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The Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior series (also known as the Surveys of Consumers) was undertaken to measure changes in consumer attitudes and expectations, to understand why such changes occur, and to evaluate how they relate to consumer decisions to save, borrow, or make discretionary purchases. The data regularly include the Index of Consumer Sentiment, the Index of Current Economic Conditions, and the Index of Consumer Expectations. Since the 1940s, these surveys have been produced quarterly through 1977 and monthly thereafter.

The surveys conducted in 1974 focused on topics such as evaluations and expectations about personal finances, employment, price changes, and the national business situation. Opinions were collected regarding respondents' appraisals of present market conditions for purchasing houses, automobiles, computers, and other durables. Also explored in this survey, were respondents' types of savings and financial investments, loan use, family income, and retirement planning.

This survey was undertaken to assess consumer sentiment and buying plans. Open-ended questions were asked concerning evaluations and expectations about personal finances, employment, recession, price changes, and the national business situation. Additional variables probe respondents' buying intentions for a house, automobiles, appliances, and other consumer durables, and the respondents' appraisals of present market conditions for purchasing houses and other durables. Other variables probe respondents' opinions of government, government price controls, government spending, bureaucrats, income tax filing and returns, and the relative merits of new and old small cars, as well as their financial status relative to the previous year. Information is also provided on respondents' choice of presidential candidate in the 1972 election, stock ownership and other forms of investment, car ownership and the cost, make and use of it, their spending plans for their income tax refunds, and savings. Demographic variables provide information on respondents' age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education, occupation, employment status, and family income.

The Survey of Long-Term Care Awareness and Planning was designed to measure the attitudes of Americans ages 40-70 towards long-term care (LTC), retirement planning, and insurance policy preferences. Few people have private LTC insurance, and Medicare does not cover LTC. Many older adults pay for LTC out of their income and personal savings until they are poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. Others, to avoid exhausting their financial resources and relying on Medicaid, depend on unpaid family support or go without needed services. The Survey of Long-Term Care Awareness and Planning collected data on LTC in order to help inform federal policy in this area.

The survey collected respondents' current health information, willingness to take risks, plans for disability care, retirement preparation, and insurance coverage. Part of the survey was a discrete choice experiment (DCE) or conjoint analysis designed to elicit respondent preferences on specific features of LTC insurance. This section included choices on daily benefit, benefit period, deductible period, health requirements, type of insurer, monthly premium, and voluntary or universal. Respondents were also asked about the types of investments they had, where they received health information, opinions on the US healthcare system, whether they had been diagnosed with specific health conditions, willingness to make lifestyle changes due to a disability, concerns about long-term disability care, and opinions on who should be responsible for the costs of LTC. Demographic information collected includes age, education, household size, race, gender, income, marital status, and region.