Madison Troyer


My Recent Work

Benzinga •

The 529 Plan Blind Spot: Why Millions Of Parents Are Missing Out On Tax-Free College Savings

It's no secret that raising kids is a major financial commitment. Among the more common financial concerns parents have is the ability to help fund a child's education. The cost of higher education has skyrocketed over the last two decades, leaving many feeling unable to predict how much they need to put away to make a dent in the total. Knowing how to save for that cost is also a concern for many.A new study conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma found that 66% of parents...
Benzinga •

Step Aside, Hugo Spritz: Why The Spaghett Is The Drink Of The Summer – And A Recession Indicator

Each summer brings us a new "it drink." The last few years have seen the Dirty Shirley, the Chilton, and the Hugo Spritz all having their moment, but this year, a lesser-known pick is taking top billing: the spaghett.The spaghett consists of a bottled beer – Miller High Life is the preferred choice – topped with Aperol and a splash of lemon. Business Insider says that the wallet-friendly option, which is sometimes called a "trailer park spritz," is yet another recession indicator.While there are...
Benzinga •

From Pixels To Paychecks: How Minecraft Is Launching Gen Z's Careers

Minecraft has sold over 350 million copies since its launch in 2011, making it the best-selling video game of all time, according to Business Insider. It's also raised a generation of software engineers, coders, and developers.Colin McDonald started playing the game when he was just 13. Now 25, he runs Moonsworth, a 50-person software development company that's created a popular Minecraft modpack among other things."Almost every single person who’s ended up being a really good hire has been some...
Benzinga •

Little Kid TV, Big Money: How Children's Shows Became Streaming's Most Valuable Asset - Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), Kartoon Studios (AMEX:TOON)

One of the biggest hurdles that streaming services face in their efforts to maintain profitability is retaining customers, CNBC reports. In an effort to offset the cash losses that come with subscriber loss, services have employed a number of different strategies, from upping advertising opportunities to putting out better content. Recently, they've discovered a better, more sustainable solution: children's programming."Kids' content drives a huge amount of engagement because kids watch it over...
Cannabis Central •

Cannabis of the Future: Crypto Clubs, The Metaverse, and Virtual Reality

Over the last decade, there has been considerable discussion about the future of cannabis. Typically, those conversations center around legality, market size, and social and medical impacts, all of which are interesting topics in their own right. But there has been far less discussion about the digital future of cannabis. With more and more of our lives shifting online, how will cannabis fit into that? Is there space for cannabis in the metaverse? Or is it something that’s going to be relegated...
Benzinga •

'Valuespending' Is Changing The Way We Shop, 62% Of Consumers Now Say They Consider A Brand's Values When Purchasing - Lightspeed Commerce (NYSE:LSPD)

A brand's values are becoming central in consumers' shopping decisions, a new study from Lightspeed Commerce Inc. LSPD shows. The survey, which looked at 2,000 shoppers across the U.S. and Canada, found that 92% of people consider themselves "somewhat intentional" with their purchases. Additionally, 45% of shoppers say that they will be considering a brand's values in future purchasing decisions. Lightspeed is calling this shift towards more mindful and value-centric shopping, "valuespending."Do...
Benzinga •

The Oversharing Phenomenon: Why Gen Z Struggles With Boundaries In The Workplace

Much has been made of the multitude of ways Gen Z is reshaping the culture in corporate America. From their preference for freelance roles to their aversion to management positions, the generation is changing the way offices look and feel.Now, Business Insider is drawing attention to another way this new generation is affecting the workplace: oversharing.While most agree that it’s a good thing that workplaces are becoming more human and empathetic, there is also recognition that Gen Z often cros...
Cannabis Central •

Which Is Worse for Your Liver: Cannabis or Alcohol?

Though it may not be as widely discussed as other major health concerns like heart disease or cancer, liver disease is a common health condition that affects millions of people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are currently 4.5 million adults who have been diagnosed with liver disease living in the US. And the Journal of Hepatology reports that liver disease is responsible for 2 million deaths annually, or 4% of deaths worldwide. Nearly two-thirds of thos...

5 Premium Pet Food Companies Raising the Bar | ForceBrands Newsroom

In 2018, global pet food sales reached $91 billion, a 31 percent growth since 2013. Compared to other CPG categories like packaged food (which grew 23 percent over the same time period), pet food growth is strong. This could partially be attributed to the fact that more American families own pets than ever before (68 percent in 2018 vs. 56 percent in 1988), but it may also have to do with the fact that there is a wealth of new luxurious pet food companies joining the market.

Below, ForceBrands...

4 Plant-Based Food Companies Going Beyond Meat | ForceBrands Newsroom

In 2009, when Ethan Brown started his vegan meat alternative company, Beyond Meat, he had big dreams for it. It’s unlikely though that he — or anyone else — could predict just how successful it would become. As of 2019, Beyond Meat’s products are sold in Whole Foods and at TGI Fridays restaurants around the country. Additionally, when the company went public in May 2019, it had the best-performing opening day of any IPO in the last two decades. If there’s one lesson to be learned from the viral...
Benzinga •

Trump Calls NPR And PBS 'Biased And Partisan,' Signs Executive Order To Stop Funding

Federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcast Service was halted on Thursday, after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to halt the outlets' funding.The order said the decision was made because both NPR and PBS publish news that is "biased" and "partisan."Don't Miss:"Unlike in 1967, when the CPB was established, today the media landscape is filled with abundant, diverse, and innovative news options," the order re...
Benzinga •

Pink Tariffs Cost Women $2 Billion More Than Men, And The Gap Could Widen

President Donald Trump's tariffs are sending shockwaves through the economy, threatening to increase the cost of everything from generic drugs to auto parts. Now there's yet another sector where experts are warning consumers will likely see a dramatic increase in cost: women's clothing.


For years, tariffs have been higher on imported women's clothing than on men's. According to research done by the Progressive Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, tariffs on women's clothing are consis...
Benzinga •

Google Declared An Illegal Monopoly For The Second Time In A Year, Digital Ad Network Under Fire

Google's ad services are an illegal monopoly, according to a ruling issued by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema. The decision, which was handed down April 17, is the second antitrust ruling against the company in the last year. In her opinion, the judge ruled that the company's ad business, which matches website publishers with advertisers and determines which banner ads appear on which sites across the web, has violated antitrust law.


Don't Miss:


"For over a decade, Google has tied its...
Stacker •

What decisions are made based on the census?

The U.S. census takes place every 10 years, when data is collected to determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives as well as to guide distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities.

Information like demographics sheds a light on the changing makeup of America, and data on the fast-growing and slowest-growing states show where people are moving. These numbers feed into the list of the states set to gain seats in the House of...
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