Consumers Are Saving More and Spending and Borrowing Less

Americans are continuing to tighten their belts with almost two-thirds (63%) of Americans saying they are spending less overall and two-thirds (64%) saying they are less likely to take out a loan. They are also weaning themselves from plastic with one-third (33%) saying they are using their credit card less often than before.

These are the some of the results of The Harris Poll, a new nationwide survey of 2,681 U.S. Adults surveyed online between May 11 and May 18, 2009 by Harris Interactive.

Other changes in how Americans are spending, saving and borrowing behaviors include:

• Americans are saving their money in safe havens. One in five (21%) of those with personal savings and one in 10 (10%) of those with retirement savings have added bank savings and CD’s to their portfolios in the past six months.
• When it comes to their equity investments, Americans are staying the course. People are as likely to have added to stocks and mutual funds in their personal savings (8%) as to have moved personal savings out of stocks and mutual funds (9%). With their retirement savings, 10% have moved their retirement funds out of stocks and mutual funds and 7% have added to stocks and mutual funds.
• In spite of this fiscal restraint, many Americans have no cushion to weather a downturn, now or in their retirement years. Almost one-quarter of Americans (22%) say they have no personal savings and three in ten (30%) have no retirement savings.
• Middle aged and upscale Americans are cutting back most on their credit card spending. More than 4 in ten 40-49 year olds (45%) and 50-64 year olds (41%) year olds say they have used their credit cards less in the past six months. Four in ten of those earning $75,000 or more (41%) have used their credit cards less.

So what?

The economic crisis has profoundly affected consumers’ spending, saving and borrowing. Despite some shots of good news about the economy, consumers are not ready to start spending as they did before the economic crisis. But consumers don’t have to be alone during this crisis. Financial services firms can partner with them to help people save wisely and to borrow responsibly. Producers of consumer goods and services can help consumers economize by communicating value as well as small luxuries or simple pleasures. Companies might want to look into “giving back” to their communities at a time when Americans who do not have a cushion may be in need of help. It is especially important to communicate optimism so that Americans can begin to gain back confidence in their economic futures.