Wharton School

Notice taped to front door that reads FINAL NOTICE TO VACATE IMMEDIATELY.

How to strengthen housing safety nets

U.S. homeowners and renters need stronger safety nets than existing social insurance programs provide to prevent housing insecurity during economic downturns.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・

Person wearing a mask hanging a “We’re Open” sign on a window of a retail store.

Why some retailers succeed despite big disruptions

The retail industry was already in the midst of unparalleled disruption—then came COVID-19. Wharton’s Barbara Kahn discusses the growth of “new retail” in China, how Amazon has emerged even stronger from the pandemic, and shifts from “bad” to “good” retail.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・

Two senior citizens look at a calculator while seated at a table covered in paperwork.

Why older Americans are taking on more debt

Older Americans are accumulating more debt as they near retirement, according to research from the Wharton School that reveals a troubling trend in personal finance among people in their 50s and early 60s.

From Knowledge@Wharton ・

Two Yenching Scholars for Penn

Senior Patrick Beyrer and 2020 graduate Brook Jiang have been selected as 2021 Yenching Scholars, awarded full funding to pursue an interdisciplinary master’s degree in China studies at the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing.

Louisa Shepard ・



In the News


Wired

Don’t buy into Facebook’s ad-tracking pressure on iOS 14.5

Ron Berman of the Wharton School spoke about how a new Apple feature that allows users to block apps from tracking their online activities might affect Facebook’s revenues. “There are some types of ads, mostly retargeting, that will be harder to display, since now Facebook wouldn’t know who visited an app, put an item in the shopping cart, etc.,” he said.

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The Wall Street Journal

Should young adults stretch financially to buy a home?

Susan Wachter of the Wharton School said that young potential home buyers should resist the temptation to stretch their finances to take advantage of low interest rates. “Stretching to borrow can seem like the right thing to do, to take advantage of low rates, especially when young buyers think about all the years they have to both pay down the mortgage and to increase their earnings,” she said. “But buyer’s remorse can take over if and when housing prices plummet, especially if this occurs along with a recession.”

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Bloomberg

A return to the office is a great chance to make a fresh start

Excerpts from “How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” by Katy Milkman of the Wharton School address how workers and bosses can adopt better habits upon returning to the office.

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The Washington Post

Biden's corporate tax plan takes aim at income inequality

Alexander Arnon of the Penn Wharton Budget Model commented on the Biden administration’s proposed 21% tax on multinationals’ foreign earnings. The tax “effectively spells the end of the tax haven as we have come to know it,” said Arnon.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

These Wharton grads invented spiked coconut water in a Philadelphia apartment. They hope it’s a billion-dollar idea

Coconut water and spiked seltzer each are billion-dollar businesses. The Wharton School’s Chris Allen and Vicente Surraco talk about their startup business venture, Osena. 

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