Research report
The U.S. total fertility rate fell to a record-low 1.5995 births per woman in 2024, while the mean age at first birth reached 27.6. This report separates period fertility from completed family size, documents childlessness and birth order, tests financial-pressure claims against preference and timing evidence, adds a transparent 50-state affordability dataset, and examines what family policy, immigration and productivity can and cannot change.
Published September 1, 2026
Research report
FBI IC3 recorded 1,008,597 complaint reports and $20.877 billion in reported loss during 2025. This report calculates population-adjusted state rates from the FBI and Census inputs, documents the different roles of FTC Consumer Sentinel, CFPB complaint and FinCEN SAR data, and provides a state dashboard and direct reporting routes. Complaint systems are not combined, state patterns are not causal, and the rankings do not measure total fraud prevalence.
Published August 27, 2026
Research report
Public data show substantial card-dispute activity and travel refund friction, but not that chargebacks are becoming a first resort. This version adds current federal airline-refund rules, a source-reconciled comparison of refund complaint shares by organization type, and an evidence path that keeps merchant refunds, billing errors, unauthorized use and network disputes distinct.
Published August 23, 2026
Research report
Under one standardized scenario, the estimated savings clock ranges from 3.5 years in Pittsburgh to 12.1 years in Los Angeles. These are comparisons built from published Zillow inputs, not forecasts or individualized home-buying timelines.
Published August 21, 2026
Research report
Banking access is widespread but not equal. In the Federal Reserve 2025 survey, 94% of adults had a bank account, yet 12% of banked adults reported paying an overdraft fee. The reported share was 25% among Black banked adults and 8% among White banked adults. Separately, the FDIC estimated that 4.2% of U.S. households were unbanked and 14.2% were underbanked in 2023. This report keeps those populations separate, adds current evidence on financial resilience and digital access, and turns the findings into a seven-setting account-control audit.
Published August 18, 2026
Research report
BEA data show 2024 state price levels ranging from 86.9 in Arkansas to 110.7 in California. BLS found housing and transportation absorbed 50.4% of average 2024 spending, while 58% of adults told the Federal Reserve that price changes worsened their finances in 2025.
Published July 17, 2026
