According to the data from the consumer propensity indicator calculated by the Credit protection Service (SPC Brazil) and by the National Confederation of Shopkeepers (Cndl), four out of ten consumers (38%) claimed to be in red at the end of 2017, or Be, without being able to pay all accounts; And 45% say they are on the budget limit. Only 13% have plenty of resources, which shows an immense majority still in a situation of tightening.

With the accounts at the limit, almost half of the consumers (48%) want to lower the spending level next month. Among these, the main reason is the high level of prices, cited by 24%, in addition to unemployment (18%), the constant search for saving (18%); and indebtedness and the difficult financial situation (16%).

For the chief economist of SPC Brazil, Marcela Kawauti, the year-end extra income can help alleviate this picture, but one should not rely solely on this. "The payment of the 13th salary can alleviate the situation of the consumer, but it is worth remembering that this is a temporary income increase. Once the budget balance has been restored, the consumer needs to keep track of spending, setting priorities and making adjustments when necessary. It is a constant task that requires discipline, but that makes a difference in the consumer's financial well-being, "he says.

Excluding grocery items, the products that consumers plan to acquire throughout January are mostly clothing, footwear and accessories (27%), remedies (17%), mobile recharge (13%), perfumes and cosmetics (10%), furniture (8%), among others.

Credit card: 47% admit increase in invoice value. Average spending was R $1,035

In November, the credit usage indicator, which measures the use of the main modalities and maps the expenses and items most purchased via credit by the Brazilian consumer, scored 23.7 points. The scale of the indicator varies from zero to 100, and the closer to 100, the greater the number of users and the frequency of the use of the modalities.

According to the survey, six out of ten (63%) Brazilian consumers did not utilize any form of credit in November, such as loans, financing lines, credit cards and credits. The remainder (37%), however, mentioned at least one modality which they had resorted to during the period. The credit cards (31%), crediary (10%) and the special check (5%) were the most used modalities. There are also 3% of consumers who have resorted to loans and 3% to financing.

Nearly half of the (47%) credit card users increased the invoice value in the last month of November. For 30%, the value remained stable against the previous months, while only 19% noticed a decrease in the total to be paid on the invoice. Considering the interviewees who remember the value of the last month, the average spending was R $1,034.75. The items of first need as food in supermarkets (66%) and remedies (51%) were the most acquired by means of credit card. Fuel costs (36%), bars and restaurants (33%), clothes and footwear (31%) and mobile recharge (15%) occupy the other ranking positions.

22% of those who have taken loans or financing have overdue parcels

According to the survey, almost half (47%) of the Brazilians consulted considers that it is currently difficult to obtain loans or financing in the market. Only 11% consider hiring easy.

When trying to make a split purchase in commercial establishments, 27% of the consumers had the credit denied in November, with 10% of the CPF negated and 8% the lack of proof of income or did not have sufficient income to acquire the good Intended. The poll also shows that, considering the consumers who have loans and financing currently, 27% admit that there were delays along the contract and 22% said they were at the moment with outstanding payment parcels, which totalizes Approximately 49% of consumers struggling to honour these types of commitments.

"When taking a loan, the consumer should not accept the proposal of closed eyes. You need to analyze how much you pay interest and see if the amount of the parcels will not compromise the income and payment of other commitments. Otherwise, the consumer will only be postponing a problem, "The Economist analyses.

Local reality

According to the survey carried out by the House of Shopkeepers (CDL) with the Credit protection Service (SPC Brazil), 14,215 people ended last year with the name on the "black list" of debtors of the Credit protection Agency. In the same period of 2016, 13,362 consumers have accumulated some debt. Which represents the 6% increase.

Methodology

The indicator covers 12 capitals of the five Brazilian regions: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza, Brasília, Goiânia, Manaus and Belém. Together, these cities add up to approximately 80% of the population residing in the capitals. The sample of 800 cases consisted of persons aged 18 years or older, of both sexes and of all social classes. The margin of error is 3.5 percentage points. Data were collected between December 1 and December 15, 2017.