March marks the first month that the SAAR is expected to move above 17 million in 2019 Analysts say sales continue to slow down year over year Edmunds forecasts that 1,588,185 new cars and trucks will be sold in the U.S. in March for an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 17.2 million. This reflects a 25.3 percent increase in sales ...

Experian Boost pilot revealed two-thirds of consumers saw an improvement to their FICO Score In a game-changing move that many expect will significantly improve financial inclusion for millions of Americans, Experian today launched Experian Boost, a first-of-its-kind financial tool. Experian Boost, which is available at no cost to all credit active adults in the United States, empowers consumers to add positive payment ...

The used vehicle market slowed once again in January, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline. As a result, the Seasonally Adjusted Used Vehicle Price Index declined by 2.7 points, relative to December, to 117.2.  Despite the index’s sharp decline, it currently sits 2.3% above January 2018’s level, according to analysts at J.D. Power Valuation Services. Highlights from the free monthly ...

Following the holiday spending ‘hangover,’ 2019 presents a clean slate for consumers to get their finances in order, says CFP Board Ambassador Lynn Ballou, CFP With more consumers failing to keep, and maintain, a budget and with spending easier than ever with mobile payments, it is important for consumers to keep track of their income and what’s being spent. The ...

The largest generation of home buyers also gets the most money from friends or family to make it work and is most likely to tap multiple sources Putting 20 percent down is conventional wisdom, but fewer than half of buyers do it. First-time buyers are more likely to cash out investments or use retirement funds toward a down payment. Buyers ...

Today, in a presentation at the National Press Club of Washington, the American Primary Aluminum Association (APAA) in conjunction with Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) and the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA), addressed the economic effects of President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs. As part of this presentation, EPI released a new economic study on the ...

A new study has found that Amazon’s focus on sponsored placements is transforming the ecommerce platform into a ‘pay to play’ arena where brands must advertise to stand out in a competitive market. Quartile, which specializes in marketplace advertising on the Amazon platform, conducted its 5-day study over the 2018 Thanksgiving weekend, analyzing 1.04 million orders generated by 108 brands ...

A report out today shows the estimated average transaction price for new light vehicles in the United States was $36,978 in November 2018. New-vehicle prices increased by $769 (up 2.1 percent) from November 2017, while remaining flat (down 0.1 percent) from last month. “There were mixed average transaction price results among automakers in November 2018, even though the industry average did rise 2 percent,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book. ...

Luxury home prices rose 3.2 percent year over year to an average of $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2018, according to Redfin, the next-generation real estate brokerage. This is the lowest growth rate since the fourth quarter of 2016, when prices were up 1.1 percent from a year earlier. The Redfin analysis tracks home sales in more than 1,000 cities ...

A list of taxpayers who stand to benefit the most from the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act as they begin to prepare for tax season was released Tuesday. Among the taxpayers who are set to win big this tax season are itemizers with low state and local taxes, self-employed taxpayers who will benefit from the new 20% deduction, and parents ...

The vast majority of Americans (71%) are concerned that their financial and personal information could be compromised due to data breaches while shopping during this holiday season, according to an consumer survey conducted by Generali Global Assistance (“GGA” or “the Company”), a developer of a proprietary and innovative identity and digital protection platform, and leader in the assistance industry as part of the multinational Generali ...

The Q4 MetLife & U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index (Index) released today recorded an overall score of 69.3, indicating a pause in the upward trend of the Index. The fourth quarter score is down less than one-half a point from the third quarter’s record high of 69.7, still reflecting general optimism from the small business community. Optimism on the health ...

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the Best Vehicle Brand awards. The awards recognize brand-wide excellence for cars, SUVs, trucks and luxury vehicles, and they help consumers narrow their search for a new car. The 2019 Best Vehicle Brand Winners Mazda: Best Car Brand Mazda cars include the MX-5 Miata, Mazda3 and ...

On-premise consumption of beverage alcohol fell 1.1% overall in 2017, to 1.7 million cases, according to the Beverage Information Group’s 2018 Cheers On-Premise Handbook. Much of that is due to the 1.6% decrease in cases of beer sold on-premise, while wine was up just 0.5%. Spirits continues to be the bright spot, up 2.5% in 2017, although that’s down from the ...

Creating a positive corporate culture is top of mind for employers looking to recruit and retain talent, according to a new study from global staffing firm Robert Half. The research examines why workplace culture is increasingly under the microscope; it’s featured in a report, Organizational Culture: The Make-or-Break Factor in Hiring and Retention. Key findings: More than one-third of workers in ...