Economic News Archives

Category: Economic News

The macro economy has a large impact on your personal finances. To help you manage your money better we track the import economic trends. Stay up to date so you can be prepared to adjust your personal finance strategies.

April 2024 US Jobs Report graph

U.S. Economy Adds Lower-Than-Expected 175,000 Jobs in April

April 2024's jobs report has arrived — and so have several competing narratives about what it means. About the report: Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employment Situation Summary for April. In total, it showed that the United States economy gained 175,000 jobs during the month. That's well below the 240,000 jobs that economists had forecasted (per Marketwatch) and, similarly, is lower than the 12-month average of 242,000 per...
stack of credit cards

Credit Card Delinquency Rates Reach Decade High in Q4 2023

According to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philidelphia, credit card delinquencies grew to new "series highs" in the last quarter of 2023. About the report: As Bloomberg reports, credit card delinquencies increased in the fourth quarter. In total, nearly 3.5% of consumer card balances were at least 30 days late. Furthermore, the percentage of card accounts that were 30, 60, and 90 days past due all rose during...
illustration of credit card and a line of people

Survey: 45% of Americans Rely on Credit Amid Inflation

A new survey highlights the link between continued inflation and how Americans are using credit. About the survey results: According to a Debt.com survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, a significant number of consumers are currently relying on credit. In fact, 45% of respondents cite inflation and price increases as the reason for their credit usage. Furthermore, 35% say they've maxed out their cards in recent years as a result of...
view of Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson, NJ Releases Results of Basic Income Test Program

After completing a basic income pilot program in 2022, Paterson, New Jersey has released some of the initiative's findings. About the program and results: From June 2021 through June 2022, the City of Paterson gave 110 residents monthly payments of $400 with no strings attached. To qualify, individuals needed to make less than $30,000 per year while families with incomes under $88,000 could also qualify. Meanwhile, while the program was...
US GDP Growth Chart

The United States Economy Grew 3.3% in Q4 2023

A new report shows that the United States economy continued to expand in the last quarter of 2023. About the numbers: According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) increased 3.3% in the fourth quarter. As CNN Business notes, although that's down from the 4.9% growth rate recorded in the third quarter of the year, it's more than double the 1.5% growth economists expected. For...
US Decmer 2034 jobs report graph

United States Economy Added an Estimated 216,000 in December

The United States economy closed out 2023 with yet another impressive jobs report. About the report: According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the U.S. economy gained 216,000 jobs in the last month of 2023. That easily beat the 175,00 jobs expected by economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate was flat month-over-month, sticking at 3.7% (economists had anticipated it to tick up). While December's figures were...
IRS on top of coin stacks

IRS Announces 2024 Tax Brackets, Adjusted Standard Deduction

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released its latest inflation adjustments for the next tax year, including updated tax brackets and standard deduction figures. About the updates: As it does nearly every year, the IRS has updated the tax bracket figures for the 2024 tax year. Next year's marginal tax rates will retain the same basic tiers (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%) that were installed in 2018....
October 2023 US Jobs Report graph

U.S. Economy Adds 150k Jobs in October, Unemployment Ticks Up

This morning, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics released its initial jobs report for October 2023. About the report: Headlining today's report, the U.S. economy added an estimated 150,000 jobs last month. That's below the 170,000 jobs that economists surveyed by Wall Street Journal forecasted. But, it's expected that the figures would have been closer to 180,000 jobs if not for the auto workers strike in October. Despite that added...
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Amazon and Target logos

Discover Reveals 5% Bonus Categories for Final Quarter of 2024

As we head into the holiday season, Discover has unveiled its fourth-quarter bonus category picks. About the Q4 2024 Discover It 5% categories: Starting on October 1st, Discover It customers will be able to earn up to 5% back on purchases from two major retailers. First up is Amazon — which has been a fixture of Discover's fourth-quarter bonus categories since at least 2015. While this category will of course cover...

2024 SoFi Checking and Savings Review

Ever since I started taking an interest in the FinTech sector, one company whose name I’ve seen pop up over and over again is SoFi. Lately it seems as though that theme has been sent into overdrive as the company has not only become a household name thanks to its stadium naming rights deal but also because of the company’s continued product expansions. The most interesting development in my mind...

A Guide to Building Credit and Increasing Your Credit Scores

When it comes to credit, there’s some good news. The average credit score in the United States has been steadily rising in recent years, coming in at 715 in 2023. That may be because, today, consumers not only have more ways to access their credit reports and scores than ever before but also because there are an increasing number of options that Americans have for building credit in the first...
gas pump

2024 Pay with GasBuddy Review: Yes, You Can Legitimately Save Money Every Time You Fill

Put simply, the value proposition of Pay with GasBuddy is that you can use a special card that's accepted at most gas stations in order to save a few cents off of every gallon of gas you buy. That sounds good — almost too good, if you think like me.
Brim logo

Brim Financial Raises $85 Million as It Eyes Global Expansion

Toronto-based FinTech infrastructure startup Brim Financial has announced a new funding round. About the round: Brim has revealed an $85 million round. The Series C was led by EDC Investments while new investor Vistara Growth and returning investors White Owl Group, Epic Ventures, and Zions Bank also participated. To date, the company has now raised $110 million including a Series B in 2021. According to Brim, the latest funding will...