Michele Cagan

Financial Technology (FinTech)

Could interoperable digital wallets finally unite a fragmented payment landscape — or just add a new layer of confusion? Kathy Kraninger sees a path toward consumer convenience and financial inclusion, David Birch warns that connecting every wallet to every other wallet creates new security and complexity risks, and Michele Cagan cautions that even a seamless wallet can encourage reckless spending without financial education to back it up.

Credit & Personal Finance

Saving 20% of your income sounds like a simple path to financial security—but in an era of expensive housing, healthcare, and education, a fixed percentage may be unrealistic for many households. The better question is not whether you can hit 20%, but whether your savings rate is aligned with your debt, emergency needs, income, and long-term goals.

Credit & Personal Finance

Most people do not inherit their parents' debts—but many believe they do. In most cases, debts are paid from the deceased person's estate, not by their children. Experts agree that exceptions exist, particularly for co-signed loans or certain state-specific obligations, but they also warn that debt collectors may exploit confusion and grief to pressure heirs into paying debts they do not legally owe. Understanding your rights before responding to collection efforts can prevent costly financial mistakes during an already difficult time.

Global Business / Economy

Immigration policy debates tend to generate more heat than light — lost in the argument between open borders and fortress nations is a serious conversation about what the evidence actually says. George Borjas, Giovanni Peri, and Jennifer Gordon examine what labor economics, fiscal research, and integration studies actually show about immigration's effects, and why the gap between evidence and policy remains so wide.