Money Anxiety Index for May 2013

The Money Anxiety Index (MAI) shows an increase in the level of financial anxiety in May.  The May preliminary index stands at 86.0 - an increase of 0.2 in the level of consumer financial anxiety  over last month, and  4.1 lower anxiety level from the same month last year.  

May 2013 (p)	April 2013 (R)	Change from last month	Same month last year	Change from last year
86.0	85.8	0.2	90.1	-4.1

*Preliminary (p) findings in mid month, and revised (R) at month end.  (January 1975 = 100).

Money Anxiety Index – historical perspective
The Money Anxiety Index (MAI) measured the level of consumers’ financial anxiety for over 50 years.  It spans from January 1959 to date.  MAI fluctuated from a high of 136.0 during the recession of the early 1980s, to a low of 40.3 in the mid 1960s.  The 50-year average is 71.5 (January 1975 = 100).

12-month time series

 What is the Money Anxiety Index?

The Money Anxiety Index (MAI) measures various economic indicators and factors associated with consumers’ level of financial worry and stress.  MAI differs from other indices of consumer confidence mainly because its measurement is objective rather than subjective. 

MAI measures how economic indicators are impacting consumers’ behavior (objective) rather than how consumers say they feel about the economy (subjective), which is the methodology used by survey-based consumer confidence indices.