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Daily Archives: August 28, 2016

Where Does All the Money Go: Shifts in Household Spending Over the Past 30 Years

Brookings – Shifts in Household Spending Over the Past 30 Years, Jun 2016.

“Economic progress occurs unevenly, diffusely, and at times unpredictably: whole categories of spending diminish or grow as technology and preferences shift. For instance, as the relative price of clothing has plummeted, the share of spending going to clothing has declined; at the same time, health care has become more expensive and it has increased as a share of total spending. This economic analysis describes shifts in consumer spending patterns over the last thirty years, and how the experiences of low-income households have differed from higher-income households. We show that low-income households today spend a higher share of their budgets on basic needs—defined as the major budget components of housing, food, transportation, health care, and clothing—than they did three decades ago..”

The State Pension Funding Gap: 2014

Pew Charitable Trusts, New accounting rules help provide a clearer picture, august 23, 2016 – “The nation’s state-run retirement systems had a $934 billion gap in fiscal year 2014 between the pension benefits that governments have promised their workers and the funding available to meet those obligations. That represents a $35 billion decrease from the shortfall… Continue Reading

New on LLRX – Visiting Thailand

Via LLRX.com – Visiting Thailand By Ryan Davis, 28 Aug 2016 Research Assistant and world traveler Ryan Davis shares his travelogue from a recent trip to Thailand, including how to find great affordable places to stay, where to visit, suggestions on food and meals, and cost effective transportation tips for land, sea and air. Ryan’s… Continue Reading

Selective Disclosure and Insider Trading: Tipper Wrongdoing in the 21st Century

Guttentag, Michael D., Selective Disclosure and Insider Trading: Tipper Wrongdoing in the 21st Century (August 26, 2016). Florida Law Review, Vol. 69, 2016, Forthcoming; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2016-20. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2830735 “The Supreme Court in deciding Salman v. United States should update a confused and… Continue Reading

Preliminary Data on Insurer Exits and Entrants in 2017 Affordable Care Act Marketplaces

Kaiser Family Foundation: “The following charts provide a preliminary picture of the potential effect insurer exits and entrants may have on competition and consumer choice in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. This analysis was done at the request of the Wall Street Journal. Our earlier analysis found that UnitedHealth’s absence from these markets would… Continue Reading

The Information-Forcing Role of the Judge in Multidistrict Litigation

Bradt, Andrew and Rave, D. Theodore, The Information-Forcing Role of the Judge in Multidistrict Litigation (August 23, 2016). California Law Review, Forthcoming. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2828461 “In this article, we address one of the most controversial and current questions in federal civil procedure: What is the proper role of the judge in the… Continue Reading

Proposal for an Innovative Security for Retirees

Shankar, S. Gowri, Proposal for an Innovative Security for Retirees (August 4, 2016). Journal of Retirement (JOR), Forthcoming. Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2828360 [The author] “advocates for the issue of a new US Treasury security to help retirees with modest savings earn a safe, steady retirement income. The proposed new security would pay out… Continue Reading

GAO Reports – Patriot Modernization, SEC Conflict Minerals Rule

Patriot Modernization: Oversight Mechanism Needed to Track Progress and Provide Accountability, GAO-16-488: Published: Aug 25, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 25, 2016. SEC Conflict Minerals Rule: Companies Face Continuing Challenges in Determining Whether Their Conflict Minerals Benefit Armed Groups, GAO-16-805: Published: Aug 25, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 25, 2016. Continue Reading

GAO Report – Medicare Part B

Medicare Part B: Data on Coupon Discounts Needed to Evaluate Methodology for Setting Drug Payment Rates, GAO-16-643: Published: Jul 27, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 26, 2016: “In 2015, manufacturers of 29 of the 50 high-expenditure Medicare Part B drugs GAO analyzed offered coupon programs, which reduce the costs patients incur for specific drugs. Part B… Continue Reading