Consumers feeling less secure financially than three months ago

CONSUMERS’ financial confidence has taken a knock in the last three months, according to a survey, although investor sentiment has shown signs of improvement.

The latest quarterly financial confidence index from financial services firm Standard Life shows a reading of 53.3 for the first three months of 2010. This was down from the 54.6 level measured in the final quarter of last year – which also happened to be the first time the index had risen in nearly two years.

While the previous index showed most consumers believed the worst of the economic crisis was over, the latest edition of the survey is thought to reflect reaction to the conflicting forecasts for economic growth.