Gift cards are always at the top of holiday wish lists. In fact, gift cards are the gift consumers want to receive the most during the 2023 holiday season.1 Unfortunately, gift cards are also popular with scam artists. A relatively new gift card scam involves scam artists placing a barcode sticker over the real gift
Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), so it plays an outsized role in driving economic growth or slowing it down.1 For the last 18 months, U.S. consumers have kept the economy strong despite high inflation and rising interest rates. The question now is whether consumers can maintain this momentum
A notable shift in public opinion over the past decade about the value of a college degree may portend a reckoning for the higher education industry in the years ahead — and for the families who are trying to save for and manage the costs. A 2023 survey found disaffection spreading to all age groups,
62 % – Share of Americans who said AI will have a major impact on workers generally in the next 20 years. Only 28% believed it will have a major impact on them personally. Source: Pew Research Center, 2023 When U.S. adults were asked about the expanding presence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in daily
Financial worries are often cited as a major source of stress. For example, a 2021 study found that even before the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, a majority of Americans said they felt stressed or anxious about their finances.1 Similarly, in 2022, research revealed that more than seven out of 10 financial planning clients experienced
69% – Percentage of Americans using a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service in 2022 who carried over a credit card balance from one billing cycle to the next. A BNPL service allows consumers to pay for online purchases with interest-free payments, typically up to four payments spread over six weeks. Source: Consumer Financial Protection
19% – Percentage of Americans who said they spent more than their income in 2021; 34% said they spent about equal to their income, and 43% said they spent less. These responses were almost exactly the same as in 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018 — suggesting that people are spenders or savers regardless of economic
The arrival of spring is always a good time to dust off the cobwebs that have built up in your home during the winter. It’s also a good time to clean out and organize your financial records so you can quickly locate something if you need it. Keep Only What You Need If you keep
The IRS warns that although scams are especially prevalent during tax season, they also take place throughout the year.1 As a result, it’s important to always be on the lookout for suspicious activity so that you don’t end up becoming the victim of a scam. One of the more common IRS scams involves phishing emails.
Acts of kindness, even small ones, can have lasting benefits. You may not always see the impact of your investment of time or money, but your acts of kindness will ripple through the lives of people you know…or don’t know. Here are some ideas for practicing financial kindness. Pay It Forward…or Backward Hand out gift
