Tue, 23 February 2021 | insurance automotive
LexisNexis® Risk Solutions' latest Insurance Demand Meter found both shopping and new auto insurance business policy volumes increased overall in the fourth quarter, and that despite the ups and downs throughout the year, 2020 ended relatively strong. The year concluded with an annual shop rate of 41%, which, while consistent with each quarter in 2020, is the highest since the company began collecting the data.
Shopping activity is hot, but conversion appears tricky
The auto insurance shopping quarterly growth rate averaged 4.7% in Q4, ending the year r... Read More
Tue, 23 February 2021 | financial wellness financial resilience
A new report from Immediate, a financial wellness company, finds a major disconnect between how employers view their employees financial wellness and how their employees feel. Employee respondents overwhelmingly expressed concern about their current and future financial wellness, and a desire for more financial wellness benefits from employers. Meanwhile, employers revealed an overestimation of their employees' financial security.
The latest report from Immediate, Read More
Mon, 22 February 2021 | investing demographics
A new study of self-directed investors found major shifts in retail investing strategies influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the study, "Making Money in Mercurial Markets," 70% of investors said they changed their strategy as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 19% reporting they changed it "significantly." A sizeable majority (67%) of investors said they mostly see opportunity in market volatility - 54% described volatility as "mostly opportunity, some risk" and 13% saw "all opportunity."
According to the research, 68% of investors increased their stock h... Read More
Mon, 22 February 2021 | investing demographics
The recent GameStop stock saga raised many questions about modern trading and put a spotlight on the young investors who drove the Reddit rebellion. To find out more about who these young stock rockers are and what drives their investment decisions, MagnifyMoney surveyed more than 1,500 Gen Zers and millennials in late January.
MagnifyMoney found that almost 6 in 10 Gen Z and millennial investors (age 40 and younger) are members of investment communities or forums, such as Reddit, and nearly half have turned to social media in the past month for investing research.
Key ... Read More
Wed, 17 February 2021 | real estate
Despite record low inventory, January home sales posted a 13.5% increase over a year ago. That followed four consecutive months of year-over-year sales increases of 19% to 22% on the heels of pandemic lockdowns.
January's year-over-year increase in homes sold represented a sizable gain from the year before and was in line with the pre-COVID months of December 2019 (13.5%) and January 2020 (10.5%).
"January home sales started the year off with a bang despite the current shortage of homes for sale," said Adam Contos, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. "January's year-over-ye... Read More
Fri, 12 February 2021 | real estate pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a key factor in the real estate market, driving both prices and speed of sales according to a new report from Redfin, a read estate brokerage. In it's latest report covering the four-week period through February 7th, Redfin found that asking prices of newly listed homes hit a new all-time high of $334,770, up 10% from the same time a year ago, and pending home sales were up 29% year over year.
The pandemic real estate market is further compounded by a severe lack of inventory. New listings of homes for sale were down 11% from a year earlie... Read More
News and insights about consumer and demographic financial trends
The Hidden Cost of Idle Cash: What the Vanguard Survey Reveals About America’s Savings Habits
Consumers Growing Cautious Amid Rising Inflation and Economic Uncertainty
US Taxpayers Say Tax Refunds are a Financial Necessity
Consumer Pessimism Grows Despite Stable Long-Term Inflation Expectations
Economic Uncertainty and Inflation Impact Retirement Prospects for Americans
AARP Survey Reveals Alarming Retirement Savings Trends
Hispanic Consumers More Optimistic About Finances
Homeowners Facing Increasing Insurance Rates
U.S. Foreclosures Increase In First Quarter
Consumers Perceive Less Buying Power Despite Lower Inflation