Census Bureau: Household Pulse Survey Phase 4.1 Monthly Data Released
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data from Phase 4.1 of the experimental Household Pulse Survey (HPS). The HPS is an effort by the Census Bureau and other federal statistical agencies to measure how emergent issues are impacting U.S. households from a social and economic perspective. Topics for Phase 4.1 include employment status, spending, food security,…
HUD: Progress Report on the Federal Lead Action Plan Published
Biden-Harris Administration Reports Significant Progress Toward Protecting Children from Lead Poisoning The President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children is publishing the Progress Report on the Federal Lead Action Plan, a comprehensive update on the government’s progress since 2018 toward reducing childhood lead exposures. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development…
CFPB: New Report Highlights Consumer Frustrations with Credit Card Rewards Programs
Consumers report losing benefits to devaluation, limited redemption opportunities, and vague or hidden terms and conditions The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a new report finding consumers encounter numerous problems with credit card rewards programs. Consumers tell the CFPB that rewards are often devalued or denied even after program terms are met. Credit card companies focus…
Census Bureau: New Research Data Product Released to Track Income Mobility and Volatility
The U.S. Census Bureau today released a new research data product, Mobility, Opportunity, and Volatility Statistics (MOVS), that shows detailed income and household statistics over time and includes demographic characteristics such as race and ethnicity. MOVS uses linked demographic and tax records on the population of U.S. working-age adults and tracks the progress of incomes, providing new…
FHFA: Report Issued on Enterprise Single-Family Guarantee Fees in 2022
he Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today issued its annual report on single-family guarantee fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). Guarantee fees are intended to cover the expected credit losses, administrative costs, and cost of capital that the Enterprises incur when they acquire single-family loans from lenders. The report analyzes loans…
Census Bureau: New Justice Outcomes Explorer Data Product Released
The U.S. Census Bureau today released a new experimental data product, the Justice Outcomes Explorer (JOE), that measures the economic and health outcomes of people who were charged with criminal offenses, released from prison, or began probation or parole sentences. The outcomes measured include employment, earnings, government program participation, and mortality. JOE is a collaboration between the…
CFPB: New Report Higlights the Hidden Costs of Health Savings Accounts
Many HSAs suffer from low interest rate yields and junk fees to switch The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today released a report detailing the complex costs and fees that many consumers with health savings accounts are forced to pay. There were approximately 36 million health savings accounts in 2023 – holding more than $116 billion. These…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 1.2 Percent in February 2024; Up 7.0 Percent from Last Year
U.S. house prices rose in February, up 1.2 percent from January, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI®). House prices rose 7.0 percent from February 2023 to February 2024. The previously reported 0.1 percent price decrease in January remained unchanged. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes from…
CFPB: New Published Research Finds Higher Price Complexity Leads Consumers to Pay More
As part of junk fee initiative, study suggests that consumers pay more when prices are separated into multiple fees Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a new report that suggests consumers tend to pay more for products that have more complex pricing structures. The report is based on experiments with multiple rounds of…
CFPB: New Analysis Finds 15 Million Americans Have Medical Bills on Their Credit Reports
People living in the South continue to be most likely to have medical bills on their reports The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today released research showing that 15 million Americans still have medical bills on their credit reports despite changes by Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The 15 million Americans disproportionately live in the South and low-income…