The ways in which Americans connect vary widely by state. A range of factors contribute to a place’s overall character, but the time residents spend socializing, volunteering and helping people outside their own homes can shape how friendly it feels.

SmartAsset analyzed the 50 states by the number of minutes per day residents spend on these three “friendly activities,” using time and action as measures of how communities connect. The results offer a behavioral snapshot of where residents spend the most time engaging with others in their communities.

Key Findings

• The Mountain West leads the rankings. Montana (No. 1), Utah (No. 2), and Wyoming (No. 3) took the top spots in the study, with residents of Montana averaging a nation-leading 95 minutes per day socializing, volunteering and helping others.
• Mountaineers are the most likely to help others. Although West Virginia ranked No. 24 overall, its residents spent more time than any others providing unpaid help to people outside their own homes, about 30 minutes per day.
• Rankings challenge some stereotypes. Despite its reputation for “Minnesota Nice,” Minnesota ranked No. 11, just outside the top 10. Washington, home to Seattle and its “Seattle Freeze” reputation, ranked No. 10.
• Three Northeast states in the top 20. Although residents of Northeastern states are not always seen as especially warm by outsiders, three states in the region made the top 20: Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maryland.

The 20 Friendliest States

1. Montana

• Average Minutes Spent Socializing (daily): 43.36
• Average Minutes Spent Volunteering (daily): 35.62
• Average Minutes Spent Helping Others (daily): 15.89

2. Utah

• Average Minutes Spent Socializing (daily): 38.24
• Average Minutes Spent Volunteering (daily): 32.46
• Average Minutes Spent Helping Others (daily): 20.95

3. Wyoming

• Average Minutes Spent Socializing (daily): 35.57
• Average Minutes Spent Volunteering (daily): 40.49
• Read more

AI is changing how people work. For HR leaders, the question is whether that change will reduce burnout or quietly add to it.

Leaders play a crucial role in whether AI becomes a source of relief or another demand on employees.

What stands out most is the tension leaders are navigating. AI can free up mental bandwidth, reduce repetitive work, and create more space for higher-value thinking. It can also feel overwhelming and cause anxiety, especially when employees are asked to learn new tools without enough clarity, training, or trust.

Employee burnout has long been fueled by always-on work, digital overload, and rising job complexity. AI adds another layer. It can help reduce the load, or it can become one more thing employees have to manage.

As Spring Health explains below, the challenge for HR leaders is how to implement AI with enough care that employees feel supported by the change, not buried under it.

Key takeaways

• Employee burnout is one of today’s most pressing workforce challenges, and AI is shaping how employees experience it.
• AI can reduce burnout when it removes repetitive work, improves access to support, and gives people more room to focus.
• AI can also create stress when adoption is rushed, unclear, or poorly integrated.

How AI can reduce burnout

When implemented thoughtfully, AI can give employees more breathing room and more energy for the work that matters most.

The best use of AI is not simply to help people do more. It is to help people spend less time on work that drains them and more time on work that uses their judgment, creativity, and care.

How AI can create burnout

AI can also add pressure if organizations adopt it without a clear strategy.

The emotional toll of constant adaptation is real. Employees may be excited about what AI can make possible and still feel exhausted by the pace of change.

That is why AI adoption needs more than a rollout plan. It needs empathy, communication, and a clear connection to the problems employees are actually experiencing.

What leaders can do

Leaders help determine whether AI becomes a source of relief or another source of exhaustion. Three steps matter most.

If you have plans to travel, you might be thinking about how you’ll pay for expenses while globetrotting. You have more than a few options — credit cards, prepaid travel cards and cash — but one of the safest and most convenient is your debit card, Ally Financial reports.

Benefits of using a debit card while traveling

Traveling with a debit card has several advantages.

Convenience

Your debit card is a great option because it allows you to access money directly from your bank. If your debit card is a branded VISA®, MasterCard® or other major credit card company, it can be used at millions of locations worldwide. Plus, if you find yourself somewhere that only accepts cash, you’ll be able to use your debit card to withdraw money from an ATM.

Security

In the event that your card is lost or stolen, you may have the option to lock it via your account or an app.

Minimize cash usage

You can access funds without having to carry around large amounts of cash.

Avoid currency exchange fees

Using your debit card to withdraw local currency can help you avoid currency exchange fees when traveling internationally.

How to prepare to use your debit card during travel

If you’re vacationing within the United States, your debit card will work exactly the same as it does at home. Using a debit card abroad is pretty easy with most banks, but there are some best practices to keep in mind.

Notify your bank of travel plans

While it’s not always required, it is recommended that you let your bank know, especially if you’re leaving the country. If you don’t, your bank may mistakenly flag your card for fraudulent activity and interfere with purchases you are trying to make on the go.

Pay attention to fees

It’s a good idea to budget for any possible fees. One of the more common is ATM usage.

If you’re leaving the country, make sure to account for an international transaction fee of up to 1% if you need to get cash from an ATM outside the U.S.

You’ll also want to look into whether or not your debit card levies a foreign transaction fee, which can tack on up to an additional 3% onto the purchase price when you’re abroad. Those fees would apply to anything you purchase on your trip, so they could add up quickly.

Using your debit card safely abroad

Ensure that you and your money remain safe while traveling in foreign countries by:

• Choosing secure ATMs
• Monitoring your account regularly
• Keeping your bank’s contact information handy 

Avoid overdraft fees

Just like at home, vacations can sometimes include unexpected expenses. Whether it’s a spur-of-the-moment souvenir splurge or a surprise

Americans aren’t tied to their savings accounts anymore, and a new survey from Credit One Bank confirms it. According to the data, a majority of banking adults actively monitor and move their money to maximize their yields. Traditional banks, which have previously depended on long-term customer retention, may have to rethink their strategies.

The 4% Switching Threshold

When asked what it takes to get consumers to move their funds, over two-thirds of respondents said a 4% annual percentage yield (APY) as the minimum. For Gen Z, that threshold was nearly 4 in 10. 

This benchmark puts the pressure on traditional banks. With the national average savings rate sitting at 0.38%, staying with a legacy institution costs a consumer roughly $900 a year in potential earnings on a $25,000 balance. The survey suggests that consumers are aware of this gap and view 4% as the baseline for a new savings account.

Younger Savers Drive Account Migration

The survey shows that younger consumers are more likely to move their funds, compared to their older counterparts. Roughly two-thirds of Gen Z respondents reported moving some of their savings to a different bank for a higher savings rate. Fewer than 3 in 10 Baby Boomers made a similar move.

This division could be explained by mobile banking, the study states. While Gen Z manages their money from their phone, Baby Boomers are more likely to require a physical branch to move their money. This can make them less likely to change institutions, even if they want to.

Expecting Parents Exhibit Highest Rate Sensitivity

Those preparing for a child were the most active rate shoppers in the study. Nearly 7 in 10 of pregnant or expecting respondents said they moved their savings to another bank in the last 12 months, compared to the 48% national average. Additionally, more than two-thirds of this group said they would leave their current bank immediately if their interest rate dropped by a single percentage point.

The data indicates that the financial pressure of expanding a family serves as a catalyst for account management. Facing new household expenses, expecting parents are highly sensitive to interest rate fluctuations and are quicker to seek out higher-yielding alternatives.

Churn Risk Hidden Behind Consumer Hesitation

For bank executives, low immediate customer turnover can be misread as consumer satisfaction. The data suggests that a large segment of the market is simply waiting for a reason to leave.

If a bank cut its interest rate by a full percentage point, less than 2 in 10 of consumers said they would switch banks immediately. However, two-thirds stated they would use the cut as a trigger to shop around and compare other options before deciding where to park their cash.

The findings show that passive account maintenance does not equal loyalty. Two-thirds of consumers keep tabs on alternative options, and non-rate factors frequently break the tie. For instance, just over half of respondents noted that the total elimination of monthly fees would prompt them to switch banks even if the interest rates were identical.

Survey Methodology

The findings are based on an April 2026 study of 1,000

More American adults than ever have an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis. A 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that, in 2023, roughly 15.5 million U.S. adults, about 6% of the adult population, had a current ADHD diagnosis, with about half diagnosed for the first time in adulthood. Many of those adults are married, and a growing body of research suggests the disorder can place measurable strain on those marriages. In this article, WSM Law explains how ADHD symptoms can affect a marriage, why these challenges can contribute to divorce, and what legal options may be available for spouses navigating these situations

Peer-reviewed studies have consistently found lower relationship satisfaction in couples where one partner has ADHD. Longitudinal research following children with ADHD into adulthood, including work by psychologist Russell Barkley and colleagues, has documented elevated rates of separation and divorce compared with adults without the diagnosis. Researchers caution that ADHD does not doom a marriage; rather, untreated or unrecognized symptoms tend to produce recurring conflict patterns that couples often misread as character flaws.

How Symptoms Show Up Inside a Marriage

ADHD is defined by persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity that interfere with daily functioning, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Inside a marriage, those clinical terms translate into concrete friction regarding:

• Forgotten commitments
• Unfinished household projects
• Impulsive spending
• Interrupted conversations
• Difficulty regulating emotion during disagreements

Marriage consultant Melissa Orlov, whose work on ADHD-affected couples is featured in ADDitude, a publication covering attention-deficit disorders, describes a trajectory many of these marriages follow. During courtship, the partner with ADHD often hyperfocuses on the relationship, making the other person feel like the center of their world. When that intensity fades after marriage, as attention naturally shifts elsewhere, the spouse can experience it as sudden abandonment, without either partner understanding that a symptom, not a change of heart, drove the shift.

From there, couples frequently slide into what Orlov calls a parent-child dynamic. The partner without ADHD gradually absorbs the planning, reminding, and follow-through for the household, while the partner with ADHD faces a steady stream of correction. One spouse comes to feel like a manager rather than a partner; the other, like a perpetual disappointment.

Orlov notes thi