Sunday, April 5, 2026

Confidence in Housing Hits New All-Time Low

Mon, 07 November 2022  |  consumers economy housing 

The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI) dropped 4.1 points in October to 56.7, its lowest score since the index's launch in 2011 and its eighth consecutive monthly decline. As consistently high home prices and unfavorable mortgage rates continue to drive consumers' housing affordability concerns, five of the six index components dropped month over month, including those related to home purchasing and selling conditions. Only 16% of respondents said it's a good time to buy a house right now, a new survey low, while 59% of respondents said it's a good time to sell a house righ... Read More

Many U.K. Consumers Struggling With Credit Card Debt

Thu, 22 September 2022  |  consumers economy 

As the cost-of-living crisis bites, Marqeta, a global credit card issuance platform, revealed new research finding that over half (48%) of UK consumers questioned find it difficult to make the minimum monthly payments on their credit cards. The poll of more than 1,000 UK consumers reveals that as the country transitions from the pandemic to the cost-of-living issue, individuals have merely switched their financial concerns. With 57% of those surveyed reporting using credit cards to make ends meet over the past year.

Consumers in Generation Z are even more dependent on credit; 68% of r... Read More

Money Top Source Of Stress For Women

Thu, 22 September 2022  |  consumers demographics women 

Money is women's #1 source of stress according the second annual Ellevest Financial Wellness Survey. More than half (59%) of women worry about money at least once a week. And a mere 14% feel prepared for a recession.

"We have long known that money is women's #1 source of stress. This issue has only become more acute as women's financial health has deteriorated. In fact, the EWFHI shows that women's financial health is currently the worst it's been in the last five years," said Ellevest Head Data Scientist Dr. Kate Sullivan, who constructed the proprietary index. "Women's financ... Read More

New Vehicle Prices Set Record In August

Mon, 12 September 2022  |  consumers economy travel 

According to newly released data from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive subsidiary, the average price paid for a new car in the U.S. in August surpassed July's record and held the average transaction price (ATP) firmly over the $48,000 threshold. In August 2022, the Kelley Blue Book new-vehicle ATP reached a new high of $48,301, surpassing the previous high of $48,080 established in the preceding month. Prices in August 2022 increased 10.8% ($4,712) over the previous year and 0.5% ($222) from July to August.

During the summer, the supply of new-vehicle inventory days stayed con... Read More

Used Car Prices On The Decline

Thu, 08 September 2022  |  economy 

According to the monthly Return to Normal indicator from vehicle-shopping app CoPilot, the used car market has reached its pinnacle after used car prices reached all-time highs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain delays, and even stayed steady amid several interest rate hikes this year.

Most markets and brands have seen price declines following recent record highs. The price premium, or the difference between current listing prices and what the identical used automobiles would have been worth, is displayed by CoPilot's Return to Normal Index. This index account... Read More

Half of Americans Have Less Than One Month Of Emergency Cash

Thu, 08 September 2022  |  consumers 

How well would you be equipped to handle the situation if a tragedy came overnight, such as a hurricane, another epidemic, or a worsening of the current economic crisis, for example? The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) polled 1,201 people in the US to find out how much emergency cash they had saved up in case of local disasters.

According to the study findings, most Americans are woefully unprepared to deal with such a huge tragedy. In this survey, a substantial number (52.1%) of respondents indicated that they would only have enough cash on hand for one month's wo... Read More