Finance

May 1 is the deadline for high school seniors to decide which college they'll attend in the fall, and money is a big factor in that decision. Midday Money contributor Kim Clark, senior writer for Money magazine and an expert on higher education finances, untangles the financial aid process. Also, David Leondhardt, Washington bureau chief of The New York Times, on why high-achieving, low-income students are not entering the country’s best colleges.

Following a consultant’s report that forecast a grim financial future for the city, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake rolled out a plan of bold reforms that she says will bring stability to city government and make Baltimore more attractive as a place to live and do business. The plan includes proposals for trash fees, lowering the city's property tax rate, getting city employes to contribute more to their pensions and firefighters to work longer hours. Ryan O'Doherty, the mayor's chief of communications and policy, answers listeners questions.

February 13, 2013

Erskine Bowles has drawn more national attention as co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, otherwise known as Simpson-Bowles Commission, than he used to attract as President Clinton’s chief of staff, or before that, as head of the Small Business Administration. 

After a couple months looking at the relationship between housing, wealth, and inequality, "The Lines Between Us" is turning its attention to equality of economic opportunity.

Kim Clark, senior writer for Money magazine, joins us for a look at the latest in consumer news concerning higher education. Are we facing a student loan sequel to the home-mortgage crisis? Are high-income professionals getting a bigger break on student loans than low-wage earners under the federal government’s new income-based repayment program? Plus: what the so-called “fiscal cliff” and Congress’ inaction might do to the stock market, and why Baltimore County’s plan to borrow money for its employee pensions might be a bad bet.

With new economic pressures, more and more nuclear families are living together longer. Usually that means young adults moving back in with thier parents after school. Johns Hopkins professor Katherine Newman has written a new book about the trend and its impact.

A new report warns that the private student loan market suffers from risky terms and lax underwriting, paralleling the subprime mortgage debacle. Is this bubble about to burst? Also, no- and low-interest student loans, best ways to save for college and new online offerings from top colleges: Can technology restrain the cost of higher education without diminishing what students learn? The latest consumer news and personal finance advice, with CNN Money’s Kim Clark.

Investments such as collecting rare minerals and making loans to strangers might seem untraditional and risky, but as the markets continue to gyrate, it might be time to try something new. Forbes Washington Bureau chief Janet Novack joins Midday Money contributor Megan Avery for a look at the magazine’s latest investment guide.