Datahead: Returning to Normal?
$600 million: Amount spent by some 1,000 lobbyists on the financial reform Act.
— Center for Responsive Politics
35% of people would gladly leave their big bank if it were easier.
— FindABetterBank.com
35% of people surveyed in 2010 stated that they “prefer to pay in cash for everything I buy”, which is down from 54% in 2002, but up from 18% in 2008.
— Visa U.K.
1 in 4 people in the U.S. now have a FICO score below 599. That’s 43.4 million people.
— FICO
1/2 of consumers say they are no longer on track to reach their savings goals for 2010. The key reasons cited were:
- Increase in cost of non-discretionary bills such as utilities, groceries and auto (58%)
- Unanticipated emergencies (30%)
- Difficulty balancing wants versus needs (20%)
- Buying on impulse (20%)
$14,000: Amount consumers said they would try to save at the beginning of the year.
$12,000: Amount they now say they’re shooting for.
— American Express
75% of Americans say their debt has not increased over the last six months. 38% say their debt has actually decreased.
— American Express
More Americans say they have been focused on paying down debt (46%) than saving (29%) this year.
— American Express
76 percent of financial professionals use social technologies at least monthly for business purposes.
— Forrester Research
Subprime borrowers got just 9%, or $44 billion, of all consumer loans in the fourth quarter. That is down from 18% in 2007′s second quarter.
— Experian
5.5% of consumer loans (excluding home loans) were at least 30 days past due at the end of the second quarter, down from the year-earlier 6%.
— Equifax Inc. and Moody’s Analytics
59% of people keep less that $500 in their checking account.
— Raddon Report
This article © 2012 by The Financial Brand and may not be reproduced.
Related Articles From The Financial Brand:
- No Loyalty: Bank Customers May Snap If Slapped With More Fees
- Overdrafts Pile Up As Opt-In Pays Off, But Were Consumers Misled?
- Study Shows Consumers Distrust Banks More Than Any Other Industry
- Free Checking Not Dead Yet at Credit Unions
“1 in 4 people in the U.S. now have a FICO score below 599. That’s 43.4 million people.
— FICO”
Wowzers.
Most credit unions and banks treat people with low credit scores as if they simply don’t exist. I guess the moment your FICO score drops below 600, you’re expected to evaporate silently.
There’s a huge opportunity here for those who can and will serve the “unbanked” with respect. There’s also a huge opportunity to do good.