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Northwestern Mutual announced today that sales of its risk products increased across the board and set company records in 2010. Additionally, new market research from the company reinforces evidence that Americans are increasingly embracing risk management, side-by-side with investing, as the foundation of their long-term financial planning.

The price index for U.S. imports increased 1.5 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, as higher prices for fuel and nonfuel imports each contributed to the advance. U.S. export prices rose 1.2 percent in January, following increases of 1.5 percent in November and 0.6 percent in December.

A new Harris Poll on consumer spending and saving, using questions that have been asked eight times since the financial and economic crisis began, shows some very small increases in the number of people who say they are likely to spend their money on various big ticket and other purchases. These are consistent with several recent reports of modest increases in consumer sentiment and spending. This poll also shows a very small decrease in the numbers of people who are saving or investing more money. However all of these very small changes could be the result of sampling and other errors that can affect all surveys.

Is social media redefining how we find love? That's the theme of a study released today by Euro RSCG Worldwide, the world's largest advertising agency by number of global accounts. The study reports on the impact social media has had on everything from the definition and ease of cheating to the wide-spread acceptance of flirting and finding love online.

This Valentine's Day, workers are just as concerned as last year that openly dating a coworker could jeopardize their careers, according to the 2011 Valentine's Day Workplace Survey conducted by Monster on behalf of Spherion Staffing Services. Nearly three-quarters (70 percent) of respondents agree that openly dating a coworker could jeopardize job security or advancement, a similar percentage to last year. The 2011 survey findings also show that 68 percent agree that workplace relationships can lead to conflict at work, and another 61 percent believe they are a distraction.

At age 23, there is a clear gender gap in educational attainment. While nearly 1 in 4 women had earned a bachelor’s degree by the October when they were age 23, only 1 in 7 men had done so, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Additionally, the same percentage of men and women, 16 percent, were enrolled in college at age 23, so it is unlikely the gap in educational attainment will close in the next few years.

Coinciding with a noticeably improved United States office market, the national industrial property sector absorbed 28.6 million square feet of space during the fourth quarter of 2010, propelling what had been a net loss for the year into a solid gain, according to new quarterly research on the U.S. industrial market from Colliers International. This robust fourth quarter activity likely heralds the beginning of the next up cycle for the industrial sector as demand for warehouse space - fueled by an increase in import and export activity and improving appetite for consumer goods - is expected to rise.

There were 3.1 million job openings on the last business day of December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The job openings rate was essentially unchanged over the month at 2.3 percent. Both the hires rate and the separations rate were unchanged at 3.2 percent each in December. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and by geographic region.

Four years after widespread subprime mortgage defaults touched off an international financial crisis, getting a mortgage today is so difficult two out of three Americans (70.6%) believe access to affordable mortgages is a serious problem, according to a national survey released by MortgageMatch.com.

comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, released The comScore 2010 U.S. Digital Year in Review. This annual report recaps key trends in the U.S. digital media landscape, including e-commerce, social networking, online video, search, online advertising and mobile, with an emphasis on how digital marketers can capitalize on these trends in 2011.