Statistics, Facts & Such

ATM cards can be used to buy tokens and rail passes in Philadelphia, Washington and on some lines in New York.

The standard mileage rate set by IRS for 1992 is 28 cents a mile. Most financial institutions are paying 29 cents.

Americans wrote about 50 billion checks in 1991. About 1% (500,000,000) were returned or "bounced". Of those returned 75% went back for insufficient funds. 25% were for technical reasons, such as physical damage, no signature, or fraud.

The national average charge for a "bounced" check is $15, according to the ABA. Some city banks charge as much as $30 per check.

Welfare costs in the United States are roughly $45 billion a year.

NASA expects to spend about $30 billion to build Space Station Freedom.

According to the 1990 census 75% of all new jobs are in the service sector.

That same census revealed that young men earn 17% less today than they did in 1973.

Consumer installment credit, not counting mortgages, totaled $748 billion in 1990. 40% of all consumer installment credit is for auto loans.

"Smart cards" are now in use in 5 major supermarket chains in the U.S.

The United States now collects 16% of world tourist receipts and doubled travel/tourism trade surplus last year from $5.3 billion to $10.6. Tourist spots are looking forward to a record summer.

The vacancy rate in office buildings in central business districts rose from 17.6% in 1990 to 18.8% in 1991. Suburban vacancies during the same period went up from 21.1% to 21.4%.

Copyright © 1992 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 3, No. 2, 5/92