Economics

• The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee Meeting took place this week. Interest rates were not changed, but the taper in asset purchases was accelerated. (NYT Upshot) (NYT-Jeanna Smialek) (CNBC recap)
• Wholesale prices up a record 9.6% in November (year over year). (CNBC)
• Congress raises debt ceiling to avoid default. (CNBC)
• The Federal Reserve Bank of New York published its survey of Consumer Expectations. Check out the interactive graphics which break down expectations by all sorts of demographic categories.

Investing - NFTs

• CNET explains what NFTs are.
• CNET also explains what can go wrong when trading NFTs. The story of the bored ape yacht club.
• Even Melania Trump is getting in on the NFT action, launching her own platform. (CNN)

Investing – Graph of the Week

• This Scatter Plot shows the relationship (none) between one year's stock returns and the next year.

Budgeting – Holiday Shopping

• Christmas will cost more this year. Here is a good breakdown of how inflation is hitting holiday purchases. (VOX)
• Nintendo Switch and Microsoft XBOX are outpacing Sony PS5 this season. It is more about availability than popularity. (Business Insider)
• Where are the holiday deals this year? Shoppers aren’t finding many. (WAPO-subscription may be required) 

Student Loans

• At least 76 colleges and universities have pulled student loans out of their student aid packages, digging deep to provide more scholarship and grant awards to needy students instead. (WAPO – subscription may be required) 
• Here is some advice about restarting student loan repayments. (NYT-subscription may be required)

Career

• If you will live to 100, how many more years will you work, and how will you last? The Atlantic
• Buffalo started a trend. Now Starbucks workers at two Boston cafes file for union election. (CNBC)
  

Pitfalls – Internet Security

• Have you heard of the Log4j software bug? Neither had I. CNET tells you what you need to know.

About the Author

Beth Tallman

Beth Tallman entered the working world armed with an MBA in finance and thoroughly enjoyed her first career working in manufacturing and telecommunications, including a stint overseas. She took advantage of an involuntary separation to try teaching high school math, something she had always dreamed of doing. When fate stepped in once again, Beth jumped on the opportunity to combine her passion for numbers, money, and education to develop curriculum and teach personal finance at Oberlin College. Beth now spends her time writing on personal finance and financial education, conducts student workshops, and develops finance curricula and educational content. She is also the Treasurer of Ohio Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.