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Research and
Reports |
- Consumer
Expenditures
The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program consists of
two surveys—the quarterly Interview survey and the
Diary survey—that provide information on the buying
habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures,
income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers)
characteristics.
The data tables for the 2003 Consumer Expenditure Survey
are currently available on the Consumer Expenditures web
site: http://www.bls.gov/cex/home.htm#tables
The 2003 Annual Report should be available and posted online
in the first quarter of 2005.
- Putting
an End to Account-Hijacking Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the fastest
growing types of consumer fraud."The Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) has estimated that, during 2003, almost
ten million Americans discovered they were the victims of
identity theft, with a total cost to businesses and consumers
of over $50 billion."
- Building
a Nation of Savers
Americans seem to hate saving. In
October, the nation's households saved just 0.2 percent
of their income. And despite the tax advantages conferred
by 401(k)s, individual retirement accounts, and other savings
vehicles, most people simply refuse to stash much money
in them. As of 2001, the most recent data available indicates that only
8.4 percent of 401(k) investors made the maximum contributions,
according to Alicia H. Munnell, director of the Center for
Retirement Research at Boston College.
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