A surge in 'surge pricing' | The Week

_Here are three of the week's top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web:_ WHY CONTRACTORS' BILLS ARE RISING "The cost of almost every single item that goes

into building a house in the U.S. is soaring," said Marcy Nicholson at _Bloomberg​_. A number of factors are contributing to the materials crunch, including supply-chain delays and

shortages. But the simplest explanation is that "there is just too much demand" from homebuyers. For a 3,031-square-foot home in Boise, Idaho, the price of concrete for the

foundation has gone up 104 percent compared with the same-size project two years ago. The lumber costs $104,899, a 262 percent increase. Prices are even rising for basic materials like

drywall (26 percent), piping (49 percent), and paint (68 percent). All told, the buyer for the finished home will pay "about $950,000, up 61 percent from 2019." SUBSCRIBE TO THE

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news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of

The Week delivered directly to your inbox. A SURGE IN 'SURGE PRICING' Uber and Lyft rides are in a state of perpetual surge pricing, said Mariella Moon at _Engadget_. "In the

event that the demand outstrips supply, ride-hailing services typically resort to surge pricing," using an algorithm to raise fares to entice more drivers to service a certain area. But

"surge pricing has been more common recently" as more people start to return to their old routines and the companies struggle to find drivers. The number of active drivers on

Uber's app is down 22 percent from a year ago, and the company has "vowed to spend $250 million in payments and incentives to get drivers back on the road." In the meantime,

some trips are costing passengers "as much as a plane ride." HOW TO DISCUSS INVESTING AND RISK In a volatile market, joint financial decisions can be challenging for couples with

different risk tolerances, said Anne Tergesen at _The Wall Street Journal_. Some couples try to eliminate tension by splitting their portfolio, to allow each other to mind "their own

piece of the pie." This is obviously easier if each partner has a similar-size retirement account. Couples could also consider dividing their portfolio into "buckets earmarked for

specific goals, such as paying off a mortgage or retirement." One way to understand your partner's risk tolerance is to ask how he or she felt last March, or in the financial

crisis of 2008. People who "bailed out of the market" then, says one adviser, should have no more than 50 percent of their savings in stocks. Keeping a substantial cash reserve can

also make a conservative partner feel more at ease. A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com _This article was first published in

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