Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Americans Cautiously Optimistic Despite Pandemic Impact On Retirement Plans

Wed, 24 March 2021  |  pandemic retirement 

As more than one year has passed since the start of the pandemic and with the increasing availability of vaccines, many Americans are focusing on the future, including sizing up their prospects for retirement. The need is real. According to Fidelity Investments’® 2021 State of Retirement Planning Study, more than eight-in-ten Americans (82%) indicate the events of the past year have impacted their retirement plans, with one-third estimating it will take 2-3 years to get back on track, due to such factors as job loss or retirement withdrawals. Encouragingly, the vast majority are still ... Read More

Majority Of SME CEOs Plan To Maintain A Hybrid Workforce

Wed, 24 March 2021  |  economy employment 

A quarterly survey of CEOs of small and medium-sized businesses found a surge in economic optimism and three-fifths of the CEOs expecting to maintain a hybrid workforce. The quarterly CEO Confidence Index measures CEOs' opinions around categories including current and expected economic conditions, expected change in employment, planned fixed investment and expected revenue and profit growth. The gains in confidence and optimism about the economy in this quarter's survey point toward a time of transition before the anticipated release of pent up demand.

The Vistage CEO Confid... Read More

Survey Reveals Drastic Shift in Homeowner Behavior One Year Into the Pandemic

Wed, 24 March 2021  |  pandemic housing 

A new survey from Hippo, a home insurance company, finds a drastic shift in homeowner behavior during the pandemic. Hippo’s findings signal a new era of homeownership in which homeowners take on a more active role in investing in their homes, driven by an increased desire for added comfort and an inherent need to protect what has become most Americans’ largest financial asset. In the past year, twice as many homeowners spent $10,000 or more on their home than in the previous year. Even as pandemic-fueled social restrictions decline and people begin to return to work and school, 71... Read More

Home Sellers In Driver's Seat

Wed, 24 March 2021  |  housing real estate 

With a red-hot real estate market coming out of the pandemic, many homebuyers are finding that they must tour more homes, cut bigger checks and waive more contingencies in order to win, according to a new report from Redfin. Remote work and low mortgage rates have prompted scores of Americans to buy homes during the pandemic, and this has resulted in a severe housing shortage that's fueling record-high prices, cutthroat competition, and putting sellers in the driver's seat.

Redfin's analysis reveals just how much homebuying has changed during the coronavirus pandemic.

<... Read More

Existing-Home Sales Drop 6.6% in February

Mon, 22 March 2021  |  housing 

Existing-home sales declined in February, following two prior months of gains, according to the National Association of Realtors^®. Month-over-month, only one major region saw an increase in February, but all four U.S. regions recorded year-over-year gains.

Total existing-home sales completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, decreased 6.6% from January to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.22 million in February. Sales in total climbed year-over-year, up 9.1% from a year ago (5.70 million in February 2020).

Cash Trumps Bids in Home Buying

Mon, 22 March 2021  |  housing real estate 

Homebuyers who offer all cash improve their chances of winning a bidding war by 290%, making it the most effective strategy to win a home in a competitive situation, according to a new report from Redfin (www.redfin.com). The report is based on an analysis of data on thousands of offers written by Redfin agents on behalf of their homebuying clients from July 2020 to February 2021.

Finding ways to make a buyer's offer more attractive is particularly important in today's hot housing market. Nationwide, 56% of Redfin offers faced bidding wars in January, the ninth consecutive mont... Read More