Personal finance scarier than terrorism for consumers
(02 March 2007)

Britons are more concerned about their own financial situation than the threat of a terrorist attack, a new survey claims.

According to bank Abbey, climate change and everyday crime also cause much fewer sleepless nights than money worries.

Today's research shows that finances are perceived as the biggest threat to the quality of life in the UK by 24 per cent of respondents.

In contrast, 11 per cent cited crime as their major worry, while terrorism and climate change were mentioned by fewer than one in ten and one in 20 respectively.

However Abbey's survey suggests that Britons are optimistic about their overall outlook, with half of adults anticipating a successful 2007 and a third looking forward to the following year too.

"People are generally positive about their quality of life in 2007 and the much-publicised issues around crime and the environment don't seem to be denting this optimism," said Sue Hayes, the bank's director of product development.

"The real concern for people is money and we are hoping that this is a signal that people are planning to get more engaged with their finances in 2007."