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The Discover U.S. Spending Monitor fell for the first time in four months from 86.2 to 85.6 (based out of 100), as consumer attitudes toward the economy reversed course from the previous three months with more consumers expressing concern over the current state of the U.S. economy. Overall, 59 percent rated current economic conditions as poor, a 4-point increase from the previous month and the first increase since February.

According to a new survey from Credit.com, a third (33%) of consumers still say their card company has recently made some changes to a credit card account.

It is becoming increasingly likely that health care will be the straw that causes the U.S. Dollar to collapse. There is no doubt about it that health care costs are out-of-control in America. Unfortunately, most Americans are calling for the government to do something about astronomical health care costs, when the government is actually the cause of the crisis and will only make it much worse.

PMI Mortgage Insurance Co., released its Second Quarter 2009 Economic and Real Estate Trends Report, and its widely cited U.S. Market Risk Index(SM). The quarterly report projects the likelihood that the nation's housing prices will be lower in two years. As many as 324 - approximately 85% - of the nation's 381 MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) are now facing increased risk of lower home prices in 2011. Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona continue to have the highest risk scores - 36 of the most risky MSAs are located in these four states - but an increased risk of lower future prices is now spreading across all regions of the nation, due to the significant increases in unemployment and foreclosure rates.

On the last business day of May job openings in the U.S. numbered 2.6 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported. The hires rate at 3.0 percent in May was at the lowest point since the series began in December 2000. The total separations rate at 3.3 percent declined over the month. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Seven more U.S. banks were seized by regulators on July 2, 2009, pushing this year's total bank failures to 52 as a result of rising losses on home mortgages, commercial real estate loans, and defaults on consumer credit cards. Even more startling is that bank closures barely make the news these days.

The weekly average rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace for 30-year fixed mortgages decreased last week to 5.40 percent, down from 5.48 percent the week prior, according to the Zillow Mortgage Rate Monitor, compiled by leading real estate Web site Zillow.com(R). Meanwhile, rates for 15-year fixed mortgages fell to 4.79 percent from 4.87 percent, and 5-1 adjustable rate mortgages also fell to 4.49 percent, down from 4.65 the week prior.

The economic crisis is forcing many hospitals to make tough decisions with scarce resources, including delaying and scaling down information technology (IT) projects, according to a newly released survey of America's "most wired" hospitals and health systems. While progress has been made and incentives to implement IT will be available through the recently passed stimulus legislation, many hospitals still have a long way to go.

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI)™ saw a moderate decline in June. The index now stands at 88.4, decreasing 0.8 percent from the revised May figure of 89.1, and down 21.6 percent from a year ago.

New results released from a national survey, one of four annual surveys conducted by the Shelton Group, show most Americans are trying to buy more green products, but many don’t have enough knowledge to make meaningful choices.