According to a recent Direct Marketing Association report, American financial services institutions are increasing their use of direct marketing. The $13.4 billion that U.S. banks and credit institutions spent last year on direct marketing advertising generated $178.8 billion in sales. These sales are forecast to hit $286.2 billion In 2012, according to the report.

According to a new report from The Nielsen Company, twenty-three percent (58 million) of all U.S. mobile subscribers say they've been exposed to advertising on their phones in the past 30 days. Half (51% or 28 million) of all data users who recall seeing mobile advertising in the previous 30 days say they responded to a mobile ad.

An advance release of the Teen Topix study by OTX and the Intelligence Group finds that 81% of teens (13-17) say they are at least somewhat happy, and over a third say they are very happy. Teens report to be happiest with their relationships with friends, their talents, their abilities, and their school performance. And more than three quarters are happy about how they "look" Online.