Figuratively Speaking

While 12.3 million American households were formed from Jan. 2012 to June 2021, number of new single-family homes that were built during that time, according to research by realtor.com: 7 million� As of June 2021, number of new homes by which the U.S. housing market was short, an increase of 1.4 million from the 2019 gap (3.84 million): 5.24 million� Based on projected household formations (850,000) and new home completions (1.07 million) for 2021, by doubling the pace seen so far this year, projected number of years it would take to close the gap: 5 to 6 years� Source: realtor.com

Percentage of homeowners who said they have done at least one DIY project since the start of the pandemic, according to a new survey by Angi: 81� Percentage who said their DIY projects were more challenging than expected: 40� Percentage who said they faced a minor or major mistake during their DIY projects: 80� Source: Angi

Percentage of Americans who remember exactly where they were or what they were doing the moment they heard about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, according to Chicago Council on Global Affairs/Ipsos polling: 92� Source: Ipsos Public Affairs

As shipping and out-of-stock concerns linger, percentage of holiday shoppers (51 million U.S. adults) who have already started or plan to start their holiday shopping by the end of September, according to a CreditCards.com report: 27� Percentage who plan to start in October, while 35% plan to start in November, and 13% will wait until December: 25� Source: CreditCards.com

After a record-setting year for credit-card debt reduction in 2020, increase during Q2 2021, an all-time record for the second quarter of the year, according to WalletHub: $45.7 billion� Number of times bigger that consumers' Q2 2021 credit card debt was than the post-Great Recession average for a second quarter: 2.6� Amount more in credit card debt that consumers will end the year with than they started with, which would be close to an annual record: $100 billion� Source: WalletHub

When asked about the potential benefits of earning a college degree, percentage of Americans who agree that securing employment and having a career are important outcomes, according to a survey from BestColleges.com: 45� Rank of developing specific skills in their field and maximizing earnings and income potential as the potential benefits of earning a college degree: 1, 2� Source: BestColleges.com

With record-low interest rates, percentage of homeowners with a mortgage they had prior to the pandemic who have refinanced since the start of the outbreak, according to a new Bankrate.com report: 19� Percentage who do not know their current interest rate: 38� Source: Bankrate.com

Percentage of teens who rated the quality of education during the pandemic as "fair/poor," while the rest (44%) rated it as "excellent/very good/good," according to a survey conducted for Junior Achievement: 56� Percentage who were interested in participating in online-only classes in the future: 46� Source: Junior Achievement

Percentage of people who have left a job because of unresolved harassment issues, according to research by AllVoices: 34� Percentage who say they are more likely to report harassment if they have an anonymous channel to do so: 85� Percentage who believe their workplace wants harassment reported: 72� Source: AllVoices

Idle Thought

"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." -- Louis L'Amour, novelist

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Average non-mortgage debt carried by individual Americans, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual: $23,325

Of Americans with debt, percentage of their monthly income that is dedicated to paying off non-mortgage personal debt: 30

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Ranks of earnings/income potential, general career success and the development of a professional network on the list of enhanced benefits Americans believe come with graduating from a prestigious college, according to a survey from BestColleges.com: 1, 2 (tie)

Percentage of Americans who believe a degree from a prestigious institution is one of the best ways to achieve success in one's life or career: 39

Source: BestColleges.com

Standard number of push-ups that men between the ages of 20 and 49 should be able to do, according to the American College of Sports Medicine: 13 to 28

Number that women in the same age category should be able to do: 11 to 20

According to a survey by Gymless, percentage of men and women who reported that they can perform only 10 or fewer push-ups in succession: 54

Percentage of respondents in the Gymless survey who indicated that they can perform 51 or more consecutive push-ups: 11.8

Source: Gymless.

Percentage of all U.S. households that own one (or more) type of pet other than dogs and cats, up from 11% five years ago, according to a report from Packaged Facts: 12

Percentage of "other pet" owners who enjoy keeping them because they are fun to watch and observe: 65

Source: Packaged Facts.

Percentage of millennials (ages 25 to 40) who say that social media impacts their buying decisions, followed by 66% of Gen Zers (ages 18 to 24), 49% of Gen Xers (ages 41 to 56) and 45% of baby boomers (ages 57 to 75), according to a report from Bankrate.com: 72

Ranks of posts from friends and family, advertisements and being swayed by posts from celebrities or influencers on the list of social media influences on spending: 1, 2, 3

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of teens who say that America's best years might be behind us, up 15 percentage points from 2005, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll: 56

Percentage who say the U.S. is above all other countries in the world: 23

Percentage of teens who say that political divisions are a major threat to their generation, the largest proportion of any item asked: 59

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of employees who say employers should mandate vaccines before workers return to the workplace, according to research by Eagle Hill Consulting: 50

Regarding social distancing, percentage who concur that employers should require or encourage social distancing: 77

Regarding masks, percentage who agree on employers requiring or encouraging mask use: 73

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Percentage of online shoppers who are using online pickup more than they did pre-pandemic, according to research by Acosta: 40

Percentage who are using online delivery more than they did pre-pandemic: 46

Percentage who are shopping less at mass merchandise stores than they were pre-pandemic: 35

Percentage of all shoppers who prefer home delivery as their fulfillment method of choice (28% prefer curbside pickup and 17% will pick up inside the store): 45

Source: Acosta.

Average APR for a new car loan, according to WalletHub research: 3.89

Average percentage rate for a used car loan: 4.49

Percentage who feel more financially secure buying a car this year than pre-pandemic: 55

Percentage of consumers who are still more likely to buy a car in-person rather than online: 91

Percentage of Americans who would prefer to buy an American-made car this year: 58

Source: WalletHub.

Idle Thought

"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have." -- Emile Chartier, philosopher (1868-1951)

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)

Total value of student loan debt in the U.S., according to Intelligent.com: $1.7 trillion

Percentage of people who took out student loans more than 20 years ago who still carry college debt: 42

Among all students who attended school 20 or more years ago, percentage who still carry loan debt: 10

Source: Intelligent.com.

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they have experienced price increases since the start of 2021, according to a Bankrate.com report: 89

Percentage of these who report that the increases have negatively impacted their personal financial situations: 66

Percentage of those who experienced higher prices who say they have taken financial actions as a result: 79

Source: Bankrate.com.

Ranks of Wine.com, Overstock.com, Boohoo Group PLC, Wayfair and 1-800-Flowers.com on the list of the nation's most impactful and fastest-growing retail companies, according to the National Retail Federation's Hot 25 Retailers List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage growth in Wine.com sales, with $329 million in 2020 sales nationwide, up from $165 million in 2019: 99.4

Percentage growth in Overstock.com: 74.7

Source: NRF.

Ranks of social media, parents, websites and school on the list of places teens go for information on the stock market, according to RSM U.S. LLP and Junior Achievement USA: 1, 2, 3, 4

Percentage of teens who believe the stock market is "a good thing" for ordinary people: 51

Percentage who say they only know "some" or "not much at all" about the stock market: 94

Ranks of stock market, cryptocurrency and real estate on the list of places teens would invest money if given money for that purpose: 1, 2, 3

Percentage who would choose not to invest at all: 37

Source: Junior Achievement.

Percentage of Americans who say they would be more comfortable if masks were required for all staff and customers in grocery stores, malls and other retail locations, up from 46% who said the same in June, according a survey by Ipsos: 61

Percentage who also say they'd be more comfortable if all staff had their vaccination status checked: 55

Percentage who said they want all customers' vaccination status checked: 44

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Estimated number of kids using e-cigarettes, including nearly 1 in 5 high school students, according to research by the National PTA and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: 3.6 million

Source: National PTA.

Percentage of consumers who said they would be uncomfortable purchasing insurance without speaking to a human being, according to a survey commissioned by Policygenius: 72

Percentage who would be uncomfortable filing claims on a website or app without human interaction: 64

Percentage who said they would rather switch insurance companies than let artificial intelligence review their claims: 60

Source: Policygenius.

Number of extra minutes of sleep per night that can make you happier and healthier, according to the American Psychology Association and data compiled by Sleep Advisor: 60 to 90

Number of times per night we dream, though we forget 95% to 99% of our dreams the next morning, according to researcher G. William Domhoff: 4 to 6

Number of degrees our body's temperature drops every night, so it's perfectly normal to feel a bit chilly, according to WebMD: 1 to 2

Estimated percentage of all car crash accidents and injuries that are associated with sleepiness, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information: 20

Source: Sleep Advisor.

Percentage of those not already receiving Social Security who don't have a clear sense of how much they will receive in Social Security income, according to a poll conducted for the Nationwide Retirement Institute: 51

Percentage who don't know that Social Security may offer benefits for spouses and children: 30

Percentage who mistakenly believe if they claim early, their benefits will go up automatically when reaching full retirement age or who don't know this is false: 45

Source: Nationwide.

Idle Thought

Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -- Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet and playwright (1874-1946)

(EDITOS: If you have editorial questions, please contact Clint Hooker, chooker@amuniversal.com.)