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2026-05-25 20:26:11
[US Economic Confidence Falls to Lowest Level Since 2022, Installment Payments Become a Necessity for Low-Income Groups] ⑴ The Gallup Economic Confidence Index further declined to -45 in May, lower than April's -38, marking its lowest point since October 2022, but still higher than the previous low of -58 in June 2022. ⑵ From a transaction psychology perspective, the continuous weakening of this index reflects the accumulating pessimism among American households regarding inflation, energy prices, and growth prospects. This may suppress consumer spending in the coming months, thereby dragging down corporate profit expectations. ⑶ Meanwhile, another Gallup survey shows that about 10% of Americans frequently use installment payments online, and another 17% use them occasionally; cumulatively, 51% have used installment payments, while 48% have never used them. (4) Significant income disparities: Among households with an annual income of less than $48,000, 37% frequently or occasionally use installment payments, while the figures for middle-income and high-income households are 29% and 21%, respectively, indicating that installment payment tools are becoming an important means for low-income groups in the United States to manage cash flow pressure.
