Is the U.S. in a recession? About 3 in 5 Americans think so: report

By most measures, the U.S. economy is doing well. And yet, many people would argue otherwise. Roughly 3 in 5 Americans believe that the U.S. is currently in a recession, according to a new survey of 2,000 adults by Affirm. Of those respondents, most said a recession started roughly 15 months ago, in March of … Read more

Retailers move toward ‘check zero’

Nadya Lukic | E+ | Getty Images Most Americans may not even remember the last time they wrote a check. Only 15% of adults said they wrote a few checks a month in 2023, according to a recent report by GoBankingRates. At the time of the late November survey, 46% of the more than 1,000 … Read more

Medical debt shows up on credit reports less

The share of people with medical debt in collections that shows up in their credit reports has fallen in the past decade. Yet unpaid balances due to health-care costs continue to burden individuals and families. In 2013, 19.5% of Americans had medical debt in collections, while 10 years later, in 2023, that share fell to … Read more

Guaranteed income support rose during the pandemic; backlash followed

Urbazon | E+ | Getty Images About 1,900 residents in Texas’ Harris County were set to start receiving $500 monthly payments starting this spring. The money — provided through a new 18-month guaranteed income pilot, Uplift Harris, a Harris County Public Health initiative — was aimed at county residents of 10 ZIP codes who are … Read more

Chance of Biden dropping out of presidental race is 40%, Stifel says

There’s a 40% chance President Joe Biden will not seek reelection, according to Stifel. Brian Gardner, the firm’s chief Washington policy strategist, is out with a research note that calls it a “make or break week” for the president’s campaign as Congress returns from its Fourth of July recess. “There’s a 60% chance, more likely … Read more

Young, wealthy investors are turning to alternative investments

pixelfit | E+ | Getty Images Young, wealthy investors don’t want their parents’ investments. If you’re between the ages of 21 and 43 and have at least $3 million in investable assets, your preferred investments likely aren’t your traditional mix of stocks and bonds, according to new research from Bank of America. Nearly one-third of … Read more

Why consumers are spending so much this summer

Taylor Swift fans queue outside Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 6, 2024. Her fans, known as Swifties, had made the superstar $200 million in Eras merchandise sales as of November 2023. Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images News | Getty Images The price of ‘funflation’ Some ticket prices have surged in recent months, … Read more

Here’s how to be a retirement ‘super saver’

Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images A retirement savings crisis is looming for people who have 401(k) plans and other retirement balances woefully short of what they will need to live on. But some workers — called “super savers” — are managing to successfully grow their retirement nest eggs. Super savers are workers who are … Read more

The pitfalls of this viral savings challenge

TikTok is chock-full of tips for building wealth. The latest money-saving trend taking over is the “no-spend month,” which encourages TikTok users to cut out all non-essential purchases for a set period. But, in this case, even the best intentions can backfire. Here is what you should know before swearing off unnecessary spending. The no-spend rules The … Read more

80% of Americans say grocery costs have increased since pandemic started

A customer shops at a Safeway store on June 11, 2024 in Mill Valley, California.  Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The rate of price increases for food has subsided in recent months, according to the latest government inflation data. However, shoppers still report feeling burdened by the prices they’re seeing in the grocery store aisles. … Read more