American Pulse™: Majority Say Geithner Shouldn’t Be Confirmed and
                 Don’t Trust the Government is Looking Out for their Financial Interests

                Would They Rather...Get a Lump Sum Tax Rebate or Decreased Taxes?

COLUMBUS, OH – (MARKET WIRE) – 1/26/09 – With the expected confirmation of Geithner, it appears that Congress and the people are at odds, according to the January American Pulse™ (N=4107). 55.9% believe he shouldn’t be confirmed because of failing to pay his income taxes. Further, 62% disagree/strongly disagree with the statement, “The U.S. government is looking out for my financial interests.”

As the new administration works out a stimulus package, Americans weigh in on how they would prefer to get money if it does come their way. 69.9% would rather get a lump sum rebate check, while 30.1% say decreased tax withholdings. Either way, it seems Americans would not be pumping the money back into the economy.

How would you use the money? (Top 3)

Those Who Prefer Lump Sum Rebate   Those Who Prefer Decreased Tax Withholdings
Pay down credit card (36.9%)                   Save it (44.9%)
Save it (32.6%)                                        Pay down credit card (33.1%)
Pay down installment loans (30.0%)          Pay down installment loans (30.2%)

Other key findings:        

·        42.9% say their debt is too high; 63.6% say their savings are too low.

·        28.6% are concerned about the health of their 401K/IRA/Investments.

·        26.1% are worried that the value of their home has declined.

For complimentary findings: http://americanpulse.bigresearch.com.

About American Pulse™
The American Pulse™ Survey is collected online by BIGresearch every month exclusively utilizing Survey Sampling International’s (SSI) U.S. panel covering topics such as politics, pop culture and the economy. Over 4,000 respondents participate, providing greater insights into how Americans really feel about issues they currently face. http://www.bigresearch.com

About Survey Sampling International (SSI)
Survey Sampling International is the premier global provider of sampling solutions for survey research. SSI offers access to more than 6 million consumer and business-to-business research respondents in 54 countries via Internet, telephone, and mobile. Additional client services include custom profiling, survey programming and hosting, data processing, sampling consulting, and survey optimization. SSI serves more than 1,800 marketing research clients, including nearly three-quarters of the top researchers worldwide. Founded in 1977, SSI has an international staff of 400 people representing 50 countries and 36 languages. The company is based in Shelton, CT with 14 additional offices worldwide. http://www.surveysampling.com

Contacts:
BIGresearch                                                     SSI
Chrissy Wissinger                                              Diane Urso
chrissy@bigresearch.com                                  diane_urso@SurveySampling.com
614.846.0146                                                     203.567.7236