It’s the spookiest time of the year, when superstition runs rampant and treats always come with the potential for a trick. But like with anything else, the more you know about Halloween, the less scary it seems. Did you know, for example, that ringing doorbells and lighting candles are thought to ward away witches, ghosts and evil spirits? And how frightening can haunted houses really be when charities operate 80% of them?

Even if you’re not prone to spooking, there’s always something interesting to learn about Halloween. For instance, 20% of people plan to put costumes on pets, and 79% of parents admit to stealing candy from their kids. And that’s just the beginning. To ease your fears and help you gain a new appreciation for this hallowed holiday, WalletHub explored a wide variety of facts about Halloween, analyzing the occasion from all angles.

WalletHub’s nationally representative Halloween Spending & Financial Fears Survey found that 43% of Americans are more afraid of credit card debt than Covid, and that roughly 61% more people think spending money is the scariest thing about Halloween this year compared to last year. The survey also includes findings on people’s biggest financial fears, whether people consider their finances a horror show, and more. The complete results are laid out in the following infographic.

Key Stats

• 43% of Americans are more afraid of credit card debt than Covid.
• 71% of Americans are afraid of new Covid strains hurting the economy.
• Almost a third of Americans think their finances are a horror show.
• 12M fewer people are scared about their kids’ financial futures this year than last year.
• 61% more Americans think spending money is the scariest thing about Halloween this year compared to last year.

You can learn a lot about people from their travel habits generally and their attitudes toward winter travel in particular. After all, winter travel can be especially trying, on both our patience and our wallets.

To get a better sense of how U.S. consumers are feeling about their ability to get away heading into the most expensive time of the year, WalletHub conducted a nationally representative online survey. You can find the results in the following infographic.

Love coffee? In honor of National Coffee Day on Sept. 29, WalletHub compiled a list of coffee retailers offering special discounts and other promotions to their customers during the holiday and other days of the week.

Some of the deals include a free hot or iced coffee of any size across EG America; up to 20% off online orders from Massimo Zanetti Beverage; and your first bag of coffee free (just cover shipping) from Atlas Coffee Club. Find out exactly what specials are brewing at each store below.

The release of each new iPhone model is a big-money occasion for Apple. This year, though, many people may not want to increase their monthly phone spending, as the U.S. is still working to recover from the economic damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate is still high at 5.2% and total credit card debt stands at around $900 billion, which means that buying a new iPhone is an even bigger decision for consumers than usual.

Depending on what features people want, they may have to shell out over $1,000 for a new device. For some people, that's too much. In fact, only 24% of Americans plan to spend more on their phone this year, according to a nationally representative survey conducted by WalletHub.

Labor Day is approaching, and retailers are preparing to offer big deals to attract Americans during the long weekend. One of the biggest sectors to profit from Labor Day sales is the auto industry. According to a nationally representative survey conducted by WalletHub, 87 million Americans will look at cars to buy this Labor Day weekend.

August is typically one of the biggest months of the year for auto sales, especially the weekend of Labor Day – and some people are choosing to buy personal vehicles instead of taking public transportation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Auto sellers stand to make even more money than usual this year, considering that the average vehicle price is at an all-time high. In July, the average new vehicle price was $41,044. Therefore, sellers can entice new buyers with discounts yet still reap great profits. In addition, according to the Kelly Blue Book, Labor Day is among the best times to buy a car because sellers tend to offer “significant rebates and special financing.”

Labor Day in the 21st century is all about beaches, BBQs, ballgames and buying things, but the holiday was very subdued last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, with a majority of Americans vaccinated, the festivities will be a lot bigger. For example, 53% of Americans plan to get out of town for Labor Day weekend. More than 160 million will enjoy a cookout. And thousands will pack college football stadiums.

But it hasn’t always been that way. Labor Day’s roots can be traced back to the streets of 1880s New York City, where rival union leaders joined forces to protest the unfair labor practices that plagued industry at the time.

As Labor Day approaches, it is a time to both celebrate American workers and take a critical look at how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the U.S. has largely reopened and a significant portion of the population is vaccinated, the national unemployment rate is still far higher than it was prior to the pandemic, at 5.4% as of July 2021.

In light of the financial struggles faced by workers across the U.S. and in recognition of Labor Day, WalletHub conducted a nationally representative survey, which found that nearly 1 in 3 Americans worry about job security. In addition to examining how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Americans’ finances, WalletHub’s survey also took stock of people’s plans for Labor Day.

To gain a better understanding of how college students are coping during these unprecedented times, as well as how the situation is affecting students’ personal finances, WalletHub conducted a nationally representative survey of current college students. We asked them about everything from how their opinion of their financial future has changed during the pandemic to how they would grade their personal finances. You can find the complete results in the infographic below.

Key Stats

• 46% of students think universities did not do enough to support them during the pandemic.
• 41% of college students get help from their parents with their credit card bills.
• 35% fewer students would grade their personal finance with an A in 2021 vs 2020.
• Almost 1 in 3 students consider themselves spenders, rather than savers.
• Two-thirds of students say the pandemic will make it harder for them to get a job.
• 26% more students from medium-income households say a lack of financial literacy holds them back the most financially, compared to students from high-income households.

Back-to-school season can be a bummer – not just for students, but for parents and their wallets, too. From binders and bookbags to tablets, computers and the latest clothes, there’s a lot to buy.

To gauge people’s feelings about back-to-school shopping, and thus learn more about the state of family finances during the pandemic, WalletHub conducted a nationally representative online survey of parents with kids in school. You can find the complete results in the infographic below.