Americans Feel Economy Is Worse Than Statistics Suggest Due to Inflation and Borrowing Costs

• Americans remain pessimistic about the economy despite statistics showing improvement

• Inflation may be underestimated due to a change in measurement methodology since 1983

• Higher borrowing costs for mortgages, cars, etc. are not captured in inflation metrics

• If measured as in the 1970s, inflation may have peaked around 18% rather than 9%

• People have a better sense of their economic reality than statistics suggest