Skip to Main Content

Strategic Business Insights (SBI) logo

New in the 2010–11 MacroMonitor

New Loss-Aversion and Discount-Rate Questions

For more information about these new 2010–11 MacroMonitor questions, watch our mini-presentation, Behavioral Finance and the MacroMonitor: Losses, Gains, and Time in the New Normal.

Loss Aversion

Consider a bet based on the toss of a (fair) coin. If the coin turns up heads, then you win $20; if the coin turns up tails, you lose $2. Would you make this bet? For each of the following bets, please record whether you would make these bets.

Please provide an answer for every row.

Heads Tails Yes No
You win $20 You lose $2
You win $20 You lose $4
You win $20 You lose $8
You win $20 You lose $12
You win $20 You lose $16
You win $20 You lose $20

Discount Rate

Suppose you did some work for pay. When the time came for payment, you had the following choice: You can have $100 today or, if you are willing to wait one year, you have a guarantee to receive more. For each of the following choices please record which choice you prefer.

Please provide an answer for every row.

$100 today - or - $110 in 12 months
$100 today - or - $125 in 12 months
$100 today - or - $150 in 12 months
$100 today - or - $175 in 12 months
$100 today - or - $200 in 12 months
$100 today - or - $250 in 12 months

New Financial-Needs Questions

We are asking respondents to evaluate the importance of their household's financial needs and the usefulness of their current financial products and services for meeting those needs. Among other types of analysis, survey results from these questions can be combined to produce a gap analysis showing opportunities for financial institutions. We can produce a gap-analysis report for any population of interest such as current customers, life stage segments, or demographic or socioeconomic groups.

For more information about these new 2010–11 MacroMonitor questions, watch our mini-presentation, Financial Needs in the New Normal: From Measurement to Insight, where we discuss why and how the questions were developed and how they will be used.

The new questions follow.

Please rate how important the following financial needs are for your household.

Use the following rating scale:
1 — Not at all important
2 — Somewhat important
3 — Important
4 — Very important

  1. Paying for purchases without cash
  2. Accessing cash
  3. Having credit available for everyday purchases
  4. Minimizing basic monthly expenses
  5. Maximizing money for non-basic purchases
  6. Accessing account information
  7. Having credit available for emergencies
  8. Replacing sufficient income if a wage earner dies
  9. Replacing sufficient income if a wage earner becomes disabled
  10. Protecting against loss of property
  11. Protecting against loss of savings and/or investments
  12. Protecting against financial crimes
  13. Saving money for use in the near future
  14. Saving money for use in the distant future
  15. Investing money for use in the near future
  16. Investing money for use in the distant future
  17. Borrowing money to finance a home
  18. Borrowing money to finance large purchases (not a home)
  19. Planning financial goals with the help of a professional
  20. Relying on a professional for financial transactions
  21. Managing finances without the help of a professional
  22. Planning finances out for the next one-two months
  23. Considering a budget for the next one-two months

Please think about the financial products and services your household currently uses. How useful are these products or services for fulfilling the financial needs you rated above?

Use the following rating scale:
1 — Not at all useful
2 — Somewhat useful
3 — Useful
4 — Very useful
5 — Does not apply

Please rate how useful your household's financial products and services are for:

  1. Paying for purchases without cash
  2. Accessing cash
  3. Having credit available for everyday purchases
  4. Minimizing basic monthly expenses
  5. Maximizing money for non-basic purchases
  6. Accessing account information
  7. Having credit available for emergencies
  8. Replacing sufficient income if a wage earner dies
  9. Replacing sufficient income if a wage earner becomes disabled
  10. Protecting against loss of property
  11. Protecting against loss of savings and/or investments
  12. Protecting against financial crimes
  13. Saving money for use in the near future
  14. Saving money for use in the distant future
  15. Investing money for use in the near future
  16. Investing money for use in the distant future
  17. Borrowing money to finance a home
  18. Borrowing money to finance large purchases (not a home)
  19. Planning financial goals with the help of a professional
  20. Relying on a professional for financial transactions
  21. Managing finances without the help of a professional
  22. Planning finances out for the next one-two months
  23. Considering a budget for the next one-two months