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More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July Debts called in by parents Teenagers `scared of debt` Rising household costs could pressure people in debt Pensions debt may impact workers` retirement funds Welsh young adults `at highest risk of debt problems` Over 50s can`t afford to enjoy retirement because of debts Budget: tackling the nation`s debt Short-term debt: `no need for price control` The cost of clearing debt Education debt Tackling the national debt Number of mortgage deals on offer exceeds 3,000 Almost 5 million take on debt to pay household bills OECD: household debt more than 120% of disposable income Petrol price falls help people in debt Amount of mortgage debt taken on at lowest level in ten years Northern Ireland sees significant IVA rise Overdraft debt `becoming more expensive`

Consumer confidence up in February

10/03/2009

Consumer confidence rose for the first time since October 2008, according to Nationwide`s latest Consumer Confidence Index.

Nationwide said that despite weakening economic conditions, the outlook from consumers largely improved in February, compared with the previous month.

While consumers` opinions of the present situation continued to fall, the outlook for the future (Expectations Index) improved, as did consumers` feelings about spending (Spending Index). Only 16% of respondents felt that it was a bad time to make purchases on `big ticket` items such as fridges and hi-fi systems.

Nationwide’s chief economist, Fionnuala Earley, said: "Consumers` views about the current economic and labour market conditions are in line with the recessionary climate in the UK. However, their increased optimism about the future is encouraging. Spending confidence continues to be resilient, which could reflect the effect of sharp falls in interest rates on consumers` disposable incomes, but is also likely to reflect significant discounts available."

A spokesperson for Debt Advisers Direct said: "Improvements in consumer confidence could have a positive knock-on effect on the economy, but it`s important to be aware that overall conditions are likely to remain difficult for the foreseeable future, and consumers should be careful to restrict their spending and avoid getting into debt."

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Debt Advisers Direct offer free debt advice and a range of debt solutions, including debt management plans, debt consolidation loans and IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements).

More than 4 million fear they`ll be made redundant 16/12/2010 - According to R3`s quarterly personal debt tracker, more than 4 Consumers took on more mortgage debt in July 26/08/2010 - Consumers took on £2bn more mortgage debt than they repaid Debts called in by parents 26/08/2010 - According to research, `the bank of Mum and Dad` is Teenagers `scared of debt` 19/08/2010 - Nearly two thirds of teenagers are `scared` of debt, according