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BUSINESS

New Low: 23% Say They Owe More Money Than A Year Ago

While the economy continues to stumble along, fewer Americans than ever report they owe more money than they did a year ago.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 23% of American Adults say they owe more money than they did last year at this time.  That’s the lowest level measured since regular tracking began in early April 2009.  Thirty-seven percent (37%) say they owe less money than a year ago, up six points from the previous survey.  Nearly as many (36%) say they owe about the same amount.  (To see survey question wording, click here.)  

When it comes to interest rates, 21% believe they’re paying higher rates than a year ago. That, too, is the lowest level measured since April 2009. Prior to this survey, this finding has ranged from a low of 22% in May and April to a high of 32% in October 2009. 

Seventeen percent (17%) now report that they’re paying lower interest rates than last year at this time, while a majority (56%) say they’re paying about the same amount.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).  Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on September 11-12, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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