Projected Easter spending this year, almost on par with a record $18.4 billion in 2017, but still the second-highest level on record, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation: 18.2 billion
Average spent per person: $152
Amount consumers will spend on food (purchased by 87 percent of shoppers): $5.7 billion
Amount spent on candy: $2.6 billion
Amount on flowers: $1.3 billion
Source: NRF.
Amount that Wall Street banks handed out in bonuses to their New York City-based employees for 2017 performance, up 17 percent over 2016, according to figures from the New York State Comptroller: $31.4 billion
Number of times larger the total bonus pool for 176,900 Wall Street employees was than the combined annual earnings of all 884,000 U.S. full-time minimum-wage workers, according to the Institute for Policy Studies: 2.5
Source: Institute for Policy Studies.
Amount that U.S. consumers racked up in new credit card debt during 2017, pushing existing outstanding balances past $1 trillion for the first time ever, according to WalletHub's Credit Card Debt study, based on Federal Reserve data: $92.2 billion
Despite Federal Reserve data, percentage of Americans who think they'll have less debt at the end of the year: 92
Percentage who think travel is worth getting into debt for: 35
Percentage who don't remember why they got into it: 13
Source: WalletHub.
Estimated percentage of Americans who report skipping a recommended medical test or treatment because of cost, according to a poll from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and the West Health Institute: 40
Percentage who say they didn't go to a doctor when they were sick or injured in the last year because of cost: 44
Source: NORC at the University of Chicago.
Percentage of senior managers who said it's common for an applicant with a promising resume to not live up to expectations when interviewed, according to a survey by Robert Half: 64
On average, number of resumes managers review per job opening: 40
Number or minutes they spend looking at each one: 12
Source: Robert Half.
Percentage of singles who have gone out on an official first date, according to a survey by Match.com: 44
Percentage of singles who say being asked out two to three days in advance is appropriate first date behavior: 54
Percentage who approve of being asked out the day of: 27
Source: Match.com.
Percentage of Americans who are most likely to describe their idea of the "perfect" body as being athletic, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of RiverMend Health: 79
Percentage of Americans who would be willing to give up something they love if it meant they could achieve their perfect body overnight: 75
Percentage who would say goodbye to deep-fried foods: 45
Percentage who would give up candy/sweets: 43
Percentage who would forgo alcohol: 41
Percentage who would give up sex: 10
Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.
Percentage of bosses and supervisors surveyed who support their employees when they take time out to enjoy themselves while traveling for business, according to a survey by National Car Rental: 92
Percentage of business travelers who report successfully managing their personal lives while on business travel: 86
Percentage who consider themselves "business travel pros": 83
Percentage who say they know how to make the most out of life while traveling for business: 84
Source: National Car Rental.
Percentage of Americans who said regret was the leading feeling after an impulsive shopping session, according to a survey by finder.com:: 44
Percentage who felt indifference: 32
Percentage who felt as though they didn't have enough funds for something they actually needed (such as rent, school fees, loan repayments): 19
Percentage who said it caused fighting with a spouse or family members: 10
Source: finder.com.
Percentage of Americans who had already filed income tax returns as early as Feb. 26, and even high among millennials (59 percent), according to eBay's Tax Refund Retail Study: 57
Percentage of respondents who expressed excitement about filing taxes because they are getting money back: 48
Percentage who plan to spend at least part of their tax refund this year, while 23 percent plan to save it: 78
Source: eBay.
Idle Thought
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." -- James Madison, fourth U.S. president
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)