Baby Boom II? More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than any year in the nation’s history, topping the peak during the baby boom 50 years earlier, federal researchers reported today. There is both good and bad news from the more than 4.3 million births: The U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend. However, the teen birth rate was up for the second year in a row. The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40%, continuing a trend begun years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older.
Hang on to your cash: Researchers have found that people are more likely to think twice about buying something when they carry one large bill rather than many smaller denominations equal to the same amount. Professors at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business found that when people had to save $100 or exercise self control in spending, they were more likely to ask for a $100 bill instead of five $20s. The findings of the report, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Consumer Research, follow up on an earlier Maryland study that found people were likely to spend more money when paying for items with gift cards or credit cards.
