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You’ve probably never asked your adult children and younger relatives whether they have security software on their computers and devices. Why would you? They’re digital natives, born with keyboards under their fingertips. It may be time to ask. In an unexpected twist, the best gift for some younger Americans this holiday season may be data protection software or services. A 2019 You.gov poll reported 35 percent of Americans, ages 18 to 34, think their data and [...]

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists shared an autumn feast with the Wampanoag Indians. They were celebrating survival and friendship. It’s also a poignant story.1 About one-half of the passengers who traveled to the new world for 66 days on the Mayflower died during that first unforgiving winter in the new land. It’s uncertain how many would have survived the year if Squanto, a Native American who had been kidnapped [...]

After World War I, many nations celebrated the end of “The Great War” by establishing Armistice Day. Eventually, the holiday was broadened to celebrate those who served in all wars. In the United States after World War II and the Korean War, it was renamed Veterans Day.1 See what you know about this holiday and the people it honors by taking a brief quiz. 1. Approximately, how many veterans live in the United States? [...]

One of the most discussed topics in the United States is retirement security. Few Americans have set aside enough savings to live comfortably throughout retirement. In fact, the most recent National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI)* found:1 “…half of today’s households will not have enough retirement income to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living, even if they work to age 65 and annuitize all their financial assets, including the receipts from a reverse mortgage on their [...]

Americans expect to spend $8.8 billion on costumes, decorations, candy, and other Halloween purchases, according to the National Retail Federation.1 That’s enough money to purchase the New England Patriots ($3.8 billion), the Los Angeles Dodgers ($3.3 billion), the Hannah Montana franchise ($1 billion), Balmoral Castle in Scotland ($140 million), a private jet ($150 million), and still have a few hundred million left for incidentals.2, 3 If you’d like to save on this holiday so you [...]

What data about you is most important? The data that identity thieves are after – social security, credit card, and bank account numbers – is important, as well as more basic data which is being collected by companies whose devices you use every day. Geoffrey Fowler of The Washington Post recently reported what happens on smartphones doesn’t stay on smartphones, despite advertisements suggesting otherwise. He wrote:1 “Even though the screen is off and I’m snoring, apps [...]

The simple answer is probably. Historically, the American economy has grown in fits and starts, otherwise known as recessions and expansions. As a result, it is likely there will be another recession in the United States. What are recessions? When gross domestic product (GDP), which is the value of all goods and services produced in the United States, declines for two consecutive quarters, many people will say the economy is in a recession.1 Typically, during [...]

Would you give up a share of $62 billion?Would you give up a share of $62 billion? If your answer is no, then you may be a member of the relatively small group of Americans (36 percent) that takes all of the vacation days available to them each year.1 In survey after survey, workers consistently say paid vacation is one of the benefits they value most. Yet, many Americans fail to use a significant [...]