Sharkey, Howes & Javer

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we examine where U.S. citizens and the government are spending money. As the end of year numbers start to roll in, it looks like consumers did not hold back when it came to holiday spending. Part of that spending included an increase in imported goods, but one import is being left behind as the U.S. produces more stateside. Many public companies are sitting on a plethora of cash, but what about Americans and non-profits? The value of real estate continues to increase, but are the trends far off from what we have seen historically? Tune in to learn about this and more! Key Takeaways: - We are importing more goods than ever, but less petroleum - Americans still have trillions of dollars sitting in savings accounts - Household asset values continue to climb, a lot in thanks to real estate values - Manufacturing has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels - The U.S. dollar is at its lowest point since 2018