15 Surprising Financial Facts to Round Out 2023, Ep #206

In our usual episodes, we aim to arm you with a particular insight or strategy that can help you move closer to the retirement you desire.

But, with today’s show, we want to close the year by providing a list of 15 surprising financial facts we found about the year that you might be able to share in a conversation with a friend or family member this holiday season.

Personal finance facts

1. The average concert ticket price hit $120.11 this summer, a 7.4% increase over last year and up 27% from 2019 – WSJ
2. In 1970, field box seats at Yankee Stadium cost an inflation-adjusted $26 in 2019 dollars. That same ticket cost $300 in 2019! – Amazon
3. It is estimated that 44% of workers with FSAs forfeited money, and the average amount was $408 per person – Money
4. This one hurts us financial planners–Americans paid $163.89 billion in credit card fees and interest in 2022. – WalletHub
5. Only 17 states require a personal finance course for all public high school students. That means that your financial literacy is up to you. – Next Gen Personal Finance

Investing facts

1. In 1990, the entire U.S. stock market was only worth $2.8 trillion which is what Apple is worth today! – Strange Loop Canon
2. The Japanese stock exchange, the Nikkei 225, has been flat from July 1990 through November 2023 – Bespoke Investment Group
3. The 25 best stocks have created nearly 1/3 of all shareholder wealth in the past century. Source: Visual Capitalist
4. Over the past 40 months, the SPAC market has gone from $25 billion to $200 billion and once again back down to $25 billion – Accelerate
5. An estimated 95% of NFT collections are currently worthless – dappGambl

Fun Facts

1. Sales of electric vehicles in 2022 passed 10% of the worldwide market share for the first time – WSJ
2. 87% of teens own an iPhone – Piper Sandler
3. Chick-fil-A generated $18.8 billion in sales in 2022–Restaurant Business
4. Working from home rose five-fold from 2019 to 2023, with 40% of US employees now working remotely at least one day a week – Stanford University
5. The Super Bowl is the second-highest eating day for Americans after Thanksgiving – AS

As you begin your 2024, we thank you all for listening and sharing our show. We look forward to continuing to provide you with helpful steps on your journey to reach an ideal retirement

Resources Mentioned in the Show

• Vanguard Market Hindsight Tool
• Smart Financial Decisions for Recent College Graduates