More Americans fear missed payments
Households also grew more worried about being able to pay their bills, the New York Fed’s survey found. Respondents’ perceived likelihood of missing a minimum debt payment over the next three months rose to 14.6%, the highest level since April 2020, near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The past few months have shown a resurgence in price increases in many food and energy products,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. “Coupled with shelter costs that continue to increase faster than many workers’ wages, the pressure on household budgets is unrelenting.”
Consumers are understandably worried about an economic slowdown as tariffs roll out, according to Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree.
Economists say Trump’s tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico are bound to raise prices on a host of consumer goods. One recent report found that 86% of Americans surveyed said trade tensions are likely to hit their wallets.
“There’s just an enormous amount of uncertainty around the economy right now as we watch the early days of the new administration play out,” Schulz said. “People don’t have any idea what things will look like in three to six months, and that’s really unnerving.”
Consumer confidence is falling
The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index sank in February, notching the largest monthly drop since August 2021. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index similarly found that Americans largely fear that inflation will flare up again.
“The truth is that millions of Americans are doing okay right now, but feel like their financial situation could go from pretty good to pretty dicey in a hurry if they were to encounter a job loss, a medical emergency or some other unexpected event,” Schulz said.
“That’s a scary place to be,” he added.
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