Sarina Trangle

Inside an Apple store in Los Angeles on Jan. 4.. Daniel Slim / AFP via Getty Images

Now is a good time to consider visiting many foreign locales because your dollar will go further than usual, travel experts told Investopedia.

Key Takeaways Retail spending hit $994.1 billion in November and December, coming in 4% higher than last holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. The trade group was expecting holiday sales to grow between 2.5% and 3.5%. Cooling inflation helped spur spending, the NRF said, though many Americans remain "budget conscious."

Key Takeaways U.S. stock and bond trading will pause on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which this year coincides with a presidential inauguration. CME Group will pause trading in U.S. markets, and Cboe will also curtail activity in domestic markets. Major markets will close again on President's Day in February.

Key Takeaways Retailers want their stores to be able to personalize shopping for consumers who are used to such customization online. The push comes as technology improves and more Americans are open to sharing their data. Younger generations, in particular, are comfortable providing personal info in exchange for a better shopping experience.

The logos of the RedNote and TikTok social media apps.. CFOTO / Future Publishing via Getty Images

A handful of food vendors are now deploying Heinz Remix, one of the first machines that allows diners to customize condiments. The machine can create up to 200 sauces by pulling from four bases and four flavor enhancers. The company wants to see how Heinz Remix is received at about 15 locations before moving forward with a larger rollout.

Key Takeaways Netflix is now charging $7.99 rather than $6.99 a month for its cheapest plan. The new price is equal to the least expensive plan available from Comcast's Peacock. Most other major streaming services' plans start at a dollar or two more a month.

Key Takeaways Mobile apps appear to have lost some of their appeal to Americans, based on download and usage data from Sensor Tower, a market research firm. Still, in-app spending increased about 16% from 2023 to 2024, Sensor Tower said. AI chatbots and medical tracking tools were some of the strongest performers in terms of downloads last year, the group said.

A new survey found that more than half of middle-income families delayed buying cars in the last year, but they plan to change that in 2025.