Percentage of Americans who say their biggest financial regret is not saving enough, according to a Bankrate.com report: 39
Percentage who wish they started saving for retirement earlier: 18
Percentage who regret not saving enough for emergency expenses: 14
Percentage who would have liked to have saved more for their children's education: 7
Source: Bankrate.com.
Since 2013, percentage rise in the proportion of drivers who report talking on a cellphone regularly or fairly often when behind the wheel, according to a survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: 46
Percentage of drivers who report recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving: 49
Percentage who have sent a text or email: 35
Despite their behavior, percentage of drivers who say talking on a cellphone behind the wheel is a very serious threat to their personal safety: 58
Percentage who believe that texting is a significant danger: 78
Estimated number of deaths on U.S. roads in 2016: 37,000
Source: AAA.
When asked in an open-ended question what traits society values most in men, ranks of honesty and morality (33 percent), professional or financial success (23 percent), ambition or leadership (19 percent), strength or toughness (19 percent) and a good work ethic (18 percent) on the list of traits mentioned, according to a Pew research study: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Ranks of physical attractiveness (35 percent) and nurturing and empathy (30 percent) on the list of traits mentioned for women: 1, 2
Percentage of people in our society who look up to men who are manly or masculine: 53
Percentage who say society looks up to feminine women: 32
Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Out of China's population of 1.4 billion, estimated number more males there are than females -- the equivalent of almost the entire population of California or Poland, according to a piece in The Washington Post: 34 million
Estimated number more males there are than females in India, according to its most recent census: 37 million
Source: The Washington Post.
Projected total spending on cards, gifts and cash for college and high school graduates, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics: $5.2 billion
Average amount spent per person buying graduation gifts: $102.51
Percentage of respondents who will give cash as they seek to help students with the costly transition from high school to college or college to the "real world": 55
Source: NRF.
Percentage of Americans who say they need a vacation more this year than last year, according to a survey by WalletHub: 49
Projected amount the average adult will spend on summer travel this year: $6,237
Source: WalletHub.
Percentage of employees who consider the ability to take a lunch break critical when accepting a new job, according to research by Tork, an Essity brand: 90
Once they are on the job, average lunch break for more than half of North American workers: 30 minutes
Percentage of North American bosses who think their employees would say they are encouraged to take a regular lunch break: 88
Percentage of workers who actually feel encouraged to do so: 62
Source: Tork, an Essity brand.
Ranks of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the list of the most liked members of the British royal family overall around the world, according to a global Ipsos survey: 1, 2
In the United States, ranks of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on the list of favorites: 1, 2
Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.
Percentage of homeowners who plan to spend $500 or more on a home improvement project this year, according to a Coinstar survey: 61
Percentage who plan to or will consider cashing in their spare change to pay for all or a portion of their project: 50
Source: Coinstar.
Percentage of female travelers who feel less safe or much less safe about traveling than they did five years ago, according to a survey commissioned by AIG Travel: 45
Percentage of female travelers who are very likely or somewhat likely to travel alone to either a domestic or an international destination in 2018: 66
Percentage of women who think about safety always or frequently while traveling: 63
Source: AIG Travel.
Idle Thought
"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another." -- Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)