Posted on Wednesday, 23rd December 2009 by admin
The holiday season is in full swing and with it comes yet another reason for consumers to celebrate: data that confirm that the economy is indeed set for a sustained recovery come 2010.
Less Jobless Claims
For one, initial jobless claims fell to 452,000 for the week ended December 19, 2009, down 28,000 from the previous week’s levels. This is the lowest that claims for jobless benefits have gone since September 6, 2008, just weeks before the Lehman collapse which started the aggravation of the financial crisis. Figures from the Labor Department in Washington indicate a marked improvement from the 480,000 claims the prior week, and the 470,000 expected by many economists.
Rise in Orders for Durable Goods
Yet another sign of an improving economy is the report released by the Commerce Department showing that the demand for big-ticket durable goods in US factories increased in November. Not counting orders for the transportation industry which is said to be generally volatile, the surge was twice what analysts had forecasted. A
Better than Last Year
Gifting
This is a busy time of year for everyone and the last thing on your mind is probably taking the time to complete a financial check up. However, the end of the year is one of the most important times to review your financial activity for the year and make sure you’re ready to get 2010 off to a good start. Many people make a lot of poor financial decisions during the holidays and they have to spend the next several months digging their way out of the hole that they have created for themselves. Taking a look at where you stand in these four areas could lead to better financial decisions in the days and weeks to come.
Walgreen (WAG), a drugstore chain that competes with CVS Caremark (CVS) and Rite Aid (RAD), issued fiscal Q1 numbers on Monday. The growth rates were impressive.