Two-thirds of people are worried about house prices, and are increasingly concerned about the economy.
File image. Photo: 123RF
The latest Financial Services Council (FSC) Financial Resilience Index has found 68 percent of 2000 survey respondents were worried about house prices, 65 percent were worried about interest rates, 79 percent were concerned about inflation and 43 percent were not confident in the New Zealand economy.
FSC chief executive Richard Klipin said: "After two years of the pandemic, how New Zealanders are feeling about their future is shifting, and this is reflected in their concerns about the economy, house prices and interest rates.
"The volatility of global and local markets as a result of Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine is likely to further reinforce this sentiment."
Trustees Executors chief executive Ryan Bessemer, and co-research sponsor, said the numbers were concerning, with a lack of financial preparedness evident in the results.
"Two in five respondents said they would be unable to access $5000 if something unexpected were to happen," Bessemer said.
"There has also been a drop in financial literacy of 5 percent from last year, which should be ringing alarm bells, as we face increasingly challenging economic conditions."
On the upside, feelings of job security were improved on previous years, with sentiment on a track to return to pre-pandemic levels.
"The silver lining is that job security and financial confidence are both on the rise, with 86 percent of New Zealanders reporting they are reasonably, very or extremely confident in making most financial decisions compared to 81 percent in 2021," Klipin said.