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Confirmed by the European Central Bank’s recent announcement of four percent growth in the EU, global payments volumes continued to grow in 2009, despite economic pressure from the financial crisis according to findings from the World Payments Report 2010, announced by Capgemini, RBS and Efma. This followed a period of overall growth in non cash-payments which accelerated to nine percent in 2008 from seven percent in 2007. The rate of growth in non-cash payments volumes in 2008 was far faster in developing economies, such as China (29 percent), South Africa (25 percent) and Russia (66 percent), than in mature markets, such as North America which had a growth rate of four percent.

Though Americans are still operating with the recession in the back of their minds and many have fundamentally changed their shopping habits, some findings from NRF’s first holiday survey imply consumers won’t only be focusing on low prices and basic necessities this year. According to NRF’s 2010 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $688.87 on holiday-related shopping, a slight rise from last year’s $681.83.

The standard deadline for paying bills will be 30 days under a deal with the Council endorsed by Parliament in plenary session on Wednesday. The new rules should ensure that small firms no longer face financial problems due to the late payment of bills by public authorities or companies and bolster solvency, innovation and jobs.

Sun Life Financial Inc. released in the United States the latest edition of its UnretirementSM Index, which reveals that more than 8 in 10 American workers believe they will need at least three years to rebuild their retirement savings as a result of the economic crisis — up from 64% a year ago. In addition, more than half the working Americans that responded (52%) expect to work at least three years longer than originally planned — with just as many believing they will retire at 70 as those who believe they will retire at 65.

While half of Americans still primarily use spreadsheets and checkbook registers to manage their finances, more than one third are now managing their finances using online solutions provided by their financial institution — an increase from 27 percent a year ago. Just over one quarter of Americans have also cut back on visits to their local bank or credit union branch to just once a month, indicating that financial institutions are offering viable online solutions that are able to meet customer needs and deepen banking relationships. These are key findings of the Third Annual Intuit Financial Services Online Financial Management Survey.

According to Strategy Analytics’ latest research, the number of Internet users around the world that use social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter will reach 900 million by the end of this year and increase to 1.85 Billion by the end of 2015. However, the Strategy Analytics report, “Global Social Network Market Forecast,” finds that there are already significant regional differences in the adoption of different social networks, as well as in business models for how social networks are monetized.

Investor behavior suggests significant disconnects exist concerning risk and asset allocation and retirement readiness according to findings from a survey conducted by MFS Investment Management® of investors with at least $100,000 to invest. MFS asked those investors to compare their attitudes and behaviors about investing today to before the recent economic downturn and recession. The results point to a greater need for professional advice, especially regarding fixed income risk, diversification and retirement planning.

In August 2010 the amount outstanding of shares/units issued by euro area investment funds other than money market funds was EUR 53 billion higher than in July 2010. This was due almost equally to increases in share/unit prices and to net issues of shares/units.

In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production fell by 0.4% in the euro area (EA16), but rose by 0.3% in the EU27 in August 2010, compared with the previous month. In July, production decreased by 3.2% and 2.5% respectively.

Median weekly earnings of the nation's 101.4 million full-time wage and salary workers were $740 in the third quarter of 2010 (not seasonally adjusted), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This was 0.3 percent higher than a year earlier, compared with a gain of 1.2 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) over the same period.