#781: Fidelity's Public 2023 Financial Resolutions Study

 An interesting bird's eye view of American attitudes about our current economy.

#720: Checking in on the Vaccine Scene from Morning Brew

Hey, you. Looks like you’re making some cool, spiky shots in there. How’s it going? 

AstraZeneca: Better than it was. We had suspended our late-stage vaccine trial after a participant developed neurological symptoms. But this week we restarted it when independent monitoring committees and international regulators agreed that it was safe to resume. 

Johnson & Johnson: Same here; we’re back up and running after a reported stroke incident in a volunteer. Outside experts and the FDA sniffed around and said we’re good to go. 

FYI, our vaccine is the only one being tested that involves a single dose.  

Pfizer: Optimistic. The current trial with BioNTech could reveal our vaccine's effectiveness by late November, which would be the first from any vaccine candidate. We could potentially get emergency authorization by the end of the year. 

Still, we just barely beat Q3 earnings estimates yesterday. Our costs were down, but sales fell 4% thanks to people’s continued reluctance to go to the doctor—i.e. fewer prescriptions for our drugs. It’s not just us; they’re having the same problem over at Eli Lilly. 

Herd immunity: Stock is down. Doctors don’t know yet if antibodies = immunity, but it may not matter. A study published Monday showed the number of people with antibodies dropped significantly (27%) in a three-month period, indicating that any immunity could be temporary. 

The study hasn’t been peer reviewed yet. 

Big picture: The U.S.’ vaccine game is high-stakes. Any slip-ups in the program—such as only four out of six candidates proving effective, or not enough people getting vaccinated—could mean we’ll be dealing with the virus well into 2023. But if everything goes smoothly, we could turn the tide by July of next year. 

+ FYI: On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told Yahoo Finance that the “primary endpoint” of a vaccine is “to prevent clinically recognizable disease,” aka stamping out symptoms, rather than eliminating the virus entirely.

#592: Interesting Tax Policy Op-Ed on SALT Deduction

Whether you agree or disagree, this op-ed piece from the Washington Post does a good job of explaining the political strategies that exist as tax policies are created by Congress. Food for thought! BTW, if the article won't load, you will probably need to register for a WaPo account - you get 10 free articles a month by registering.

#486: The Basic Rules of Tipping

Interesting article on tipping from the Washington Post.

#414: Best and Worst Credit Cards

From cbsnews.com, this list of best and worst cards is their trick or treat offering since it was published just before Halloween. Their information comes from CardHub, a site for credit card comparisons.

#410: Tim Cook's Apple

A great article on the leadership style of Apple's Time Cook is found here.

#399: Debit Card Cautions for College Students.

Read this article to learn how to avoid expensive debit card fees.

#396: The Facts on Credit Cards

For questions on the chips inside newly issued cards, what's contained in your swipe strip, security codes, etc., this short article from Real Simple magazine provides the skinny. Just click to read!

#376: Income Inequality - A Good Opinion Piece from Business Week

Click here to read this short opinion piece on a hot potato topic in economic news.

#374: Made in the USA picking up steam according to article from nbcnews.com - I like this trend!

Dec. 7, 2013 at 10:50 AM ET usalovelist.com Products made in the USA can have special appeal to holiday shoppers who also want to support local producers. Blogger Sarah Wagner has created USA Love List featuring such items. Forget packed malls and big-box chain stores brimming with sleepy bargain hunters. This holiday season, a modest shopping phenomenon is brewing in Fort Wayne, Ind. During the recent Thanksgiving weekend that included Black Friday, hundreds of local shoppers gathered in downtown Fort Wayne to buy from small merchants offering a variety of gifts, including flavored popcorn, apparel and nail polish. The unique twist? Every small business participating in the retail fair featured "Made in USA" goods almost exclusively. "The majority of the products sold are made in the United States," said Olivia Fabian, co-owner of local retailer OFabz Swimwear, which participated in Fort Wayne's second annual "HollyPop" retail event a week ago. While "HollyPop" organizers did not set out to showcase domestically made items, a survey of merchants revealed lots of emerging businesses — all producing goods locally. "We wanted to round up the coolest of the cool and put them in one location," Fabian said. The brainchild of local merchants and community leaders, the "HollyPop" event is a unique retail experiment and far from the the norm. Physical retail spaces that have dedicated shelf space for "Made in USA" goods are rare, an exception being Cracker Barrel's country stores, according to Sarah Wagner, a popular blogger who focuses on domestically made goods. Cracker Barrel's "Old Country Store" features a "Made in USA" section with products including apparel, flags and kitchen items. Wagner has turned her passion for "Made in USA" products into a successful website, USA Love List, devoted to sourcing domestically produced items, ranging from apparel to pet food. She searches the aisles of big retailers, such as Costco and Target, for American-made goods. And seeking "Made in USA" labels during the holidays can have a special appeal. "The holiday season is the ideal time to focus our shopping by seeking the 'Made in USA' label because when it comes to gifts, we have a lot of flexibility in our spending," Wagner said. "At this time of year, more than ever, we want to feel like we are contributing to the things that matter to us. A well-chosen gift is always a treat, but if that gift supports our neighbors, our communities, or our country, it will be appreciated even more dearly," she said. Bottom line: More American-made goods sold equals U.S. jobs. While "Made in USA" sections in physical stores are not prevalent, more Web platforms are featuring such sections. And we're not just talking small mom-and-pop online stores. Retail giant Wal-Mart has a dedicated "Made in the USA" section. Items range from cleaning products and diapers to 12-foot boats. Nordstrom features American-made goods including apparel, cosmetics, jewelry and shoes. Apparel brands also have dipped their toe into producing or showcasing domestically made clothing. Club Monaco offers American-made suits, including waistcoats. J. Crew features "Made in USA" jeans. Although it's not always the case, buying "Made in USA" can come at a premium. A Club Monaco American-made blazer retails for roughly $575, with $225 for pants and $195 for a waistcoat. "Made in USA" Wallace and Barnes jeans available at J. Crew retail for around $198 a pair and up. Five years after a deep recession, not all consumers can afford a "Made in USA" premium, of course. But if the emergence of American-made virtual retail spaces and pop-up fairs are indicators, there's a growing appetite for and cachet associated with buying "Made in USA" products. Still, more than 97 percent of apparel and 98 percent of shoes sold in the U.S. are made overseas, according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association. During the 1960s, roughly 95 percent of apparel worn in the U.S. was made domestically. "No one is predicting that we're going back to employment levels in manufacturing that we had 30 years ago," David Trumbull, a consultant and expert in textiles and U.S. manufacturing, told CNBC in September. America has lost nearly a third of its manufacturing jobs during the past the decade. "But 'Made in USA' is a trend we have seen, and it has continued," he said. Just as consumers have sought products for causes that include supporting the environment and cancer research, so "Made in USA" movement supporters hope more shoppers will seek out those products. Wagner, the blogger, said, "If consumers realize how good they feel about buying or receiving gifts made here, they will then take the time to at least look for and ask for the 'Made in USA' label during the rest of the year." —By CNBC's Heesun Wee. Follow her on Twitter @heesunwee

#373: An Understated, But Effective Approach to Retirement Savings

I have always loved reading Susan Reimer's columns and this one particularly hits home. It emphasizes the importance of starting early and doing something towards retirement savings even if you don't have a comprehensive plan in place in the early career years.