Figuratively Speaking: Most U.S. executives see signs of recession

Percentage of American executives who say the primary recession evidence they see is that their investment and savings portfolios have taken a big hit: 24.6

Percentage who say the primary evidence is the rise in gas and food prices: 21.2

Percentage of U.S. executives who say they believe markets will recover from the current recession this year, according to a survey conducted by TheLadders.com: 56.5

Percentage of U.S. executives who say they are concerned a recession will have an impact on their income growth: 59.7

Percentage of affluent U.S. households (those with $500,000 or more in investable assets) that are likely to change their budget and spending habits due to the current economic climate, according to data from Spectrem Group: 42

Percentage who fear they’ll lose their jobs: 6

Feeling financially secure

Percentage of Americans who say they feel less secure about their financial situation compared to last year, according to the results of a Harris Poll: 38

Percentage who believe the economy will get worse in the coming year: 45

Percentage who believe the economy will improve in the coming year: 15

Percentage of Americans who say the top scenario that would most negatively impact their financial future is having their savings stolen because of fraud/theft, according to a survey from ING and conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs: 77

Percentage who say the second scenario that would most negatively impact their family’s financial future is their death or the death of their spouse or partner: 67

Eyeing the future

Among affluent professionals (lawyers, accountants, doctors and dentists), percentage of men who have financial plans, according to data from a study by the Spectrem Group: 66

Percentage of women in this group who have plans: 27

Big money

As of Dec. 31, 2006, worldwide institutional assets of the 500 largest money-management firms with some U.S. pension money, according to Pensions and Investments’ annual money-manager survey: $24.578 trillion

Fiscal factors

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are very or somewhat likely to reduce their overall debt level in 2008, according to an Experian/Gallup poll: 73

Percentage who say they plan to cut back on entertainment outlays: 49

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are not likely to read a book or take a course on personal finance: 58

Percentage who say they are not likely to reduce the number of credit cards they have: 56

Money quiz

Percentage of respondents who do not know that you have to pay both the interest on your entire balance as well as a late fee when making a late credit card payment, according to a survey by the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy: 69

Percentage of respondents who cannot identify the percentage that service fees typically take out of a $20 ATM withdrawal: 97

Percentage of respondents who knew that you can withdraw money from a Roth IRA for education expenses, your first home purchase and retirement spending: 16

Ready for retirement?

Percentage of couples with higher household income ($75,000 or above) who are in agreement about retirement savings, according to a study conducted by Harris Interactive for The Wall Street Journal Online: 67

Percentage of couples with incomes of less than $35,000 who are in agreement about retirement savings: 30

Percentage of U.S. financial advisers who say their clients are still planning a timely retirement, despite current financial woes, according to a survey conducted by Brinker Capital: 46

Of those U.S. financial advisers who say their clients are off track, percentage who attribute this to their clients’ starting saving too late: 63

Percentage of U.S. financial advisers who say their clients plan to work past age 65: 54

Percentage of Americans who say that they will be able to retire comfortably, according to a study released by Bankrate Inc.: 28

Percentage who say they’ll have just enough finances to get by when retired: 33

Percentage who say that they have set low expectations about their retirement prospects: 70

Dollars and cents

Percentage of Americans who prefer a dollar bill to a coin, according to a Harris poll: 76

Percentage who favor abolishing the penny: 24

Market capitalization

Rank of the Commercial Bank of China among the world’s largest banks in terms of market capitalization at the end of 2007, according to a study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group: 1

Number of Chinese banks among the world’s top four banks in terms of market capitalization at the end of 2007: 3

John MacIntyre is an author and former city magazine editor. His “Figuratively Speaking” column, launched in 1989, is published in more than 40 newspapers and magazines.