Break from the Grind January 7, 2016

A Little Friday File Fun

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In Crofton, Maryland, a man was at the police station to renew his s.ex offender registration. While waiting, he noticed a delivery man putting a personal package for an employee against the lobby door. The man took the package, left then came back to renew his registration. According to the Baltimore Capital Gazette, the employee for whom the package was left reported it stolen. Cameras at the police station showed who did it, and officers arrested him at his home.

In Manitoba, Canada, police received complaints about the Zamboni driver at a minor hockey game, the Toronto Sun reports. While cleaning the ice, the driver was striking the rink’s boards and moving around erratically. Police spoke to the man between periods of the game and he was placed under arrest—for dru.nken driving.

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In Waynesboro, Virginia, a man sitting in his pickup truck realized he did not have any roll.ing papers for his marij.uana, so he dialed 911 and asked the dispatcher to bring him some. Police responded to his location and found him impaired and a strong odor emanating from his truck. According to the local ABC News station, the man claimed he misdialed and thought he had phoned a friend.

In Hackettstown, New Jersey, police responded to reports of an unconscious and unresponsive man lying on the street. According to the local WFMZ TV station, police said the 34-year-old was breathing and appeared to be into.xicated then he became combative and started swinging at officers. Police asked the man for identification, and he handed officers his wallet that contained a bag of mari.juana.

In Madison, Wisconsin, a man was in a bar chugging be.er when the bartender changed the music from Black Sabbath to Christmas music. The man was angry about the change, slammed his glass on the counter and threw a bottle of be.er at the bartenders head, yelling expletives at her. NBC News reports that by the time police arrived, the man had left the bar, but patrons were able to identify him. Witnesses say he also pulled down a Christmas tree when he left the bar.

In Melbourne, Australia, 14,500 applicants to Victoria University celebrated Christmas and the New Year with news they had been accepted. However, now they’ve received an email telling them it was a mistake. The university said it was a system error and has apologized.

In Volusia County, Florida, a man told his granddaughter he did not want her cats in his home. So, while his back was turned as he was shutting a window, she pushed him to the floor and began beating him in the face with her cell phone, according the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Police arrived to find the 78-year-old grandfather suffering from cuts on his nose and eyebrow and bleeding from the right elbow and left knee. The granddaughter was charged, but she told the newspaper the family has been in turmoil over the issue for some time and she was just defending herself.

In Cleveland, Ohio, 911 dispatchers received a hang-up call, and concerned police responded. When the officers arrived at the home, they found a man into.xicated who said he called 911 because he wanted his girlfriend to go to bed, according to the Sun News. He was cited for misuse of the 911 system.

In Salina, Kansas, a Greyhound bus driver bound for Denver, pulled over at a motel and got off the bus. The passengers assumed it was a quick stop, but when the driver didn’t come back after a while, they called Greyhound and police. The stranded passengers said they had to keep the bus running because it was so cold, according to Denver’s local CBS News station. Greyhound said the driver had to finish his federally-regulated rest hours and the passengers could have waited inside a fast food restaurant to keep warm. WHAT???

All I can say about this video is “Why?” Why was she using the lighter?

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New Year’s fireworks were literally all over Lima, Peru.

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Google - Year in Search 2015

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Data and Research January 7, 2016

Individuals Want to Address Current Financial Challenges

A study finds budgeting, managing credit card debt, and paying off student loans were all higher financial priorities for 100,000 individuals profiled.
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Budgeting is the top financial goal of individuals overall; men are exceedingly more likely to prioritize investing as a financial goal than women; 20-somethings value saving for major expenses; and parents may be putting their family’s needs ahead of their own, a study finds.

LearnVest, a financial education and planning provider, looked at the profiles of more than 100,000 individuals signing up for LearnVest from April to October of 2015, and found that across key demographic segments—age, gender, geography—budgeting was the top financial goal, capturing 32% of total responses.

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Surprisingly, individuals ages 35 to 44 selected budgeting as a top financial goal more so than younger individuals. The study found better money habits and smarter financial organization are the desired payoffs of an effective budgeting strategy.

Other top financial goals included managing credit card debt (24%), saving for a major expense (14%) and paying off student loans (10%), all ranking higher than saving for retirement (8%) or investing (3%). However, the study found men are five times more likely than women to choose investing as their top goal—no matter their age.

Households with children had a higher propensity to select budgeting as their top financial priority compared to households without children. Those with children were 45% more likely to select budgeting as their top goal. For this segment of respondents, the increased focus on budgeting results in a decreased focus on retirement (6%).

The study suggests households with children are putting family needs, such as saving for children’s college education and caring for aging parents, ahead of their own. A recent survey by RBC Wealth Management-U.S. found nearly half of Americans (49%) think helping their children pay for their education is more important than saving for their own retirement. 

NEXT: Long-term plans should account for current priorities

LearnVest notes that in its 2015 Confidence Report, it identified the trend of the confidence U-Curve. Essentially, those younger than 25 generally felt very confident about their finances, while 30- and 40-somethings were significantly less confident. Once respondents hit age 55, confidence starts to tick up again.

The firm suggests the heightened level of confidence around money for 20-somethings can perhaps be explained by the fact that young people tend to have fewer financial responsibilities and enough money to meet their current needs. They also may expect their salaries to continue increasing at a rapid pace.

Whatever the reason for their confidence, LearnVest’s current Personal Finance Review found 20-somethings were the most likely age bracket to prioritize saving for a major expense, which it clarifies to include things like travel, education, or buying a house. While most 20-somethings have not had the advantage of time to reach other goals—or at least those that some would argue are most pressing, like paying down credit card debt and starting to save for retirement—they appear to be more focused on the aspirational side of financial planning. They are eager to prioritize reaching for these major expenses, even if they know it may take a while to get there.

LearnVest notes that the road to achieving long-term financial goals is not without its challenges, which is why a solid financial plan must take into account life’s financial bumps along the way.

The full Personal Finance Review report is here.

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