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Stock Market

Would Investing $1000 in the Stock Market Be a Good or Bad Idea?

Which of the following do you think is the best long-term investment -- [ROTATED: bonds, real estate, savings accounts or CDs, stocks or mutual funds, (or) gold]?

Gold

Real
estate

Stocks/
Mutual
funds

Savings
accounts/
CDs

Bonds

Other
(vol.)

No
opinion

National adults

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

2011 Aug 11-14

34

19

17

14

10

1

5

Stock owners

2011 Aug 11-14

34

17

26

11

9

*

4

* Less than 0.5%

(vol.) = Volunteered response

Do you personally or jointly with a spouse, have any money invested in the stock market right now -- either in an individual stock, a stock mutual fund, or in a self-directed 401(k) or IRA?

Yes

No

No opinion

%

%

%

2011 Aug 11-14

59

41

1

2011 Apr 7-10

54

45

1

2010 Apr 8-11

56

43

1

2009 Dec 11-13

61

37

2

2009 Apr 6-9

57

42

1

2008 Dec 12-14

58

41

1

2008 Sep 26-27

61

38

1

2008 Apr 6-9

62

37

1

2008 Jan 30-Feb 2

63

36

1

2007 Apr 2-5

65

34

1

2007 Mar 2-4

58

40

2

2006 Oct 6-8

63

35

1

2006 Apr 10-13

61

38

1

2005 Apr 4-7

62

38

*

2005 Mar 18-20

60

39

1

2004 Apr 5-8

61

38

1

2004 Jan 2-5

65

34

1

2003 Jun 9-10

61

37

2

2003 Apr 7-9

60

39

1

2003 Jan 10-12

62

37

1

2002 Oct 3-6

59

40

1

2002 Jul 29-31

66

34

*

2002 Jul 26-28

63

35

2

2002 Jul 22-24

56

43

1

2002 Jul 5-8

60

39

1

2002 Jun 28-30

67

33

*

2001 Aug 3-5

61

38

1

2001 Apr 6-8

62

36

2

2001 Mar 14 ^

64

35

1

2000 May 5-7

54

44

2

2000 Apr 7-9

62

37

1

2000 Mar 10-12

61

37

2

2000 Jan 7-10

61

38

1

1999 Oct 21-24

60

39

1

1999 Sep 10-14

57

42

1

1999 Jun 4-5

57

42

1

1999 Apr 30-May 2

58

40

2

1999 Mar 12-14

61

39

*

1998 Sep 1

60

39

1

* Less than 0.5%

^ Based on one-night poll

Which of the following do you think is the best long-term investment -- [ROTATED: bonds, real estate, savings accounts or CDs, (or) stocks or mutual funds]?

Real
estate

Savings
accounts/
CDs

Stocks/
Mutual
funds

Bonds

Other
(vol.)

No
opinion

National adults

%

%

%

%

%

%

2011 Apr 7-11

33

24

24

12

3

5

2010 Apr 8-11

29

28

22

14

3

4

2009 Apr 6-9

33

34

15

12

2

5

2008 Sep 26-27

26

31

23

13

2

6

2008 Apr 6-9

27

29

27

12

2

3

2007 Apr 2-5

31

37

18

10

1

2

2002 Jul 29-31

18

50

16

13

1

2

Stock owners

2011 Apr 7-11

32

19

34

9

3

2

2010 Apr 8-11

29

21

32

14

2

2

2009 Apr 6-9

33

31

20

12

2

2

2008 Sep 26-27

26

26

30

13

2

3

2008 Apr 6-9

35

22

28

13

1

2

2007 Apr 2-5

43

36

11

9

1

1

2002 Jul 29-31

22

53

11

12

1

1

(vol.) = Volunteered response

If you had a thousand dollars to spend, do you think investing it in the stock market would be a good or bad idea?

Good
idea

Bad
idea

Depends
(vol.)

No
opinion

%

%

%

%

2009 Dec 11-13

43

54

2

1

2008 Apr 6-9

33

62

3

2

2007 Apr 2-5

50

46

2

3

2006 Oct 6-8

54

41

2

2

2006 Apr 10-13

43

50

4

4

2005 Apr 4-7

45

51

2

2

2004 Apr 5-8

47

48

3

2

2004 Jan 2-5

53

43

2

2

2003 Jun 9-10

41

57

1

1

2003 Apr 7-9

34

63

2

1

2002 Jul 29-31

37

58

3

2

2002 Jul 22-24

31

63

3

3

2002 Jun 21-23

45

51

2

2

2002 Apr 8-11

47

48

3

2

2001 Apr 6-8

42

53

2

3

2001 Jan 10-14

42

53

3

2

2000 Dec 2-4

46

49

2

3

2000 Oct 13-14

57

36

2

5

2000 Jan 7-10

67

28

2

3

1999 Oct 21-24

51

44

2

3

1999 Sep 10-14

60

33

3

4

1999 June 4-5

60

34

3

3

1999 Mar 12-14

59

35

3

3

1998 Sep 1

46

48

3

3

1998 Apr 17-19

65

28

4

3

1997 Oct 30

46

47

3

4

1997 Oct 27

53

43

1

9

1997 Jul 25-27

62

33

1

4

1994 Mar 9-10

38

46

9

7

1990 Feb

26

68

2

4

(vol.) = Volunteered response

Thinking ahead to a year from now, do you think the stock market will be [ROTATED: much higher, somewhat higher, about the same, somewhat lower, (or) much lower] than it is today?

Much
higher

Some-
what
higher

About
the same

Some-
what
lower

Much
lower

No
opinion

%

%

%

%

%

%

2009 Dec 11-13

7

45

32

10

4

3

2002 Jul 29-31

11

47

28

7

3

4

2002 Jul 26-28

7

45

26

13

4

5

2002 Jun 28-30

5

29

38

19

6

3

2001 Apr 6-8

10

44

29

9

4

4

2001 Jan 10-14

5

29

34

19

6

7

In the past year, have you taken any money out of the stock market and put it elsewhere, or not?

(Asked of those who have taken money out of the stock market) Have you taken all of your money out of the stock market, or only some of it?

2008 Dec 12-14

National
adults

Own stock/
Owned in
past year

%

%

Yes, taken money out

14

23

Taken all money out

(5)

(8)

Taken some money out

(9)

(15)

No, not taken money out

48

76

Have not owned stock

37

--

No opinion

1

1

(Asked of those who have owned stock in the past year) In the past year, would you say you have -- [ROTATED: lost a lot of money in the stock market, lost a little money, (or) not lost any money in the stock market]?

[ASKED OF THOSE WHO HAVE OWNED STOCK IN THE PAST YEAR]

Lost a lot

Lost a little

Not lost any

No opinion

2008 Dec 12-14

48%

39

12

1

(Asked of stock owners) As a result of the problems on Wall Street in recent weeks, have you taken money out of the stock market, seriously considered doing so, or not seriously considered doing so?

Taken
money out

Seriously
considered

Not seriously
considered

No
opinion
2008 Sep 26-27

8%

20

70

1

In considering the financial difficulties of Wall Street institutions, do you feel that it is a bad situation, but the worst is behind us, or do you think the problem may get worse in the future?

Worst
behind us

Problem may
get worse

No
opinion

%

%

%

2008 Sep 26-27

23

73

4

Thinking now about foreign stocks and mutual funds, which invest in companies that are based in foreign countries, when Americans invest in foreign stocks, do you think that is -- [ROTATED: good for the U.S. economy, does not have much of an effect either way, or is bad for the U.S. economy]?

Good for
the economy

Not have
an effect

Bad for the
economy

No
opinion

2007 Mar 2-4

32%

24

32

12

(Asked of stock owners) How much thought have you, personally, given to investing in foreign stocks -- a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or none at all?

Great
deal

Moderate
amount

Not
much

None
at all

No
opinion

2007 Mar 2-4

9%

22

33

36

1

(Asked of stock owners) Looking ahead, do you think you are more likely to -- [increase, make no changes, or decrease] -- the amount you invest in -- [ITEMS ROTATED]?

A. Foreign stocks

Increase

Make no
changes

Decrease

No
opinion

2007 Mar 2-4

12%

72

12

5

B. Domestic stocks

Increase

Make no
changes

Decrease

No
opinion

2007 Mar 2-4

44%

49

6

2

(Asked of stock owners) Do you, personally, have any money invested in foreign stocks right now, or not?

Yes

No

No opinion

2007 Mar 2-4

36%

57

7

Thinking about how your stocks have performed over the past year, would you say your investments made money, lost money or stayed about even over the past year?

[ASKED OF STOCK OWNERS]

Made
money

Lost
money

Stayed
even

No
opinion

2006 Apr 10-13

54%

8

36

2

2002 Jul 5-8

13%

52

34

1

How much attention do you pay to your investments -- a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or none at all?

[BASED ON STOCK OWNERS]

A great
deal

Moderate
amount

Not
much

None
at all

No
opinion

2005 Mar 18-20

27%

52

17

4

*

* Less than 0.5%

Who makes most of the decisions regarding your investments -- [RANDOM ORDER: you or your spouse, your employer, (or) a financial advisor]?

[BASED ON STOCK OWNERS]

You/
Spouse

Employer

Financial
advisor

Other
(vol.)

No
opinion

2005 Mar 18-20

70%

7

22

1

*

(vol.) = Volunteered response

* Less than 0.5%

Are you comfortable -- or uncomfortable -- with the idea of managing your own investments?

Comfortable

Uncomfortable

No opinion

2005 Mar 18-20

74%

23

3
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