• We will start this week off with an interesting history of the evolution of Labor Day from the New York Times.

Economics

• This story from MarketWatch discloses new data recently disclosed by the Urban Institute that suggests 40% of Americans struggle to pay for necessities like food and rent.

Investing 

• This article from FORTUNE magazine discusses how socially responsible investing can yield good results and provide adequate diversification.
• Amazon joins Apple at the $1 Trillion market value milestone from the New York Times Technology section.

FIRE

• The Sunday New York Times Style section took a closer look at how and why people have chosen this financial path.

Retail

• Read how the retail industry has been adapting (successfully) in the world of Amazon and Walmart. New York Times.

For/About College Students Today

• Here are just some of the statistics on today’s 17 million college students from the National Center for Education Statistics: (Here is the full NPR story.)

1 in 5 is at least 30 years old

About half are financially independent from their parents

1 in 4 is caring for a child

47 percent go to school part time at some point

A quarter take a year off before starting school

2 out of 5 attend a two-year community college

44 percent have parents who never completed a bachelor's degree

• This Washington Post article discusses what students need beyond the degrees to have successful careers. Included in this list are soft skills, the ability to keep learning, and getting beyond the bots in the job application process.
• This Marketplace article discusses a proposed increase in mandatory debt counseling to be voted on in Congress. Will it help with the increasing loan balances (and increasing default rates?)
• There were two helpful pieces in the WSJ Wealth Management section this week for college students:
  
  • A year by year guide to building good credit, and a
  • useful explanation of the various repayment plans and how to pick the one that’s right for your situation.
• College students are skipping meals to pay for textbooks.  Axios tracks the rising cost of textbooks and all the implications.

For Teachers

• How many of you have a social media side gig? How do you feel about this? From BuzzFeed News.

 Gen Z

• This article on how Gen Z has been molded by their environment sheds light on this next generation of employees. The graphics are fascinating. Spoiler alert: Financial security is a priority for them.  From the Wall Street Journal.

Infographic

“$63 Trillion World of Debt" from Visual Capitalist.

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