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Tag Archives: CredAbility

U.S. Households Barely Out of Financial Distress in Q1

U.S. households experienced higher levels of financial distress in the first quarter as they faced budget constraints and a drop in the savings rate, according to the CredAbility Consumer Distress Index. With a score below 70 indicating a state of financial distress, households barely stayed out of distress with a score of 70.7 out of 100 in the first quarter of this year, down from 71.77 in the previous quarter, CredAbility reported.

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U.S. Households Stay Out of Financial Distress for Third Straight Quarter

For the first time since 2008, U.S. households stayed out of financial distress for three consecutive quarters, according to the Consumer Distress Index from CredAbility, a nonprofit counseling agency. In Q4 2012, households scored 71.8 out of 100, an increase from 70.48 in Q3 and 67.60 in Q4 2011. A score below 70 indicates a state of financial distress. Despite the recent improvements, Mark Cole, EVP for CredAbility, warned of threats that still remain.

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Households Stay Out of Financial Distress for Two Straight Quarters

Based on the stronger performance of the consumer distress index, CredAbility said the ""stage of strong holiday spending"" may be set. With a score below 70 indicating a state of financial distress, the distress index sat higher at 70.5 out of 100 in the third quarter. In the second quarter, the index was also above 70 at 71.3. For the first time since early 2008, the credit counseling agency says consumers have managed to stay out of financial distress for two consecutive quarters.

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Average U.S. Households Almost Out of Financial Distress

The Consumer Distress Index, published by CredAbility, found the average U.S. household is under less financial stress these days, most likely due to factors such as added jobs and the mild winter weather this year. Overall, U.S. households scored 69.9 out of 100 points, with a score under 70 indicating a state of financial distress. While still 0.1 points shy of rising above the distress category, the score is an improvement from the previous quarter's 67.6. Also, 69.9 is the highest score since the 2008 third quarter and the 2.3 point increase from the previous quarter is the highest quarterly jump in seven years.

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As Home Values Sink, CredAbility Counsels More Borrowers

With more homeowners finding themselves underwater alongside the availability of programs offering potential relief, CredAbility reported that it recently counseled the highest number of homeowners since June 2011. CredaAbility, a national nonprofit organization that offers free counseling to homeowners, provided guidance and advice to 6,433 homeowners in February, a 16 percent increase compared to January.

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Consumers Still in Distress Despite Job Gains and Credit Boost

Overall, the addition of 683,000 new jobs and the best credit picture in more than 15 years helped improve the financial health for the average U.S. household, but these gains were offset somewhat by a decline in net worth and tight household budgets, according to the Q4 2011 report from CredAbility. A score below 70 indicates financial distress, with U.S. households scoring 67.6 on the 100-point scale for this quarter, a smidge higher than the previous quarter, which was at 66.7.

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Consumers’ Financial Health Takes Hit in Third Quarter

A deteriorating housing picture, coupled with an increase in expenses and a drop in consumer confidence, led to a sharp decline in consumers' financial health during the third quarter. The nonprofit credit counseling agency CredAbility puts out a regular quarterly index measuring consumer distress. Between July and September, the gauge recorded its largest drop since the third quarter of 2008. CredAbility's data show the average consumer has been in distress for 12 straight quarters now.

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CredAbility Announces National Hispanic Outreach Initiative for 2012

CredAbility has announced the launch of its 2012 ""Reconstruye tu Futuro"" campaign, which will leverage grassroots efforts, social media networks, and traditional media communication to reach those in the Hispanic community who are at risk of foreclosure. With more than 50 million Hispanics in the United States and a downturn economy, CredAbility says Latino individuals and families have been more deeply impacted than other minority populations. By leveraging key financial tools, CredAbility aims to help Latino individuals, families, and communities recapture their American Dream.

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Study: More Households Pay Bills on Time and Live Within Their Means

Lenders continue to battle the headwinds of high unemployment, a stalled economic recovery, and a backlog of bad loans from the heyday of the housing boom - all playing into a marketplace stressed with high levels of delinquencies and complex resolutions. But the underpinnings of a new age of creditworthy, financially savvy borrowers are beginning to take shape. The counseling agency CredAbility says its Consumer Distress Index has improved for three consecutive quarters.

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First-Quarter Data Show Consumer Distress Beginning to Ease

The nonprofit counseling agency CredAbility released the results of its first-quarter Consumer Distress Index Thursday. While the average U.S. household is still in financial distress - and has been for 10 consecutive quarters - the agency says the index has hit its highest score in two and a half years. CredAbility attributed the positive movement to the fact that employment levels rose and consumers now have a better handle on managing household budgets. On the flip side, the score dropped in the housing category.

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