The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 0.8 points to 97.9 in September 2026, slipping just below its 52-year average of 98.0, the National Federation
The Institute for Supply Management’s Services PMI registered 54.9 in September 2026, down from 55.4 in August, marking 27 consecutive months of expansion in the U.S. services sector. The bigger change was in costs: the ISM Services Prices Index rose to 74.0, a level last seen in July 2022. Key Takeaways The Services Prices Index rose 1.4 points
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 7.12% in the week ending September 18, 2026, its highest level since May 2024, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Total mortgage applications fell 1.5%, and refinance activity dropped to its slowest pace since February 2025 as buyers and homeowners pulled back. Key Takeaways The MBA’s average 30-year fixed rate
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell below $100 per barrel on Monday, September 21, dropping 2.7% to $97.61 as a partial recovery in Saudi crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz and the prospect of U.S.-Iran diplomatic engagement at this week’s United Nations General Assembly removed a layer of risk premium that had kept oil prices elevated throughout
American households increased their total card spending by 4.5% year-over-year in August while actively redirecting where those dollars land, with general merchandise and big-box retailers
Walt Disney Co. reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.06 for its fiscal third quarter ended June 27, beating the Wall Street consensus estimate of
Major League Baseball proposed on October 8 to cut the regular season from 162 to 154 games starting in 2029 and expand the Division Series
A golf handicap might look like a small number next to a player’s name, but it plays a much bigger role than most people realize.
You’ve got the hustle. The handles. The hunger. But here’s the real question: can college basketball actually take you all the way to the pros?
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the most critical ligaments in the knee, providing stability and support during movement. In the National Football
What keeps Millennials and Gen Zers coming back to marathons, despite the physical and mental demands? For these generations, marathons represent more than a physical
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 7.49% in the week ending October 2, the highest since November 2023, according to the Mortgage Bankers
Americans plan to spend $13.5 billion on Halloween in 2026, up from last year’s record $13.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey
U.S. home prices rose 1.9% year over year in July 2026, up from 1.6% in June, according to the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller U.S. National Home
More than four out of five small business employers in the United States have adopted at least one AI tool, with the median firm running
Microplastics refer to tiny plastic particles, generally less than 5 millimeters in size, that have become ubiquitous in various environments. Nanoplastics are even smaller, sometimes
The argument for travel has been made so often that it usually sounds like a tagline rather than a claim. “Travel changes you.” “Travel broadens
Lifestyle inflation, often referred to as “lifestyle creep,” is a financial phenomenon where an individual’s discretionary spending increases in direct proportion to their rising income.
Why is overwork culture becoming the norm in modern workplaces? The idea that working longer automatically means working better has been around for decades. In
High gasoline prices act like a hidden tax, forcing people to spend less on “extra” things like eating out, shopping for clothes, and going on
