Personal Finances

reportOct 7, 2010

The Reversal of the College Marriage Gap

In a reversal of long-standing marital patterns, college-educated young adults are now slightly more likely than young adults lacking a bachelor’s degree to have married by the age of 30.
reportSep 29, 2010

Using Census Data to Document Economic Distress

The Census Bureau just released its 2009 American Community Survey statistics, and included some additional analysis to address public interest in using the data to document the impact of the economic downturn.
reportSep 24, 2010

One Recession, Two Americas

For a narrow majority of Americans (55%), the Great Recession brought a mix of hardships, usually in combination: a spell of unemployment, missed mortgage or rent payments, shrinking paychecks and shattered household budgets, but for the other 45% of the country, the recession was largely free of such difficulties.
reportSep 17, 2010

Few Say Religion Shapes Immigration, Environment Views

Many Americans continue to say their religious beliefs have been highly influential in shaping their views about social issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage. But far fewer cite religion as a top influence on their opinions about several other social and political issues, including how the government should deal with immigration, the environment and poverty. […]
reportSep 15, 2010

A Third of Public Says It’s Sometimes OK for Homeowners to Stop Making Mortgage Payments

More than a third (36%) of Americans say the practice of “walking away” from a home mortgage is acceptable, at least under certain circumstances.
reportSep 15, 2010

Walking Away

Nearly six-in-ten Americans say it is “unacceptable” for homeowners to stop making their mortgage payments, but more than a third say the practice of “walking away” from a home mortgage is acceptable under certain circumstances. Homeowners whose home values declined during the recession and those who have spent time unemployed are more likely to say that “walking away” from a mortgage is acceptable.
reportSep 14, 2010

Mixed Views of GOP Proposals on Entitlements

While a majority of Americans favors allowing changes to Social Security, there is very little support for replacing Medicare with a voucher system. Also, the public continues to see no clear leader atop the GOP.
short readsSep 13, 2010

Luxury to Necessity and Back Again

The recession has made five familiar consumer items far less of a necessity in the lives of Americans.
reportSep 9, 2010

Since the Start of the Great Recession, More Children Raised by Grandparents

One child in 10 in the United States lives with a grandparent, a share that increased slowly and steadily over the past decade before rising sharply from 2007 to 2008, the first year of the Great Recession.
reportJul 22, 2010

Lost Income, Lost Friends – and Loss of Self-respect

Long-term unemployment takes a much deeper toll than short-term unemployment on a person’s finances, emotional well-being and career prospects.