- Ascent Authors
- Jack Caporal
Jack Caporal
Expert Contribution: Research Director
FINANCIAL INDUSTRY WRITER SINCE 2021
NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS: 64 | LAST PUBLISH DATE: 04-22-2024
Jack Caporal is the Research Director for The Motley Fool and The Motley Fool Ascent. His research focuses on uncovering and analyzing trends that shape personal financial decisions across the United States, to help people become smarter, happier, and richer.
Financial Areas of Expertise
Banks, Crypto, Mortgages, Personal Finance
Featured in Renowned Media Publications
Work has been cited by the White House, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and in congressional testimony. I have been quoted in CNBC, Business Insider, and local media outlets across the country.
Education
- Michigan State University. International Relations with a focus in international economics
Jack's Recent Articles
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Survey: Most Believe They're Overpaying for Their Subscriptions
Apr 22, 2024
Fifty-seven percent of respondents think they’re paying too much for subscriptions. Learn more about the data uncovered in our 2024 Subscription Sanity survey.
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Lottery Statistics and Revenue by State
Mar 7, 2024
Americans shelled out $95.5 billion on lottery tickets in 2021 and earned a prize payout of $64.3 billion. Find out if playing the lottery is …
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Survey: Car Insurance Shopping Preferences and Trends
Feb 12, 2024
The Motley Fool Ascent surveyed 2,000 Americans on their auto insurance shopping preferences and habits. Learn what we found out.
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Study: Generational Credit Card Habits
Feb 5, 2024
The Motley Fool Ascent surveyed 2,000 Americans on their credit card habits and found some generational differences. Find out if they apply to you.
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How Credit Scores Impact Auto Insurance Premiums
Jan 11, 2024
Drivers with poor credit pay over double what drivers with excellent credit pay, on average. Read on for more details.
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How Your Driving Record Impacts Your Car Insurance Payment
Jan 11, 2024
A DUI can add over $1,000 to the annual cost of car insurance. See how your driving record changes your auto insurance payment here.
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The Average Cost of Car Insurance in All 50 States
Jan 10, 2024
The national average annual cost of car insurance in 2023 was $3,017. How does your payment compare? Learn the details here.
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Video Game Spending Statistics
Nov 1, 2023
American families spend $431 on average every year on video games, including consoles and accessories. See how your spending compares.
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U.S. Economy Could Lose Up to $12 Billion a Month Due to Government Shutdown
Sep 27, 2023
The government shutdown could mean big losses for your local economy. We outlined the millions each state's economy stands to lose if the government shutdown …
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Here's How Much It Costs to Raise a Child
Sep 1, 2023
It costs roughly $300,000 to raise a child. Read on for expenditures by category and age.
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Record $41.5B in Back-to-School Shopping Forecasted for 2023, With 30% of Parents Using Credit Cards
Aug 3, 2023
Parents are expected to spend $41.5 billion on back-to-school shopping, and 30% intend to rely on credit cards. Read on to learn more.
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Hurricane Insurance Statistics
Jul 6, 2023
Some areas are more prone to hurricanes than others. Read on for a roundup of hurricane statistics homeowners should know when looking for insurance.
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Wildfire Insurance Statistics
Jul 6, 2023
Are you at risk of a wildfire? Here's a roundup of wildfire statistics homeowners should know when looking for insurance.
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Study: Most Americans Have One or Two Credit Cards
Jun 5, 2023
Most Americans don't have more than a couple credit cards. How many credit cards should you have? Find out what the research says.
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Study: 26% of Americans Have Used ChatGPT for Credit Card Recommendations
May 2, 2023
Fifty-four percent of Americans surveyed by The Motley Fool Ascent have used ChatGPT to recommend a financial product. Find out more on how AI is …
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PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle: What Americans Want Out of Digital Payment Apps
May 1, 2023
Approximately three-quarters of Americans trust digital payment apps as much as credit and debit cards -- but what features do they want most? Read on …
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Study: COVID-19 Led Americans to Prioritize Spending Over Saving
Apr 28, 2023
Just 29% of Americans say COVID-19 led them to prioritize saving over spending. Read on to learn more.
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SNAP Statistics and Eligibility Changes for 2023
Apr 13, 2023
SNAP helps over 42 million low-income households afford groceries each month -- but big changes have impacted the program. Read on to see how.
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Beating Inflation: Credit Card Rewards and Points
Mar 27, 2023
Credit cards can mitigate inflation, particularly in hard hit categories like groceries, gas, and travel.
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Electric Vehicle Tax Credits, Rebates, and EV Charger Incentives: A Complete Guide
Mar 20, 2023
A complete guide to federal and state incentives for electric vehicles and chargers
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Study: Rent-to-Own: Pros, Cons, and Consumer Views
Feb 24, 2023
Seventy percent of Americans are aware of the rent-to-own process and 79% would consider using a rent-to-own agreement in 2023, but concerns remain.
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Auditing America's Financial Health
Feb 8, 2023
After years of improvement, America's financial health has declined heading into 2023. The average financial well-being score in February 2022 was 51.1, down from 52.4 …
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Survey: Inflation, Interest Rates Seen as Spoilers for 2024 Financial Resolutions
Nov 28, 2022
See the latest poll on top financial resolutions like paying off debt, saving, and investing. These are the New Year's goal obstacles Americans face in …
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Average American Household Debt in 2023: Facts and Figures
Sep 20, 2022
American households carry $17.5 trillion in debt and the average household debt is $104,215. Read on for more household debt statistics for 2023.
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How Will Climate Change Impact Homeowners Insurance in All 50 States?
Apr 29, 2022
A look at how climate change will impact homeowners insurance in all 50 states.
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How Much Do Americans Spend on Gas Every Month?
Mar 25, 2022
Americans spent $2,148 on gas in 2021. That's up from $1,568 in 2020. Read on for state-level data and tips for how to save.
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52% of Americans Say Secret Spending or Lying About Money Is Cheating
Feb 10, 2022
Most Americans thinks secret spending or lying about money counts as cheating in a relationship. Find out what else Americans think about financial infidelity.
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The NFT Market: Average NFT Prices, Largest Marketplaces, and More
Feb 7, 2022
The NFT market has exploded in recent years -- but just how big is it? What do NFTs cost? And what are the most expensive …
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Study: How Rich Americans Use Credit Cards
Jan 13, 2022
How do high-net-worth Americans use credit cards? Which types and brands do they prefer? Do they have good habits? We surveyed 1,500 of them to …
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The Largest Brokerage Firms
Dec 30, 2021
Vanguard is the largest brokerage by assets under management and active accounts, with $8.2 trillion in AUM and over 30 million investors. Read on to …
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The Homeowners Insurance Discounts That Save You the Most, Ranked
Nov 22, 2021
Homeowners insurance discounts can save you a lot -- we dug into the data to find out exactly how much each one will likely save …
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Credit Union vs. Retail Bank Mortgage and Interest Rates
Oct 26, 2021
Who has better interest rates, credit unions or banks? We looked at data from the past 10 years to find the answer.
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This Is How Credit Card Companies Hauled in $176 Billion in 2020
Oct 6, 2021
Credit card companies earned $176 billion in 2020. Here's how they did it, with specific examples from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and more.
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Millennial Home Buyers Are Changing the Home-Buying Process: 39% of Millennials Are Comfortable Buying a Home Online
Sep 27, 2021
Digitally savvy millennials are changing how Americans buy homes. We report on the statistics, including digital home-buying and priorities, here.
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Millennial Home-Buying and Homeownership Statistics
Sep 17, 2021
Over 50% of millennials are now homeowners, but it took them longer to reach that threshold than older generations. Read on to learn why.
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How Do Current Mortgage Rates Compare to Average Historical Mortgage Rates?
Sep 10, 2021
Average mortgage rates have been at all-time lows in 2021, but how do they compared to historical mortgage rates? We dig into the data to …
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The 2021 Housing Market: 89% of Properties Sell in a Month
Jul 29, 2021
The 2021 housing market is red-hot. Sellers are getting an average of four offers on their homes, and the average time on the market is …
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Average Down Payment on a House 2021: $27,850
Jun 16, 2021
The median down payment on a house is $28,750. Want more down payment statistics? We have them right here.
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The Financial Health of Same-Sex Couples and LGBTQ Americans
Jun 4, 2021
Same-sex couples and LGTBQ individuals face unique financial challenges. We've gathered the latest statistics to create a comprehensive picture of their financial health.
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2024 Cryptocurrency Investor Trends and Preferences Survey
May 18, 2021
The Motley Fool Ascent surveyed 2,000 Americans to understand their views of cryptocurrency. Keep reading for the findings.
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The Real Cost of Renting vs. Owning -- What Does It Cost to Buy?
Apr 29, 2021
Many renters are considering becoming first-time homebuyers. But how much more expensive is it really to own a home than it is to rent? We …
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Study: Americans Value Credit Card Rewards Over Trust
Mar 18, 2021
How do Generation Z, Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers use credit cards differently? We surveyed 2,000 Americans to find out.
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The Largest Mortgage Lenders in the U.S.
Dec 28, 2020
More than 4,300 institutions provided mortgages in 2022. Fifteen of the top 25 lenders were non-bank financial institutions. Read on to learn our findings.
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What Customers Want From Banks: Online Banking Trends and Consumer Priorities
Dec 18, 2020
We surveyed 2,000 consumers to find out the most important banking features: security and fraud protection, customer service, and online banking access.
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Average American Household Debt in 2022: Facts and Figures
Nov 18, 2020
Curious how much debt the average American carries in 2022 and how it compares to recent years? Read on to find all the latest information …
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The Average Cost of a Divorce
Nov 16, 2020
How much does a divorce cost? We dug into survey results to find the average cost of divorce, including contested, uncontested, and more.
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Study: Race and Personal Finance in America
Oct 15, 2020
The racial wealth gap is solidly established. But what about differences in personal finance habits? We surveyed 2,000 Americans to get the latest data on …
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Credit and Debit Card Market Share by Network and Issuer
Oct 12, 2020
We've collected statistics on credit card market share and debit card market share. See the most popular issuers, networks, and more in our latest report.
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Average Closing Costs: What Will You Pay?
Sep 28, 2020
What are the average closing costs in the United States? What's included in closing costs? We have state-by-state figures to give you the best data.
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Study: Median American's Savings Account Balance Is $1,200
Sep 10, 2020
How much do Americans have in their savings accounts? We have new data that shows their average savings account balance, median emergency savings, and more.
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The Average Cost of a Wedding
Sep 2, 2020
The average cost of a wedding in 2023 was $33,000 to $35,000. Read on for a wedding budget breakdown.
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Average House Price by State in 2023
Aug 5, 2020
The average house price in the United States as of the fourth quarter of 2023 is $417,700. See how states compare here.
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Personal Loan Statistics for 2024
Aug 3, 2020
U.S. personal loan balances hit a record high of $245 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Check out all the most notable personal loan statistics …
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Study: Buy Now, Pay Later Use Declines for Third Straight Year
Jul 20, 2020
Buy now, pay later services can help consumers avoid credit card interest, but they also present financial risks. Find out how consumers use BNPL services.
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Study: The Most Socially Equitable Cities in the U.S.
Feb 27, 2020
Is your city socially equitable? Do you think your community does a good job taking care of its members? We used six factors to rank …
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Are You Well-Paid? Compare Your Salary to the Average U.S. Income
Feb 19, 2020
What's the average salary in the U.S.? What's the median income for men and women? Which professions make the most? Read on to find out …
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Annual Tax Refunds: When Will I Get My Tax Refund?
Feb 3, 2020
The average individual income tax refund was $2,903 in 2023, an 11% decrease from 2022. Read on for a deep dive into tax refunds in …
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American Households' Average Monthly Expenses: $6,081
Jan 23, 2020
The average monthly expenses for an American household total $6,081. But where does that all go? Read on to find out how much we spend …
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Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Statistics
Nov 22, 2019
Are bankruptcies increasing or decreasing? Who files bankruptcy the most? Find the answers and more in these Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy statistics.
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Identity Theft and Credit Card Fraud Statistics for 2024
Nov 7, 2019
Our experts reviewed the data to understand trends on identity theft, credit card fraud, and data breaches. Check out the latest in this in-depth report.
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The Average Credit Score in America
Oct 30, 2019
How does your credit score compare to the average American's? Find out in this 2023 report brought to you by the experts at The Ascent.
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Average American Credit Card Debt in 2023
Oct 4, 2019
Credit card debt reached a record $1.129 trillion in 2023. Read on for more credit card debt statistics that add clarity and context to the …
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How Much Time Does the Average American Spend on Personal Finance?
Oct 3, 2019
Americans spend more time each day doing laundry than working on their personal finances. Find out how a few more minutes a day could increase …
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U.S. Economy Could Lose Up to $12 Billion a Month Due to Government Shutdown
Jan 9, 2019
The government shutdown could mean big losses for your local economy. We outlined the millions each state's economy stands to lose if the government shutdown …
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.