Health Coverage, and The Role of Social Security, Defined Benefits, and Private Retirement Accounts in the Face of the Retirement Crisis. January 2014, Vol. 35, No. 1. Employee Benefit Research Institute. “As of 2012, 7 percent of employers did not cover spouses when other coverage was available to them and 4 percent… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: January 2014
Cleveland Fed – Gentrification and Financial Health
Economic Trends: Gentrification and Financial Health, by Daniel Hartley, November 6, 2013. “Gentrification is a form of neighborhood change. While it does not have a precise definition, it is commonly associated with an increase in income, rising home prices or rents, and sometimes with changes in the occupational mix and educational level of neighborhood residents. Gentrification is… Continue Reading
January 2014 Vital Signs Issue: Alcohol Screening and Counseling
“At least 38 million adults drink too much and most are not alcoholics. Drinking too much includes binge drinking, high weekly use, and any alcohol use by pregnant women or those under age 21. It causes about 88,000 deaths in the US each year, and costs the economy about $224 billion. Alcohol screening and brief… Continue Reading
Reducing Retirement Risk with a Rising Equity Glide Path
Reducing Retirement Risk with a Rising Equity Glide Path by Wade D. Pfau, Ph.D., CFA; and Michael E. Kitces, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, RHU, REBC. Journal of Financial Planning, January 2014. Executive Summary: “This study explores the issue of what is an appropriate default equity glide path for client portfolios during the retirement phase of the lifecycle.… Continue Reading
CRS – Internet Television Streaming and Copyright Law
Aereo and FilmOn X: Internet Television Streaming and Copyright Law. Emily M. Lanza, Legislative Attorney. January 13, 2014 “Companies such as Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon have changed how many people watch television programming by offering on-demand, online streaming to their computers, mobile devices, and gaming consoles. Aereo and FilmOn X also stream television programming over the Internet for a… Continue Reading
Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector’s Energy Use
CRS – Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector’s Energy Use. Claudia Copeland, Specialist in Resources and Environmental Policy, January 3, 2014 “In the United States, more than 400 billion gallons of water is withdrawn daily from surface and ground water sources of freshwater and saline-water to supply domestic uses, agriculture including irrigation, industry, mining, and thermoelectric power. Information about the energy—especially electricity—that is… Continue Reading
CRS – Shadow Banking: Background and Policy Issues
Shadow Banking: Background and Policy Issues, Edward V. Murphy, Specialist in Financial Economics, December 31, 2013. “One view of the financial crisis of 2007-2008 is that it was not centered in traditional banking. The term shadow banking “ … refers to credit intermediation involving leverage and maturity transformation that is partly or wholly outside the traditional banking system.” That is,… Continue Reading
Use and Characteristics of E-Health Record Systems Among Office-based Physician Practices
Use and Characteristics of Electronic Health Record Systems Among Office-based Physician Practices: United States, 2001–2013. Chun-Ju Hsiao, Ph.D., and Esther Hing, M.P.H. HHS/CDC. January 2014. “In 2013, 78% of office-based physicians used any type of electronic health record (EHR) system, up from 18% in 2001. In 2013, 48% of office-based physicians reported having a system that… Continue Reading
100 Data Innovations – January 2014 Edition
100 DATA INNOVATIONS – January 2014 Edition “Businesses, government agencies, and non-profits in countries around the world are transforming virtually every facet of the economy and society through innovative uses of data. These changes, brought about by new technologies and techniques for collecting, storing, analyzing, disseminating, and visualizing data, are improving the quality of life for billions of individuals around the… Continue Reading
Prosecutorial Discretion in Immigration Enforcement: Legal Issues
CRS – Prosecutorial Discretion in Immigration Enforcement: Legal Issues. Kate M. Manuel, Legislative Attorney. Todd Garvey, Legislative Attorney. December 27, 2013 “The term prosecutorial discretion is commonly used to describe the wide latitude that prosecutors have in determining when, whom, how, and even whether to prosecute apparent violations of the law. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and, later, the… Continue Reading
POGO – DOJ Sues Firm That Screened Edward Snowden and Navy Yard Shooter
Neil Gordon via POGO: “On Wednesday [January 23, 2014], the Justice Department filed its long-awaited complaint in a False Claims Act lawsuit against background check contractor U.S. Investigations Services (USIS). In October last year, Justice announced it had intervened in the lawsuit, which was filed in 2011 by former USIS employee Blake Percival. Percival’s complaint is posted here. The government claims… Continue Reading
The Equality of Opportunity Project – The status of economic mobility
The Equality of Opportunity Project: “Is America the “Land of Opportunity”? In two recent studies, we find that: (1) Upward income mobility varies substantially within the U.S. [summary][paper] Areas with greater mobility tend to have five characteristics: less segregation, less income inequality, better schools, greater social capital, and more stable families. (2) Contrary to popular perception, economic mobility has… Continue Reading
