Paying Off Twice Your Student Loan
Earlier this summer, a Canadian reader, Kristen, voiced the “Unpopular Opinion” that she’s “tired of hearing about people’s student loan…
'School Loans Weren’t Just a Choice; They Were a Necessity'
Mary in Pennsylvania has a new and crucial perspective to share: This is in response to the recent…
'Taking on Student Loan Debt Is a CHOICE'
A refreshing reader dissent from Kirsten Campbell: I know this is an Unpopular Opinion, but I’m tired of…
'Everybody's Strugglin', and It's Tough'
That quote comes from Brian Brunjes, the local butcher and friend of Neal Gabler, who wrote our May cover story,…
Need Cash Fast? Ask Reddit
A subsection of the link-sharing site is helping borrowers with bad credit get emergency loans.
A Sense of Community College
Reader Dave teaches at a community college, and he crafted a recent class around our current cover story: …
'Best to Be Prepared for the Worst'
Our latest reader story of fiscal conservatism in the face of uncertainty comes from an African American woman in Birmingham,…
The Circles of American Financial Hell
There’s no escaping the pressure that U.S. inequality exerts on parents to make sure their kids succeed.
A Tax Day Much Worse Than Yours
A reader writes: I’d like this to be anonymous, please. Tomorrow, it will have been a month since…
Why Financial Literacy Will Not Save America's Finances
The problem with Americans’ household budgets isn’t that people are too dumb to save, but that the system asks too much of them.
Opting Out of Coastal Madness to Live a Low-Overhead Life
For some, abandoning expensive urban centers would be a huge financial relief.
'The Demoralizing Process That Job Searches Have Become'
A reader, Les, takes stock of our series so far: I principally want to say thanks for your…
'Widowed People Are Invisible in This Society'
That’s the core sentiment of this reader’s note. Patricia adds, “I didn’t fully realize that widows were a target [for…
'I’d Leave Him If I Had the Means'
That’s how this reader describes her husband and how trapped she feels because of his financial recklessness: I…
What If All Americans Started Saving From Birth?
Michael Sherraden, the director of the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis, read our cover story…
The Two Contradictory Ideas Many Americans Have About the Economy
How do people reconcile a belief in individual autonomy with nationwide wage stagnation?
A Natural Born Fiscal Conservative
Another anonymous reader uses the Notes space to tell her story of financial struggle—and perseverance: I was born…
'With Enough Money Saved, You Can Tell Them All to Piss Off'
Or other variations: That tip comes from Atlantic reader and fiscal conservative Lori Miller, who offers a…
Selling Sex to Avoid a Financial Crisis
That’s what this reader did, in part, and she’s not ashamed of it: I didn’t realize how lucky…
'Credit Is a Double-Edged Sword'
When it comes to middle-class financial woes, Mehrsa Baradaran, a law professor and author of How the Other Half Banks,…
Quitting Birth Control to Save Money
That’s the risky choice this reader made: I’m in my late twenties. Growing up, I was much wealthier…
'Our Middle-Class Shame Thanks to Enron'
That’s how this reader begins her personal indictment of the infamous energy company: Neal Gabler’s article will stick…
The Changing Nature of Work
Kristin Seefeldt, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan, expands on our discussion over Neal Gabler’s…
Pension Plans Are Gone for Good
Earlier in the week Damon Jones responded to our May cover story with a discussion of retirement plans. Today, John…
'Gramma and Grampa Were Living in Horrible Conditions'
As the Internet increasingly becomes TV and the written word continues to recede, it’s so gratifying to be able…
Americans' Overly Casual Relationship With Debt
In reaction to Neal Gabler’s cover story, Vicki Bogan, an associate professor at Cornell and the director of the…
Blindsided by Bills
Our reader series on financial insecurity has really struck a chord, as your emails continue to stream in. This short…
The Danger of the DIY Retirement Savings Plan
The debate around our cover story and middle-class money continues. Damon Jones, a professor the at University of Chicago Harris…
Digging Immediately Out of Debt
This reader, a self-described “Financial Independence Obsessive,” has an impressive track record—but she’s still deeply worried about money: …
How the Internet Is Impoverishing as It Empowers
Our latest reader contributor, Scott Shepard of Memphis, Tennessee, responds to the previous reader who once earned six figures as…
Financial Troubles: Are We All in This Together?
Mary Pattillo, a professor of sociology and African American studies at Northwestern, points to the decline in public-sector jobs and…
When a Quarter of Your Paycheck Goes to Student Loans
Many law school grads can relate to Brandon’s predicament: To me, nothing summed up my experience better than…
More Credit, More Trouble
Paige Marta Skiba, a law professor at Vanderbilt Law School, responds to our May cover story on shrinking middle-class wealth: …
Don't Suffer Debt Alone
Another anonymous emailer is here to help: Your readers—and Neal Gabler—need to know about Debtors Anonymous. It’s…
When You're Too Financially Desperate to Even Drink
A reader gives Neal Gabler the props he deserves: I just want to say that what Mr. Gabler…
From Suicide Hotlines to $100,000 in Savings
Another anonymous reader shares her story: One of the worst periods of my life was when I first…
'I Still Shop From the Damaged Food Section'
A ton of reader emails have already come in responding to Becca’s callout for “true money stories.” The first one…
Financial Insecurity: Not News for People of Color
Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, the director of the Racial Wealth Divide Project at the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), read our May…
The Ups and Downs of Americans' Finances
In The Atlantic’s May issue, Neal Gabler explores his own financial troubles for clues as to why so many…
The Costs of Financial Isolation
When people don’t talk about their money troubles, their troubles get worse.
Wage Stagnation Is to Blame for America's Financial Problems
We reached out to some of the leading scholars of the American middle class to ask what they make of…
Why Don’t Americans Save More Money?
Maybe the only way to make people richer in the long run is to take their money away from them.
The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans
Nearly half of Americans would have trouble finding $400 to pay for an emergency. I’m one of them.
For Some Americans, the Housing Crisis Isn't Over
About 7.5 million people still owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. And in some counties, numbers are climbing.
'Good' Jobs Aren't Coming Back
In the last several years some American companies have moved their operations back to the states, but the resulting factory work isn't providing the prosperity and security that such work once did.
When It Comes to Retirement Savings, Most Workers Are on Their Own
It’s nice that some companies are nudging employees toward putting aside more for 401(k)s, but those firms are solidly in the minority.
Why It’s So Hard to Know How Much Retirement Savings Is Enough
Most online tools recommend having 10 times one’s salary on hand before retiring. Is that too much or just right?
The Real Reason People Don't Save Enough for Retirement
Trying to educate the undisciplined shifts the blame from where it should be: on America's lousy savings plans.
Leisure Inequality: What the Rich-Poor Longevity Gap Will Do to Retirement
In American society, those who live the longest get to enjoy years of relaxation, but those with the shortest life expectancies tend to work into their final years.
Raising the Retirement Age: A Sneaky Way to Reduce Social Security Benefits
Some Republican candidates are promoting a policy change that would hurt workers by disguising it with a pleasant-sounding phrase.
What Does 'Middle Class' Even Mean?
The gap between the richest and poorest in the U.S. is so wide that more Americans have started to assign themselves to lower socioeconomic groups.