Investing

• Last year nearly $7 trillion of debt and equity was underwritten and issued in the U.S. Here is the break down: Valeo Financial Advisors
• Mind the Gap: Why Investors Lag Funds Morningstar

Healthcare Costs

• How individuals pay for healthcare expenses has changed dramatically over the past 40 years. Planet Money
  • Out-of-Pocket – 1970: 39.6% 2010: 13.7%
  • Medicare/Medicaid – 1970: 19.5% 2010: 39.1%

Personal Finance

• 1/2 of U.S. households don’t have enough savings for emergencies, or finance needs like tuition, healthcare & housing Yahoo Finance
• Patterns of home ownership, delinquency, and foreclosure among youngest baby boomers U.S. BLS

Economic Data

• Consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.5% during Q4 Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
• In December, the U.S. trade deficit contracted $10.1 billion to a level of $38.5 billion ($48.6 billion, previously) Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Around the Globe

• The cost of living in cities around the world The Economist
• Internet traffic continues to soar. Chart: The Economist