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Public pension funds are experiencing a robust recovery from the historic market downturn of 2008-2009 – reporting strong investment returns, growing assets and more than adequate funding levels to meet their obligations, according to a new survey conducted for the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS).

Plimus Inc., the leader in complete, configured and connected hosted e-Business solutions, released the results of a social survey on the buying habits of online consumers from a random, at large consumer survey via Facebook and Twitter. The survey provides a real-world perspective of the online shopping experience.

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, released its monthly analysis of U.S. web activity at the top online properties for March 2011 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. Green lifestyles were top of mind for many Americans in March as the country took part in the annual Earth Hour (March 26) amid rising fuel costs. Travel sites spiked as springtime rolled in, helping visitors to plan last minute spring break getaways and upcoming summer vacations.

Apparel accounts for more of US teens’ spending than any other category, but for most teens, shopping for clothes is still an in-person social activity that happens at brick-and-mortar stores.

Investors put $6.4 billion into 661 deals for U.S.-based venture companies during the first quarter of 2011, a 35% increase in investment and 5% increase in deals from the same period last year, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. The median amount raised for a round of financing during the first quarter was $5 million, up from the $4.4 million median a year earlier but on par with the 2009 median.

In the past year, 23 million Americans — 10 percent of the adult population — purchased a coupon from an online site such as Groupon or LivingSocial, according to a survey conducted for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants by Harris Interactive, reflecting a burgeoning "deal culture" that requires consumers to keep a sharp focus on their financial priorities.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.4 percent in March to 114.1 (2004 = 100), following a 1.0 percent increase in February, and a 0.2 percent increase in January.

The spring season is supposed to be a time of renewal and hope. For President Obama and Congress, the winter was rough and spring hasn't been much better with a heated budget showdown and talk of a potential government shutdown. While it may be expected at this point, Americans do not like seeing their elected officials spar so bitterly and this is reflected in lower job ratings across the board. For President Obama, more than three in five U.S. adults (62%) give him negative ratings on the overall job he is doing while 38% give him positive marks. This is down from last month when 39% of Americans gave the President positive ratings and 61% negative. This month marks the President's lowest ratings this year.

Consumer sentiment toward retail banks appears to have reversed its historical downward slide, increasing in 2011 for the first time since 2007, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study(SM).

Despite concerns about the impact of rising health care costs on their businesses and employees, only one in six employers (16.3 percent) say they favor a federally tax-funded universal health care system, according to the 2011 UBA Benefit Opinions Survey.