FDU PublicMind - July 6, 2009 Release

Background Memo

The most recent poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind was commissioned by the Silberman College of Business and conducted by telephone from June 22, 2009, through June 28, 2009, using a randomly selected sample of 716 adults statewide (aged 18 and over) who report that they participate in financial decisions in their household. The sampling error for 716 adults is +/- 4 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. Samples for some questions are smaller as noted. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. Interviews were conducted by professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection >is achieved through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a land line (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected. Results are also mathematically weighted to match known demographics.

Question: Would you say you (and your family) are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?

Question: Would you say you and your family living there are better off or worse off financially than you were a year ago?

Question: Now looking ahead—do you think that a year from now you (and your family living there) will be better off financially or worse off?

Question: Have you, or anyone of your relatives or close friends lost a job in the past year?

Question: In the past year… did you let the unpaid balance on your credit card increase?

Question: In the next 12 months, do you expect to let the unpaid balance on your credit card increase?

Question: Now thinking about the outstanding balance on your credit cards-- how difficult is it to make payments on the balances? Would you say it is..

Very Difficult
Somewhat Difficult
Not Very Difficult
Not At All Difficult

Question: Do you feel confident or not confident that life for our children’s generation will be better then it has been for us?

Question: [If employed] How worried are you that you might lose your job in the next 12 months…?

Very worried
Somewhat worried
Not very worried
Not at all worried

Question: [If employed, ask…] If you were to lose your job tomorrow, how long could you live off your savings?

0 months/no savings
1 or 2 months
3 to 5 months
6 months or more

Question: [If employed, ask…] If you were to lose your job tomorrow, how long could you live off your savings…READ?