Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior, January 2015

The Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior series (also
known as the Surveys of Consumers) was undertaken to measure changes in
consumer attitudes and expectations, to understand why such changes occur, and
to evaluate how they relate to consumer decisions to save, borrow, or make
discretionary purchases. The data regularly include the Index of Consumer
Sentiment, the Index of Current Economic Conditions, and the Index of Consumer
Expectations. Since the 1940s, these surveys have been produced quarterly through
1977 and monthly thereafter.
The surveys conducted in 2014 focused on topics such as
evaluations and expectations about personal finances, employment, price
changes, and the national business situation. Opinions were collected regarding
respondents' appraisals of present market conditions for purchasing houses,
automobiles, computers, and other durables. Also explored in this survey were respondents' types of savings and financial investments, loan use, family income, and retirement planning.
Other topics in this series typically include health care, personal investments, the national economy, and economic behavior.
Demographic information includes ethnic origin, sex, age, marital status, and
education.