Bankrate.com is out with the monthly look at how Americans feel about financial security, and here to help break it down is Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com. So where do stand this month, Greg?
Recent stock market returns, housing data and the latest jobs report all have Americans feeling a bit better about their finances this month Lucas. Although the Financial Security Index rebounded to its highest level since June, this wasn't enough to tip it back into positive territory, with people still indicating a slight decline in financial security over the past 12 months.
How do people grade their overall financial situations?
We see some big differences here. Just 16 percent of retirees say their overall financial situation is better than one year ago -- that's the same reading as the unemployed. At the other end of the scale, 31 percent of those that are employed full time and one-third of households earning $50,000 per year or more report an improved overall financial situation versus one year ago.
Shifting gears a little bit, the Federal Reserve is now pledging to keep interest rates low until mid-2015. Does this make consumers more inclined to borrow money?
That's the very question we asked, and nearly 3 out of 4 Americans -- 74 percent -- said they are not more inclined to borrow money as a result. Just 23 percent said they are, and that's probably not the result the Fed was hoping to hear.
Thanks Greg. For more information on this month's Financial Security Index and to see how you stack up against other Americans, just visit our website Bankrate.com. I'm Lucas Wysocki.