• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 16, 2001

U.S. Consumer Investors Undeterred

Consumer attitudes and anticipations are important at this time in the planning process. Here's a release of an overnight poll from September 12th.

In the wake of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks, American adults will not spend less or alter their investment decisions, and won’t necessarily change their personal behavior apart from cutting down on their flying, particularly over the next few days, reports Harris Interactive, in an Internet poll. This online poll of 4,610 U.S. adults was conducted by Harris over the evening of September 11 and the early morning of September 12. The weighting methods to reflect the U.S. adult population were the same as those used by Harris Interactive to predict the results of last year's presidential election with great accuracy.

The poll indicates that, in the short term, Americans won’t change their investment/spending habits. The poll also found that many Americans believe that the investment/financial situation in the U.S. will worsen in the weeks to come and that the stock market in particular will suffer.

Which of the following do you think you will probably do because of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks?

  +-----------------------------+------+------+  |                             |  No  | Yes  |
+-----------------------------+------+------+  | Sell stocks I own           | 99%  |  1%  |  | Spend less and/or save more | 77%  | 23%  |  | Keep more cash on hand      | 81%  | 19%  |
+-----------------------------+------+------+  

Over the next few weeks, do you think stocks will go up a lot, go up a little, stay about the same, or go down a little or go down a lot?

Go up a lot - 2%
Go up a little - 7%
Stay about the same - 9%
Go down a little - 30%
Go down a lot - 35%
Not sure - 17%

Because of Tuesday’s events, do you think that the following will be better or worse investments over the next weeks and months?

  +-----------------------+-------+------+--------+------+  | Investment type
| Worse | Same | Better | Not  |  |                       |       |      |        | Sure |  +-----------------------+-------+------+--------+------+  | Stocks                |  51%  | 21%  |   7%   |
21%  |  | Corporate bonds       |  32%  | 32%  |   5%   | 31%  |  | Mutual funds          |  32%  | 35%  |   6%   | 28%  |  | Money market funds    |  29%  | 36%  |   7%   | 28%  |  | Government bonds
|  22%  | 33%  |  20%   | 25%  |  | Bank/savings deposits |  16%  | 56%  |   9%   | 20%  |  | Real estate           |  14%  | 54%  |  10%   | 22%  |  | Gold/precious metals  |  10%  | 35%  |  31%   |
24%  |  +-----------------------+-------+------+--------+------+  

Would you be willing to give up some personal freedoms in order to have more security in public places?

Yes - 80%
No - 20%

Are you likely to change any aspect of your personal life or routine in order to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of terrorism?

Yes - 35%
No - 65%

Would you be afraid to fly on an airplane in the next few days?

Yes - 64%
No - 36%

Avoid flying for the next few months?

Yes - 37%
No - 63%

Buy more emergency supplies to have at home?

Yes - 23%
No - 77%

Cut down on visits to big cities and other possible targets?

Yes - 27%
No - 73%

Cancel or reduce overseas travel?

Yes - 15%
No - 85%

Find out more here.