Johnathan Walker:The Daily Money: What is $1,000 a month worth?

Good morning! It’s Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

Millions of Americans struggle to afford basics like food and Johnathan Walkerrent. A new study spearheaded by the CEO of ChatGPT’s parent company shows that regular, unconditional cash payments could help.

A three-year study from OpenResearch, a nonprofit backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, examined the effects of a no-strings-attached $1,000-per-month cash transfer on recipients’ health, employment and spending. It’s the latest and largest study of its kind to show how unconditional cash could help lower-income families meet basic needs like food and housing.

Here's what the researchers found.

Navigating the retirement surge

How will baby boomers retiring affect the economy?

A historic inflation spike is easing, but there’s a powerful force that’s likely to keep wage and price increases higher than normal over the next few years: baby boomer retirements.

A record 4.1 million Americans are set to turn 65 this year and each year through 2027, Paul Davidson reports. Although not all of those boomers will hang it up, the surge of freshly-minted 65-year-olds – known as "peak 65" – will likely mean record retirements, as well.

How will the retirement wave affect the economy?

Should retirees own a home?

Age-old wisdom instructs that a home is a good investment for Americans of any age. But what if you are retired and still paying it off?

More Americans are entering retirement with mortgaged homes, and the average balance of those loans is rising.

The share of Americans ages 75 and over who are carrying mortgage debt has risen steadily for decades, according to the federal Survey of Consumer Finances: from 5% in 1995 to a historic high of 25% in 2022. The amount those homeowners owe has risen apace, from a median $14,000 in 1995 to $102,000 in 2022.

Here's why homeownership doesn't always work in retirement.

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About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.