In the current volatile economic environment, consumers are shifting their money from higher-risk investment accounts into more conservative savings and non-interest checking accounts, according to the quarterly Market Audit from Nielsen Claritas. Based on findings in the 4th quarter of 2008, the Market Audit, a comprehensive assessment of the financial products being used, the opportunity exists for financial institutions to attract new customers and retain existing ones by offering low-risk accounts such as fixed interest savings accounts, variable interest money market accounts and CDs, together with non-interest checking accounts. Although …

Matt O’Grady, President, Nielsen Claritas
New data makes it clearer than ever: the U.S. is in a white-collar recession.
In the news and in our minds we understandably think of lower-to-middle income households as being the hardest hit victims of the housing, credit crisis, and the ensuing loss of jobs. But as we look back on a full year of recession, surprising patterns emerge that indicate higher-income households have been proportionately hit harder.
Since the beginning of last year, there has been a shift in household credit, according to an analysis of Nielsen’s …

With the holiday season about to begin, Americans are already flocking online to do their shopping.
According to Nielsen Online, 78% of adult online consumers in the U.S. made a purchase via the Web within the previous six months.
Travel-related transactions were most common, with 38% of adult online consumers making at least one travel purchase on the Web in the previous six months.
Large percentages of online consumers also went online to manage their credit card accounts (36%) and conduct personal banking transactions (35%).

Rank
Top
Online Transaction Categories
(U.S. Adults)
Composition
Percentage
Reach
(in 000s)

1
Online Travel – Any (p/online 6 mo.)
38%
54,417

2
Credit …