The just-released 2014 Salary Guides from Robert Half show that U.S. starting salaries for professional occupations are projected to increase an average of 3.7 percent next year. Technology positions are expected to see the largest gains among all fields researched, with an anticipated 5.6 percent increase in the average salary for newly hired workers. Accounting and finance professionals can expect starting salaries to rise an average of 3.4 percent, according to the research.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63814-robert-half-2014-salary-guides-forecast-starting-salaries-positions-skills
Americans have a bit of a superiority complex when it comes to grading their financial prowess. Genworth’s latest Psychology of Financial Planning research reveals that more than half (52%) of Americans gave themselves an A or B grade on their saving and investing knowledge, while giving the average American a failing grade of D. What nearly everyone (97%) can agree on, however, is the importance of financial literacy and the fact that they don’t have enough (88%). In fact, 58 percent of respondents blamed lack of financial education as a top reason why pre-retirees don’t have enough money saved for retirement.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54348-genworth-financial-research-series-psychology-of-financial-planning
The beach may be sunny right now, but the real summer hot-spot is at car dealerships. That’s where consumers can get scorching deals on new vehicles, specifically in August, according to TrueCar.com.
While common wisdom is that December is the best time to buy a car, TrueCar data shows the average price for buying a vehicle in August is more than $150 lower than any other month. That’s $500 lower, on average, than the rest of the year. And it’s more than $1,000 lower than December, which actually has the highest monthly transaction price.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/62339-truecar-august-best-month-to-buy-car
The average American produces 4.4 pounds of trash a day, and on the whole the United States produces over 250 million tons of trash a year. However, only about 35 percent is currently recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To address this national concern, the Ad Council and Keep America Beautiful (KAB) today launched a public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to raise awareness about the benefits of recycling with the goal to make recycling a daily social norm.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/62372-ad-council-keep-america-beautiful-i-want-to-be-recycled-psa
Weather forecasters are predicting a doozy of a hurricane season with above average activity this year. As many as 18 named storms could impact communities along the coast. Hurricanes Sandy, Irene and Isaac serve as sobering reminders of the importance of families being prepared just in case the unthinkable happens. Preparing now, before the weather turns serious, is a family’s best defense.
So where do you start? Preparation should focus on four key activities, which the whole family can do together.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/61576-allstate-be-aware-and-prepare-natural-disaster-weather-alerts
Extending its award-winning “Learn the Signs” campaign, Autism Speaks – the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization – today joined the Ad Council, along with partner agencies BBDO New York and LatinWorks, to announce the launch of a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to reach African American and Hispanic parents. According to research, children in these communities are often diagnosed later than the average. The PSAs, which are being distributed to media outlets nationwide this week, show some of the early signs of autism and encourage parents to take immediate action if their child is not meeting standard developmental milestones.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61698-ad-council-and-autism-speaks-launch-psa-campaign
A new study from Robert Half and Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF), the research affiliate of Financial Executives International (FEI), provides insight into professional standards across the finance function, including the average size of finance departments, hours worked and technologies used. The fourth annual report, Benchmarking the Finance Function 2013: The Inner Workings of Accounting and Finance, focuses on six key areas: workforce management, accounting operations, financial systems, sourcing, internal controls and compliance. The results are based on a survey of the finance departments of nearly 200 public and private companies in the United States and Canada.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55076-robert-half-ferf-fei-annual-report-webinar-finance-function-benchmarking
New research from Carfax shows that consumers are at considerable risk due to auto recalls being ignored. In fact, the number of cars for sale online with unfixed recalls increased an average of more than 25% in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. Buyers in these neighboring Midwest states need to be concerned about this disturbing trend. Fortunately, finding open recalls and getting them fixed is easy.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60855-carfax-new-research-unfixed-recalled-cars-put-lives-at-risk
The average price of a hotel room around the world rose by 3% during 2012, compared with the previous year, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI). The rate of increase has moderated when judged against the 4% rise in 2011 as the Eurozone’s problems pulled down the global average and slowed growth in the second half of the year.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58707-eurozone-crisis-slows-hotel-price-growth
Upon leaving the military, many veterans—especially those who have been injured—anticipate their earned benefits to begin automatically. That is not the case. Veterans must apply for their benefits, and awards are not automatic. In fact, the Veterans Affairs (VA) claims-processing delays recently hit a 20-year high, with the average claim taking 262 days to be processed. Each day that veterans’ claims languish means another day that they do not receive the benefits they need in order to care for themselves and their families.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59682-actor-gary-sinise-dav-veterans-benefits
With every search that people do, Bing believes there is a person out there who can help you make a decision. This is why Bing lets you tap into the wisdom of friends and experts in the social sidebar. Starting today, you will see an average of five times more Facebook content in the sidebar, including status updates, shared links, comments and photos from your friends. Bing is the only search engine where you can find relevant search results along with the people who can help you make a decision – so you can spend more time doing and less time searching.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59880-bing-brings-more-of-facebook-to-search
With the holidays just around the corner, there’s still much to be done. Shoppers plan to spend $848 on gifts this season, according to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, and they’re loading up on gifts for an average of eight people this year. If you’re like most, you started early, but you’re still not there yet. Chances are the last ones left on your list are your closest friends and loved ones, because they’re always the hardest to buy for. That’s why New York Times bestselling author and lifestyle expert Jill Martin is on hand to offer some tips for harried holiday shoppers.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59250-american-express-lifestyle-expert-jill-martin-budget-tips-holiday-shoppers