A record-low 12% of Americans currently cite some aspect of the economy as the most important problem facing the U.S., down from 17% last month and one percentage point below the previous low of 13% recorded in May 1999. Mentions of the economy as the top problem reached 86% in February 2009, the highest in recent decades. (Gallup)

According to an American Action Forum analysis, the Trump Administration scrapped federal regulations at a record pace this year and saved taxpayers $1.3 billion, double the goal set by the president.

With just 97 days till Christmas the Wall Street Journal says retailers are struggling to fill seasonal positions ahead of the annual holiday rush, with the number of job openings surpassing the number of hires between March and June for the first time in ten years. Some retailers have started hiring holiday workers earlier this year, offering higher wages and extra perks, and hosting large recruiting fairs.

Average fund fees paid by investors decreased 8% in 2017. Morningstar's annual study of U.S. open-end mutual funds and exchange-traded funds looks at the largest one-year decline ever, and how it saved investors roughly $4 billion in fund expenses. 

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.