Economic slowdowns are part of the cycle, but they never feel routine when jobs, paychecks and savings are on the line. I want to unpack what a recession actually is, why it matters for your household ...

The past has shown that nontraditional measures like brothels, beer and lipstick can tell us a lot about the economy’s health.

Lipstick Index: The 'Lipstick Index' is a theory that states that during an economic recession, people spend less on expensive things but focus more on cheaper things to keep themselves happy.