Ipsos-Reid CASH Index: At 73.8, Lowest Rating of 2002

Confidence in Local Economic Prospects Drives Worries; In October, Only 29% Say Their Local Economy Will Improve in Next Six Months, While 17% Expect Local Economy to Get Worse

Washington, D.C. - The Ipsos-Reid CASH Index--an index of Consumer Attitudes and Spending by Household -- stands at 73.8 in two October surveys, down from 79.2 in our mid-September and early -- October survey and down 26.2 points since May. The outlook for the local economy contributes most to negative consumer attitudes, and local economic expectations have not been more negative than they are now in any previous 2002 survey.

Other factors that are components of the index remained low, but did not decline so decisively over the past few weeks. In general, local economic expectations seem to presage declines in confidence in investing, comfort with making purchases, assessment of personal finances and expectations for finances and job security. The sharp drop on local economic expectations in the current Ipsos-Reid CASH Index therefore might be an early warning of further declines in other aspects of consumer attitudes in coming months.

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These surveys were conducted by Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs, the Washington, D.C.-based division of Ipsos, which is the world's third largest polling and market research organization, based in Paris. Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs is a non-partisan, objective public affairs research company. The Ipsos-Reid Consumer Attitudes and Spending by Household (CASH) Index polls are conducted the first and third week of every month, as part of Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs weekly omnibus polling service. Interviews for the latest polling were conducted between October 1 to 3 and October 15 to 17, 2002. The margin of error for the questions on each rolling average of two consecutive surveys totaling 2000 adults is +/- 2.2%, nineteen times out of twenty.

How Ipsos-Reid CASH Index Scores Changed since January 2002

The following chart depicts the net change in the CASH Index rating based on each of the economic factors used to generate the Index.

Ipsos-Reid CASH Index (Ipsos-Reid Index of Consumer Attitudes and Spending by Household) Index Score Changes Since January 2002 - National -

    For more information on this release, please contact: Thomas Riehle President Ipsos-Reid US Public Affairs 202.463.7300

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