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Blakeman’s Campaign May Face Financial Setback

Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies, spoke to Newsday about the New York State gubernatorial race and the possibility that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman may not qualify for the state’s public campaign finance program. Raising enough money to compete with incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul has been Blakeman’s biggest challenge to date, Levy explained. “This would be a near existential blow to whatever relatively slim chances he has based on party enrollment, Hochul’s popularity and her huge lead in cash on hand,” he said.

Your Retirement Reset: My New Book will Be in Stores on Sept. 8th

This one has been a long time coming. My new book, Your Retirement Reset: How to Convert Home Equity into Financial Security, published by ECW Press, finally has a publication date. Why I Wrote This Book I have spent decades watching far too many older Canadians carry unnecessary financial stress into what should be a more secure and dignified stage of life.  Throughout my career as a mortgage broker, business owner, and later as an executive at HomeEquity Bank, I saw the same painful pattern again and again: people who had worked hard, paid down their homes, built real equity, and still felt trapped. Many were living with fear, cutting back on basic pleasures, worrying about every bill, and feeling ashamed that they had not “saved enough.” Meanwhile, a major asset was sitting right beneath their feet. What struck me most was this: younger homeowners often see home equity as a financial tool, but many retirees do not. For many older Canadians, the idea of borrowing against their home feels frightening, even when it could improve their quality of life and help them stay independent. This resistance is not just about math. It is emotional. It is psychological. And it is deeply tied to identity, security, family, and fear. The Retirement Problem We Are Not Talking About Honestly Enough The old retirement script is failing too many people. We are living longer. The cost of living keeps rising. Private sector pensions have largely disappeared. Healthcare and long-term care costs are real concerns. And many people reaching retirement are discovering, far too late, that the traditional advice to simply save, downsize, and make do does not reflect today’s reality. At the same time, most older Canadians want to age in place. They want to remain in the homes and communities they know and love. They do not want to be pushed into selling, renting, or moving in with family unless they truly choose that path. Yet many are gripped by what I call FORO — Fear of Running Out. That fear shapes countless decisions and robs people of peace of mind. It’s actually rooted in neuroscience and the way we’re wired to behave as we do. I’ve posted about this here in my newsletter and Substack a lot. Because it’s important. This is not a fringe issue. It is a national issue. And it deserves a more honest conversation. Why This Book Matters for Canadians 55+ There is a critical gap in this country when it comes to retirement literacy. Many Canadians over 55 have substantial value tied up in their homes, yet traditional retirement advice often does not seriously incorporate home equity into the conversation. At the same time, the information people do find is often fragmented, biased, overly technical, or scattered across lenders, planners, brokers, lawyers, accountants, media stories, and well-meaning family members. That leaves people vulnerable. They may rely on outdated assumptions. They may wait too long to explore options. They may make decisions out of fear rather than clarity. And because older adults usually do not have decades to recover from a financial mistake, the stakes are high. I want to be direct about this: one wrong decision later in life can be extremely hard to reverse. Seniors need unbiased, transparent information they can actually trust. I wanted to create a resource that is practical, plainspoken, and empowering. Not a sales pitch. Not a jargon-filled textbook. Not a one-size-fits-all solution. What I Hope This Book Will Accomplish I hope “Your Retirement Reset” helps Canadians 55+ do a number of things. First, I hope it helps people understand their options more clearly. Too many retirees only hear about a narrow set of choices. I want readers to see the full landscape and understand how different strategies work, including the pros, cons, and trade-offs. Second, I hope it helps people replace fear with confidence. Retirement should not be defined entirely by scarcity thinking. When people understand how to use all of their assets strategically, including home equity, they can make decisions from a position of strength rather than panic. Third, I hope it helps families have better conversations. One of the great hidden challenges in retirement planning is communication. Adult children often mean well, but they may not understand the emotional reality of aging, independence, or financial vulnerability. These conversations matter, and they are often avoided until a crisis forces them. This book is meant to encourage healthier, earlier, and more respectful dialogue. Fourth, I hope it helps more older Canadians protect their dignity and independence. To me, this is the heart of the matter. As I work through my current MBA studies, my life today is filled with spreadsheets. But retirement shouldn’t be. It is about autonomy, confidence, lifestyle, peace of mind, and the ability to live on your own terms for as long as possible. The Information Gap Nobody Is Filling One reason I felt so compelled to write this book is that the resources simply are not where they need to be. There is no shortage of opinions in the marketplace. But there is a shortage of clear, balanced, accessible education specifically designed for older Canadians trying to navigate retirement in the world as it actually exists now. Many books in this category are dated, narrowly focused, or too technical for many of the people I speak with. And it’s to be expected that much of the consumer-facing content around financial products like reverse mortgages comes from lenders themselves. Many seniors are left trying to piece together a life-changing financial strategy from disconnected advice and Google searches. That is the gap I am trying to fill. Canadians need impartial, balanced information they can trust — especially around home equity strategies and retirement financing. I believe Canadians deserve better than that. They deserve a resource that speaks to them in plain language, respects their intelligence, acknowledges the emotional complexity of these decisions, and gives them practical tools to move forward. We Need a More Modern Retirement Roadmap This book is built around a simple idea: retirement planning cannot just be about accumulating savings. It also has to be about learning how to use those resources wisely. That includes understanding how to: • create income • manage spending • shelter income from unnecessary tax pressure • protect savings from fraud and bad decisions • evaluate whether home equity should play a role in your retirement strategy These are the pillars I keep coming back to. They reflect what I believe Canadians in this stage of life truly need.  I want readers to come away not just informed, but steadier. More capable. More hopeful. This Is Personal for Me I am part of this demographic myself. I understand the questions, the transitions, the uncertainty, and the pressure. I also know from lived experience that retirement is not simply a financial event. It is a life event. It affects your confidence, your relationships, your routines, your health, and your sense of who you are. That combination — professional experience and personal experience — is exactly what I bring to every page. That is why I have approached this book not simply as a finance book, but as a practical guide for real people facing real decisions. My hope is simple: that this book helps more Canadians 55+ move into the next chapter of life with greater knowledge, less fear, and a stronger sense of possibility. Because retirement should not just be about getting by. It should be about living with confidence, dignity, and choice. The Book is Now Available for Pre-Order If this message speaks to you, or to someone you love, I hope you will pre-order a copy of Your Retirement Reset. Available September 8, 2026. PRE-ORDER NOW: https://ecwpress.com/products/your-retirement-reset And if you love supporting Canadian booksellers, please also check with your local independent bookstore. Most can easily order it for you. Don’t Retire… Re-Wire! Sue

Iran Conflict Intensifies Focus on Affordability

Professor of Finance Anoop Rai spoke to Newsday about economic fallout from the Iran campaign, which is refocusing attention on rising costs at a time when affordability was already a top concern, locally and nationally. If the economy cools down, it could reduce the state’s tax revenues, and any actions lawmakers take to further help with affordability could lead to greater deficits, said Dr. Rai. “Then it becomes more like a philosophy. Do you help now during bad times and then try to recover later, or stick to your principles and say ‘tough luck’?”

How Strikes on Iran Could Impact Prices on LI

NewsdayTV spoke to Hofstra Professor of Finance Anoop Rai about Long Islanders bracing for higher prices at the gas pump and elsewhere, following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Florida renters struggle with housing costs, new statewide report finds

Nearly 905,000 low-income renter households in Florida are struggling to afford their housing costs, according to the 2025 Statewide Rental Market Study, released by the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. Prepared for Florida Housing Finance Corporation, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state’s rental housing conditions and is used to guide funding decisions for Florida Housing’s multifamily programs, including the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program. “Florida’s strong population growth has collided with limited housing supply, pushing rents beyond what many families can afford,” said Anne Ray, manager of the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse at the Shimberg Center. “This report helps policymakers and housing providers target resources where the need is most acute — including communities that are experiencing the fastest growth and the greatest affordability gaps.” Key findings from the 2025 study include: A growing affordability gap: An estimated 904,635 renter households earning below 60% of their area median income (AMI) are cost burdened, paying more than 40% of their income toward rent. These households are spread across the state, with 64% in Florida's nine most populous counties, 33% in mid-sized counties and 3% in small, rural counties. Surging population and higher rent and housing costs: Between 2019 and 2023, Florida added more than 1 million households — nearly 195,000 of them renters — driven by in-migration from states like New York, Illinois and California. Despite the addition of more than 240,000 multifamily units, median rent soared nearly $500 per month, from $1,238 to $1,719. After years of growth, Florida's older renter population is holding steady: Renters age 55 and older represent 39% of cost burdened households, up from 29% in 2010 but similar to 2022 numbers. Most renters are working: 79% of renter households include at least one employed adult, compared to 67% of owner households. Most non-working renters are seniors or people with disabilities. Homelessness is on the rise: The report estimates 29,848 individuals and 44,234 families are without stable housing, up from 2022, as hurricanes and tight markets contribute to displacement. Assisted housing provides an alternative to high-cost private market rentals: Developments funded by Florida Housing, HUD, USDA and local housing finance authorities provide over 314,000 affordable rental units statewide. Future risks to affordable housing stock: More than 33,000 publicly assisted units may lose affordability protections by 2034 unless renewed. Evalu ating affordable housing in Florida “State- and federally-assisted rental housing developments are essential to providing stable, affordable homes for Florida’s workforce, seniors, and people with special needs,” Ray said. “Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s programs make up a significant portion of this housing, and our study helps ensure those resources are directed where they’re needed most. Preserving these developments — and expanding them — is critical to keeping pace with Florida’s growing population and maintaining affordability.” Since 2001, the Shimberg Center has produced the Rental Market Study every three years to inform strategic investments in affordable housing across Florida. The study evaluates needs across regions and among key populations including seniors, people with disabilities, farmworkers and others. The Rental Market Study and the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse are part of a 25-year partnership between the Shimberg Center and Florida Housing Finance Corporation to support data-driven housing policy and planning.

Exploring everyday finance, gender, and the future of pensions

Money in everyday life For Dr Hayley James, finance isn’t just numbers on a balance sheet - it’s woven into the realities of everyday life. From saving and borrowing to the challenge of long-term pension planning, her work at Aston University’s Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing (CPFW) explores how financial decisions are shaped by family, gender, life stage, and stability of income. Her research stems from her PhD, which examined how people make decisions after being automatically enrolled into workplace pensions - a starting point that sparked her continuing focus on pensions and everyday financial behaviour. “Finance is often portrayed as objective, but in reality, our money decisions are tied up with all the other meaningful factors in our lives.” – Hayley James At CPFW, Dr. James and her colleagues have observed a shift in policy and industry thinking. Where once the focus was on pushing people to act in “rational” financial ways, attention is now turning to redesigning systems that reflect how people actually manage money. Gender and the pension gap A key focus of Dr. James’ research has been pensions, particularly how gender and life events shape saving habits. She has found that parenthood has very different impacts on men and women’s retirement planning: Motherhood often discourages pension saving - reducing both capacity and perceived importance. Fatherhood often encourages saving - reinforcing traditional financial roles. While many assume household specialisation balances out, reality shows otherwise: separation or divorce often leaves women financially disadvantaged. These insights underpin her book Pension Saving in a Gendered Lifecourse (2025), which argues for pension systems that move beyond gender neutral models to become gender friendly - systems that acknowledge the very different realities men and women face across their life course. Tracking real lives: the “Real Accounts” project Beyond pensions, Dr James has led research into how people actually manage day-to-day finances. In the Real Accounts project, she and colleagues followed UK households for 10 months, recording income and spending in real time. The findings reveal how income volatility — sudden drops, irregular hours, unexpected bills — creates stress and undermines financial stability. These insights are helping policymakers and providers rethink how products like pensions, credit, and debt advice are designed. Collaboration and impact Dr. James’ work bridges academia, policy, and practice. Partnerships include: Nest Insight – public-benefit research centre, co-leads on Real Accounts. Glasgow Caledonian University – joint research on household finances. Christians Against Poverty – literature review on measuring the impact of debt advice, aimed at improving frontline support for the most vulnerable. Through these collaborations, her findings are already shaping practical change in how organisations design support for households under financial strain. Looking ahead With her British Academy Innovation Fellowship concluding, Dr. James is turning to new questions: How do diverse households — across sexuality, ability, ethnicity, and household structure — navigate finance? How can financial systems evolve to reflect real lives, not abstract models? Her book sets out a roadmap for rethinking pensions through a gendered lens — offering policymakers, providers, and households a new way to understand and prepare for later life. Selected publications For readers who want to explore her research in more depth, here are a few recent publications: • James, H. (2022). Everyday finance and the politics of financial subjectivity. Review of International Political Economy. • James, H. (2022). Financial wellbeing and the lived experience of income volatility. New Political Economy. • James, H. (2023). Household finance and the gendered lifecourse: Reframing pensions research. In Handbook on Everyday Finance (Edward Elgar). Available via RePEc. ⸻ About Dr. Hayley James Dr. Hayley James is a Senior Research Fellow at Aston University’s Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing. Her research spans pensions, household finance, and the social context of money. She has published widely and works closely with policy and community partners to translate research into action. To explore more of the Centre’s work and access project reports, visit the CPFW Projects page at Aston University. Connect with Hayley by clicking the profile icon below.

Op-Ed: Crypto innovation needs stability, not shortcuts

After months of bipartisan negotiations, Congress continues to debate crypto market structure legislation, though questions remain whether common sense investor protections will be included in a new federal framework for digital assets. These proposals address fundamental questions aimed at providing needed clarity for digital asset markets, including around agency jurisdiction, and trust and confidence for mainstream adoption of modern markets. At times, the negotiations fractured over stablecoin yields, while provisions addressing decentralized finance and developer liability and the importance of investor safeguards have proven similarly divisive. The GENIUS Act prohibits stablecoin issuers from paying interest, recognizing such payments transform digital tokens into bank deposits requiring regulatory oversight. Platforms opposing restrictions on stablecoin yields prioritize business models generating revenue by offering deposit-like products without deposit-like regulation – an unfair regulatory arbitrage that disadvantages prudentially supervised banks, drains funding from local lending and introduces systemic risk without corresponding accountability. While these complex issues require careful calibration, there is no substitute for keeping investor-first reforms at the center of market structure legislation and prioritizing clear rules and robust investor safeguards that ensure digital assets benefit everyday investors and that America strengthens its economic competitiveness and leads the next era of financial innovation. Such impasses reflect a pattern where narrow interests prevail over broader economic considerations. Platforms opposing restrictions on stablecoin yields prioritize business models generating revenue by offering deposit-like products without deposit-like regulation. Banking institutions recognize that unregulated competition operating under lower-cost structures will drain funding from local lending. Both positions are economically rational for the parties involved. Neither serves the public interest in financial stability. Likewise, opponents argue that regulation stifles innovation, especially in decentralized finance. But this conflates innovation with regulatory arbitrage. Genuine technological progress creates value by improving efficiency or reducing costs. Regulatory arbitrage extracts value by exploiting gaps between economically equivalent activities subject to different rules. The alternative claim – that existing securities laws suffice – ignores that those frameworks were designed for different market structures. Securities laws assume centralized issuers. Commodity regulations assume physical delivery. Digital assets often fit neither category cleanly, creating uncertainty that inhibits legitimate activity while failing to prevent abuse. The choice is not between perfect legislation and the status quo but between establishing clear rules now or waiting for the next crisis. Financial regulation written in crisis tends toward overcorrection that stifles markets for years. Regulation developed deliberately better balances stability with innovation. Both House and Senate committee versions share core elements providing needed clarity on agency jurisdiction, registration requirements and disclosure standards. International considerations reinforce urgency. The European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation provides comprehensive frameworks for issuers and service providers. Continued U.S. regulatory ambiguity cedes leadership to jurisdictions that may not share American economic interests. More immediately, delay allows risks to accumulate as digital assets become interconnected with traditional finance through retirement plans and institutional portfolios. Recent market failures demonstrate why regulatory clarity and investor safeguards matter. The 2022 collapse of crypto exchange FTX revealed an $8 billion dollar deficit in customer accounts, spreading losses to pension funds and individual retirement accounts. Investigators identified conflicts of interest and leverage that standard regulation would have prevented. When Silicon Valley Bank failed, one major stablecoin had 8% of reserves tied to that institution. The crisis resolved only because uninsured depositors received public support. These episodes reveal a pattern where institutions operating outside prudential supervision accumulate risks requiring public intervention. Markets function best when rules are clear, consistently enforced and apply equally to all participants. This principle applies whether the market involves energy commodities, agricultural credit or digital assets. Louisiana's economy depends on community banks that understand local conditions and maintain lending relationships through economic cycles. When regulatory gaps allow deposit flight to lightly supervised alternatives, these institutions lose capacity to serve small businesses and agricultural operations. Congress has made meaningful progress on consensus-driven legislation. Completing that work would provide clarity allowing legitimate innovation while preventing regulatory arbitrage that creates systemic risk. The alternative is waiting for the next crisis to demonstrate why such frameworks were necessary.

What makes the NFL's biggest game so Super?

Why would someone pay $10,000 for a Super Bowl ticket? Why does the big game serve as a reason for a party – perhaps the only event to do so on a national level? How do teams lock in and play their best while the whole world is watching? University of Delaware experts can deliver answers to those and other questions long before the first chip hits the dip. Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and expert on happiness, said that part of the reason people derive hedonic benefits from buying tickets to sporting events like the Super Bowl is because of the memories they provide and the conversational value they generate. He pointed to his study on consuming experiences, which found that consumers derive more happiness from purchasing experiences than from buying possessions. Kumar can also talk about the benefits of Super Bowl parties and the psychology behind the social connections that take place at sports-related gatherings. Other UD experts who can comment on the Super Bowl include: • Kyle Emich, professor of management: The inner-working of teams, decision-making and how emotions influence cognitive processing. • John Allgood, instructor of sport management: Fan engagement and the economics of sports. • Nataliya Bredikhina, assistant professor of sport management: Athlete branding and event sponsorships. • Tim Deschriver, associate professor of sport management: Topics related to sports economics, finance and marketing. • Karin Sabernagel, professor of physical therapy: Specializes in lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries, sports medicine and tendon injuries (ankle, knee). To reach these experts directly and arrange interviews, visit their profiles and click on the "contact" button. Interested reporters can also contact MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Charities spend big to defend their board’s corporate agendas, new study reveals

Charities with corporate leaders on their boards spend an average of $130,000 a year lobbying on behalf of their connected companies. That’s according to a first-of-its-kind study that shows how companies benefit from their charitable work — and how charities may be all-too-happy to support their powerful board members in return for lucrative connections. The researchers behind the study say the findings could help policymakers and charity stakeholders keep tabs on a previously hidden form of political influence, but that such arrangements are perfectly legal for now. “Charities stand to gain something by behaving in this way. It doesn’t always have to be corporations pushing charities to behave in a way they don’t want to,” said Sehoon Kim, Ph.D., a professor of finance at the University of Florida and senior author of the new study. “It’s a natural quid pro quo arrangement that arises from the incentives corporations and charities have.” The American Medical Association shows one example of these incentives in action. In the 2010s, they actively lobbied against efforts by federal agencies to curb opioid prescriptions. This benefited companies like Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin widely blamed for exacerbating the opioid epidemic in the U.S. It turned out that Richard Sackler, the former president of the company, sat on the board of AMA Foundation, a relationship viewed by many as controversial at the time. But Sackler had arranged for millions in donations to the foundation, and other charities are likely looking to corporate board members to help engineer large donations for their charitable work by connecting charities to other companies and leaders with deep pockets. Lobbying on behalf of their new friends, then, may simply be the most efficient way to ensure those donations keep flowing. Kim collaborated with UF Professor Joel Houston, Ph.D., and Changhyun Ahn, Ph.D., of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct the analysis, which is forthcoming in the journal Management Science. They painstakingly hand collected data covering more than 400 charities and over 1,000 corporations that identified board connections, donations and lobbying activities that fell both within and outside of the charities’ typical political activity. The researchers focused on larger charities that already engage in some lobbying on their own behalf. These lobbying charities are three times larger than smaller nonprofits that never lobby. After a new corporate board member joined, these charities changed their behavior. They were far more likely to lobby outside of their own interests and to even work to support or defeat legislation that affected their new board member’s company, even when that legislation had nothing to do with their charitable mission. It worked out to about a 14% increase in the charity’s lobbying expenditures. “These were the smoking guns that there’s something going on that’s not supposed to be happening,” Kim said. Because lobbying is such an efficient use of resources, and because charities may lend their friendly brand to these lobbying efforts, this help from charities could significantly benefit these connected corporations. “These are previously unrecognized channels at play in terms of corporate political influence that policymakers need to be mindful of when assessing how influential corporations are likely to be,” Kim said.

J.S. Held Releases the Lending Climate in America Survey Results

Global consulting firm J.S. Held reveals the “Lending Climate in America” survey results from Phoenix Management, a part of J.S. Held. The fourth quarter survey results highlight the persisting lender views on policy decisions and their national/global impacts. The “Lending Climate in America” survey is administered quarterly to lenders from various commercial banks, finance companies, and factors across the country. We collect, tabulate, and analyze the results to create a complete evaluation of national attitudes and trends. Phoenix’s Q4 2025 “Lending Climate in America” survey asked lenders which factors could have the strongest potential to impact the economy in the upcoming six months. Forty-six percent of lenders think political uncertainty will have the strongest impact on the economy, while 41% of lenders believe geopolitical risk (war) has the strongest potential to impact the economy. Lenders continue to believe that the possibility of a U.S. recession and upcoming FOMC interest rate decisions will impact the economy. Lenders revealed what actions their customers may take in the next six months. Almost two-thirds of the surveyed lenders believe their customers will raise additional capital, while 30%+ of the surveyed lenders believe their customers will introduce new products and make acquisitions. Forty-three percent of respondents identified the retail trade industry as the most likely to experience volatility in the next six months, followed by the healthcare (social assistance) industry at 38% of respondents. Additionally, Phoenix’s “Lending Climate in America” survey asked lenders if their respective institutions plan to tighten, maintain, or relax their loan structures for various sized loans. For larger loan structures (greater than $25M), the plan to maintain loan structures remained relatively constant from Q3 to Q4, increasing by 9%. As loan sizes decrease, lenders plan to maintain their loan structures. Loans in the range of $15-25M and $5-15M saw very similar structure changes from Q3 to Q4. Loans under $5M had no change in structure. Lender optimism in the U.S. economy decreased for the near term, moving from 2.58 in Q3 2025 to 2.38. In this current quarter, there is heavy expectation of a B level performance (49%), with a majority of the remainder (41%) sitting at a C level. Lender expectations for the U.S. economy’s performance in the longer term also decreased from 2.71 to 2.46. Of the lenders surveyed, 54% believe the U.S. economy will perform at a B level during the next twelve months, virtually no change from the prior quarter. Performance expectations at the D level increased by 5%, matching the increase at a C level. To see the full results of Phoenix’s “Lending Climate in America” Survey, please visit: “Lenders are signaling heightened caution as political uncertainty and geopolitical risks dominate near-term economic concerns,” says Michael Jacoby, Senior Managing Director and Strategic Advisory Practice Lead at J.S. Held. “Confidence in the U.S. economy continues to erode, with short-term grades slipping from a weighted average of 2.58 in Q3 to 2.38 in Q4, and long-term expectations following the same downward trend. While most lenders plan to maintain current loan structures, a notable 21% anticipate tightening terms, even as 77% expect further Fed rate cuts in the coming months. Industry volatility is projected to rise sharply in healthcare, consumer products, and finance, underscoring a challenging environment for borrowers and investors alike.” To learn more about how our experts can add value to your stories in development, simply connect with Michael through his icon below.