Press Room

Ohio's Young Adults Face Narrowing Path To Middle Class

By Amy Hanauer

Read: Building Ohio's Future Middle Class

Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Middle Class

April 26, 2010

Demos and Policy Matters Ohio Report Documents Challenges to Financial Stability; Recommends Solutions

Nancy K. Cauthen Viany Orozco

Cleveland--Ohio's young adults will continue to face a tough economy--one ravaged not only by recession but also by 30 years of declining opportunity and security for all but the most highly educated and affluent, according to a new report by Policy Matters Ohio and the national policy center Demos.

Read: Building Ohio's Future Middle Class

Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Middle Class

April 26, 2010

Young & Broke

The high costs of college and a spiraling student loan debt load are threatening the future prospects of people under 35.

WCPN Read Full Article

By David C. Barnett

Listen to Nancy K. Cauthen and Amy Hanauer of Policy Matters Ohio discuss the findings from a new report, Building Ohio's Future Middle Class: Addressing the Challenges Facing Young Adults on WCPN.

Read: Building Ohio's Future Middle Class

OPINION: Heralded Millennials Aren't a Cohesive Cohort

April 23, 2010
Generation Y's Steep Financial Hurdles: Huge Debt, No Savings: USA Today Read Full Article; By Christine Dugas; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Jose Garcia

April 16, 2010
High-demand Two-year Degree Programs Attract Career Changers and Four-year Grads: The Business Review Read Full Article; By Robin K. Cooper; Read more; Read: Paving the Way Through Paid Internships; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

April 9, 2010
A Voice of Reason: New York Times Read Full Article; By Bob Herbert; Read more; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Election Administration | Middle Class | National Voter Registration Act | Retirement Security | Same Day Registration/Election Day Registration | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Voter Registration | Wall Street

March 25, 2010

Newsday Read Full Article

By many accounts, Millennials have the potential to be the greatest generation since World World II. The cohort born after 1980 has been called confident, connected, open to change, optimistic, organized, engaged, team-oriented, sophisticatedly intelligent and technologically savvy. And that’s just quoting the headlines of the past month.

Read: The Economic State of Young America

Policy Proposal Calls for New Federally-Funded Public Service Internship Program

March 23, 2010

3/24 Event Will Highlight Proposal's Key Objectives; Webcast LIVE at Demos.org

Demos Applauds the Passage of Key Components of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act

Washington--As Spring 2010 college graduates prepare to search for jobs, many from low-income families will start at a competitive disadvantage because they have had to work rather than take crucial, but often unpaid, professional internships that provide key skills for entering the workforce. A new legislative proposal from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and Demos seeks to remedy this inequity by providing funding for low-income students to take high-quality public service internships. The organizations are also hosting an event detailing this proposal on March 24th at EPI's office in Washington. Media, policy staff and advocates are welcome to attend.

Read: Paving the Way Through Paid Internships

Tags: Work Supports | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 22, 2010

Investment of $36 Billion Over 10 Years Will Expand the Pell Grant Program and Ease the Economic Burden of Earning a Degree

Tamara Draut Nancy K. Cauthen

Washington--Congress took significant steps this past Sunday to make a college education, which has become a prerequisite for securing a good job and achieving middle-class financial stability, accessible to more Americans. Congress passed HR 4872, the healthcare reform bill which also includes key components of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) passed by the House of Representatives last September.

Read: Work Less, Study More & SucceedGraduated Success

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 10, 2010
Lost Decade for Unemployed Youth: Policy Analyst Viany Orozco points out that for those who enter the workforce for the first time during a recession, the wage hit can last for many years down the road.; GritTV with Laura Flanders Read Full Article; Viany Orozco; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaWork Less, Study More & SucceedSubpriming Our StudentsGraduated Success; Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Work Supports

February 9, 2010

New Report Shows One- and Two- Year Credentials Offer Path to Jobs

Community college credentials can play a vital role in creating economic security for young adults while at the same time rejuvenating career opportunities.

Viany Orozco Jennifer Wheary

New York, NY--As President Obama calls for massive increases in Federal college grant aide in the 2011 budget, a new report by the policy center Demos shows how one-and two-year postsecondary degrees are vital tools for moving people into living-wage jobs.

Read: Graduated Success

Tags: Work Supports | Economic Challenges of Young People

February 5, 2010
Funding Higher Education is Good for Job Creation: The way to put community colleges to work in job creation does not end with funding issues and putting smart legislation in place. Students also need better information about postsecondary options and their associated returns.; The Hill Read Full Article; Viany Orozco Jennifer Wheary; Read more; Read: Graduated Success; Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

December 2, 2009

New Study: Subprime Loans Target Student Borrowers

Strong Consumer Financial Protection Agency Needed to Regulate Education Loan Products

Heather C. McGhee

Washington, DC--America's students are facing a serious threat from subprime private loans, and the situation could worsen unless Congress votes to close a potential loophole in the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA), according to a new study published this week by the nonpartisan research and policy center Demos, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG), and the United States Students Association.

Read: Subpriming Our Students

Tags: Financial Reform | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Lending Industry

November 4, 2009
Generation Recession: The Nation Read Full Article; By Lizzy Ratner; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Nancy K. Cauthen

October 27, 2009
The High Cost of Working Hard: Why students need to work less and study more.; American Prospect Read Full Article; Nancy K. Cauthen Viany Orozco; Read more; Read: Work Less, Study More & Succeed; Tags: Debt | Middle Class | Economic Challenges of Young People

October 27, 2009
Saying Yes in Syracuse: A battered industrial city is leading the way in preparing all schoolchildren to succeed in college.; American Prospect Read Full Article; David Callahan; Read more; Read: Work Less, Study More & Succeed; Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

October 16, 2009

Youth & Civic Participation

C-SPAN Read Full Article

Heather C. McGhee

Demos' Heather McGhee Moderates Politics in the Age of Obama Plenary, with Voto Latino's Maria Teresa Kumar, Rock the Vote's Heather Smith, and Hip Hop Caucus' Darryl Perkins, with coverage by C-SPAN.

Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaWork Less, Study More & Succeed

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasury Liz Shuler; Under Secretary of Education Martha J. Kanter to Keynote National Conference on Youth Economic Concerns

October 12, 2009

A Better Deal 2009: Securing Our Economic Future NOW.

Washington DC--On October 15 and 16, over 200 young activists and leaders from around the country, and over thirty youth and civic groups will meet at the Omni Shoreman Hotel in Washington, D.C. for A Better Deal 2009: Securing Our Economic Future NOW, a national conference sponsored by Demos, to address the growing economic plight of young voters.

Read: The Squeeze Is On

New Report Shows Students' Financial Woes Endangering Graduation Rates

September 29, 2009
Debt for a Diploma: Huffington Post Read Full Article; Jose Garcia; Read more; Tags: Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 29, 2009

New York, NY--A growing number of young students are turning to more affordable community colleges for their higher education, but only an alarming two out of five finish a degree within six years of enrollment, according to a new report published today.

Read: Work Less, Study More & Succeed

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 17, 2009

Demos Applauds House Passage of the Student Aid Financial Responsibility Act

Renewed Investment in Community Colleges Will Help Students Work Less, Study More, and Finish Their Degrees

Washington, DC--Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, by a vote of 253 to 170. Nancy K. Cauthen, Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a national research policy center that examines the financial barriers to postsecondary success among community college students, issued the following statement...

Read: The Contract for CollegeThe Economic State of Young America

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

August 14, 2009
Credit Card Debt as Rite of Passage: WireTap Magazine Read Full Article; By Adam Waxman; Read more; Read: The Plastic Safety Net; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

August 7, 2009
Standing Strong for Jobs: The Nation Read Full Article; By Laura Dean; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

July 22, 2009

President Obama's Plan to Invest in Community Colleges Could Vastly Improve Young People's Ability to Achieve Economic Security

$12 Billion Over the Next Decade Would Enable Five Million Students to Obtain Postsecondary Degree

New York, NY--Last week, President Obama announced the "American Graduation Initiative," a plan to invest $12 billion in the nation's community colleges over the next decade. The investment is designed to help an additional 5 million community college students obtain a postsecondary degree, bringing the country closer to reaching its goal of once again having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

In response to these critically important proposals, Nancy Cauthen, Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos made the following statement.

Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaThe Contract for College

Economic and Democracy Experts Available at National DC Progressive Conference

June 16, 2009
Congress Takes Aim at Credit Cards and College Students: McClatchy Read Full Article; By David Goldstein; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

June 8, 2009
Help Is On The Way: themillercircle.org Read Full Article; By Robert F. Miller; Read more; Read: Obama's Challenge; Tags: Framing & Public Opinion | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Robert Kuttner

June 1, 2009

Washington, DC--This week, Demos will be represented at "America's Future Now," the annual conference of Campaign for America's Future. The following staff members and fellows will be presenting on panels addressing issues of college affordability & debt, the economy and restoring the financial sector, and will otherwise be available for interviews.

Tags: Lending Industry | Financial Reform | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Wall Street | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 23, 2009
Busting the Boom: Baltimore Sun Read Full Article; By Nancy Johnston; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 20, 2009
Is Saving Money a Luxury?: U.S. News & World Report Read Full Article; By Kimberly Palmer; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 17, 2009
Consumer Protection Coming for Credit Card Rules: Houston Chronicle Read Full Article; By Shannon Buggs; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Caleb Gibson

May 14, 2009
Finding the Best Job Markets for Grads: As college grads enter the worst labor market in decades, they may want to rethink not only what they'll do but also where they'; BusinessWeek Read Full Article; By Prashant Gopal; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 12, 2009
Colbert Takes On Credit Card Industry: "Being In A Financial Hole Is As American As Borrowing Apple Pie": Huffington Post Read Full Article; By Jason Linkins; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 12, 2009
College Grad: "I wish I'd gone to prison instead": MSNBC Read Full Article; By Bob Sullivan; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 10, 2009
A Step Towards Equal Opportunity: Huffington Post Read Full Article; Beth Shulman; Read more; Tags: Prosperity & Opportunity | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 8, 2009
How Young Investors Can Stamp Out Debt and Start Investing: 4 ideas to help you sort out your competing financial priorities; U.S. News & World Report Read Full Article; By Matthew Bandyk; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Prosperity & Opportunity | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 6, 2009
Will The Senate Stand Up to Credit Card Companies?: WireTap Magazine Read Full Article; By Adam Waxman; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Debt | Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

April 30, 2009
Every Economic Silver Lining Seems to Have Another Cloud: Newsday Read Full Article; Jennifer Wheary; Read more; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Distribution of Wealth & Income

April 28, 2009
Credits Cards OK if Used Wisely: Macon.com Read Full Article; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Debt | Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

April 15, 2009
Students Gouged On Loans While Banks Get Free Money: Huffington Post Read Full Article; By Ryam Grim; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

April 14, 2009

Demos Statement on Sallie Mae Report Showing Skyrocketing Student Credit Card Debt

"A Shocking Increase of More than 44 % in 4 years For College Seniors; Congress Must Act To Protect Student Borrowers"

New York, NY--This week, Sallie Mae published a new report showing a massive increase in credit card debt among college students over the last four years. The study, entitled How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards: Sallie Mae's National Study of Usage Rates and Trends, 2009 showed that, as educational expenses and costs of living rose while student aid continued to drop, more students relied on their credit cards to pay for college expenses.

In response, Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Programs at Demos, a national research and policy center which studies the economic concerns of young adults and the rise of debt in America, and author of the book Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Something's Can't Get Ahead, issued the following statement.

Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaStrappedThe Contract for College

Tags: Debt | Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

April 13, 2009
Unemployment Blues: Advice You Can Use: WireTap Magazine Read Full Article; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

March 29, 2009
Under 30 and Homeless: Daily Collegian Read Full Article; By Rebekah Diamond; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 17, 2009
Spring Break is for Fun, Not for Debt: Campus Progress Read Full Article; By Tim Westrich; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 17, 2009
Think Tank Round-up: TAPPED Read Full Article; By TAPPED Staff; Read more; Read: The Contract for College; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

March 11, 2009

The Young and Uninsured

Detroit Metro Times Read Full Article

By Julianne Mattera

Young adults between ages 19 and 29 make up the largest portion of uninsured in the United States, totaling about 13.2 million in 2007. That's right--young adults make up more than one-fourth of uninsured Americans.

This important covery story from the Detroit Metro Times sheds light on the predicament faced by so many young adults.

Read: The Economic State of Young America

Tags: Healthcare | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 27, 2009

Demos Hails President's Economic Blueprint for Providing A New Path of Opportunity for Young Americans

New York--Following the announcement of President Obama's new blueprint for a financial recovery and long term stability in the economy, Tamara Draut, Vice President for Policy and Programs at the public policy center Demos, and author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- And 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," released a statement.

Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaStrapped

Recession is Pushing College Out of Reach

January 30, 2009

Newsday Read Full Article

Tapping into a Generation's Blind Optimism

Senior Fellow Jennifer Wheary argues that with families already tightening their belts to send kids to college, the recession now makes it even more difficult for famalies to keep up with rising costs, as states are cutting budgets and defraying costs of higher education.

Read: The Economic State of Young America

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

January 22, 2009
Gateway to Success: College Times Read Full Article; By Christina Caldwell; Read more; Tags: Inequality | Values & Politics | Economic Challenges of Young People

January 19, 2009

Boston Globe Read Full Article

By David Scharfenberg

As the first generation of young people not to surpass the living standards of their parents, its time to tap into the optimism, "shake free of our happy delusions and do something about it," says David Scharfenberg.

Read: The Economic State of Young America

Coalition of Higher Education Groups Urge Investment in College Affordability as Part of Stimulus Package

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 7, 2009
Ready for the Union: Socialist Worker Read Full Article; By Adam Turl; Read more; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 12, 2008

Proposal to Expand Funding for Low-Income Students; Increased Access to Federal Loan Program

New York, NY--Demos, a national, non-partisan, public policy and advocacy organization, in partnership with twelve national organizations representing students, colleges, consumers, and college administrators, sent a letter to Congress on Wednesday calling for increased investment in college affordability and reducing financial barriers for entry into post-secondary education.

Read: Letter to House Urging Investment in College AffordabilityLetter to Senate Urging Investment in College AffordabilityThe Economic State of Young America

Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt

December 9, 2008
Demos Joins Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Initiative: Goal to Double the Number of Low- Income Students in the U.S. Who Earn a Postsecondary Degree by Age 26; New York--Today, Demos, a national public policy and advocacy center, was announced as one of the core grantees in a new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiative to double the number of low-income students who earn a postsecondary degree or credential by age 26-an increase of approximately 250,000 graduates each year. In all, $69 million was granted to organizations working to improve college enrollment and completion rates in America.; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

October 23, 2008
Congress Takes Aim at Credit Cards and College Students: Idaho Statesman Read Full Article; By David Goldstein; Demos' debt research is cited in an article about the increasing credit card debt carried by college students and young adults.; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Medical Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 18, 2008
NEA Survey Finds College Affordability Set to Emerge as Sleeper Capaign Issue: New Report by Demos Underscores Survey Findings, Showing Sharp Rise in College-Related Costs and Debt; Access for Minorities at; WASHINGTON, DC--The rising cost of college is a critical, yet largely overlooked concern of voters this election year, according to a new National Education Association (NEA)/ Project New West survey. It finds that a majority of voters believe a college education is necessary to make ends meet in today's global economy but feel that struggling middle class families don't get the help they need to pay for it.; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt

August 29, 2008
US is Losing Education Race With China: China Economic Review Read Full Article; Jennifer Wheary; Read more; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

July 24, 2008
Are You Being Squeezed Dry By Your Child's Credit Card Debt?: Consumer Affairs Read Full Article; By Fred Yager; Read more; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

June 28, 2008
Live Blogging (Sort of) Hearing on Students and Credit Card Debt: Daily Kos Read Full Article; Tamara Draut; Read more; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

June 3, 2008
Money Changers: Youth Tackle A Tough Economy: Millennials organize grassroots responses to the economic challenges plaguing their generation.; By Andrew Green; Read more; Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 23, 2008
Rebates aren't a real solution: Albany Times Union Read Full Article; By Erica Sackin; Read more; Tags: Debt | Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 13, 2008
Here Come the Millennials: New York Times Read Full Article; By Bob Herbert; Read more; Tags: Distribution of Wealth & Income | Prosperity & Opportunity | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 11, 2008
Cycle of debt continues through life: Seattle Times Read Full Article; By Sheyna Steiner; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Debt | Distribution of Wealth & Income | Prosperity & Opportunity | Retirement Security | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 7, 2008
Historic Gathering of Young Activists in Washington D.C. to Address Economic Concerns Driving Youth Vote: Facing Lower Earnings, Higher Costs, and Crippling Debt Burdens, Young Voters Begin Movement for Economic Reforms; Washington DC--Young voters are turning out to the polls in record numbers, with new research and polling data showing that today's economic challenges are chief among their concerns. This Thursday and Friday, May 8th and 9th, nearly 200 young activists and leaders from around the country, and over two dozen youth and civic groups--including Rock the Vote, Campus Progress, The League of Young Voters, Young People For, Voto Latino, Black Youth Vote, The Student PIRGs & others--will gather at the Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, for "A Better Deal: Reclaiming Economic Security for a New Generation"--a national conference sponsored by Demos--to address the growing economic plight of young voters.; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young America; Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt

May 7, 2008
Financial struggles upon graduation: UWeekly Read Full Article; By Rachel Lundy; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 6, 2008
America's Young Adults Face Serious Economic Challenges, According to New Data Report and Opinion Poll Analysis: Demos and The Center for American Progress Publish New Studies; Washington, DC--Today's young adults are feeling the impact of a massive shift in the U.S. economy--changes that are documented in a new data report from Demos and an analysis of public opinion polling by The Center for American Progress. The studies were announced today with a press teleconference.; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaThe Progressive Generation; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt

May 1, 2008
Teleconference to Discuss New Report and Poll Analysis of Young Adult Economic Conditions: Demos and the Center for American Progress Announce Findings of the "Economic State of Young America" and Analysis of Polls on Y; A briefing for journalists on "The Economic State of Young America," a new databook/report from Demos examining the economic conditions experienced by young adults. Also to be discussed is a new analysis of public opinion polling of young voter attitudes about the economy published by the Center for American Progress.; Read more; Read: The Economic State of Young AmericaThe Progressive Generation; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

April 22, 2008
DeBerry should keep trying with card bill: Knoxville News Sentinel Read Full Article; Read more; Read: Up to Our Eyeballs; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

April 18, 2008
Welcome 2008 Graduates to Our Real World: Huffington Post Read Full Article; Jose Garcia; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

April 18, 2008
Address the Pain, Reap the Gain: American Prospect Read Full Article; Tamara Draut; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

April 16, 2008
Money Guide for 20-Somethings: Here's a map for getting started on the right financial road; U.S. News & World Report Read Full Article; By Kimberly Palmer; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

April 13, 2008
Degree can't always open door to middle class: There's no question higher education translates into larger paychecks for most college graduates, but wages for those starting o; Akron Beacon Journal Read Full Article; By David Knox; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 30, 2008
Younger adults may not feel direct effects: Delaware News Journal Read Full Article; By Eric Ruth; Read more; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

March 18, 2008
An Economic Compact for the Young: Improving the economic horizons of America's young adults will require a sustained commitment and serious resources. But it will; American Prospect Read Full Article; Robert Kuttner; Read more; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People

March 18, 2008
Address the Pain, Reap the Gain: Our nation's future demands that political leaders take seriously the economic plight of America's young.; American Prospect Read Full Article; Tamara Draut; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Prosperity & Opportunity | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

February 5, 2008
How To Keep Up With Friends With Money: Huffington Post Read Full Article; By Christine Hassler; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Prosperity & Opportunity | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 24, 2007
Debunking the Young Debtor Stereotype: U.S. News & World Report Read Full Article; By Kimberly Palmer; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 30, 2007
Personal Finance Gets Political: Self-help finance guru Suze Orman has had an epiphany: Lending institutions could use some regulation.; American Prospect Read Full Article; By Phoebe Connelly; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Lending Industry | Financial Reform | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 26, 2007
what Y wants: Nashua Telegraph Read Full Article; By Ashley Smith; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 2, 2007
Whatever Happened to the Good Life?: Americans keep making less and spending more. That lifestyle is contributing to supersized debt and the decline of progressive p; AlterNet Read Full Article; By Astra Taylor; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

October 1, 2007
I'm Young, When Do I Get My House?: Huffington Post Read Full Article; By Alison Rogers; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

October 1, 2007
I'm Young. When Do I Get My House?: Huffington Post Read Full Article; Tamara Draut; By Alison Rogers; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

October 1, 2007
I'm Young. When Do I Get My House?: Huffington Post Read Full Article; Tamara Draut; By Alison Rogers; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Housing Market

September 17, 2007
Smart Ways to Pay for College: Bankrate.com Read Full Article; By Cheryl Allebrand; Bankrate.com's Cheryl Allebrand interviews Tamara Draut on the financial struggles facing young people as they enter college.; Read more; Tags: Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 4, 2007
Majoring in Credit Card Debt: BusinessWeek Read Full Article; By Jessica Silver-Greenberg; Read more; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

August 30, 2007
The End of Idealism: New Haven Advocate Read Full Article; By Adam Doster; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 22, 2007

Stepping on the Dream

New York Times Read Full Article

By Bob Herbert

Ms. Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a public policy group in New York, got to the heart of the matter in her recent testimony before a U.S. Senate committee looking into higher education costs.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 14, 2007

The Under 34, Underpaid Underdogs

AFL-CIO Blog Read Full Article

Tamara Draut is the Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos. He she comments on the financial obstacles facing young people today.

Read: Strapped

College Grads Enter Workforce Saddles With Debt

March 5, 2007

New York 1 (NY1) Read Full Article

A study by Demos - a New York think tank - found that in 2003 more than 25 percent of college graduates had more than $25,000 in student loan debt, up from seven percent in 1992.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 4, 2007

Hip-hop stars sell good money sense

Houston Chronicle Read Full Article

By Sarah Viren

Draut said she thinks the public far too often blames youth for their money woes. Rising costs that don't keep up with incomes force many young people to take out loans and rack up debt, she said.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 19, 2007

Senate Panel Tackles College Affordability Crisis

Diverse Read Full Article

By Charles Dervarics

This imperfect system takes its highest toll on low-income students, who may deal with unfair loan terms or simply fail to apply for college. In one year alone, about 400,000 students with a quality academic record failed to attend college due to their low family incomes, said Tamara Draut, director of economic opportunity at Demos, a nonpartisan public policy organization.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 5, 2007

Saving for retirement early a good plan

Pantagraph Read Full Article

By Michelle Koetters

In 2005, 18-to-34-year-olds with credit card debt reported an average balance of $8,182, according to Demos, a public policy research and advocacy organization in New York.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

January 28, 2007

Generation Debt: Today's college grads face piling bills, job struggles

SouthCoastToday.com Read Full Article

By Lauren Daley

"Today, for kids with a bachelor's, it's an average debt of $19,000. With the cost of health care, housing market, add in student loans and it becomes much more difficult to meet all those payments," said Ms. Draut, a frequent television commentator on the Today Show, ABC World News Tonight and CNN.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 28, 2007

Young adults are right to complain, author says

Seattle Times Read Full Article

By Mary Ellen Slayter

"Most young people aren't having crises of self-actualization," said Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a think tank in New York.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 23, 2007

News From Nowhere

Socialist Alternative Read Full Article

By Jeff Booth

As the titles suggest, the high cost of housing, healthcare, education, and childcare plus stagnating or declining wages and growing debt are creating lower living standards. The author of the series, Tamara Draut, also wrote "Strapped: Why Americas 20- and 30-Somethings Cant Get Ahead."

Read: StrappedYoung Adult Economic Series, Part 1Young Adult Economic Series, Part 2Young Adult Economic Series, Part 3Young Adult Economic Series, Part 4Young Adult Economic Series, Part 5

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 10, 2007

Clever Econ, Vonnegut vs. Bush, Hershey Empire: New Paperbacks

Bloomberg.com Read Full Article

By Edward Nawotka

"Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" by Tamara Draut. A bracing look at the economic challenges young professionals face when entering the job market and establishing careers.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 14, 2006

White-Collar Workers Unite

Barbara Ehrenreich received a grant from SEIU (Service Employees International Union) to start United Professionals (UP), whose

In These Times Read Full Article

By Adam Doster

"UP's mission is simple: "to protect and preserve the American middle class, now under attack from so many directions" Specifically, the group is organizing two related yet disparate types of workers: recent college graduates and middle-aged workforce veterans. "It is important to align the two groups [of workers]," says Tamara Draut, a UP Advisory Board member and the author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Middle Class | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 14, 2006

The economics of moving back home

Washington Date Line Read Full Article

By Sean Mussenden

"An analysis by Tamara Draut, the author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," found that the average person now leaves home at age 24, and almost half of all adult children return home at least once after moving out."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 5, 2006

High College Costs Sabotage Black Graduation Rates

New Haven Register Read Full Article

Download the PDF

By Algernon Austin

Senior Fellow Algernon Austin writes about the soaring cost of college tuition and the graduation rates of of low-income and minority students.

Tags: Race | Economic Challenges of Young People

December 4, 2006

America's Young Adults Face Serious Economic Challenges

It's Harder for Your Generation

New York, NY--Today's young adults are feeling the full, deep impact of a massive shift in the US economy, and are no longer able to start and sustain a family, build a career and grow assets in the same manner as the previous generation, according to a new report series published today by Demos, a national, nonpartisan public policy center.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

November 29, 2006
Generation I.O.U., the Economics of the Young: National Public Radio (NPR) Read Full Article; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 26, 2006

Washington Post Read Full Article

By Mary Ellen Slayter

Tamara Draut does not think frustrated young adults are "whiny." Or "lazy." Or "spoiled." Or any of the other insults that are routinely tossed at them by their elders these days. "Most young people aren't having crises of self-actualization," said Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a think tank in New York.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 20, 2006

Young people struggle to deal with kiss of debt

USA Today Read Full Article

By Mindy Fetterman and Barbara Hansen

"This debt-for-diploma system is strangling our young people right when they're starting out in life," said Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 18, 2006

Twenty-Somethings Drowning in a Sea of Bills

Young and In Debt: Many Recent Grads Face Huge College, Credit Card Tabs

ABC News Read Full Article

By Charles Gibson

Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," says those who are heading to college need a reality check right now. "I think three decades, four decades from now, we're going to look back and remember this generation as either the generation that saved the American dream or the generation that lived through its demise."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

October 29, 2006

Young adults squeezed

The News and Observer Read Full Article

By Vicki Lee Parker

The ads send the wrong message to the many young adults who aren't spending frivolously, said Tamara Draut, author of the book, "Strapped" which looks at why young adults have trouble getting ahead.

Read: Strapped

Economic Instability For College Grads and Non-Grads, Despite Census Study's Findings

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

October 27, 2006

Top 5 Issues That Motivate Young Voters Today

New York, NY--Young adults, non-college grads and college grads alike, are experiencing destabilizing economic conditions and high levels of debt as they start their professional lives, in spite of news from the US Census Bureau this week about the wage advantages for degree-holders. In response to the new study, Tamara Draut, Director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a non-partisan public policy and research center, issued the following statement:

Tags: Middle Class | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

October 23, 2006

WireTap Magazine Read Full Article

By Jeanine Plant

Over the last ten years, tuition costs have not only outpaced inflation, but left it in the dust. At the same time, Pell Grants, the federal financial aid for lower-income students, no longer cover three-quarters of college costs as they once did in the 1970s, Tamara Draut writes, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. Today, Draut says, the maximum Pell Grant award covers just one-third of tuition. So now, on top of classes, reading, assignments, and activities, many students are in a time crunch because of the need to hold down jobs.

Read: Strapped

IN THE PIPELINE: Debt-free is the new American Dream

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

October 14, 2006

Florida Times-Union Read Full Article

By Alison Trinidad

According to Demos, a nonpartisan research group in New York, adults between 25 and 34 years old spend about a quarter of every dollar they make to pay off debt at the minimum rate due. The rest of that dollar goes to rent and other expenses.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

October 9, 2006

Closing the Gap on Gen Y's Debt Crisis

New Man Magazine Read Full Article

Recent reports from public policy research group Demos indicate as much as 75 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds carry a credit card balance, due in large part to aggressive marketing by credit card companies on college campuses.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 26, 2006

College Debt Load Gives 'Generation Y' Grim Outlook

New York Sun Read Full Article

By Jay Akasie

The issue has inspired popular books like Tamara Draut's "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." Financial institutions, many of which issue credit cards and structure college loans in the first place, are also pointing out the dangers of taking on large amounts of college debt.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

September 22, 2006

Rising Debt Plagues Young Americans

Voice of America News Read Full Article

The majority of the jobs that are being created are also in lower-paying industries. That means that for many people, the ratio of debt service to income is rising. The public-policy group, Demos, found that between 1992 and 2001, that ratio increased by 28 percent for people between 18 and 34-years-old.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 11, 2006

Early Planning Tips For New Grads

El Semanario Read Full Article

Coupled with that, average credit card debt among young professionals stands at $4,088 - a 55 percent jump between 1992 and 2001, according to a report by Demos, a public policy group.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

September 3, 2006

Homebound

Strapped Grads Get Financial Lessons on Familiar Turf

Washington Post Read Full Article

By Ylan Q. Mui

Other research suggests that credit cards may be an even greater burden as young adults get older: An analysis of Federal Reserve data by the policy-research group Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action showed that adults between 25 and 34 have an average credit card debt of $4,358.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

August 22, 2006

Subsidy Economics 101

American Spectator Read Full Article

By Neal McCluskey

Similarly, a "briefing kit" on "the economic challenges facing young adults" from the left-leaning think tank Demos proposes, among other things, more generous federal aid for low- and moderate-income college students, and a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on down payments for first-time homebuyers who earn less than $50,000 a year.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

August 20, 2006

Knee-deep in debt

With college loans and credit cards to pay off, many young women carry heavy load

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Read Full Article

By Nedra Rhone

Draut says the country's "debt for diploma" system has made borrowing one's way through college the norm. "A generation ago, student financial aid was grant-based; now it is debt-based," Draut said. "You could work through the summer and pay for a whole year of college. That's not the reality anymore."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

August 17, 2006

Generation Debt

For many, four years of college means decades of concessions

Colorado Springs Independent Read Full Article

By Sarah Klein

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

August 16, 2006

Giving Credit Before It's Due

College freshmen frequent targets of financial companies

Columbus Dispatch Read Full Article

By Denise Trowbridge

Credit-card companies spend a lot of time enticing students to sign up for a card because they are lucrative customers. "It's a low-risk market," said Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-somethings Can't Get Ahead. "Students tend to pay their bills, and when they can't mom and dad step in."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

August 9, 2006

In Too Deep

Is Generation Debt the next big political movement? Or are they too broke and tired to fight?

Detroit Metro Times Read Full Article

By Sarah Klein

"We now require young people to go into debt to have a better future," says Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20-and-30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. "We've gone from helping young people pay for college to helping them borrow." Draut is one of the experts who claims the problem has reached "epidemic" proportions - yet the issue continues to worsen as more and more graduates and young people find themselves drowning in debt.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

July 19, 2006

Digging Out of Grad Debt

TheStreet.com Read Full Article

By Dorianne Perrucci

Unfortunately, too many of Matt's peers don't have his resources, and the money they borrow for college is pressuring them to delay marriage, start a family and buy a home, says Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. "It's hard to feel like an adult when you have a storm cloud of debt hanging over your head for a decade." Today, two-thirds of undergrads who borrow graduate with just under $20,000 in loans, according to the College Board's 2005 Trends in College Pricing. That doesn't include credit card debt, adds Draut, who directs the program for economic opportunity at Demos, a research and policy advocacy group in New York City.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

July 17, 2006

College Costs Are Damaging Future of Americans

Bloomberg.com Read Full Article

By John F. Wasik

"One in five students say student debt impacts their job choice," says Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." "It's an economic competitiveness argument. We need to continue to make progress on higher education."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

July 16, 2006

Young and broke?

Here are some ways to tackle your debt

The News and Observer Read Full Article

By Vicki Lee Parker

Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," says it's not entirely their fault. Everything is simply too expensive now -- housing, tuition, child care, health care. Meanwhile salaries, when adjusted for inflation, have decreased.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

July 16, 2006

Tamara Draut: Change at the top

The News and Observer Read Full Article

"Everyone has the perception that the media portray young people as very affluent with big TVs and expensive cars," said Tamara Draut. "But I almost never see any young person with a plasma TV. In reality, it's a lot different. They are more likely to be home eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches rather than sushi."

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

July 1, 2006

Young Adults Can Learn To Borrow Wisely

Arizona Republic Read Full Article

By Russ Wiles

Credit cards are a logical choice but also a potential pitfall. Seven of 10 young adults with credit cards aren't able to pay off their balances in full each month, reports Demos, a public-policy research and advocacy group in New York. In fact, the typical college senior has six credit cards and an average balance of more than $3,200, reports Demos, using figures for 2002.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

June 27, 2006

Tuition 101: Higher Rates Don't Add Up

Newsday Read Full Article

Download the PDF

Strapped young people

Economic Opportunity Program Associate Myra Batchelder and Senior Fellow Jennifer Wheary discuss that while tuition and student indebtedness continue to rise, quality of education, access to full-time faculty and any guarantee that a college diploma ensures financial stability are evaporating--marking this imbalance as cause for concern - and action.

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

June 24, 2006

Book calls for post-WWII style government spending to help young adults

Ottowa Citizen Read Full Article

By Alana Toulin

In her Strapped: Why America's 20 and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, media pundit and think tank adviser Tamara Draut (herself a thirty-something) paints a bleak picture of the obstacles Gen X and Gen Y face when starting out their lives.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

June 11, 2006

Crafting the new American dream

It's still about `doing better than your parents' but the focus is on fulfillment

Boston Globe Read Full Article

By Penelope Trunk

Additionally, a college education has become so expensive, making it more difficult to take these first steps toward the American dream, according to Tamara Draut , author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-somethings Can't Get Ahead." The average student loans come to around $20,000, which means $200 a month out of an entry-level paycheck. On top of that, between 1995 and 2002 median rents in almost all major cities increased more than 50 percent.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

June 2, 2006

Students Strapped With Increasing Debt

New book says college is even harder to pay for; more valuable

The Mills Campanil Read Full Article

By Sophia Tuttle

Draut's controversial first work published in January, Strapped effectively frames the new challenges facing young people with compelling statistics and a dozen narratives by 20- and 30-somethings. According to Draut, factors that helped our parent's transition to adulthood like access to jobs with fair wages, a robust economy, and public policies to promote economic mobility have all but vanished in our generation.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

June 1, 2006

Its Debt-for-Diploma Time Again

ABC News Read Full Article

Downscaling the Dreams of Youth

Economic Opportunity Program Director Tamara Draut discusses the debt-for-diploma system during graduation season. Draut documents how the birth of the debt-for-diploma system is squarely attributable to two factors: soaring tuition prices and dwindling federal financial aid, calling for an end to this system and a return to policies that shapes higher education as a viable opportunity in America.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 31, 2006

AlterNet Read Full Article

Generation X's Debt Headache

Economic Opportunity Program Director Tamara Draut outlines in Strapped how the debt-for-diploma system is a pernicious beast, stunting young adults' economic progress as they try to start their lives--draining precious dollars out of their paychecks for more than a decade.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 31, 2006

AlterNet Read Full Article

By Laura Barcella

Today, more and more twenty- and thirty-somethings are struggling to stay afloat -- and 'Strapped' author Tamara Draut knows why.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 23, 2006

Young and Uninsured

Tompaine.com Read Full Article

Save on Student Loans

By Cindy Zeldin

Tamara Draut, Economic Opportunity Program Director, and Cindy Zeldin, Federal Affairs Coordinator for the Economic Opportunity Program, address the stark fact that, with a looming national health crisis, young adults are more likely than any other age group to be uninsured--and the shifts in economic policies behind why this is so.

Tags: Healthcare | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 17, 2006

SmartMoney.com Read Full Article

By Kelli B. Grant

It's a heavy weight to bear when you're just entering the job market, says Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." Due to rising tuition costs and declining federal grant funding, significant student-loan debt is a growing problem. Graduates during the 1990s carried only $9,000 in loans, Draut notes. "Generationally, there's just no comparison," she says.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 17, 2006

Why Are Recent Grads So Strapped?

Loans, housing and low pay

Independent Weekly Read Full Article

By Bob Geary

According to Tamara Draut's new book, Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, global economic competition has made it harder for everybody in the United States but especially those just starting out in adult life. And instead of maintaining the public policies that used to ease the transition from youthful dependence to adult self-sufficiency, our political leaders have done just the opposite, yanking the supports out from under our children and grandchildren while maintaining mortgage deductions on their own houses even when they're of McMansion (or beachfront villa) dimensions.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 13, 2006

The 'Me' Mother's Day

As a new generation steps into adulthood, some are redefining what it means to honor mom. Giving the gift of self-improvement.

Wall Street Journal Read Full Article

By Rachel Dodes

Financial pressures play into this, too. Young adults are carrying bigger debts, facing higher housing costs and may be the first generation not to do as well as their parents. The average credit-card debt among people ages 25 to 34 rose 55%, to over $4,000, between 1992 and 2001, according to Demos, a New York-based think tank in a report called "Generation Broke." Those ages 18 to 24 saw a 104% spike over the same period.

Financial Plan: Don't Graduate Without One

May 6, 2006

New York Times Read Full Article

By M. P. Dunleavy

According to Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday, 2006), graduates are more in debt today than ever, in part because the skyrocketing cost of college has forced many more to borrow than in the past. Graduates today carry an average of $20,000 in student loan debt, "and about a quarter owe more than $25,000," said Ms. Draut, who is also the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, an economic policy and advocacy group in New York.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 5, 2006

Gen Y struggles with ABCs

New York Times Read Full Article

By Roxana Popescu

Two recent books, "Strapped: Why America's 20- And 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," by Tamara Draut, and "Generation Debt: Why Now Is a Terrible Time to Be Young," by Anya Kamenetz, deconstruct the outlook for recent college graduates, arguing that debt prevents young people from working toward goals like buying homes, saving for retirement or attaining a decent standard of living.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 3, 2006

The Economic American Dream Turns Into A Nightmare

The wider gap between the rich and the rest of us spells out the end of prosperity for our lower and middle classes.

AlterNet Read Full Article

By Deanna Zandt

The ever-increasing crippling amount of debt (see Tamara Draut's "Strapped" for excellent analysis of young people's financial struggles) and impact of various crises (see the Center for Responsible Lending's report on bankruptcy) are key factors in this volatility.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Distribution of Wealth & Income | Middle Class | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

April 20, 2006

The Bank of Mom and Dad

New York Times Read Full Article

By Anna Bahney

Ms. Draut, the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a New York think tank, said students now leave college with an average of $20,000 in loans, which "added to these flat-lined paychecks and high costs of living, tips people over the edge."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 23, 2006

Winning Over Young Voters

San Francisco Chronicle Read Full Article

A Growing Debt to Society

Economic Opportunity Program Director Tamara Draut discusses how more and more 18-to-34-year-olds are realizing there's a big difference between the right to vote and a reason to vote. Though surely it was unintended, our policy-makers have provided this generation with a big reason to vote: economic insecurity.

Tags: Expanding Civic Engagement | Healthcare | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 23, 2006

Young graduates shun nonprofit employers

Chronicle of Philanthropy Read Full Article

By Michael Anft

Tamara Draut, director of the economic-opportunity program at Demos, a nationwide advocacy and public-policy group in New York, says lack of advocacy on the issue has led to an unquestioned acceptance of what she calls "the debt-for-diploma system" among the public and executives of nonprofit organizations.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Role of Government and the Public Sector | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 19, 2006

Beyond Their Means

Today's young adults are in a bind: so much to buy, so little money.

Washington Post Read Full Article

By Amanda Henry

The more scholarly take on this tale of woe is found in Strapped. Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at the New York-based think tank Demos, offers diverse, thoroughly contextualized case studies with supporting statistical data, as well as the occasional outburst of advocacy. The thirty-something author knows whereof she writes, and occasionally references her own experience. But having already reached some milestones of adulthood -- marriage, career -- she also has some perspective on the situation.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 17, 2006

The Kids Aren't All Right

When it comes to economic health, the older generation has far outdone the young over the past decade. But things may be looking

BusinessWeek Read Full Article

By Michael Mandel

These numbers come from the Federal Reserve's authoritative Survey of Consumer Finances, released in February. They suggest that people who have written about the plight of the young -- including Tamara Draut, author of the new book Strapped, and Susan Berfield, who wrote a story for BusinessWeek entitled Thirty and Broke (Nov. 14, 2005), are right on target. While the overall state of the economy is better than it was a decade ago, the young have lagged behind.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 16, 2006

"I'm 28. How do I grow up?"

Certain choices seem safe but boring. Others seem cool but dumb. What to do?

Salon Read Full Article

By Cary Tennis

Anyway, now, as I am writing this, our local public radio station, KQED, is conducting a discussion with Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead." I am reminded that aside from questions of style and personal maturity, there are, of course, important economic hurdles.

Read: Strapped

Boomerang generation hits mainstream with 'Free Ride'

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 14, 2006

The Northern Light Read Full Article

By Mary Lochner

Two books released in early 2006 are finally attracting mainstream attention to the economic plight of 20- and 30-somethings. Tamara Draut's "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Something's Can't Get Ahead," and Anya Kamenetz's "Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to be Young," examine the root causes of a trend that traps both high school dropouts and college grads in the same tangle of briars: the mass migration back into the nest.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 6, 2006

Follow My Money

A host of young bloggers have opened their finances for all to see -- and learn from

BusinessWeek Read Full Article

Books such as Tamara Draut's Strapped and Anya Kamenetz' Generation Debt: Why Now is a Terrible Time to be Young and articles like BusinessWeek's "Thirty and Broke" (Special Report, Nov. 14, 2005) call attention to financial problems that plague us: sizable student loans, credit-card debt, a tight job market, and skyrocketing housing prices.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

March 6, 2006

Cheney Lectures Us About Responsibility?

Tompaine.com Read Full Article

Wisdom at a Very Nice Price

Economic Opportunity Program Director Tamara Draut responds to Cheney's speech at the 2006 Summit on Retirement Savings, commenting on how he was just giving us a nod. Just showing us that he's "in touch" with the reality that most Americans are caught in a vise grip of dwindling earnings and rising costs. But rest assured: As his remarks made quite clear, this administration isn't going to address these issues.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Tax Policy | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 2, 2006

Strapped

Straight.com Read Full Article

By Tom Snyders

Ironically, Draut finds that young adults today are more family-oriented than the boomers were, yet their greater ambivalence toward government leads them to discount the main tool for changing the policy hurdles that make it harder than ever to start and support a family: political involvement.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 27, 2006

Author Tamara Draut thinks America's youth is in financial trouble, with college loans a big part of that burden. She couldn't b

BusinessWeek Read Full Article

By Chris Farrell

Draut takes a hardline stand in her book. She argues that the younger American generation faces a life of "downscaled dreams." The traditional middle-class life is out of reach for more and more young people.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 27, 2006
The Debt-for-Diploma Crunch: The author of Strapped says today's young people emerge from college deep in hock, so it's harder for them to achieve the Americ; BusinessWeek Read Full Article; Read more; Read: Strapped; Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People; Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 27, 2006

Austinist Interviews Tamara Draut, Author of Strapped

Austinist Read Full Article

The dominant dialogue in this country is one of generational stereotyping. The media reflect where we are at in the culture, and right now, we are in this era of personal responsibility. The message is that if you aren't getting ahead, it's your own fault.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 13, 2006

Ask the Pro

Newsweek Read Full Article

By Linda Stern

We've got to end the debt-for-diploma system. We need to create more good jobs. We need to provide young families with the kinds of real support that's offered in every other industrialized nation, such as paid parental leave and affordable child care.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 13, 2006

10 Financial Questions to Ask Before Saying I Do

accountingweb.com Read Full Article

Tamara Draut, author of Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, agrees, telling MSNBC "It's much more difficult for this generation to work to educate their way into the middle class. They'll probably never match their parents' standards of living because of big loans, low income growth and a cost of housing that's much more expensive than for a generation ago."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 8, 2006

Oh, c'mon surely you have a few bucks for a book

Seattle Times Read Full Article

By Maisy Fernandez

Addressing everything from record-high credit-card debt, to buying a house, to having kids, to paying closer attention to politics, the book covers what has gone wrong for the under-35 crowd. It also offers ideas on how to create reform, including examining our values, reassessing our views about government and working together to make change.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 6, 2006

Up Against It At 25

BusinessWeek Read Full Article

Tamara Draut and Anya Kamenetz have a long list of grievances: Flawed government policies have forced many students to borrow huge sums for college. Once they enter an increasingly competitive workforce, these young people find that traditional benefits, such as health care, have become scarce.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

February 6, 2006

How Bad Rap, Stacked Deck, Tuition Whomps the `Slacker' Set

Bloomberg.com Read Full Article

By Bill McGuire

Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped", writes about the career instability that many in this stratum confront. They are more likely to hold a succession of temporary jobs that offer few benefits and little chance for advancement. They're often the first to be fired in a slump. "Today's young adults swim for a while, then sink, then swim again," Draut writes

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 28, 2006

HEADLINE: Young People Living At Home Longer

CNN Read Full Article

Tamara Draut discusses why today's young people are living at home longer.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 26, 2006

Paycheck paralysis

Moving up financially has gotten harder for young adults, one expert contends.

CNN Money Read Full Article

By Jeanne Sahadi

In her book, "Strapped: Why America's 20-and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," Draut cites a number of hindering factors. Key among them: debt coupled with paycheck paralysis.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 23, 2006

20-somethings face grim future, young authors say

Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce Read Full Article

By Jon Silver

Tamara Draut takes a different approach. As the director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a public policy center based in New York, Draut argues that the government has let young people down, and it's time to demand more.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 23, 2006

Young People Tapped Out Financially

Investment News Read Full Article

By Charles Paikert

Astronomical student debts, depressed wages, and soaring health-care and housing costs are among the reasons that 18- to 34-year-olds face a "crippling financial situation," according to Tamara Draut, author of "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday, 2006).

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 23, 2006

Young Earners Face Intense Financial Challenge

USA Today Read Full Article

By Kelly Barry

In Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, Tamara Draut takes aim at the root causes of the money troubles that young adults face today. Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a New York-based think tank, writes about those born between 1971 and 1987 and their jobs: bouncers (going from job to job); jugglers (working full time while in college); pajamas (working at home); and tempsters (working temp jobs).

Read: Strapped

Starting Out Behind the Financial Eight Ball

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 20, 2006

MSNBC Read Full Article

Drowning in student loan and credit card debt? Can't afford to get married, buy a home, have children? In "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," Tamara Draut offers a look at the new obstacle course facing young adults--the under 35 crowd--as they try to build careers, buy homes, and start families. Draut visited "Weekend Today" to discuss her book.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 18, 2006

Young Americans Feel Cash-Strapped

Author Discusses the Financial Challenges of America's Younger Generation

ABC News Read Full Article

In her new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead" (Doubleday), author Tamara Draut takes a hard look at why so many adults under 35 struggle for financial independence. Draut says astronomical student debts, depressed wages, rising health care costs and soaring property values are just a few reasons an entire generation of young people cannot overcome crippling financial situations.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 17, 2006

Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30- Something's Can't Get Ahead by Tamara Draut

Readers Write: 'Strapped' for Adulthood

New York, NY--Today marks the release of a groundbreaking new book; STRAPPED: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead (Doubleday; On-Sale January 17, 2006), written by Tamara Draut, Economic Opportunity Director at Demos.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Middle Class | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

January 17, 2006

AlterNet Read Full Article

By Onnesha Roychoudhuri

One notable theme was that Draut's book struck a nerve with readers of all ages -- not just those in their 20s and 30s. Lizmv started off the conversation by noting that, "As a 51-year-old single mom whose kids are now finally out of the house, I am still struggling to pay off the debt incurred by dentist bills and helping the kids get through college as best I could. I have just come to the conclusion that I will NEVER own a home, so I will never have that security. I expect to work until the day I die."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 17, 2006

Small Change

Down and out: For post-Boomers, the personal is never political

Village Voice Read Full Article

By Carla Blumenkranz

Strapped, by Tamara Draut, cuts out much of Kamenetz's slack and expands on an interesting twist. It's not just that Generation Debters haven't been given a safety net--reared during the Reagan years, they're not prepared to agitate for it. Instead, their '80s upbringing conditioned them to go it alone, working temp jobs, settling debts, and often getting educated at the same time.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 15, 2006

Deferred Futures

Why young adults can't hang on to what they earn

San Francisco Chronicle Read Full Article

By Mary D'Ambrosio

But if you're that child, Tamara Draut offers comfort, and ammunition for your next dinner with your parents. In her convincing, impressively researched call to arms, "Strapped," she explains why your genteel temp gig masquerading as a job won't cover your outrageous housing costs, oppressive credit card bills, outsize health care premiums and payments on your five-figure student loan. And she gets that, with your boyfriend in the same boat, it'll be years before the two of you can swing marriage or the white picket fence.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 11, 2006

Young dream-seekers strapped by debt

School loans, soaring house prices, low wages, and too-easy credit are keeping 20- and 30-somethings from making financial headw

Christian Science Monitor Read Full Article

By Marilyn Gardner

Sixty percent of young adults between 18 and 34 are struggling for financial independence, says Draut, now the director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a think tank in New York. She is also the author of a new book, "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead."

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 9, 2006

The It-Sucks-To-Be-Me Generation

Twentysomethings who can't stop whining about how the economy is screwing them.

Slate Read Full Article

By Daniel Gross

Draut argues that "with the possible exception of having a larger array of entertainment and other goods to purchase, members of Generation X appear to be worse off by every measure" than prior generations.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 8, 2006

BOOKS; Climbing Up, and Losing Ground

New York Times Read Full Article

By David Leonhardt

Then they will have to pay for day care in an economy that gives bigger tax breaks to "someone buying a second home than raising a second child," Tamara Draut writes in "Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead," a grim tale of one-sided generational war.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 5, 2006

Seniors Caught in Credit Card Mess

Declining Pensions and Rising Health Insurance Force Older Americans to Turn to Credit

ABC News Read Full Article

By Dean Reynolds

The most recent data available show that credit card debt among people aged 55 to 64 rose 47 percent in the 1990s. Debt among those 65 and older increased an astounding 89 percent during the same period. "This is not just happening to the worst cases," said Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a nonpartisan, public policy organization. "This is becoming much more common and widespread and more of the ordinary face of older Americans than it was decades ago."

Tags: Debt | Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 23, 2005

STRAPPED: WHY AMERICA'S 20- AND 30-SOMETHINGS CAN'T GET AHEAD

PopMatters Read Full Article

By Jodie Janella Horn

Since my mother and I both find the prospect of me moving back home nightmarish, I decided to end our "standards of living: then and now" debate once and for all. I sent her Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead, and guess what? It worked! Yes, the Strapped method of garnering parental support work for me. I want to do infomercials for the book now. "Do your baby boomer parents wonder why all their success hasn't rubbed off on you? Do they ask you why they bothered to send you to college when you're un-or-underemployed? Do they think you're paying more than half your paycheck in rent just because you're decadent? Then this book is for you!"

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 17, 2005

Too Much Debt, or Not Enough?

Inside Higher Ed Read Full Article

By Doug Lederman

Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a nonprofit research group, and author of the forthcoming Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead (Doubleday), offered a litany of reasons why young Americans -- "the first young adult generation" in U.S. history that has been "asked to shoulder the cost of their higher education through loans" -- can ill afford to continue to accumulate the rates of debt they are now facing.

Read: Strapped

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 14, 2005

Thirty & Broke

The real price of a college education today

BusinessWeek Read Full Article

"This is the first generation who won't necessarily do better than their parents," says Tamara Draut, director of the economic opportunity program at Demos, a research and advocacy organization in New York. "They've been told: 'Apply yourself. You'll get a job, a home.' For many young people that's not the case."

Young Adults Falling into the Debt Trap

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

July 30, 2005

Phoenix College Read Full Article

The study revealed some startling results that suggest a college education has become unaffordable to many young adults. For example, more students are taking on debt to finance their college education because of a shift in federal student aid programs. In 1980, the most common form of college funding was federal grants, which amounted to 52 percent of the government's student aid system. Loans followed at 45 percent. But by 2000, loans had risen to 58 percent of the student aid pie while grants dropped to 41 percent. Coinciding with the shift in federal student aid programs were dramatic increases in college tuition.

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

June 19, 2005

Pell Grant Slashes Cut Vital Educational Access

LA Daily News Read Full Article

Cuts in College Aid Dim American Dream

Senior Fellow Jennifer Wheary explains how the Government Accounting Office figures released in late May about upcoming changes to Pell Grants provide another glaring example of why it's time to let go of the illusion that we're moving toward an "ownership society."

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Financial Reform | Economic Challenges of Young People

June 14, 2005

New York Daily News Read Full Article

Young People Taking on More Debt

Senior Fellow Jennifer Wheary outlines the latest Government Accounting Office estimates released late last month show that nearly 2 million low- and moderate-income students will see their Pell grants decrease or disappear for the 2005-06 school year.

Tags: Financial Reform | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 25, 2005

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Read Full Article

Over the past decade, credit card debt among 18-24 year olds rose by 104 percent according to a report released by the nonprofit research organization Demos entitled "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans."

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

May 19, 2005

How Far Will Street Smarts Get You?

Des Moines Register Read Full Article

Rich Benjamin

Senior Fellow Rich Benjamin probes the economic anxieties underpinning the success of The Apprentice and exposes the myths of opportunity promoted by the program.

Read: Searching for Whitopia

May 16, 2005

Credit Crunch

Times Union Read Full Article

By Kristi L. Gustafson

We live in an age when credit card debt has skyrocketed among young adults. It has risen 104 percent from 1992 to 2004 among 18- to 24-year-olds according to "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans," a report from Demos, a nonpartisan, nonprofit New York City-based research organization. With that in mind, the experts believe it's essential to teach young people the principles of sound financial management from an early age.

May 15, 2005

The Generation Gap

U.S. News & World Report Read Full Article

By Lou Dobbs

"It's taking much longer for gen X-ers to achieve financial security, to get out of the roughand-tumble 20s into real financial stability on the path to savings," says Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, a nonpartisan research group. "For a lot of young people, that's just not going to happen at all. They will still be living paycheck to paycheck well into their 40s, even at the upper end of the income spectrum."

Financial Literacy and Kids

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

May 2, 2005

Christian Science Monitor Read Full Article

By Leslie Parrish

The numbers speak for themselves. Young adults have the second highest rate of bankruptcy and are more likely to file for bankruptcy than baby boomers were at the same age, according to a recent bankruptcy study by the nonprofit group Demos.

Tags: Bankruptcy | Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 25, 2005

Generation Permalance on the Brink

Grand Forks Herald Read Full Article

Rich Benjamin

Senior Fellow Rich Benjamin describes how millions of young Americans belong to a new generation - Generation Permalance, our permanent freelancers.

Read: Searching for Whitopia

American-Dream Schools

March 14, 2005

New York Daily News Read Full Article

Senior Fellow Jennifer Wheary writes encouraging news about education in New York City. We are making progress in figuring out how to help students from immigrant families achieve more.

It's The Economy, Stupid

March 7, 2005

GW Hatchett Read Full Article

By Josh Stager

Now a whole new generation is entering their 20s and following a similar trajectory. Traditional milestones of adulthood - leaving home, finding financial stability, getting married and having children - are not achieved until they are almost 30, and growing evidence suggests economics play a major role.

Read: Restoring Borrower Security

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

March 1, 2005

The Economics Of Education

An education in economics is more important than ever. So why are there so few classes?

Hawaii Business Read Full Article

By David Choo

According to the consumer advocacy group Demos, from 1992 to 2001, the youngest adults (18 to 24 years old) saw the sharpest rise in credit-card debt-104 percent-to an average of $2,985. The second-highest increase-55 percent-was among young adults (25 to 34 years old), who also had the second highest bankruptcy rate, just after those ages 35 to 44.

Read: Restoring Borrower Security

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

February 23, 2005

School Funding Goes Beyond City and State

Newsday Read Full Article

Younger Americans Going Deeper into Debt

Senior Fellow Jennifer Wheary addresses the reasons why failing city schools require dramatic action and urgent attention. That's the message from this past week's New York State Supreme Court ruling upholding the findings of a court -appointed panel that New York City schools require an additional $14.8 billion to meet students' basic educational needs.

Tags: Economic Challenges of Young People | Tax Policy | Poverty

January 17, 2005

Bankrate.com Read Full Article

By Julie Sturgeon

Gen Xers yearn to carve a new direction for society. Unfortunately, the direction appears to be straight into debt. Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 now boast the second-highest rate of bankruptcy, just behind the 35-44 group. The average credit card debt for this group increased by 55 percent between 1992 and 2001, with the average young adult household now spending approximately 24 percent of its income on debt payments. Really want to worry? Take a peek at these findings from the Generation Broke report put out by social activist group Demos, using the Federal Reserve Board's survey of consumer finances.

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 9, 2005

For Some, Student Loans Become Heavy Burden"

Deseret News Read Full Article

By Peter Svensson

"The bachelor's degree has become the new high school degree," said Tamara Draut of Demos, the New York-based think tank.

Tags: Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

January 5, 2005

Congress To Explore Tuition Remedies

Collegiate inflation rates surpassed only by health care

MarketWatch Read Full Article

By Jackie Cohen

With college costs running as high as $40,000 a year, House and Senate education committees have tuition control on their to-do lists.

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

December 1, 2004

Student Loans, Credit Cards Pose Debt Threat to the Young

Mortgage Servicing News Read Full Article

By Amilda Dymi

A combination of escalating student loan and credit-card debt, rising costs, slow wage growth and underemployment have accumulated debt "unmatched in modern history" undermining the economic security and financial health of young Americans aged 18-34, according to a new study.

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 29, 2004

A Generation Weighed Down By Debt

Christian Science Monitor Read Full Article

By Marilyn Gardner

"These young adults are doing everything society tells them to do," says Tamara Draut, coauthor of a new study, "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans," published by Demos, a public-policy group in New York. "They're going to college, taking on tremendous student-loan debt, and working longer hours than ever before while in college. When they get in the real world, they can't get ahead because of the debt they went into to get the degree to get the good job."

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 22, 2004

Generation Broke: New Grads Bear Heavy Load

St. Petersburg Times Read Full Article

By Robert Trigaux

"This is as bad as it has been for young adults - absolutely," says Tamara Draut, who works for the Demos USA think tank in New York and recently analyzed the financial plight of young Americans.

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 3, 2004

Credit Card Come-ons Snare Young In Growing Debt

Kansas City Star Read Full Article

My daughter is married and no longer lives with us. But we still get junk mail from credit card banks luring her into the buy-now, pay-later society.

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People

Staff Mentioned: Tamara Draut

November 2, 2004

Gen-X in Financial Trouble

The Motley Fool Read Full Article

By Selena Maranjian

Just before Halloween, a public policy group called Demos released a scary report titled, "Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Younger Americans."

Read: Borrowing to Make Ends Meet

Tags: Credit Card Debt | Student Loans and Student Loan Debt | Economic Challenges of Young People | Bankruptcy

October 21, 2004

Young Americans Face Crushing Debt, Report Finds