The busiest minute for online retail sales saw a 131% like-for-like increase on last year
Between 12:00 and 13:00 retail sales peaked at $183 million, an increase of 61%
Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, ended on a high at $3B, up 52%
Retail Decisions (ReD), a world leader in card fraud prevention, payments processing [...]
United States crude oil production for 2009 is on target to have its biggest one-year jump since 1970, according to a Platts analysis of industry data.
With U.S. oil production averaging 5.268 million barrels per day (b/d) through October, the gain in U.S. output will be the most since the country produced 9.637-million b/d in 1970, [...]
Verizon Offers Tips to Protect Personal Data While Making Online Purchases
“Cyber Monday” – the Monday after Thanksgiving that kick-starts the holiday online shopping season – is near. And more people than ever will be using this convenient form of shopping. According to a recent study from MarketLive, 55 percent of surveyed shoppers plan to [...]
65% of corporate financial advisers have stated that the ‘the banks are not lending’, according to an independent survey commissioned by Centric Commercial Finance. 72% said that cash flow was proving to be their clients’ biggest challenge. Disappointingly, 56% of respondents claim that banks have removed or are restricting clients’ facilities.
Tim Hawkins comments: “The [...]
As year-end approaches, many employees are faced with an array of choices that can save taxes this year and next. To help you take advantage of these special tax-saving opportunities, William E. Massey, Senior Tax Analyst at Thomson Reuters, highlights the following key year-end planning considerations for employees:
Health flexible spending accounts (Health FSAs). Many employees [...]
Continental, JetBlue and Singapore Continue to Fly High; Southwest Named Best Domestic Value; Virgin America Top Midsize Airline and Website; Portland Named Top Airport, LaGuardia Worst; Surveyors Seek Direct Routes, Reasonable Prices and Green Air Travel
Zagat released the results of its 2009 Airline Survey, covering 16 domestic and 73 international airlines, as well as 30 [...]
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in October, increased slightly in November. The Index now stands at 49.5 (1985=100), up from 48.7 in October. The Present Situation Index was virtually unchanged at 21.0 versus 21.1 last month. The Expectations Index increased to 68.5 from 67.0 in October.
The Consumer Confidence Survey® is based [...]
Just 10 months after initiating outreach to customers through its National Homeownership Retention Program (NHRP), Bank of America has provided mortgage relief to 100,000 eligible homeowners with certain Countrywide subprime and option-ARM mortgages. According to the bank’s most recent quarterly progress report, more than 31,000 eligible customers received assistance in the third quarter – the [...]
Research Demonstrates Need for Right to Repair Legislation
Data revealing the economic importance of the automotive aftermarket to consumers shows why Congress needs to pass legislation to ensure a competitive repair market. The data is now available on the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act Web site at www.guerrillaeconomics.biz/righttorepair.
“This comprehensive data provides even more [...]
A change in the federal tax law, effective January 1, 2010, will permit Roth IRA conversions for taxpayers at all income levels. In the past, this option was only available to those with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less.
“Taxpayers may now convert part, or all of their assets from a traditional IRA into [...]