By The Numbers

Forever stamp reliability forever no more

Janet Nguyen Mar 25, 2016

via GIPHY

Go forth, and enjoy the rest of your weekend! Here are some need-to-know numbers to send your fabulous self off. 

The world of economics is shrouded in uncertainty, but we could all find solace in one thing: the prices of forever stamps. Until now. Though their prices have seen increases in recent memory, they haven’t decreased in nearly a century. Just recently the U.S. Postal Service has decided to drop the price of the stamp from 49 cents to 47 cents, which will take effect on April 10. That makes them less of a worthwhile investment. Washington Post columnist Allan Sloan joins us to share his two cents about their diminishing value.

Big transitions are also underway for Sony, who is entering the mobile game space with a new company called ForwardWorks. The market for mobile games is a $35 billion opportunity according to a revenue forecast from market researcher Newzoo. Such rife financial opportunity won’t come without its challenges though: Sony has to navigate a mobile game consumer base with more demographic diversity than those who stick to consoles.

Consumer spending in general was worrying in the last few months of 2015, with GDP growing by 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter. You shouldn’t fear too much this upcoming year though, according to economic experts. There aren’t any signs indicating that we’re going to see a downturn. Economic conditions have stabilized and we’re seeing “decent growth,” says an economist with the consulting firm RSM.

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