Maxwell School News and Commentary

"First and foremost, housing costs. What will it do to my household wealth if I buy a house outright in that area (including selling my own house)?," says Professor Emeritus of Economics Donald Dutkowsky about factors retirees should consider when choosing a state for retirement.

"Doing well in New Hampshire or doing better than expected can give campaign attention and a sense of momentum that will bring new media attention as well as donations and support from party members in states that come later in the process," says Shana Gadarian, associate dean for research and professor of political science.

"High taxes do not guarantee good services. Low taxes do not mean unsatisfactory services," says Minchin Lewis, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs.

Áron Tóbiás, assistant professor of economics, says the most important lesson that state authorities can learn from the economic fallout of this pandemic is "the unexpected happens—better be prepared." He adds, "From a public finance perspective, state governments (and the federal government, too) might want to think about setting up more robust rainy-day funds once this crisis is over."

"I believe individuals are being prudent concerning risks they take and risks that others are subjected to because of their decision making," says Dean David Van Slyke. "Because many faith communities are now streaming online, individuals are acting appropriately to guard their health and the health of others."

Michael Wasylenko, Maxwell Advisory Board Professor of Economics, says "highly skilled, highly educated workers find the best job matches in East and West coast cities," which are typically located in high tax states.

"The unemployment rate has been low for some months now (relative to the recent past), but there has not been noticeable pressure on wages," says Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, professor of economics.

"With bad credit, it’s harder to get approved for an unsecured credit card, and the unsecured options available to people with bad credit are far less attractive," writes Don Dutkowsky, professor of economics. "If you’ve got bad credit and the flexibility to choose either a secured credit card or an unsecured one, always go secured."

"Theoretically, cash back should be the best rewards currency, since the rewards can be used practically anywhere," says Don Dutkowsky, professor of economics. "But that only holds when the value of the rewards (for a given amount of purchases) of cash back and product/service-based rewards (e.g., airline miles, automobile discounts) are the same."