October 2007 - The Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index is up six points to 93. Although consumer credit confidence has grown, negative perceptions still remain in the real estate industry with the impact of the subprime mortgage market and sharp increase in housing foreclosures. Additionally, the survey revealed the consumer level of awareness concerning child identity theft.

Child Identity Theft Awareness

Additional noteworthy results on child identity theft awareness include:

• 7 percent of consumers reported they know someone who has a child that was a victim of identity theft
• 55 percent of consumers who knew someone who had a child whose identity was stolen, said the person who stole the child's identity was a family member, while 33 percent said it was a non-family member
• 54 percent believe it is very likely that someone could use information from the Internet to steal a child's identity
• 19 percent believe a child's personal information from extracurricular activities such as a sports program could be used to steal their identity
• When asked to estimate out of every 100 children, how many have had their personal information stolen, the average estimate was 23 out of every 100

Consumer Credit Perceptions

The Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index rebounded from its August low point for the year at 82, with an increase in September to 87.

Additional survey results on consumer credit perceptions include:

• 26 percent of consumers said they would be comfortable making a major purchase in the next three months
• 12 percent of consumers know someone who has filed for bankruptcy or had a foreclosure in the past three months
• 45 percent of consumers are very comfortable with their current overall level of debt, including what they owe in terms of auto loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit cards, and any other debts or loans

About the Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index

The Experian-Gallup Personal Credit Index is based on a monthly nationwide survey of households and measures four key areas related to credit: level of debt, monthly payment burden, credit rating and debt extension capability. The sampling was conducted in July, August and September 2007 and included 3,029 adults, age 18 and over, randomly selected from across the country. The sampling error is plus or minus two percentage points.