Recession hits families hard as half of Americans fear they won't be able to do their holiday shopping

• One in five families lack any disposable income

UK Daily Mail

One in five Americans lost a sizeable amount of their disposable income during the recession, leaving them financially vulnerable and without many options.

The number of Americans considered 'economically insecure' reached a new high during the period from 2008 to 2010 which spanned what is now called the Great Recession.

This news comes just as businesses hope to increase profits amid holiday sales and Christmas shopping, but half of the U.S. population is now worried that they won't be able to buy the presents on their list because of their financial situation.

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Worried: Financial troubles are dampening people's expectations this season

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Use of food stamps up 17% since last year

The recession may be over, but the number of Americans using food stamps continues to soar, up 17 percent over year ago levels, according to a report posted on The Wall Street Journal's website.

A stunning 42,389,619 now use food stamps, up 58.5 percent from August 2007, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data from August cited in the story.

That means nearly 14 percent of American households are still relying on government assistance to buy food as the economy continues to batter families. The total was up 1.3 percent from July...

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