[firestarter]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('strider3700', 'T')he telling number is the consumers view of 6 months from now, It was in the mid 80's Even the general public is starting to see a doomer future.

Basically they are starting to think things are going to get worse.

[strider3700]

actually the only reason I know the 6 month out figure is because CNBC mentioned it and said it had barely changed from last months 6 month out figure

[strider3700]

The current view is all rosy good but the 6 month out view is doom and gloom. It was last month as well. This makes sense, today I have a job some money in the bank and food in my belly. 6 months from now I have my doubts that all 3 will be coming as easily.

[Ghog]

I really do think most people believe things are getting better.

Think of it like this. You know how the psychologists speak of people becoming desensitized to violence? This is the same thing. Gas prices go much higher, get people accustomed to them though they may not like it, and then they lower them again. Next time around people are not as worried because they have seen it all before. They are 'confident' the prices will come back down. On with our lives sheeple.

It should be the COI= Consumer Over-confidence Index.

[clueless]

The "Consumer Confidence" survey is architected, no doubt , by the same spinmeisters who engineered the housing bubble.

Wasn't this the same type of propaganda that Hitler used ?

[grabby]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cheaplaughs2', 'T')he new consumer confidence report came out today and it's at the
highest level in 4 years.Let's see,energy prices near all time high's,
gm and ford falling apart, a war in IRAQ with no end in sight,debt
going through the roof,etc etc.Do they get these numbers from
a berkshire hathaway meeting or am I just living in a very real
black hole.Just wanted to know if anyone else think's this doesnt
make sense. Thanks for reading

[americandream]

De........nile!!

[skiwi]

Move down here and you'll get it

[url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10374912]New Zealand Economic confidence takes dive
[/url]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')eople's confidence about the economy is at its lowest level since the 1991 recession as high interest rates, the softening housing market and a slowing economy take their toll.

Consumer confidence fell to 109.3 - the lowest level in 5 years - from 110.1 in the December quarter last year, says the Westpac McDermott Miller confidence survey released today....

..."It's interest rates having their impact, higher debt levels and higher petrol and electricity prices," he said.

[Falconoffury]

I don't even understand what consumer confidence really means. Confidence in what?

[0mar]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'A')pparently, only 5000 families are surveyed:

http://www.conference-board.org/economi ... idence.cfm

The Consumer Confidence Survey is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for The Conference Board by TNS. TNS is the world's largest custom research company.

So we can trust this outfit and it's little survey to tell us how we all feel about what is going on, huh?

Makes sense to me!

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Falconoffury', 'I') don't even understand what consumer confidence really means. Confidence in what?

[Ghog]

Like you say, I guess the big questions is IF they sample correctly.

To me, I would think the most accurate indicator would be to take the same varied samples (income, race, geographic region, career type, ect) and use those same people over and over. How accurate is it to survey someone who works for GM one month and then next month someone who makes solar cells. One is and has been more stable as of late.

I guess a bigger question would be is anyone really secure, and hence confident, in the US? The World? Do we have reason to be? A report just today stated gas prices are averaging $.40/gal higher than this time last year and we all know what happened then.

The index is a farce designed to keep people spending.

[Eddie_lomax]

The suckers - eh voters in the UK are happy too, can't understand it either.

You can count on a story once a week on reuters (or daily from the "every story has a silver lining" BBC state news) about how house prices are set to go up, so many people are wishing it that its hard to imagine anything but endless "growth".

We've got sky high energy prices with gas and oil (coal has tripled too), rising unemployment, record high private debt, mounting public debt and no good news on the horizon.

But for the average Briton thats all irrelevant, what really matters for most people is they get their monthly check to pay the interest on their credit cards.

No one can afford to let this wild spending party stop, but when it does theres going to be one hell of a rude awakening for most of the UK.

[Ghog]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he random sample thing is important though, if you sampled the same people again it would not be a random sample anymore.

[basil_hayden]

Everyone's getting and spending their IRS check now, check the comsumer confidence index in October after Hurricane Gamma 2006.

[PolestaR]

New employment laws were passed this Monday in Australia. And a lot of people are unhappy about them. Basically it gives employers more rights, allows easier terminations, etc. In some cases I think being able to terminate incompetent workers quickly is good. However it can also be misused as an intimidation tactic and also to remove people managers personally don't like so much.

The usual response from people Ive spoken to now is something like this :-

"WTF? How could they pass such laws"

Even though it was advertised for ages it was going to happen, people don't care until it affects them. Nice indicator for our society on how we will react to any negative situation.

France is rioting over similar issues (unemployment and new laws).

Watch for the impact on "consumer confidence" these new laws will have in Australia.

[Vexed]

I'm curious has anyone ever had their confidence in consumption polled over the phone? I can't imagine how such a call would go if I answered.

----------

In similar meaningless news:

German Consumer Confidence Rises

Brazil Consumer Confidence Drops

New Zealand Consumer Confidence Drops: 5 1/2 year low

Netherlands Consumer Confidence Rises

Korean Consumer Confidence Improves

UK Consumer Confidence Falls

[Heading_for_the_hills]

Just listed on MSNBC-what gives?? MSM trying to make us think all is well?

Consumer Confidence highest in 4 years[web]http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12478734/