The index is based on views of the economy, the buying climate and personal finances. Fifty-two percent of Americans rate the economy positively. It's been fairly steady since mid-March after dropping sharply earlier. It's down 19 points since January.

Sixty-two percent say their finances are in good shape, unchanged over the last month, but down four points since the start of the year. Forty-one percent call it a good time to buy things, down six points since January.

Ratings of the Economy
	7/01/01	1/7/01	Record high	15-year average
National Economy	52%	71%	80%	41%
Buying Climate	41%	47%	57%	38%
Personal Finances	62%	66%	70%	57%

The index fell seven points in one week in January (tying the one-week record), another six points in one week in February, five points in one week in March, and five points in one week in April. Nonetheless, all three of the gauges remain above their 15-year averages.

 Interactive Look at Confidence Data

ABCNEWS/Money Index
Today	+ 3
Last week	+ 4
Four months ago	+12
Jan. 7, 2001	+23
Jan. 16, 2000	+38 Record high
2000 average	+29  Best full year
1992 average	- 44  Worst full year
Feb. 9, 1992	- 50  Record low
Average since 12/85	- 9

A Closer Look

As usual, confidence is higher among better-off Americans. The index is +35 in higher-income households but -38 in the lowest-income households. It's +22 among college graduates but -34 among high-school dropouts. Among whites it's at +8, while it's -22 among blacks. It's +9 among men but -2 among women.

Here's a closer look at the three components of the ABCNEWS/Money index:

  NATIONAL ECONOMY — Fifty-two percent of Americans rate the nation's economy as excellent or good, down one point from last week. The best was 80 percent Jan. 16, 2000. The worst was 7 percent in late 1991 and early 1992.

  PERSONAL FINANCES — Sixty-two percent rate their own finances as excellent or good, unchanged from last week. The best was 70 percent, set Aug. 30, 1998 and last matched in January 2000. The worst rating was 42 percent, on March 14, 1993.

  BUYING CLIMATE — Forty-one percent say it's an excellent or good time to buy things they want and need, the same as last week. That's down from a best of 57 percent on Jan. 16, 2000. The worst was 20 percent in fall 1990.

Methodology

The ABCNEWS/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index represents a rolling average based on telephone interviews with about 1,000 adults nationwide each month. This week's results are based on 1,026 interviews in the month ending July 1 and have an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Field work was conducted by ICR-International Communications Research of Media, Pa.

The ABCNEWS/Money index is derived as follows: The negative response to each index question is subtracted from the positive response to that question. The three resulting numbers are then added and divided by three. The index can range from +100 (everyone positive on all three measures) to -100 (all negative on all three measures). The survey began in December 1985.

Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our Poll Vault.