QuikTrip Stores Launch Interactive Kiosks
A new check-cashing and bill payment mini-kiosk is launching at QuikTrip convenience stores. CashWorks, a GE Consumer Finance Company, is offering both bill payment and check-cashing services through its new mini-kiosk platform.
Customers, including those with cash but not a CashWorks card can pay bills to more than 4,400 companies including utilities, cable, and phone service providers. The CashWorks kiosk can approve transactions for first-time users in minutes. Once a customer is enrolled, transactions typically take less than one minute.
According to CashWorks’ research, 45% of consumers who use the check-cashing service make purchases on the spot, and 81% say they plan to use the kiosk in the future.
Simmons Survey Reveals More People Putting Off Retirement
America’s workers are putting off retirement, according to the latest Simmons National Consumer Survey.
“Retirement accounts, coupled with lower interest rates in the last few years, have led some workers to either hold off on retirement or pick up extra work when they would rather be hitting the golf courses and enjoying themselves,” said Bill Engel, Co-CEO, Simmons Market Research.
In 2004, 8% of respondents between the ages of 55 and 59, said they worked full time, up 2% over the same age group in 1999. In 2004, 6% of respondents, between the ages of 55 and 59, said they worked part time, up 2% over the same age group in 1999. In 2004, 4% of respondents between the ages of 60 and 64 said they worked full time, up 1% over the same age group in 1999.
Study Reveals Expectations For Longer, More Active Retirements Than Parents
A new 2005 Retirement Horizon Study shows that Americans have expectations for longer, more active retirements than their parents.
Highlights of the study, conducted by the National Association for Variable Annuities (NAVA), reveals that 53% of respondents expect to live from 16 to 30 years or more in retirement. Respondents expect longer, more active retirements than their parents-65% of Americans expect to live longer in retirement than their parents did.
The overwhelming majority (76%) believes that their retirement will be more active than that of their parents. 35% cited healthier lifestyles as the primary reason they expect to live longer in retirement than their parents. Closely following, 32% responded that medical advances would be the primary reason.
More Adults Report Concerns With Financial Future
Vertis reports that its “Customer Focus(R) 2005: Financial” study, reveals that retirement plans are the main financial goal for men and women alike. According to the study, 84% of younger Baby Boomers (1956-1964) and 52 % of Generation Y (1977-1987) adults consider retirement a priority.
The study found that retirement has been increasing as a primary financial goal for most adults since 2002. Some 72% of the adults surveyed in 2005 said retirement is included in their current financial goals, compared to 67% in 2002. Of the Generation X adults surveyed (1965-1976), 85% have made retirement a priority, compared to 76% in 2002. Similarly, 87% of Older Baby Boomers (1946-1955) claim retirement plans are a priority, an increase of 11% from 2002
Some 65% of affluent adults with an income of $75,000+ said their financial goals include general investing. In comparison, just 29%of adults with incomes of less than $30,000 claim that general investing is a current goal.
For Generation Y adults 51% stated that buying a home is among their financial goals, compared to 40% in 2002. Of the Younger Baby Boomer respondents (1956-1964), 33% have plans to purchase a home, compared to 26% in 2002.
Baby Boomers & Aging Midlifers Redefining Retirement
JWT Mature Market Group in partnership with ThirdAge Inc. recently conducted an online survey of adults 40+ years about their views on work and retirement, which shows that the aging workforce will not be retiring en masse.
Based on responses, the definition of fully retired has evolved to mean working in some capacity. Of the 42% who said they plan to fully retire, 70% planned to work full time or part time. The overwhelming reason to work was not based on need to pay bills, but rather for personal fulfillment. Some differences were noticeable by age and income, with single women and low-income groups choosing to work to pay for living expenses and health insurance/benefits.
When asked about their job situation, 44% of respondents said their job was personally rewarding, 30% said their job paid the bills, and 26% said they had had their job for a long period of time and it’s what they do. Some 63% of those 65+ find their job personally rewarding versus only 35% of 40-54 years olds.
Annual Spending Power Of Baby Boomers Is More Than $2 Trillion
The estimated annual spending power of the baby boomers is more than $2 trillion, according to the Demographic Profile of American Baby Boomers produced by the MetLife Mature Market Institute.
Younger boomers (born 1956-64) spend most of their money on their children and the mortgage. Older boomers (born 1946-55), many of whom are empty nesters, put their money into upgrading their homes and on clothing, spending 13% and 11% more than average on women’s and men’s apparel, respectively.
The poverty rate for boomers was 7.3% in 2000, lower than any other segment of the population and a significant decrease from 1993 when 9.6% of boomers were below the poverty line.
“Because of their sheer numbers, by the year 2030, the baby boomers will be ages 66-84 and will make up about 20% of the total population. They will have immense spending power with the potential to change how America does business, since the goods and services sought by these older people will be in much higher demand,” said Sandra Timmermann, Director, MetLife Mature Market Institute.
Spectrem Group Study Shows 1.3 Million New U.S. Millionaires In 2004
The number of U.S. households with a net worth of $1 million or more, excluding primary residence, increased 21% last year to 7.5 million, according to Spectrem Group’s “Affluent Market Insights 2005” report. This total, an all-time high for millionaires, represents a net gain of 1.3 million.
At higher levels of wealth, growth was even stronger. Those with $5 million in net worth, also excluding primary residence, increased 38% in 2004 to a record 740,000, a net increase of 200,000. In terms of the overall affluent market, which comprises households with a net worth of $500,000 or more, excluding primary residence, 25% growth in 2004 brought the total to 13.1 million, from 10.5 million the year before. On average, affluent households hold the biggest percentage of their assets in investments (46%), which include stocks and bonds, managed accounts, IRAs, mutual funds, deposits and alternative investments.
Category: Promotional Displays
Display Producer: Alpak Manufacturing Corporation
18l Boyd Street, Montgomery, NY l2549
This "Snoopy Dog House" Ballot Box was created for Met Life. It features 3-color plus varnish with a a perforated door opening. The ballot box ships flat and is used for retail information seminars. The display went from design to production in two weeks!
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