Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Economic Optimism Index Is Back in Positive Territory

Tue, 12 January 2021  |  consumer confidence 

A leading national poll on consumer confidence conducted by Investors Business Daily found consumer confidence moving back into positive territory in early January. After a neutral November (50.0) and a month in pessimistic territory in December (49.0), January’s reading of 50.1 shows an increase of 2.2% over last month’s reading. For the IBD/TIPP indexes, a reading above 50.0 signals optimism and below 50.0 indicates pessimism.

The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index has established a strong track record of foreshadowing the confidence indicators issued later each month by the... Read More

Pandemic Bolsters Financial Acumen

Tue, 12 January 2021  |  debt credit cards 

COVID-19 might have permanently changed how an entire generation thinks about spending, saving, and debt – and in ways that might offer a silver lining to a devastating pandemic, says Jean Chatzky, best-selling author and CEO of HerMoney.com. HerMoney partnered with Debt.com and polled more than 1,000 working Americans about their financial habits as the pandemic dragged on into December.

The results were surprising and profound:

While most Americans do not have an emergency fund, more than 8 in 10 of those who lost money due to the pandemic told HerMoney and Deb... Read More

Most Americans Reporting Greater Financial Confidence Than A Year Ago

Mon, 11 January 2021  |  pandemic spending 

Most Americans are reporting greater financial confidence, increased emergency savings, and more financial awareness, compared to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic according to the KeyBank 2020 Financial Resiliency Survey. The survey polled more than 1,200 Americans on their financial feelings after nearly a year of living through a pandemic, finding that 53% felt more financially confident approaching the end of 2020, compared to the beginning of the year; 51% would be able to immediately have $2,000 available in an emergency, up from 42% in 2019; and 48% felt more financially awar... Read More

Walmart Creates New Fintech Startup

Mon, 11 January 2021  |  fintech 

Walmart announced the creation of a new fintech startup designed to develop and offer modern, innovative and affordable financial solutions. The new company is a strategic partnership with leading fintech investment firm Ribbit Capital. The venture will bring together Walmart’s retail knowledge and scale with Ribbit’s fintech expertise to deliver tech-driven financial experiences tailored to Walmart’s customers and associates.

“For years, millions of customers have put their trust in Walmart to not only save them money when they shop with us but help them manage their fi... Read More

Pandemic Impacting Consumer Car Buying Behaviors

Mon, 11 January 2021  |  transportation 

Uncertainty and financial concerns driven by COVID-19 continue to have an impact on consumer automotive purchasing behaviors according to a new study from Deloitte. In a global survey of automotive buyers Deloitte found that despite the long-term trend towards electric vehicles (EVs) continuing to solidify, consumer anxiety amid the pandemic may be shifting automotive priorities towards familiarity and affordability, with 74% of U.S. consumers looking fo... Read More

Almost Half of Car Shoppers Willing to Buy Online

Sun, 10 January 2021  |  transportation 

According to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study,^SM only 35% of car shoppers are delaying a new-vehicle purchase due to the pandemic, which is a decrease of five percentage points from the summer of 2020. Additionally, almost half (45%) of car shoppers are willing to purchase online and as confidence in online car purchasing increases, manufacturer websites are becoming more sophisticated to meet shoppers’ expectations.

“The digital retail space continuously evolves but the pandemic forced many manufacturers to speed up th... Read More