Randy Tucker But doubled-up family living is still at a record high in Ohio The Great Recession forced throngs of Ohioans to double up with family and friends, helping to fuel a dramatic increase in the number of multi-generational households. But as their economic standing improves, many of the so-called
Chelsey Levingston Local homeowners able to refinance their mortgages at today’s record low interest rates could save hundreds of dollars on monthly payments, putting more money in their pockets to spend on other things. Fixed-interest-rate mortgages for 30-year loans in the U.S. had an average 3.79 percent interest rate as
Executive Director Amy Hanauer on Western Reserve Public Media’s “NEOtropolis” discussing the economic benefits of renewable energy. Interview starts at the 10:00 mark. NEOtropolis: Call Me the Breeze
Randy Tucker Southwest Ohio residents continue to reach for their credit cards and sign off on auto loans at a brisk clip, boosting borrowing twice as fast as most economists had predicted. Total U.S. consumer credit grew by $21.36 billion in March, according to the latest figures from the Federal
Steve Bennish The U.S. can grow jobs with a clear national manufacturing policy that focuses on regional clusters of specialized companies such as those in machinery, composite materials, autos and aerospace in the Dayton metro area, a new report from the Brookings Institution said. Ohio had 620,000 manufacturing jobs by
Jackie Borchardt Ohio voters are split on their support for Gov. John Kasich, but back his plan to raise oil and gas taxes to offset an income tax cut two-to-one, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. In March, Kasich proposed raising taxes on materials extracted from the ground
Editorial Policy Matters Ohio released early this year findings from a survey of Ohio school finance officials showing “alarming levels of fiscal distress” in districts across the state. The Cleveland-based think tank found that roughly two-thirds of the respondents face budget shortfalls, and those projecting shortfalls above 5 percent had
Sheryl Harris More than two dozen consumer groups want to block a bank’s partnership with CheckSmart, a payday lender based in the Columbus suburb of Dublin. The request to a federal regulator comes as CheckSmart’s parent company, Community Choice Financial Inc., prepares to launch an initial public stock offering. The
Editorial Ohio voters associate dirty politics with negative television ads that fill the airwaves during close elections in this battleground state. Less obvious but just as dirty are efforts to suppress the vote by making it more difficult to register and gain access to the ballot. Across the country, Republicans
Mark Williams CheckSmart has come under attack again from consumer groups for one of its products, just as its parent company prepares to take the Dublin-based payday lender public. The groups, led by the National Consumer Law Center, have complained to federal regulators about CheckSmart’s prepaid debit card, which they
Cornelius Frolik About 1.3 million households in Ohio use few or no traditional banking services, and members of this group are increasingly relying on prepaid debit cards to meet their financial needs, according to studies. Prepaid cards allow consumers to pay bills online, engage in e-commerce, limit their spending and
A snapshot of what’s happening in school districts around Ohio as state funding cuts and a weak economy take their toll: One by one, the parents of Lakota Schools came down the auditorium steps to stand before the microphone. Some were dressed in business attire; shirt-and-tie, sport coats, dresses. Others
