Consumers worried about money

The index rose marginally to 51.1 points in the first quarter from 50.1 points in the fourth quarter of last year‚ indicating that household cash flow was affected to such an extent that it created a high risk of consumers becoming financially vulnerable and unable to repay debts.

The BMR said that consumers had to manage their finances in a difficult economic environment in the first quarter.

"The pressure that consumers are experiencing on the income‚ expenditure‚ and debt servicing fronts due to‚ among others‚ a difficult economic environment‚ is sufficient to limit their ability to save‚" the BMR said.

The index is a comprehensive consumer finance indicator which measures the cash flow vulnerability status of four components - income‚ expenditure‚ savings and debt‚ and combines the results from these four into an average.

The survey is base on data from 1‚277 households.

The report says that some 65.4% of consumers experienced a state of financial insecurity during the first quarter and that consumers in all income groups experienced debt servicing pressure.

BMR head of personal finance research unit Bernadene de Clercq said debt servicing pressure had come down over the past two years because of lower interest rates‚ but that this had been offset by increasing costs such as those for electricity and municipal rates and taxes.

De Clercq said the macroeconomic situation was still very volatile.

This volatility‚ she added‚ still weighed heavily on the financial vulnerability of millions of households who were still struggling to find employment‚ derive an income‚ service debts and earn enough money to cover expenses.

Source: Business Day via I-Net Bridge