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.
Economic News
IRS Announces 2024 Tax Brackets, Adjusted Standard Deduction
by Kyle Burbank
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.... Economic News
U.S. Economy Adds 150k Jobs in October, Unemployment Ticks Up
by Kyle Burbank
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... Economic News
Report: 401(k) Balances Rise, Hardship Withdrawals Increase
by Kyle Burbank
A newly-released report looking at 401(k) account balances at Bank of America shows that, while overall balances are trending upward, more people are also requesting hardship distributions. About the report: According to the BofA report, the average 401(k) account balance at the end of last quarter was $82,300. That's up by $7,250 so far in 2023, representing a 9.6% increase. In the second quarter, the average contribution came in at... Economic News
U.S. Gas Prices Surge Week Over Week
by Kyle Burbank
Americans setting off on late-summer road trips are likely to encounter higher prices at the pump due to a confluence of factors. The latest figures: According to the newest data from GasBuddy, the national average for a gallon of gasoline rose 16.5¢ from one week prior. Currently, the average is $3.72 per gallon based on price data from more than 150,000 stations across the country. Similarly, the price of diesel... Economic News
United States Economy Adds 209,000 Jobs in June 2023
by Kyle Burbank
The Labor Department has released its June 2023 jobs report, which also includes some amendments to previously results. About the report: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy added 209,000 jobs in June. Although this continued a 30-month streak of added jobs, June's figure was the lowest since December 2020. It's also lower than the 240,000 jobs economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal expected. What's more,... Economic News
WalletHub Economic Index Shows Increasing Consumer Sentiment
by Kyle Burbank
The latest WalletHub Economic Index report has found a significant increase in consumer sentiment. About the report: Personal finance site WalletHub has released its June 2023 WalletHub Economic Index report. This national monthly survey asks consumers about their personal financial conditions and other money factors. These 10 components are then compiled to arrive at an overall economic index. Headlining this month's report is an 18.4% increase in consumer sentiment between... Economic News
Survey: 90% of Millennials Report Carrying Non-Mortgage Debt
by Kyle Burbank
A new survey suggests that the vast majority of Millennials are not only in debt but that their total liabilities are now nearing six figures. About the survey results: According to a survey of 1,000 Millenials (defined as those born between 1981 and 1996) conducted by the Real Estate Witch, 90% of respondents said they had a least some non-mortgage-related debt to their names. Moreover, the average balance of those with...