Nearly half of dads polled say they have pretended to like Father’s Day gifts they didn’t want

Dads have pretended to like Father’s Day gifts

IS CASH KING FOR DAD?: Nearly half of fathers recently surveyed said they have pretended to like a Father’s Day gift they received.

Tools are the most predictable gift, said about a third of fathers who responded to a telephone survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Western Union. About 20 percent said they expect a tie, while another 20 percent believe they’ll get cologne. Books and golf balls also ranked high.

In a separate poll, individuals were asked how they spend cash gifts. About 61 percent said they would spend graduation money on something practical, while 28 percent said they would put wedding money toward a honeymoon. About a quarter would invest wedding money in a home, and 16 percent would use it to pay off debt.

A nationally representative random sample of 1,002 adults were interviewed. The sampling error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

SHOPPING CENTER TURNAROUND: The U.S. shopping-center industry grew slightly last year despite sluggish growth at the start of both 2009 and 2010, according to statistics from research firm CoStar Group Inc. on behalf of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The total number of shopping centers inched up to 104,919 in 2009 from 104,148 in 2008. Total leasable area per millions of square feet also edged higher.

Unlike industrial and office properties, which are still facing rental declines as leases turn over, many retail landlords already renegotiated and dropped rents for existing tenants, said Norm Miller, vice president of analytics for CoStar.

Michael P. Niemira, vice president, director of research and chief economist for ICSC, said “The prospects for the retail real estate industry appear to be improving and the sector, in time, will likely regain its investment luster.”

COLLEGE PARENTING: College is costly, and mismanaged student loans and expenses can lead to a lifetime of financial problems. Still, parents shouldn’t get too involved in their children’s academic planning, says one author.

There’s a difference between guidance and control, cautions Barbara Cooke, a college career counselor and author of the recently published book “Parent’s Guide to College and Careers: How to Help, Not Hover.”

“Guidance is helping your child get firsthand information about the opportunities that are out there. Control is doing the research yourself,” Cooke said. “Guidance is saying, ‘I want you to talk to two engineers before you reject an engineering major.’ Control is saying, ‘I won’t pay for college unless you major in engineering.’ “

Cooke offers this advice to parents:

— Discuss how much money your child will be borrowing, a budget for living expenses while in college and how student loans will be repaid.

— Have a clear understanding of your own financial situation before you sign on for student loan debt, and complete your income tax forms as early as possible each year. Financial aid hinges on parental tax information.

— Teach your children how to advocate for themselves in dealings with college personnel. Monitor their progress meeting administrative deadlines.

— Encourage your child to watch for financial aid deadlines, seek academic support services and do research before selecting a major. Meanwhile, educate yourself about important dates: the earliest date to enroll, the date fees are due, the last date to withdraw with a full refund, partial refund dates, and so on.

— Stress the financial impact of losing a scholarship or financial aid eligibility because of poor grades or dropped classes.