economic conditions, economy, Personal financial situation
Q. Over the next 12 months do you think your personal financial situation will get better, get worse or stay much the same?
| 29 Mar 10 | 28 Jun 10 | 18 Oct 10 | |
| Total better | 40% | 29% | 33% |
| Total worse | 23% | 31% | 29% |
| Get a lot better | 8% | 5% | 6% |
| Get a little better | 32% | 24% | 27% |
| Get a little worse | 17% | 21% | 21% |
| Get a lot worse | 6% | 10% | 8% |
| Stay much the same | 33% | 37% | 32% |
| No opinion | 4% | 4% | 5% |
33% think their own personal financial situation will get better over the next 12 months and 29% worse – 32% think they will stay much the same.
This is a little more optimistic than the June result – an increase from net -2% to +4%.
Among full-time workers 41% think their situation will get better and 27% worse while those who are not working are more pessimistic – 27% better/32% worse/36% much the same. Comments »
economy, EMC, ER, essential report, finances, Interest rates, Personal financial situation
Q. Will the recent increase in official interest rates make you personally better or worse off financially?
| % | |
| Total better off | 15% |
| Total worse off | 41% |
| Much better off | 2% |
| A little better off | 13% |
| A little worse off | 31% |
| Much worse off | 10% |
| Make no difference | 40% |
| Don’t know | 4% |
41% of people think that the recent increase in official interest rates make them worse off personally, 15% think the interest rate increase will make them better off and 40% think it will make no difference to their personal financial situation.
People aged 55 years and over were more likely to indicate that the increase in official interest rates will make them better off (36%) while middle aged people were more likely to indicate that it will make them worse off (53% of 25 – 34 year olds, 54% of 35 – 44 year olds).
People in full-time work were more likely to indicate that the interest rate increase will make them worse off (55%).
Perception that the rise in interest rates will make people worse off increased with salary – 46% of people earning $600 – $1000 per week/46% of those earning $1000 – $1600 per week and 49% of those earning $1600+ per week think it will make them worse off. 55% of those earning $600 per week or less think the interest rate increase will make no difference to their personal financial situation.