American Pulse: Despite Bailouts Most Consumers Confident in Personal Banks, Not Washington

COLUMBUS, OH--(Marketwire - October 23, 2008) - Perhaps illustrating a case of 'it can't happen to me,' the majority of Americans remain confident in their personal banks, despite recent government bailouts of failing financial institutions. According to the October American Pulse of 4,048 respondents, 61.5% are confident or very confident in the financial strength of their personal bank.

Washington officials, however, don't fair as well with only 1 in 5 (20.4%) adults confident in Washington's ability to repair the fractured U.S. economy. 48.8% of adults 18+ have little confidence, while 3 in 10 have no confidence at all. Heading into an election where undecided voters may still hold the key, it's imperative the Candidates restore consumer confidence in Washington.

Which one of the following best describes your feelings about the ability
of Washington officials to repair the U.S. economy?

                    Adults 18+   Republicans   Democrats   Undecided Voters
                    ----------   -----------   ---------   ----------------
Very Confident         2.9%          4.8%         2.4%           0.2%
Confident             17.5%         20.9%        17.6%          15.6%
Little Confidence     48.8%         50.4%        49.9%          54.6%
No Confidence         30.8%         23.9%        30.1%          29.6%

Source: BIGresearch, American Pulse, Oct. '08. N=4,048

(For complete complimentary findings, click here: http://americanpulse.bigresearch.com.)

It seems the lack of confidence in Washington has also translated into pragmatism regarding the upcoming holidays. Although they say they'll find a way to make it work, 1 in 4 adults 18+ say they have tighter gift budgets this year, likely a result of uncertainty regarding the November election and the uncertain economy.

Which of the following best describes your feelings about gift giving
during the upcoming December Holiday Season?

                                 Of those who celebrate the Holiday Season:
                                       Adults 18+  Republicans  Democrats
                                       ----------  -----------  ---------
Gifts just aren't in the budget          12.1%         9.3%       12.8%
I'm scared about how I'll pay for gifts  10.9%         8.7%       12.4%
We've tightened our budget               25.3%        24.3%       27.3%
No change from previous years            16.9%        19.7%       13.6%

Source: BIGresearch, American Pulse, Oct. '08. N=4,048

About American Pulse™

The American Pulse™ Survey is collected online by BIGresearch every month exclusively utilizing Survey Sampling International's (SSI) U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. Over 4,000 respondents participate, providing greater insights into how Americans really feel about issues they currently face. http://www.bigresearch.com.

About Survey Sampling International (SSI)

Survey Sampling International is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI offers access to more than 6 million consumer and business-to-business research respondents in 54 countries via Internet, telephone, and mobile. Additional client services include custom profiling, survey programming and hosting, data processing, sampling consulting, and survey optimization. SSI serves more than 1,800 marketing research clients, including nearly three-quarters of the top researchers worldwide. Founded in 1977, SSI has an international staff of 400 people representing 50 countries and 36 languages. The company is based in Shelton, CT with 14 additional offices worldwide. http://www.surveysampling.com

Contact Information: Contacts: BIGresearch Dianne Kremer 614.846.0146 SSI Diane Urso 203.567.7236