20/11/2023 – 12:00
The end of the year is also characterized by the fact that many families carry out the traditional balance of accounts and the projection for 2024. According to a survey carried out by Serasa Comportamento, in partnership with Opinion Box, when it comes to balancing the accounts, at least 9 out of every 10 Brazilians seek to cut expenses in search of financial balance.
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Still according to the study, in 73% of Brazilian homes the subject is frequently discussed at the table, with particular emphasis on the states of Roraima (81%), Piauí (79%), Amapá (78%), Acre and São Paulo with (77%).
For financial educator and director of Multimarcas Consórcios, Fernando Lamounier, cutting expenses is, commonly, the last stage that savers should apply to their finances.
“Financial planning is necessary to organize your expenses in advance, and if possible, make an emergency reserve for the months with the highest volume of expenses”, he advises.
The survey also points out that, currently, Brazilians are concerned with financial organization. At least 85% of those interviewed admitted to having the habit of checking their finances, with 6 in 10 doing so every month, while 11% say they have never checked their expenses. The above-average states in this sense were Piauí, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul and Goiás.
While people from Brasilia are more concerned about not getting into debt (51%), people from Minas Gerais, for example, prefer to have a security reserve (45%). Gauchos seek to improve their money management (46%) and Potiguares prefer to pay off debts (36%).
“The main objective of the finance organization is to help these consumers avoid debt, have a cash reserve for emergencies and improve the management of the use of capital”, highlights Lamounier.
Among the financial organization practices adopted by Brazilians, it is possible to identify reactive consumer behavior, such as cutting unnecessary expenses. Furthermore, 72% have or have already made reserves for investments or savings. However, there is no culture in the country to seek financial education courses – a practice adopted by only 3 in 10 consumers.
Still based on data released by Serasa and Opinion Box, 85% of Brazilians have experienced at least one situation of financial imbalance in the last 12 months. Of these, 21% declared that they spent more than they should have, 20% renegotiated the payment of a debt or paid their credit card bill in installments, 19% delayed their card bill because they were unable to pay at the time, and 16% had to prioritize one debt more important in relation to another.
The search for credit is common among consumers, as 3 out of 4 Brazilians have already contracted this type of product at some point in their financial trajectory. 53% of those interviewed used credit card limits, which corroborates the high rate of defaulters in the market, while 48% opted for a personal loan and 21% used payroll loans.
“Brazilians have been using credit for everyday purchases and the ability to pay in installments has led them to believe that by dividing a purchase the debt becomes smaller, when in reality, people are just anticipating next month’s debts”, he explains. The specialist.
The motivation for applying for credit on the market is, for the most part, to pay off debts (35%), clear one’s name from restrictions on credit protection agencies (21%), to make an emergency expense (19%), take care of health (12%) and shopping at the supermarket (10%). The survey revealed that the most optimistic Brazilians are in Amazonas, Pará, Roraima, and Amapá. Maranhão, Pernambuco and São Paulo present the most pessimistic indicators.
The expert emphasizes that, in order to have a healthy financial life and not go into the red, it is important to follow some steps such as mapping your total income, separating fixed expenses in your budget, outlining variable expenses and organizing debts.
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