Percentage of shoppers who have at least one retail membership, according to a survey by Acosta: 77

Percentage who reported having an Amazon Prime membership: 62

Percentage of shoppers who reported joining Walmart Plus since the COVID-19 pandemic began: 42

Source: Acosta.

Number of folds on a chef's toque, said to represent the number of ways to cook an egg, though an investigation by Bon Appetit failed to track down where that saying originated, according to research by Alex Daniel of Best Life: 100

Source: Best Life.

Percentage of all U.S. adults expecting tax refunds who say their refund is important for their overall financial well-being right now, according to a survey by Bankrate: 73

Percentage of those living in lower-income households who say the refund is "very important," up from 42% last year: 61

Ranks of savings, debt payoff and putting most of it toward day-to-day expenses on the list of where most Americans who anticipate getting tax refunds plan to put the bulk of the money: 1, 2, 3

Source: Bankrate.com.

Amount of credit card debt that Americans paid off in 2020 (a major accomplishment, considering that consumers have added an average of $54.2 billion in credit card debt per year over the past 10 years), according to WalletHub's latest Credit Card Debt Study: $82.9 billion

Average household credit card balance at the end of 2020: $8,089

Percentage of people who plan to go on a spending spree when the COVID-19 pandemic is over: 10

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of people who say they got a new pet during the pandemic, according to a survey from Banfield Pet Hospital: 33

Of these, approximate percentage who said they were able to bond more with their pet at this time: 80

Source: Banfield Pet Hospital.

Percentage of Americans who say that post-COVID-19, they are most looking forward to not having to think about coronavirus or social distancing, according to Ipsos research: 74

Percentage who say they are most looking forward to not wearing a mask in public places: 72

Percentage who say meeting with friends and family outside your household: 62

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Number of Americans who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020, an 8% increase over 2019 in a year when people drove significantly less frequently because of the pandemic, according to preliminary data from the National Safety Council: 42,060

Estimated percentage spike in the rate of death on the roads last year over the previous 12-month period, despite the number of miles driven having dropped 13%: 24

An estimated number of roadway users who were seriously injured in crashes in 2020, at an estimated cost to society of $474 billion: 4.8 million

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of U.S. workers who want employers to delay reopening until vaccines are widely available to employees, according to Eagle Hill research: 42

Percentage who say employers should offer vaccine incentives: 57

Percentage who say employees should be required to take a COVID-19 test before entering the workplace, while 37% say testing should be encouraged: 26

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

Number of U.S. households that have cut the cord on their home's broadband service, according to research by Parks Associates: 12 million

Number of households in the U.S. that have only a mobile broadband service: 15 million

Source: Parks Associates.

As this March marks one year of remote learning for many teachers, parents and students, percentage of teachers who report being passionate or very passionate about teaching now vs. 93% who felt the same pre-pandemic, according to results from Study.com research: 91

Percentage of teachers who reported that confidence in teaching online grew significantly, despite many of them indicating they could have used more training to teach in an online environment: 96

Source: Study.com.

Idle Thought

"Silence will save me from being wrong (and foolish), but it will also deprive me of the possibility of being right." -- Igor Stravinsky, composer (1881-1971)

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of people who wouldn't marry someone with bad credit, down from 53% in 2019, according to a survey by WalletHub: 47

Percentage who say irresponsible spending is a bigger turnoff than bad breath: 44

Percentage of women who believe financial infidelity can be worse than cheating: 58

Percentage of men who say the same: 47

Source: WalletHub.

Average cash gift from the Tooth Fairy, according to the annual Original Tooth Fairy Poll, conducted by the Delta Dental Plans Association: $4.70

Number of years the Original Tooth Fairy Poll has typically mirrored the economy's overall direction, tracking with the trends of the S&P 500, over a period of 19 years: 16

Source: Delta Dental of Arkansas.

Salary for college basketball's highest-paid coach, Kentucky's John Calipari (vs. $1.6 million combined for University of Kentucky's president and the state's governor), according to research by Warner Media: $9.3 million

Corporate losses due to unproductive workers during March Madness: $13.3 billion

Amount legally wagered on the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament: $3.9 billion

Amount illegally wagered: $8.5 billion

Source: Warner Media.

Percentage of Americans who say returning to a pre-COVID life is a moderate or large risk, according to the latest Axios Corona Virus Index: 66

Percentage of people who have been vaccinated who still see coronavirus as a high risk: 76

When asked about attending gatherings of family or friends, percentage of all respondents who say they are already doing it: 28

Percentage who will wait for officials to say it's safe: 24

Percentage who will wait for their circle to be vaccinated: 22

Percentage who don't know when they'll attend: 24

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of job seekers who say discovering evidence that a prospective employer would offer poor work-life balance would immediately dissuade them from applying to that company, according to a study published by CareerArc: 53

Ranks of a lower salary, and a company's decreasing profits and lack of stability on the list of top job seeker deal-breakers: 2, 3

Source: CareerArc.

Percentage of U.S. workers who said they would take a lower paid job if it had a healthier working environment than their current job, according to a survey commissioned by Ambius: 60

Percentage who said they already had found a new job with better hygiene practices: 35

Percentage of respondents who said they would be more likely to ask future employers about their health and hygiene policies and implementation before accepting future jobs: 70

Source: Ambius.

Percentage of senior managers surveyed who said their company is taking more time to hire today in hope that better candidates will come along, according to a survey from Robert Half: 33

Percentage of senior managers who are receiving more applications for open roles than they were prior to the pandemic: 72

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Percentage of U.S. broadband households that have trialed at least one video service during the COVID-19 crisis, according to research by Parks Associates: 40

Percentage of smart home device owners in the U.S. who have increased usage of these products: 33

Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of workers who indicated it is important for employers to celebrate workplace accomplishments, anniversaries and achievements, according to a national survey by Blackhawk Network: 80

Percentage who said they want their employer to express appreciation for their personal contributions: 86

Source: Blackhawk Network.

Percentage of companies that revealed they were new to virtual experiences in 2020, according to a study by AnyRoad: 51

Percentage that said online experiences are here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides: 85

Percentage of marketers who felt that they did not have sufficient measurement tools to show the full impact of their virtual events: 46

Source: AnyRoad.

Idle Thought

"To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter." -- Euripides, Greek playwright

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of global GDP that money launderers move (accounting for at least $1.6 trillion), according to The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition: 2.7

Dollar value of private wealth held in secret jurisdictions and tax havens, and representing 10% of global GDP: $7 trillion

In addition to this, amount that governments lose annually as a result of companies' profit-shifting plans: $500 to $650 billion

Source: The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition.

Percentage of American women, ages 18 and older, who believe men have it easier in this country these days, according to a National Geographic/Ipsos poll: 53

Percentage who believe women have it easier: 6

Rank of balancing family and career on the list of the biggest problems facing women today: 1

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Chance that American families have student loan debt, with more than 40% of families with heads aged younger than 35 years old having student loan debt in 2019, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute: 1 in 5

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of workers who said they prefer that their employer require employees to be vaccinated before returning to the office, according to a survey by CHG Healthcare: 44

Though many workers want to remain remote, despite the availability of a vaccine, percentage who plan to adopt a hybrid at-home/in-office work schedule: 50 plus

Source: CHG Healthcare.

Percentage of American shoppers who think "normal" is more than a year away, according to pandemic research by Acosta: 35

Percentage of shoppers who reported cooking more at home: 65

Percentage who reported spending less time in stores: 53

Percentage who reported spending more money per shopping trip: 48

Ranks of product availability (60%), low prices (52%) and customer safety (42%) on the list of top post-pandemic priorities for shoppers: 1, 2, 3

Source: Acosta.

Percentage of American consumers surveyed by Packaged Facts who agree that they are planting a food garden this year because of the pandemic: 26

Source: Packaged Facts.

Percentage of companies that are allowing workers to make a permanent move, according to Robert Half research: 38

Percentage of workers who cited change of scenery as a motivation to move: 37

Percentage who said lower cost of living: 22

Source: Robert Half Finance and Accounting.

Number of Americans (almost 1 in 5 adults) who think they will miss at least one credit card due date in 2021, according to a new WalletHub credit cards survey: 47 million

Amount the average American household already owes to credit card companies: $7,800

Percentage more Americans who have tried to get a credit card late fee waived compared to the past year: 16

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of reporters and editors who said social media sources were slightly less or much less reliable than traditional media, with 49% saying social media suffers from lack of fact-checking, verification and reporting standards, according to a survey conducted by Cision and Don Bates of the George Washington University Masters Degree Program in Strategic Public Relations: 84

Percentage of editors and reporters who said they depend on PR professionals for interviews and access to sources and experts: 44

Source: Cision.

Percentage of consumers in U.S. broadband households who want a telehealth service that uses data from connected health devices, according to Parks Associates research: 52

Among those who have experienced COVID-19 symptoms, percentage who find such an approach appealing: 71

Source: Parks Associates.

Idle Thought

"Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door." -- Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (1915-2005)

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)