Allan Sloan

Editor at Large

Allan Sloan, formerly a ProPublica editor at large and a Washington Post columnist, has been writing about business for almost 50 years. He has won seven Loeb Awards, business journalism’s highest honor, in four different categories (including lifetime achievement) in four different decades for five different employees.

Allan, who calls himself “a recovering English major” was a straight-A student in college economics (he took just one course), specializes in explaining complicated things in simple ways. For example, he compared Wall Street geniuses who sliced mortgage securities into complicated pieces with Tyson Foods selling chicken parts.

Allan has worked at the Charlotte Observer, the Detroit Free Press, Forbes (twice), Money magazine, Newsday (twice), Newsweek and Fortune. He is a graduate of Brooklyn College, and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. He attended the Seminary College of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America for two years while he was at Brooklyn College, but has no degree.

How Effective Is the Government’s Campaign Against Hospital Mergers?

The newly energized Federal Trade Commission has recently enjoyed successes in blocking hospital mergers. But derailing the broader trend is a tall order for the agency.

How the Federal Reserve Is Increasing Wealth Inequality

The Fed’s low-interest-rate policies have stabilized the economy and turbocharged the stock market. But those who don’t own lots of stocks haven’t benefited anywhere near as much as those who do.

Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It’ll Weigh Down the Economy for Years

The “King of Debt” promised to reduce the national debt — then his tax cuts made it surge. Add in the pandemic, and he oversaw the third-biggest deficit increase of any president.

The Fed Saved the Economy but Is Threatening Trillions of Dollars Worth of Middle-Class Retirement

The Federal Reserve has bailed out the stock and bond markets and stabilized the economy with its rock-bottom rates — but at the expense of Social Security and pension funds.

The CARES Act Sent You a $1,200 Check but Gave Millionaires and Billionaires Far More

The stimulus checks were meant to get average Americans through the lockdown, but those $1,200 payouts were small change compared with the billions in tax breaks the CARES Act handed out to the country’s wealthiest.

Trump’s Trillion-Dollar Hit to Homeowners

By reducing deductions for real estate taxes, Trump’s 2017 tax plan has harmed millions — and helped give corporations a $680 billion gift.

What Happens When the Next Financial Crisis Strikes?

As the 10-year anniversary of the last crash nears, pundits are predicting the next one. That’ll bring another problem: Who’s going to solve the crisis when our president has poisoned relations with the institutions that helped fix the last one?

Jared Kushner’s Grandmother Bemoaned the “Closed Doors” That Faced Refugees to America

The family of President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser escaped the Holocaust — but had to wait in a camp for years to be allowed into the U.S. If Kushner shares her view, he’s keeping it private.

Warren Buffett Recommends Investing in Index Funds — But Many of His Employees Don’t Have That Option

The billionaire investor has long praised the virtues of putting money in low-fee index funds, but many of his companies don’t offer such funds in workers’ retirement accounts. It’s a problem shared by millions of Americans.

How Senior Daddies — Like Donald Trump — Are Eligible for a Social Security Bonus

There are hidden problems in the safety net, including extra cash for people who have kids late in life. Here are some of the most unfair examples, along with some simple ways to fix them.

Carried Interest Reform Is a Sham

Republicans claim they’re fixing a tax loophole that benefits wealthy money managers. Don’t believe them.

The Tax Plan’s Mega Gift to Some of Trump’s Richest Appointees

The Republican proposal will not only allow them to pass millions (or billions) to their heirs without inheritance taxes, it will also add another benefit on top of that.

Did Trump Get a Big Tax Refund After 2005?

Donald Trump’s supporters crowed when leaked pages of his 2005 return showed he paid a hefty amount of taxes. But the returns for the following years, which remain secret, likely include some hefty refunds of that payment.

A Schlupfloch Here, a Schlupfloch There. Now It’s Real Money.

How we broke a story about U.S. banks exploiting a tax loophole that cost German taxpayers $1 billion a year — and why you should care.

Remember That CEO Pay Cap? It’s Even Less Effective Than We Knew

Companies are increasingly using pay-for-performance to get around a $1 million federal limit on tax deductions for executive compensation.

When Wall Street Offers Free Money, Watch Out

Bankers and new accounting rules are emboldening governments to borrow-and-bet their way out of pension problems, a strategy that’s backfired in the past.

How Illinois’ Pension Debt Blew Up Chicago’s Credit

After a court ruling, the state’s legacy of borrowing to cover public employee pensions landed a $2.2 billion problem in the city’s lap.

Behind Christie’s Budget Claims, a More Controversial Legacy

N.J. governor closed budget gaps by borrowing, shifting money from trust funds and paring back tax credits

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