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 March 30 through April 5 using a randomly selected sample of 838 adults statewide (aged 18 and over) who report that they participate in financial decisions in their household. The sampling error for 838 adults is +/- 3.5 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence.  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..

Question: If you were suddenly to get an extra $1000, do you think you would

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

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

 

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results

Copyright © 2009, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. FDU PublicMind Poll [Latest update 090413]