2008 Financial Health Results
Financial health is an obvious area of concern for Nebraskans as evidenced by the survey respondents. The Community Action Needs Assessment Survey contained eight questions dealing with respondents' finances. The questions addressed respondents' credit card debt, their ability to pay bills on time, use of payday lending, money management skills, and whether their household income meets their needs. The questions are designed to gauge how Nebraskans are able to manage finances on their current income.
Forty-two percent disagree that it would be easy to pay off all credit card debt, fifty-eight percent worry about how to make ends meet, and sixty-two percent agree there is never enough money at the end of the month. All of this suggests that families may not be getting by with their current income and are struggling to cover all of their expenses.
Focus group respondents from Beatrice had this to say about payday lending and cash advance stores: "[Issues with payday lending and cash advance stores] all come back to financial literacy." A Kearney respondent urged the government to "limit lending" from payday loans and loan sharks and the Scottsbluff participants agreed that, "Cash advance places just make people go deeper into debt--yet it is the only kind of money people can get, so you never really catch up."
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 802 |
30.98% |
| Disagree a little | 290 | 11.20% |
| Agree a little | 260 | 10.04% |
| Agree a lot | 357 | 13.79% |
| Does not Apply | 796 | 30.75% |
| Blank | 84 | 3.24% |
| Total Valid | 2505 | 96.76% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 520 |
20.08% |
| Disagree a little | 319 | 12.32% |
| Agree a little | 779 | 30.09% |
| Agree a lot | 700 | 27.04% |
| Does not Apply | 208 | 8.03% |
| Blank | 63 | 2.43% |
| Total Valid | 2526 | 97.57% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 369 |
14.25% |
| Disagree a little | 461 | 17.81% |
| Agree a little | 613 | 23.68% |
| Agree a lot | 993 | 38.35% |
| Does not Apply | 92 | 3.55% |
| Blank | 61 | 2.36% |
| Total Valid | 2528 | 97.64% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 422 |
16.30% |
| Disagree a little | 370 | 14.29% |
| Agree a little | 699 | 27.00% |
| Agree a lot | 870 | 33.60% |
| Does not Apply | 149 | 5.76% |
| Blank | 79 | 3.05% |
| Total Valid | 2510 | 96.95% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 1358 |
52.45% |
| Disagree a little | 108 | 4.17% |
| Agree a little | 136 | 5.25% |
| Agree a lot | 93 | 3.59% |
| Does not Apply | 820 | 31.67% |
| Blank | 74 | 2.86% |
| Total Valid | 2515 | 97.14% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 1414 |
54.62% |
| Disagree a little | 155 | 5.99% |
| Agree a little | 154 | 5.95% |
| Agree a lot | 114 | 4.40% |
| Does not Apply | 661 | 25.53% |
| Blank | 91 | 3.51% |
| Total Valid | 2498 | 96.49% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 420 |
16.22% |
| Disagree a little | 456 | 17.61% |
| Agree a little | 747 | 28.85% |
| Agree a lot | 751 | 29.01% |
| Does not Apply | 163 | 6.30% |
| Blank | 52 | 2.01% |
| Total Valid | 2537 | 97.99% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |
| Response | Number of Respondents | Percent of Respondents |
| Disagree a lot | 891 |
34.41% |
| Disagree a little | 226 | 8.73% |
| Agree a little | 332 | 12.82% |
| Agree a lot | 222 | 8.57% |
| Does not Apply | 750 | 28.97% |
| Blank | 168 | 6.49% |
| Total Valid | 2537 | 97.99% |
| Total | 2589 | 100% |