As fears of recession loom, the consumer price index up 6.5 percent and inflation at historic highs, funds that Americans saved during the COVID-19 pandemic are nearing depletion.
During the height of the pandemic, Americans were able to save more than $2.7 trillion as businesses shuttered. Investment bank Goldman Sachs estimated that 35 percent of COVID-19 relief funds have already been spent and by the end of 2023, that number will be up to 65 percent.
Lower income households have seen their savings diminish first. Folks that make under $50,000 annually saw their savings slashed by 36 percent compared to people who make between $100,000 and 15,000 who lost just 14 percent of their savings.
The use of credit has surged during this time as well, pushing the credit card debt to a new record of more than $930 billion at the end of 2022. It's a jump of 18 percent from the previous year.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen rejected concerns that the U.S. isn't headed for a recession and believes that inflation can be eased.
"You don't have a recession when you have 500,000 jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in more than 50 years. What I see is a path in which inflation is declining significantly, and the economy is remaining strong," she said in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America.
Adtalem CEO Steve Beard addresses a report from Safkhet Capital taking the short position on the for-profit education giant, plus why he believes there should be financial recourse for student loan borrowers misled by their institutions.
CEO of Americares Christine Squires shares how the organization is helping provide medical assistance in a time of increasing instability, war, and climate-related disaster.
Doug Clinton, Deepwater Asset Management managing partner, shares tips for investors looking to take advantage of the massive boom in artificial intelligence beyond Microsoft and Nvidia.
Jason Moser, analyst and adviser at the Motley Fool, shares thoughts on recent tech earnings, including what’s behind Google’s share price drop and why A.I. could be Microsoft’s ‘iPhone moment.’
CEOs of social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and more meet with lawmakers Wednesday about how they are protecting children from sexual exploitation.
San Francisco 49ers president Al Guido discusses what goes into preparing for Super Bowl LVIII, building a championship-ready team, and how Taylor Swift and streaming are both bringing new fans to the NFL.
A $1 billion loss from a six-week strike did not crash GM's net income last year, which instead rose 12% — and the automaker expects improvement in 2024, too.
Accrue CEO and founder Michael Hershfield explains why Americans' credit card delinquencies are on the rise, advice on what can help, and the key difference between Boomers and Gen Z when it comes to money.
Senior Economist at Morning Consult Kayla Bruun shares thoughts on what to expect from the Fed's January meeting and where monetary policy is headed, as well as how consumers are faring.
