Smart decisions are based on more than government statistics, agency reports, news releases, interest rates and stock quotes. We've selected a few fascinating statistics below that illuminate the markets, the world of financial services and big business.
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Percent of 750 corporate directors who think CEO succession is “critical” to effective board governance: 62
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Percent of directors who think that they are “highly effective” at handling the CEO succession issue: 16
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The three American cities with the most home-based workers: San Francisco (6.3 percent), Portland, Ore., (5.3 percent) and Seattle (5.1 percent)
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Percentage of workers who are home-based nationwide: 3.6
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Nation named by International Living magazine as the best place to retire outside the U.S, replacing Panama, which held the top spot for six years: Mexico
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Current value of Iraqi dollar-denominated bonds with a face value of $100, interest of 2.9 percent and a maturation date of 2028: $60
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Implied default risk over the life of the bond: 80 percent
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Percentage of office workers who throw away holiday gifts received from co-workers: 31
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Temperature in Las Vegas on July 5, 2007: 116 F
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Percentage of corporate 401(k) plans using auto-enrollment in 2007: 24 percent
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Estimate of assets that new auto-enrollment regulations will add to 401(k) accounts by 2034: $134 billion
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Return on investment for the $827 million endowment of Bowdoin College, a 1,700-student college in Brunswick, Maine, in the fiscal year ending in June 2007: 24 percent
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Return on Harvard's $34.9-billion endowment: 23 percent
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Price paid at Christie's auction for Matisse's 1937 canvas, “L'Odalisque, Harmonie Blueue”: $33.6 million
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Amount consumers paid for brain-exercise products in 2007: $80 million
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Total value of income-tax refund checks issued in 2006 that were not cashed because taxpayers moved and left no forwarding address: $110 million
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Fine Visa agreed to pay rival American Express to settle a 3-year old antitrust suit alleging that the Visa Association prevented banks from using AmEx products: $2.25 billion
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Amount the average U.S. worker contributes to the nation's GDP: $63,885
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Rank of U.S. workers in productivity relative to the workers of other nations: First
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Average number of hours worked in a year by the typical U.S. employee: 1,804
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Hours worked by typical employee in France: 1,564
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Estimated assets held by Americans 65 and older: $15 trillion
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Percent of Americans 65 and older who say they don't have enough money to meet their basic living expenses: 30
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Frequent-flyer miles awarded by U.S. airlines in the past 25 years: 19 trillion
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Miles that passengers have yet to redeem: 14 trillion
Sources:
1-2, National Association of Corporate Directors; 3-4, U.S. Census; 5, International Living magazine; 6-7, Prof. Michael Greenstone, MIT; 8, Time Inc; 9, Associated Press; 10, Profit Sharing/401k Council of America; 11, US Labor Department; 12-14, NY Times; 15, Nature Neuroscience; 16, IRS; 21, USA Today; 17, FTC; 18-19, International Labor Organization; 20-23, Time; 24-25, Federal Aviation Association