here to put it all in context is vera gibbons. >> good morning. >> a jobs report, good, not spectacularght? >> positive revisions for january and february. that's good. increased labor participation rate, that's all good. definitely signs of momentum and go things going on in terms of that. the concern is the pace of the improvements that's what everyone is talking about. we have losses and we're not seeing the kind of pace you need to absorb the losses. 24 million combined are either unemployed or underemployed which is why you heard even fed chief ben bernanke saying it's not normal. it's going to take a lot more deman for goods and services before things like more normal, quote, unquote. >> talk about normal not. gas approaching $5 a gallon. is there a point where the consumers will say enough is enough? and where is that. >> we used to say, $3.50, $4. the tipping point is $5.30. that's the point in which consumers say they would make significant changes to their life, carpool, consolidate errands, look into mass transit, walk, bike, whatever the case may be. >> not about $5.30 a gal

vera gibbons is here with a checklist. >> good morning. >> this is a make or break issue. >> it's a convolutedrocess. it's more complex, more regulated. the changes happened a couple years ago when the appraisal management company took over the process. appraisers aren't making as much money as they used to. a couple hundred dollars. they are expected to do them in unrealistic time frames so you are seeing the skilled, competent appraisers leave or move into more lucrative areas. consumers are paying the price any number of ways. >> it's the lender's requirement and the borrower has to pay for it but it's important to the seller. >> very important for people doing a refi, too. unfortunately you can't pick your appraiser. it comes from the third party management company from the clearinghouse. but if the bank is holding your loan directly you can say, send me someone state certified, someone with skill. >> you can't pick the appraiser but you have say over the quality? >> in some cases. if the bank is holding the loan directly you may have a little bit of say. you want to say, are they designat

joining me now is financial expert vera gibbons. >> it's happening across all income brackets.job market and improvement in the overall economy. monitoring our shopping habits defining our wants versus our needs and people are coming up with a virtual shopping list with the musts have. that's what it's come down to and across all income brackets and not just in middle income and those making in excess of $100,000. >> we're talking about specific, calculated steps, right? to save money. among the more common things, the vast majority of us, 70% of us are coupon tripping and that is here to stay for the foreseeable future. we're comparing prices with apps and websites and the vast majority of women are saying price is a primary driving force behind the decisions and it shows that we're avoiding going into stores where we can't afford things and we can actually make purchases. >> frivolous purchases, that's something in the past? it seems to be that way at the moment. i think if you can afford a vacation or a big ticket item, you're thinking twice about it and you're not plunking

here to make sense is vera gibbons.d morning to you. >> good morning. >> over 200,000 jobs have been added in the last quarter, that's good. >> claims are down to a nice low there. we are seeing more hiring. companies are feeling more confident about things. people are out spending. auto sales are up. layoffs are down. so they are feeling pretty good, confident enough to add to the payrolls. and we are also seeing more discouraged workers get off the sidelines and back out there, which is a positive sign. and people are quitting their jobs because they are confident to find other opportunities. that's another sign as well. >> what's the deal with giving up your facebook pass word? >> more employers are doing this as part of the recruitment process. they are vetting up candidates, but they are doing it. that's the sure-fire way to find out things about people instantly. you can find out more about a person's personality. it is not illegal as part of the process but it is an invasion of privacy. i think people will forfei

joining me with the details is msnbc's vera gibbons.ng about the cash green. >> it's up 11% over last year and 54% of will be celebrating st. patrick's day. the fact that it falls on a saturday and the weather's nice is helping out to boost sales. >> how much of that money is going straight to the bar tab? >> that's a good question. there's a lot of that going on. >> yeah. >> about 30% of us say we'll go to the bars and restaurants and we're all decked out in our green and we have our hats and noisemakers and streets of new york are totally jammed right now. >> forget that. >> so, yes, we'll hit the bars and have plenty of beer and all of that, but 30% will be celebrating at home and corned beef and cabbage is the meal of choice, but this is a holiday that's celebrated by just about everybody. >> does this tell us anything about holiday spending for the rest of the year? i think it's expected to be up 11% this year over last is that it bodes well for the spring buying season and st. patrick's day is the kickoff to the spreng buying seas

vera gibbons is here with a checklist. >> good morning. >> this is a make or break issue. >> it's a convolutedr. it comes from the third party management company from the clearinghouse. but if the bank is holding your loan directly you can say, send me someone state certified, someone with skill. >> you can't pick the appraiser but you have say over the quality? >> in some cases. if the bank is holding the loan directly you may have a little bit of say. you want to say, are they designated with a professional organization? you want someone who knows what they are doing with your home. >> next are the comparables. this is something that feels mysterious to people. >> this is the most important part of the process. long before the appraiser comes to check out the condition, inspect it, pull up comps. these are homes that have recently sold over the past six months comparable to yours in terms of age, size, condition. start your research on zillow, for example, for a general feel. you have to take the initiative here. what's happening is some of these appraisers are using outdated comps or comps