Consumer Money

House keys, calculator and financial paperwork representing rent burden

Rent Burden Explained: What Spending 30%, 40% or 50% of Income on Housing Means

Rent burden measures how much household income goes to rent and utilities. Learn what the 30% and 50% thresholds mean—and why the ratio is useful but imperfect.

Casey Lester November 1, 2026

Multi-unit apartment building representing repeated rental court filings

Consumer Money

Serial Eviction Filings Explained: Why One Household Can Face Multiple Cases

Serial eviction filing occurs when a landlord repeatedly files eviction cases against the same household at the same address. Learn how it affects filing statistics and renters.

Casey Lester October 30, 2026

Eviction notice representing the start of a rental court case

Consumer Money

Eviction Filing vs. Eviction: What the Numbers Actually Measure

An eviction filing starts a court case; it does not automatically mean a tenant was physically removed. Learn the difference between filings, judgments and household displacement.

Casey Lester October 29, 2026

Metro Atlanta skyline representing the regional rental housing market

Consumer Money

Metro Atlanta Eviction Filings Explained: 142,047 Filings, Racial Gaps and What the Numbers Mean

Metro Atlanta recorded more than 142,000 eviction filings over the latest 12-month period. Here’s what the filing rate, serial filings and racial disparities actually measure.

Casey Lester October 28, 2026

Consumer Money

The True Cost of Car Ownership

A vehicle costs more than its payment. Learn how depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel or electricity, maintenance, registration, repairs, and opportunity cost shape total ownership cost.

Casey Lester October 21, 2026

Consumer Money

Housing Affordability Explained

Housing affordability depends on more than the mortgage principal and interest payment. Learn how rates, taxes, insurance, down payment, debt, maintenance, and savings priorities fit together.

Casey Lester October 15, 2026

Savings jar representing an emergency fund

Consumer Money

Financial Emergency Planning: Build a Cash Buffer, Document Kit and Bill-Priority Plan

Financial emergencies are easier to manage when cash reserves, essential documents, bill priorities and account access are organized before a disruption happens.

Casey Lester October 12, 2026

Consumer Money

Purchasing Power and Inflation

Purchasing power describes what your money can buy. Learn how inflation changes real buying power, why personal inflation differs from the national average, and how to compare wages with prices.

Casey Lester October 10, 2026

Consumer Money

Net Worth Explained

Net worth is assets minus liabilities. Learn how to calculate it, why liquidity matters, what a negative net worth means, and how to track the number without turning it into a scorecard.

Casey Lester October 4, 2026

CarMax dealership exterior, used-car retail location

Consumer Money

CarMax Q2 2027 Earnings: What the Results Say About Used-Car Prices and Demand

CarMax’s latest quarter combined higher used-car sales and prices with lower profit per retail vehicle. Here’s what the results do—and do not—tell us about the used-car market.

Casey Lester September 30, 2026

Build the foundation before chasing headlines.

Consumer Money