Category: Business

According to Zillow, U.S. home values are rising at a rapid rate and are currently on the verge of reaching their 2007 peak. Over the 12-month period that ended in November, home values increased 6.5%, marking the fastest annual growth rate since August 2006. The median U.S. home is currently valued at $192,500, which is only 2% below the high point of 2007. Zillow cites consumer demand and a short supply of homes as the cause of this trend, particularly … Continue reading “U.S. Home Values Reach Highest Point Since 2007”

Despite high market prices, the largest demographic since the baby boomers, millennials, are buying plenty of automobiles with purchases expected to continue to increase. Typical guidelines for car buying is that the monthly vehicle payment should not be more than 20% of a buyer’s take-home pay. According to The Detroit News, the average price for a new car is now up to $35,000, which is up 1.7% from last year, and a record high. “There’s a lot of diversity, both … Continue reading “Despite Record High Vehicle Prices, Millennial Purchasing Continues”

As one of the leading pioneers in the digital media revolution and a best-selling author several times over, it’s safe to say that Arianna Huffington knows a thing or two about success. But after stepping down as editor-in-chief from her flagship Huffington Post in August, the 66-year-old is trying to change the way we think about what success looks like. With the launch of her new company, Thrive Global, Huffington aims to preach the importance of self-care to highly-driven, entrepreneurial, … Continue reading “Arianna Huffington Launches New Company to Help You Sleep Better”

Over 36 million kids in the U.S. play organized sports each year. If it were up to the kids, they would probably spend 100% of their time playing sports and 0% of their time doing homework. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. On an average weekday evening, 14-year-old Clara Jene usually finds herself completing approximately three hours of homework. On the weekends, that number is typically doubled. Clara is a high school student in Spain, and she often stays up until … Continue reading “Student and Parents in Spain Protest Amount of Homework Given by Schools”

A recent study from researchers at the University of Michigan School of Business and Families USA found that Americans are more likely to skip routine dental care than any other type of medical appointment due to high costs. Working-age adults were the most vulnerable group, with approximately 13% reporting that they’ve skipped out on dental care for financial reasons. While 13% might not seem like a large number to most people, it’s actually double the population of seniors and triple … Continue reading “Americans Are Skipping the Dentist Due to High Costs”

In general, luxury brands are struggling these days. There have been significant changes in both consumer preferences and spending habits over the last few years, and due to a decline of tourism throughout Europe and the U.S., the luxury goods market has shown a lot less growth. Although analysts have warned that this phenomenon may be “the new normal,” some brands are trying to save their hides — with hides. Hermès International is one of those brands. While the exclusive … Continue reading “Sales of Leather Goods May Save Struggling Luxury Brands”

Within the past few years, there have been many large scale American data breaches that have put the personal information of many at risk. Retailers such as Target and Home Depot, technology company Sony, and digital giant Yahoo! have all been victims in the recent past. The numbers are shocking. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that over 900 million records of personal identifiable information had been stolen within the past couple years, which begs the question, how much … Continue reading “Cyber Security Breaches Cost More Than Ever, But Big Businesses Don’t Seem to Care”