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	FULL COVERAGE
• Poll Vault: ABCNEWS 2001 Poll Archives
	IN DETAIL
• Consumer Confidence
	RELATED STORIES
• Poll: Confidence Weakens
• Poll: Confidence at 3-Month Low

Consumer confidence was already reeling from a surge in joblessness and a plunge in corporate profits. Economists worry that the this week's attacks could induce a bunker mentality that exacerbates the downturn.

The ABCNEWS/Money magazine index fell into negative territory this week, dropping four points to its lowest level since March 1997. The index stands at -4 on its scale of +100 to -100.

The index — a meausre of consumer confidence in the national economy, their personal finances and the buying climate — has declined steeply in the past month, losing 11 points.

The Index has averaged +7 this year, compared to annual averages between +24 and +29 the previous three years.

Confidence has had a tough year: The index fell seven points in one week in January (tying the one-week record), six points in one week in February, five points in one week in March and another five points in one week in April. Now it's lost another seven points in the last three weeks.

ABCNEWS/Money Index
Today	-4
Aug. 12	+ 7
May 27, 2001	+ 1
Jan. 7, 2001	+23
2001 Average	+ 7
Jan. 16, 2000	+38 Record high
2000 average	+29  Best full year
1992 average	- 44  Worst full year
Feb. 9, 1992	- 50  Record low
Average since 12/85	- 8

A Closer Look

Here's a closer look at the three components of the ABCNEWS/Money index:

  NATIONAL ECONOMY — Forty-three percent of Americans rate the nation's economy as excellent or good, down two points from last week. The best was 80 percent Jan. 16, 2000. The worst was 7 percent in late 1991 and early 1992.

  PERSONAL FINANCES — Sixty-one percent rate their own finances as excellent or good, down one point from last week. The best was 70 percent, set Aug. 30, 1998 and last matched in January 2000. The worst rating was 42 percent on March 14, 1993.

  BUYING CLIMATE — Forty percent say it's an excellent or good time to buy things they want and need, down a point from last week. The best was 57 percent Jan. 16, 2000. The worst was 20 percent in fall 1990.

Methodology

The ABCNEWS/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index represents a rolling average based on telephone interviews with about 1,000 adults nationwide each month. This week's results are based on 1,014 interviews in the month ending Sept. 9 and have an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Field work was conducted by ICR-International Communications Research of Media, Pa.

The ABCNEWS/Money index is derived as follows: The negative response to each index question is subtracted from the positive response to that question. The three resulting numbers are then added and divided by three. The index can range from +100 (everyone positive on all three measures) to -100 (all negative on all three measures). The survey began in December 1985.

Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our Poll Vault.