David Lidsky's Blog, page 282

Colleges’ career outcome stats often omit the knowledge rate. Here’s what to ask them

The knowledge rate is the percentage of graduates who shared their outcomes with their college after graduating and that the college can reasonably verify.

When high school students and their families investigate which college is the best fit, they will inevitably be inundated with various facts and figures. Brochures and websites might highlight the school’s dining halls or student-led clubs and activities. But one of the most important statistics for students and families to consider when choosing a college is the career outcomes of its graduates.

How to handle these unpopular tactics used by health insurers

Health insurers’ tactics can adversely affect patients’ health and their trust in the healthcare system, which leaves patients in unthinkably difficult circumstances.

The U.S. has made great progress in getting more people insured since the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2014. The share of uninsured Americans ages 18 to 64 fell from 18% before the ACA to 9.5% in 2022. And preexisting conditions no longer prevent coverage or lead to an increase in premiums.

U.S. streamgages cover less than 1% of waterways. Expansion is key for faster flood warnings

Flood risk can be estimated in waterways without streamgages, but not as accurately.

Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U.S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In 2024 alone, floods destroyed homes in over a dozen states and claimed more than 165 lives.

Job search 2025: 3 key ways AI will make an impact on recruitment

Job seekers must figure out how to navigate a transforming landscape where AI shapes how we approach and think about the hiring system.  

Logging onto LinkedIn, your feed is likely full of “Open to Work” profiles and posts about the struggle of finding a job in today’s market. Your LinkedIn inbox is probably a lot quieter with fewer recruiters reaching out with job opportunities than at the height of the Great Resignation just two years ago. 

Some of the best financial advice I ever got came from the Grinch

Each year, we cheer as the villains of our favorite Christmas movies change their tune, get their comeuppance, or meet an ignominious end. But these holiday baddies also have a lot to teach us about money.

One of the benefits of rewatching your favorite holiday films year after year is getting the opportunity to take a deeper look into the stories. We’re all familiar with overt themes about how Christmas is a time for giving, togetherness, and Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifles—but the hidden messages in these movies can also provide some surprisingly cogent financial advice. In particular, the Grinch and other Christmas movie villains teach some of the most useful lessons about money. Here’s how the worst characters in your beloved Christmas movies can change how you look at money.

How Experian is using data to unlock financial power for everyone

By embracing its identity as a data company, Experian is driving innovation in credit building and consumer financial tools.

Figuring out who’s creditworthy is getting more complicated, and millions of Americans are stuck with “thin files” or are considered credit invisible. That means they’re struggling to borrow or access credit, while lenders miss out on potential customers.

59 housing markets where inventory just signaled a power shift to buyers

Among the nation’s 400 largest housing markets, these 59 metro areas now have active inventory above 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

I’m a Starbucks barista, and here’s why I’m going on strike

As Starbucks workers across the country prepare to strike, one barista explains what brought the union to this point.

This holiday season, the last thing my coworkers and I wanted to do was go on strike—but this week Starbucks has left us no other choice.

In an exclusive Q&A, Alex Morgan talks about life after soccer

Her number one retirement tip? Don’t tell Alex Morgan she’s retired.

Alex Morgan doesn’t like the word retirement. “I’ve been saying ‘post-playing career,’” she said, “because retirement makes it sound like I’m old. It’s definitely more of a transition.”

Andrew Ng is betting big on agentic AI

The entrepreneur and investor has been a driving force in the push to get consumers and businesses alike interested in artificial intelligence.

Andrew Ng came up with a theory almost 15 years ago: What if Google, the internet giant, thought of machines like the brain and trained neural networks on mass amounts of data using computational power in an attempt to lead to artificial general intelligence?