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Minnesota: Finances

Evaluation of Personal Financial Situation
Trend in Personal Financial Situation
Interest Rates

Evaluation of Personal Financial Situation

Poll	Date	In debt	About even	Ahead	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	November 11-13, 2005	35%	34%	27%	4%	600	± 4.1

1 "Thinking about your money ... are you in debt, are you about even, or are you ahead?"

Trend in Personal Financial Situation

Financial Situation Compared to One Year Ago

Poll	Date	Better off	About the same	Worse off	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Humphrey Institute¹	October 21-26, 2004	25%	48%	26%	0%	609 LV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR²	July 12-14, 2004	23%	53%	23%	1%	625 RV	± 4.0
Humphrey Institute¹	June 21 – July 12, 2004	26%	52%	23%	0%	589 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	27%	53%	18%	2%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	21%	60%	19%	0%	627 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 5-6, 2001	35%	51%	14%	0%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. Would you say that you and the people in your household are better off, worse off, or just about the same financially as you were a year ago?"

2 "In the past year, has your household's financial situation gotten better/improved, worse or stayed about the same?"

Predication of Future Financial Situation

Poll	Date	Better off	About the same	Worse off	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 12-14, 2004	28%	58%	8%	6%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	19%	61%	16%	4%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	16%	67%	15%	2%	627 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	February 5-6, 2001	21%	62%	15%	2%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Looking ahead to a year from now, do you think that your household will be better off financially, worse off or about the same?"

Debts and Payments Compared to One Year Ago

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	October 11-12, 2001	18%	78%	4%	625 RV	± 4.0
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	20%	76%	4%	627 RV	± 4.0

1 "Would you say that your car loans, credit card debt, mortgage payments or other consumer debt have become more of a burden in the past year?"

Rise in Home Prices

Poll	Date	Positive	Negative	No effect	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Pioneer Press / MPR¹	July 2-5, 2001	28%	18%	53%	1%	627 RV	± 4.0

1 "In many parts of Minnesota, home prices have risen quickly in the past few years. Thinking of your personal situation, has this been a positive development for you, a negative development or has it had no effect?"

Interest Rates

View of Rising Interest Rates

View¹	July 12-14, 2004
I view this favorably because savings will earn more interest	25%
I view this unfavorably because loans will cost more	9%
I have mixed feelings about this	60%
No opinion	7%
Poll	Pioneer Press / MPR
Sample	625 RV
MoE	± 4.0

1 "As you may know, interest rates have apparently started to rise after a long period of declining. Which one of the following is closest to your view?"