POLL: Confidence Remains Steady

Consumer confidence remains in a holding pattern after a slow but steady rebound from its record slide in August.

The ABC News/Washington Post Consumer Comfort Index stands at -13 on its scale of +100 to -100. It's been in a three-point range the last three weeks, still below its average for 2007 and its long-term average alike.

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Consumers face mixed economic news, with the Fed's rate cut, stock rally and a better-than-expected September jobs report countered by tighter credit and the soft housing market.

INDEX -- The ABC/Post index is based on Americans' ratings of the national economy, personal finances and the buying climate. Sixty-one percent rate their personal finances positively, customarily the strongest by far of the three measures, up seven points over the last month. Thirty-five percent rate the national economy positively, six points below the 2007 average, and 34 percent call it a good time to buy things.

TREND -- The CCI rebounded in September after its largest-ever one-week drop, nine points, to -20 in mid-August. It's since regained and steadied at its midsummer levels. The CCI has averaged -8 in 2007 -- on track as its best annual average since 2001 -- and -9 in weekly polls since late 1985.

The index peaked at +38 in January 2000 and bottomed out at -50 in February 1992.

GROUPS -- As usual, the CCI is higher in better-off groups. It's +33 among higher-income Americans while -53 among those with the lowest incomes, +2 among those who've been to college while -47 among high-school dropouts, -11 among whites but -32 among blacks and zero among men versus -24 among women.

Partisan differences continue this week: The index is +17 among Republicans but -16 among independents and -31 among Democrats.

Here's a closer look at the three components of the ABC/Post CCI:

NATIONAL ECONOMY -- Thirty-five percent of Americans rate the economy as excellent or good; 37 percent rated it so last week. The highest was 80 percent on Jan. 16, 2000. The lowest was 7 percent in late 1991 and early 1992.