Saturday, April 4, 2026

Parents Continue to Face Financial and Work Challenges due to COVID-19

Thu, 06 May 2021  |  pandemic workplace 

As the United States continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, parents, especially mothers, continue to feel exasperated by financial and workplace challenges. Sixty-one percent of parents say they find it difficult to manage their finances due to priorities during the pandemic according to the MassMutual Consumer Spending & Saving Index. At the same time, a silver lining has emerged: almost two-thirds of parents (65%) say the pandemic has improved their relationship with their children.

“Many Americans are still experiencing the ripple effects of the pandemic on t... Read More

Retail Sales Jump 23%

Thu, 06 May 2021  |  retail spending 

Total U.S. retail sales sprung into another month of double-digit growth in April, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse^TM, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment. U.S. retail sales excluding automotive and gasoline increased 23.3% year-over-year in April, and 10.8% compared to April 2019. Online sales in April grew 19.9% and 95.6%, respectively, compared to the same periods.

Retail sales continue to benefit from stimulus payments, coupled with warmer weather and broader reopening across the country. While the recovery ha... Read More

Latest IBD/TIPP Poll Shows Dip in Economic Optimism

Tue, 04 May 2021  |  consumers 

The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, a leading national poll on consumer confidence, ended its streak of four consecutive months with improved optimism. The May index showed a 3.5% decline, with a dip in all three of its components. The index overall remained in positive territory, however, with a reading of 54.4, down from 56.4 in April. For the IBD/TIPP indexes, a reading above 50.0 signals optimism and below 50.0 indicates pessimism. The Economic Optimism Index has been in positive territory since January 2021.

The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index has established a strong... Read More

Seismic Shifts to Redefine Philanthropy

Tue, 04 May 2021  |  charitable giving 

A major shift is underway in how people give, the tools they use and even what motivates them, according to a new report by Fidelity Charitable^® based on a survey of nearly 4,000 philanthropic individuals who gave at least $1,000 to charity in the previous year. The shift has tremendous implications for nonprofits that depend on the more than $450 billion donated to charity each year, but also has the potential to shape American society much more broadly. The pandemic accelerated existing trends, increasing the use of digital giving tools and driving a shift in the causes donors... Read More

A Quarter of American Taxpayers Don’t Have a Financial Plan

Tue, 04 May 2021  |  financial planning 

For some people, submitting their tax return to the IRS is a relief as they put the paperwork out of sight, and out of mind, until next year. Others recognize that tax time is the perfect time to plan for the future while all the documents are readily available. In fact, half of American taxpayers (55 percent) have used the information collected and entered on their annual tax return to create or make changes to their financial plan, with a little more than a quarter (27 percent) doing so annually, according to research conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Institute of CPA... Read More

Home Prices Climb to New Heights as Spring Brings Little Relief to Buyers

Fri, 30 April 2021  |  housing real estate 

The median home-sale price increased 20% year over year to $347,500—an all-time high—according to a new report from Redfin. This number is somewhat inflated due to a slight dip in median sale prices around this time in 2020, and due to fewer high-end homes being sold at this time a year ago, and more high-end homes being sold now.

Below are other key housing market takeaways for more than 400 U.S. metro areas during the 4-week period ending April 25 (unless otherwise noted).

Note that at this time last year, ... Read More