Did You Know: The History of Printed Catalogues

Even in this Internet world, many of us still receive printed catalogs through the mail, especially near the holiday season. The first such catalog — more of a flyer — was sent out by Montgomery Ward late this month in 1872. That first catalog consisted of only one page, featuring 163 items for mail order purchase. The idea was so successful that by 1904, the Ward's catalog weighed in at four pounds. Montgomery Ward ceased producing its catalog in 1985, and the company itself eventually failed in the largest retail bankruptcy liquidation in American history. But the home shopping business is still thriving. There are about 24,000 electronic shopping and mail order houses, and each year they sell over $220 billion worth of goods. Profile Americais in its 17th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

57 Percent of Back-to-School Shoppers Will Not Buy New Computers, Study Finds

Back-to-School Shopping Report Finds Laptops, Desktops, Mobile Devices Out of Style this Season for Consumers Seeking to Save Money

BOISE, Idaho and GLASGOW, Scotland, Aug. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindful of saving money, more than half of back-to-school shoppers will not purchase computers this year, according to a study by Crucial.com released today. The Crucial.com Back-to-School Shopping Report, which includes responses from 1,000 adults in the U.S., found that 57% of respondents do not plan to purchase laptops, desktops, tablets, or mobile devices for school this year, as a vast majority of consumers are increasingly concerned with becoming more frugal.

The research showed U.S. consumers – and back-to-school shoppers in particular – are seeking ways to cut back where they can. Seventy-three percent of respondents said they were very concerned with saving money, a number that increased to 82% for back-to-school shoppers. In general, 82% of respondents said it was more important to save money than save time, and 81% said they would be most inclined to put money toward savings or paying off bills if given $1,000 to spend.

If given $1,000 to spend, respondents said they would:

Pay off bills	46 percent
Put it into savings	35 percent
Go on vacation	9 percent
Buy a new computer/tablet/phone	6 percent
Buy a new car	3 percent
Give to charity	2 percent

Back-to-school shoppers cited several ways they save money, including clipping coupons (82%), do-it-yourself projects (57%), and buying generic brands (57%). Additionally, 61% of back-to-school shoppers said they would try to fix a slow computer themselves to save money, rather than spend money on expensive repairs. Fifty-eight percent said they expected a computer to last at least five years.

"The results of the survey delivered an underlying theme: most Americans seek to be as frugal as possible, but struggle to do so," said Ed Walker, Crucial E-Commerce Marketing Manager. "It's not surprising consumers are seeking to make computers and various mobile devices last as long as possible, given their expense. When back-to-school season arrives, it can make a lot of sense for families to extend the life and performance of their existing computers, rather than spend hundreds of dollars on new ones."

When shopping for the new school year, consumers ranked spending money as the biggest stress factor, ahead of locating particular items and dealing with crowded stores. Only 2% identified themselves as "big spenders" when asked to describe their money-saving mentality. The largest segment of back-to-school shoppers this year is females aged 35 to 44, 53% of whom said they planned to shop or had already.

The Crucial.com Back-to-School Shopping Report is based on an online, quantitative market research study commissioned by Crucial.com and conducted by independent research firm GMI from June 27th – July 5th, 2014. Respondents were comprised of 500 men and 500 women in the United States ages 35 and over. For information about the survey, Crucial, or computer memory upgrades visit Crucial.com. 

A Tip for Homebuyers

Did You Know: The Dawn of Home Computing

This date 33 years ago immediately preceded the dawning of a digital age milestone. On August 12, 1981, IBM introduced its model 5150 — which soon became known simply as the "PC." There had been consumer computer models for some years before, such as the early Apple and Commodore, but the IBM machine marked a turning point in acceptance due to the manufacturer's prestige. The company was famous for its pioneering, large mainframe computers, and even by 1984, barely over 8 percent of American households had personal computers. Now, more than three-quarters of American households have computers, with the Asian-American population's figure reaching nearly 83 percent. Over 93 percent of college graduates live in homes with at least one computer. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Back-To-School Lunch Tips

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Packing interesting lunches can be mundane, but from Mediterranean options to coconut water, innovative food companies are making it easier. These companies and other back-to-school lunch tips are featured in this week's segment of The Lempert Report Innovation Series, a weekly video series featuring innovation in the food world. 

Sponsored by Tetra Pak® U.S., the videos are found online at The Lempert Report's YouTube Channel and on Tetra Pak U.S. consumer Web site BeCartonSmart.com.

"Sandwiches are a staple, but it's the snacks that keep kids going," says Phil Lempert, CEO and editor of The Lempert Report.  "More food companies now offer healthy, convenient and kid-friendly options creating a win for the child and a win for the parents."

Lunch innovations include: Wild Garden Hummus in the original Tetra Classic® Aseptic – the iconic triangular packaging. In addition to a healthy and filling snack, the carton keeps the hummus fresh;

Mediterra Nutrition bars have savory flavors that include Sundried Tomato/Basil/Capers and Olive/Walnut/Chives. An alternative to sweet snacks, the bars are rich in vegetable content, but low in calories, sodium and sugar; and

Vita Coco Kids created naturally fruit flavored coconut water, a great alternative to give kids nutrition, flavor, and less sugar.

Lempert also suggests freezing Juicy Juice 100% Juice boxes to help keep lunches chilled.

A helpful guide to moving

Planning and organization are essential for a smooth transition

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 -  If you plan to move, planning ahead can save you time and money.

Things like packing and finding a reliable moving company are just some of the ways you can avoid problems. And, depending on your situation, you may be able to deduct moving expenses from your federal tax return.

When you're ready to move, make sure to keep these tips in mind:

Packing

• Instead of packing what you don't use anymore, sell anything you don't need. You can also donate clothes or household items that are in good condition to charity.
• Use recycled packing boxes. Look for unused boxes at local stores or supermarkets. Save the boxes if you have a moving date ahead.
• Write on the box what it contains, for example: kitchen utensils, bathroom towels, tools, cosmetics, etc. This will make it easier to unpack in your new home.
• Use newspaper to wrap any fragile or delicate items.

Choosing a moving company

• Request written quotes from various moving companies so that you can compare rates and services.
• Make sure to pick a moving company that has a number with the U.S. Department of Transportation, known as U.S. DOT #, and check if the mover is properly registered.
• Make sure the company offers damage insurance.
• Check to see if the moving company has a history of complaints by calling your state or city's consumer protection office.
• Thoroughly read over all the terms in your contract, as well as any other documents related to your move, before signing.

Note: If you would like to register a complaint against a moving company, get in touch with the Department of Transportation at 1-888-368-7238, or file it online.

When filing your taxes

If your move this summer is work-related, you may be able to deduct moving expenses on your next federal income tax return if you meet certain requirements:

• You move close to the date you begin your new job.
• Your new workplace is at least 50 miles farther away from your previous home than your old job location was from that home.
• You work full-time for a specified amount of time after moving.

CoreLogic Reports Home Prices Rose by 7.5 Percent Year Over Year in June

RVINE, Calif., — CoreLogic® (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled services provider, today released its June CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI®) report. Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 7.5 percent in June 2014 compared to June 2013. This change represents 28 months of consecutive year-over-year increases in home prices nationally. On a month-over-month basis, home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased 1.0 percent in June 2014 compared to May 2014.*

At the state level, including distressed sales, only Arkansas posted a decline in June 2014 with 0.4-percent depreciation. A total of 12 states, plus the District of Columbia, reached new highs in the Home Price Index dating back to January 1976 when the index started. These states are Alaska, Colorado, District of Columbia, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming.

Excluding distressed sales, home prices nationally increased 6.9 percent in June 2014 compared to June 2013 and 0.9 percent month over month compared to May 2014. Also excluding distressed sales, all 50 states and the District of Columbia showed year-over-year home price appreciation in June. Distressed sales include short sales and real estate owned (REO) transactions.

The CoreLogic HPI Forecast indicates that home prices, including distressed sales, are projected to increase 0.7 percent month over month from June 2014 to July 2014 and, on a year-over-year basis, by 5.7 percent** from June 2014 to June 2015. Excluding distressed sales, home prices are expected to rise 0.6 percent month over month from June 2014 to July 2014 and by 5 percent** year over year from June 2014 to June 2015. The CoreLogic HPI Forecast is a monthly projection of home prices built using the CoreLogic HPI and other economic variables. Values are derived from state-level forecasts by weighting indices according to the number of owner-occupied households for each state.

“Home price appreciation continued moderating in June with its slight month-over-month increase,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “This reversion to normality that we are finally experiencing is expected to continue across the country and should further alleviate concern over diminishing affordability and the risk of another asset bubble.”

“Home prices are continuing to rise fueled by ongoing tight supply, low rates and aggressive investor buying on the East and West Coasts,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “The expected surge in the number of homes for sale has not materialized to date as many homeowners are staying put and waiting for better economic times and higher prices in the future.”

Highlights as of June 2014:

• Including distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were:  Michigan (+11.5 percent), California (+11.3 percent), Nevada (+11.1 percent), Hawaii (+10.8 percent) and Oregon (+9.5 percent).
• Excluding distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation were: Massachusetts (+11.2 percent), New York (+9.8 percent), Hawaii (+9.2 percent), California (+9.1 percent) and Oregon (+8.8 percent).
• Including distressed transactions, the peak-to-current change in the national HPI (from April 2006 to June 2014) was -12.9 percent. Excluding distressed transactions, the peak-to-current change in the HPI for the same period was -9.0 percent.
• Including distressed sales, the U.S. has experienced 28 consecutive months of year-over-year increases; however, the national average is no longer posting double-digit increases.
• The five states with the largest peak-to-current declines, including distressed transactions, were: Nevada (-37.3 percent), Florida (-34.1 percent), Arizona (-29.5 percent), Rhode Island (-27.2 percent) and New Jersey (-22.2 percent).
• Ninety-eight of the top 100 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) measured by population showed year-over-year increases in June 2014. The two CBSAs that did not show an increase were Worcester, Mass.-Conn. and Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Ark.

Did You Know: The History of the Stop Light

On this date precisely one century ago, American motorists got the green light to confidently proceed through increasingly traveled crossroads. A traffic light system, credited with being the first in the U.S., flashed red and green at the intersection of 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. To further prompt drivers, the words "Stop" and "Move" were emblazoned on the operating red and green lights. At the time, there were about 1.8 million motor vehicles in the U.S., six times more than just five years earlier. Now, there are more than 250 million motor vehicles crowding our roads. Traffic lights control the flow of this congestion, leaving Americans with an average one-way commute of nearly 26 minutes. You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at www.census.gov.

Drop in US Real Estate Appraisers Slows: Appraisal Institute Research

CHICAGO -- The number of active real estate appraisers in the United States fell less than 1 percent in the first half of 2014, the Appraisal Institute announced today, lower than the average annual decrease of 2.6 percent over the past six years.

Research conducted by the nation's largest professional association of real estate appraisers found that as of June 30, the total number of active real estate appraisers in the U.S. stood at 80,500, down from 81,050 on Dec. 31, 2013. A broader analysis suggests the rate of decrease could rise sharply over the next five to 10 years due to retirements, reduced numbers of new people entering the appraisal profession, economic factors and greater use of data analysis technologies, Appraisal Institute research found.

"As appraisers leave the profession, the Appraisal Institute is preparing the next generation through its education, publications and other training," said Appraisal Institute President Ken P. Wilson, MAI, SRA. "As the real estate valuation profession's leader, we will continue to ensure that we are preparing tomorrow's appraisers today."

The Appraisal Institute's research also found that the proportion of licensed appraisers in the U.S. continues to decrease and stands at 11.3 percent as of June 30. The proportions of certified residential appraisers (56.7 percent) and general/commercial appraisers (32 percent) increased slightly from year-end 2013. Also, 18.5 percent of appraisers held a license or certification in one or more states outside their home state. That number increased slightly from 18.2 percent in 2013 and 17.2 percent in 2012.

Appraisal Institute surveys also found:

• Two-thirds (66 percent) of appraisers have spent at least 15 years in the valuation profession.
• Thirty-nine percent work as sole proprietors (no employees/partners), and another 22 percent are an owner or partner in a firm.
• Forty-one percent work as commercial appraisers, while 31 percent are residential appraisers.
• Seventy-five percent work for an appraisal services firm.
• More than half (51 percent) are ages 51 to 65, and another 11 percent are 66 or older.
• Fifty-eight percent hold a bachelor's degree, and another 20 percent hold a master's or doctoral degree.
• Forty-seven percent of Appraisal Institute professionals earn more than $100,000 per year, compared to 22 percent of non-AI professionals.

Experian's latest analysis uncovers how the addition of rental payment data to credit files can help financially excluded consumers gain access to traditional financial services

COSTA MESA, Calif.-- Experian®, the leading global information services company, today announced itsrecent report on the impact of positive rent reporting on subsidized housing residents. Experian was the first credit reporting agency to incorporate on-time rental payments to its database. To show the value of adding alternative data to credit files, Experian conducted an analysis to examine how rental tradelines impact credit file thickness, risk segment migration, credit scores and the ability to score previously unscoreable residents.

"'Financial exclusion' is a term that describes the lack of access to basic financial services. Being denied the opportunity to have low-cost loans or even a bank account is a reality for many Americans, and they are forced into using alternative services to conduct simple transactions," said Brannan Johnston, vice president and managing director, Experian RentBureau®. "Adding on-time rental payments to credit files may help those who operate primarily on a cash basis to integrate into the banking system and establish a credit history that they can leverage to receive more affordable credit and improve their economic well-being."

Additional findings from the Credit for Renting whitepaper confirm:

• The average VantageScore® 3.0 score change for previously scoreable participants in the study was an increase of 29 points
• 95 percent of study participants experienced a score increase or no score change with subprime and nonprime residents receiving the greatest positive score impact
• 19 percent of study participants previously considered subprime migrated to at least one higher (less risky) risk segment, typically yielding more affordable credit and additional credit opportunities 
• 23 percent of thin-file residents migrated to the thick-file category, potentially signaling to a lender the ability to manage multiple credit obligations
• 97 percent of the previously no-hit (and credit unscoreable) residents fell in one of the two least risky risk segments with the addition of the paid-as-agreed rental tradelines

"Consumer financing rapidly changed during the economic upheaval, and regulatory changes forced lenders to tighten the standards for the underwriting process. This excluded many Americans from the opportunity to attain credit due to a limited or no credit history," said Genevieve Juillard, president of Experian Consumer Information Services. "For the last decade, Experian has advocated for full-file reporting and invested in new sources of data outside the traditional sets, such as Experian RentBureau, to help expand credit files. Residents who pay their rent on time month after month should be rewarded and not overlooked simply because they rent instead of own the place they call home."

To conduct the analysis, Experian RentBureau gathered rental payment data from the Experian RentBureau database which is comprised of both positive and negative rental payment data.  Experian incorporates the on-time rental payment data reported to Experian RentBureau into Experian credit reports. Nearly 20,000 leases, as reported by property management companies to Experian RentBureau, were found that met the desired criteria, including the receipt of housing subsidies on the lease and positive lease payment behavior. Subsidized leases with negative rental payment history specifically were excluded from the analysis. The addition of these leases to the Experian credit database then was simulated.

A complimentary download of the full report is available here: http://ex.pn/1uET659

Experian consumer education resources For more than 20 years, Experian has been committed to helping consumers build a positive credit history by providing products and services that help consumers manage their credit reports and credit scores better, so they can get the credit they need when they need it.

Consumers can connect with Experian and learn more about credit in other ways, including by:

• Joining the #CreditChat, hosted by @Experian_US on Twitter with financial experts and consumers every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Eastern time
• Visiting Experian's help site for answers to common questions, advice and education about consumer credit
• Asking credit questions on Experian's Facebook page at https://Facebook.com/ExperianUS

For renters interested in building credit history through rental payments, 
please visit www.experian.com/buildcredithistory.