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Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring at the Right Price amidst a Pandemic

Jewelers say more couples than ever are choosing diamond engagement rings

The coronavirus outbreak has negatively affected the wedding industry in many ways. Large wedding gatherings might be on hold, but what isn’t on hold is are couples showing their love for one another and getting engaged.

According to a report by The Knot, more than 6 in 10 engaged couples say that stay-at-home restrictions due to the coronavirus have strengthened their relationships.

Jewelers say that despite difficult economic times, they are seeing consumers spend more than ever on diamond engagement rings. The reasons for this include:
• Increased sense of intimacy and desire to sacrifice for each other
• More budget available because of canceled weddings and honeymoons
• Pent up demand to spend after months of nowhere to go

Sally Morrison, Director of PR for Natural Diamonds at De Beers Group explains the latest trends in engagement rings, provide live product demo and display, and discuss:

What diamond engagement rings consumers are choosing now
Why customers are choosing simpler and more classic styles, harkening back to vintage and solitaire design styles.
The trend of people choosing diamonds of better quality in terms of cut, color and clarity instead of choosing bigger diamonds

Station Note: This segment is brought to you by De Beers Group

While Less Than One-Third of Parents Say Children are Confident about this Fall, 77% of Parents are Still Saving for College

Fidelity® College Savings Indicator Finds Parents on Track to Meet Just 33%
of College Savings Goal Despite Concerns about COVID-19 and Distance Learning,
Most Parents Agree College is Still Worth the Cost

With the cost of college continuing to rise amidst a pandemic that’s causing many Americans’ wallets to take a hit, are parents still preparing to pay for their children’s college education? Fidelity’s College Savings Indicator Study has tracked savings habits for over a decade, and while this year’s study finds more parents saving than ever before, 71% are concerned about COVID-19’s impact on their ability to save.

Nearly one-third (32%) are not even sure what college will cost by the time their children enroll.

Parents and children share anxiety about educational disruptions this fall, with two-thirds agreeing that in-person instruction is the best way for their children to learn, an unlikely scenario for many students this year. If distance learning becomes more common down the road, 36% of parents say they will have their child attend a less expensive college since they would not want to pay full tuition for virtual classes.

Despite these concerns, the study reveals 77% of parents agree college is worth its cost. So, what does your audience need to know to improve their college savings outlook during these challenging times?

On, Friday, September 25, Melissa Ridolfi, vice president of retirement and college leadership at Fidelity Investments, and John Boroff, director of retirement and college leadership at Fidelity Investments, will discuss the findings of this year’s study, including how COVID-19 is impacting parents’ savings priorities.

Station Note: This segment is brought to you by Fidelity Investment