Survey: Saving a Top Priority for Millennials, but Impulse Spending a Major Barrier
One in three millennials (34 percent) ranked saving as their No. 1 goal for the year - ahead of living a healthy lifestyle (20 percent), paying off debt (19 percent), and losing weight (14 percent). But while saving was a top priority, a majority of millennials attributed their lack of saving to impulse buying (65 percent).
According to a recent survey from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Ad Council, for older millennials - those born between the early 1980s and early 1990s - saving is crucial as they work toward major milestones in their lives. When asked what they were saving money toward, respondents sought to secure their future by saving for an emergency fund (40 percent), saving for retirement (22 percent) or starting a family (15 percent). They also reported saving for larger purchases like a vacation (36 percent), a new house (27 percent), a car (26 percent), home improvements (20 percent), or a wedding (8 percent).
3 Ways to Save Money and Energy This Summer
Home updates may improve the value of your home, but they often cost you a lot more. What if you could improve your home and save money at the same time? These three home projects are designed to help make your home more energy efficient - even during one of the most energy-heavy times of year - so you can save and enjoy your home more this summer.
Maintain Your HVAC Unit
Your HVAC and AC unit need to be serviced each year, usually sometime in the spring or summer. Doing so can not only help ensure that it's working when the temperatures hit their peak, it can also help save you money as well.
Repair Window Leaks
Poor air seal or a large gap around your windows can account for as much as 40 percent of the money you use to heat and cool your home - a significant amount that just flies right out the window. Replacing your windows can help fix the air seal and save you a lot of money on your energy bills each month thereafter.
Install an Attic Fan
Attics often become superheated in the summer months with the combination of rising heat from below and the sun beating down from above. Installing an attic fan can help drop the temperature in your attic, which will prevent heat transfer back down into the rest of your home, making it more comfortable and lowering your energy bills.
Brexit Vote Drives down Mortgage Rates, Results Show
Slow growth in China and the Brexit vote in the U.K., have played a major role in driving down mortgage rates, according to Freddie Mac's recently released monthly Outlook for July. In the most recent Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.41 percent, just slightly above the all-time record low. This is likely to result in a boost in housing activity, particularly refinance, as homeowners take advantage of the current low rates. Results lead experts to expect growth rebound in the remaining quarters of 2016 to show GDP at 1.9 and 2.2 percent in 2016 and 2017. In light of recent global pressures, the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage forecast has been revised down for both 2016 (by 30 basis points) and 2017 (by 50 basis points) to 3.6 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively.
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