Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of Americans who plan to brave the Black Friday crowds and visit physical stores, according to a survey by Genesys: 37

Percentage who agree that despite the appeal of the price reductions, physical stores are far too busy: 67

Source: Genesys.

Ranks of Netflix, Prime Video (Amazon Prime), Hulu, HBO Now and Starz on the list of the top subscription streaming video services in the U.S. market, according to Parks Associates: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Parks Associates.

Across 24 countries, percentage of adults who have started a business, according to an Ipsos Global Advisor survey: 28

Of countries surveyed, ranks of Mexico, India, Saudi Arabia, China and South Africa on the list of countries where consumers rate highest on entrepreneurial spirit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Ipsos Global Public Affairs.

Annual cost of "lack of sleep" in societal expenses, according to a National Safety Council report: $410 billion

Source: National Safety Council.

Projected amount that 4- to 14-year-olds will earn over the course of 2018 (an average of $8.35 a week), according to a study by RoosterMoney: $434

Amount they'll get in cash gifts this Christmas: $56

Percentage of it they'll save (in stark contrast to the adult saving rate of 6.6 percent): 38

Source: RoosterMoney.

Percentage of consumers who have abandoned a medication prescribed by their physician because it was too expensive, according to a survey by DrFirst: 50

Percentage of consumers who say their physician advised them about medication costs or offered lower-cost therapeutic alternatives: 44

Source: DrFirst.

Percentage of consumers who plan to spend the same or more on gifts this holiday season than they did in 2017, according to a study by The Harris Poll conducted with OpenX: 80

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of U.S. employees who have dealt with issues negatively affecting their mental health, according to a survey commissioned by the American Heart Association: 76

Percentage of all employees who agree that mental health is as important as physical health: 96

Estimated number of U.S. adults who experience mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: 43.8 million

Source: American Heart Association.

Average surcharge assessed by an ATM owner for an out-of-network transaction, according to the Bankrate.com checking account and ATM fee study: $3.02

Fee charged by the account-holder's own bank for using another institution's ATM: $1.66

Total average cost of an out-of-network ATM withdrawal: $4.68

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of store credit cards with 0% introductory APRs that have deferred interest, according to a WalletHub study: 85

Percentage of people who do not know how deferred interest works: 82

Of the people who understand how deferred interest works, percentage who think it is unfair: 79

Source: WalletHub.

Idle Thought

"The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing." -- Leigh Hunt, poet and essayist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of all adults who have divulged their pay to a co-worker, according to a Bankrate.com report: 24

Percentage of men who have done so: 29

Percentage of women: 20

Percentage who have never told a live-in romantic partner how much money they make, including 19 percent who are currently married or living with a partner: 31

Percentage of millennials who have shared their salary information with a co-worker, compared to 18 percent of baby boomers: 33

Source: Bankrate Inc.

Average age that Americans expect to reach, according to a survey on behalf of TD Ameritrade: 84

Percentage of Americans who say they want to "travel abroad" as they get older: 57

Percentage who said getting older gives them "an opportunity to reach new goals": 81

Source: TD Ameritrade.

Percentage of employers who use social networking sites to research information that supports a job candidate's qualifications, according to a CareerBuilder survey: 58

Percentage who use it to see whether the candidate has a professional online persona: 50

Ranks of posting provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information (40 percent), and posting information about drinking or using drugs (36 percent) on the list of the primary reasons that caused employers not to hire a job candidate: 1, 2

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of Americans who cited pizza as their favorite food, according to a survey from California Pizza Kitchen, conducted by the Harris Poll: 21

Ranks of steak, hamburgers, tacos, pasta and salad on the list of favorite foods: 2, 3, 4 (tie), 6

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of early holiday shoppers who say they do so to spread out their budgets, according to survey by the National Retail Federation: 61

Percentage who wanted to avoid the crowds and stress of last-minute shopping: 47

Source: NRF.

Percentage of Americans who believe car traffic and vehicle pollution are serious problems in their city, according to surveys conducted for Bird by Global Strategy Group: 80

Percentage who acknowledge that their own car use for trips under two miles is causing climate damage: 73

Nationally, percentage who believe there should be more transportation options to reduce traffic and congestion: 85

Source: Bird.

Percentage of parents who say their child suffers from anxiety, according to a survey commissioned by the American Osteopathic Association: 38

Percentage of these parents who said the source of the anxiety is related to comparing oneself to peers: 37

Percentage who cited pressure to perform well academically: 35

Percentage who had concerns related to social media: 29

Source: American Osteopathic Association.

Ranks of developing a strong network, having confidence and showcasing accomplishments to key leaders on the list of the most important advice female professionals have received from other professional women to help them succeed in the workplace, according to a Korn Ferry survey: 1, 2, 3

Source: Korn Ferry International.

Percentage of consumers who plan to start shopping before Black Friday 2018, according to the 2018 Holiday Insights Guide by RetailMeNot: 60

Percentage who will wait to start their holiday shopping on Black Friday or later: 27

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of women worldwide who want the media to portray a more diverse range of physical appearance, age, race, shape and size in advertising and marketing, according to The Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report: 70

Percentage of women in the United States who feel "body confident": 24

Source: DreamWalk Fashion Show.

Idle Thought

"When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set." -- Lin Yutang, writer

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of Americans who use the same password for "most" or "all" of their accounts, according to Data from YouGov Omnibus: 27

Percentage who say that their email and/or social media account was hacked at least once: 36

Percentage of Americans who believe their online logins are safe: 60

Source: YouGov.

Percentage of Americans who are likely to share marital/relationship issues with others, according to a Lending Club survey: 44

Percentage who are likely to share credit card debt issues with others: 23

Percentage of Americans with credit cards who have some degree of revolving credit card debt: 60

Of those people, approximate percentage who are less likely today to discuss their debt with people they know compared to a few years ago: 35

Source: Lending Club.

Percentage of the top 10 most researched branded laser and energy treatments in 2017 that involved fat reduction, surpassing popular categories like injectable fillers and toxins, according to the RealSelf U.S. Laser and Energy Report: 33

Source: RealSelf.

Percentage of Americans who agree that "if a product is not easy/convenient for me to recycle, I probably would not recycle it," according to a survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries: 66

Percentage who would like to see manufacturers and/or retailers display a "recycling guide" label on products (similar to the energy guide label on appliances) that would detail the parts and percentage of the product that could be recycled and how: 81

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of U.S. adults who are buying groceries online every week, according to a CreditCards.com report: 26.1

Over the past year, percentage of Americans who have bought clothing and other household items online: 82

Percentage of online shoppers who typically pay with credit, versus 32 percent who pay with a debit card: 62

Source: CreditCards.com.

Average amount consumers say they will spend during the holiday season this year, up 4.1 percent from the $967.13 they said they would spend last year, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics: $1,007.34

Estimated holiday retail sales in November and December (up between 4.3 percent and 4.8 percent over 2017): $717.45 billion to $720.89 billion.

Source: NRF.

Percentage of professionals who say they work while on vacation because they enjoy it, according to a Korn Ferry survey: 33

Percentage of professionals who say they have cut short vacations due to occupational demands and pressure to perform at work: 63

Percentage who said they would prefer a higher salary to more vacation days: 73

Source: Korn/Ferry International.

Percentage of workers who thought a program to help in calculating how much to save for a secure retirement would be beneficial, according to an Employee Benefit Research Institute report: 75

Percentage of workers who need help calculating anticipated spending each month in retirement: 72

Percentage who need help planning for health care expenses in retirement: 72

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of vehicle owners and lessees who believe car owners should have full access to and control of their vehicle's data, including maintenance and repair information, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the Auto Care Association: 86

Percentage of consumers who believe a vehicle's owner should decide who has access to this data: 88

Source: Auto Care Association.

Date that Veterans Day originated as "Armistice Day," commemorating the first anniversary of the end of World War I, according to History.com: Nov. 11, 1919

Year that Congress passed a resolution for an annual observance: 1926

Year that President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day: 1954

Estimated number of living veterans in the United States who served during at least one war: 16.1 million

Source: History.com.

Idle Thought

"Once a country is habituated to liars, it takes generations to bring the truth back." -- Gore Vidal, writer (1925-2012)

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)