Helping The Rising Tide Lift All Boats

There is plenty of good news in the U.S. economy, with low unemployment and high consumer confidence topping the list. But while the engine is humming along, under the hood there are still a fair number of segments that need a boost. Some consumers are struggling to keep up with debt. Veterans punch well above their weight when it comes to economic participation in some segments of the economy but find it difficult to enter others. And though card-not-present (CNP) transactions are getting more common as eCommerce grows, card rejections are on the rise, as business fight fraud in real time.

Today In Data Veterans bill payments

$1.4 trillion: The estimated combined purchasing power of veterans and their families in the U.S.

74 percent: The share of consumers who report using credit cards for convenience.

31 percent: The share of consumers who fell behind on bill payments in Q2 2018.

20 percent to 30 percent: The bank decline rate on CNP transactions reported by one global Fortune 500 company, according to the Aite Group.

9 percent: The share of U.S. firms owned by veterans.