*By Tracey Cheek*
Big-name chains may dominate Black Friday ー but according to American Express, 80 percent of consumers plan to shop or dine small on Small Business Saturday this year.
According to Walter Frye, Vice President of global brand content and engagement at American Express (AXP), small businesses not only are good for the larger economy, but also healthy for local communities.
"Small businesses are what make our communities unique and vibrant," Frye said. "When small businesses thrive, communities thrive."
"When consumers spend a dollar in their communities and small business, 67 cents of that dollar stays in that community," Frye said.
According to the "2018 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey" by American Express, 91 percent of consumers think it's more important than ever to support small businesses this holiday season.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-importance-of-small-business-saturday).
Americans picked up their spending from October to November as the unofficial holiday season kicked off, underscoring that shoppers still have power to keep buying.
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate dropped below 7% to its lowest level since early August, another boost for prospective homebuyers who have largely been held back by sharply higher borrowing costs and heightened competition for relatively few homes for sale.
Mortgage rates have dropped below 7% for the first time since the middle of August.
Taylor Swift grossed nearly $2 billion this year, according to Billboard.
A study from US News and World Report has found the most affordable place to retire is in Ohio.
Millions of households could see higher internet costs next year as the affordable connectivity program could end.
Viveca Chow, NYC lifestyle expert, spoke with Cheddar News to provide tips on how to have some festive fun in the city on a budget.
Apple announced that it's releasing an iPhone security update to prevent attackers from acquiring users' private passcodes.
As the new year approaches, many people are looking to find a job with a higher salary or are planning to ask their current boss for a raise. Taliya Bashani, real estate attorney and negotiation expert, joined Cheddar News to provide tips on how to properly and better negotiate better financial terms.
Meta says it will start testing a program that would allow posts from Threads to appear on other social media sites.
