Survey: 1/3 Plan Cutbacks Linked to B&C Crisis

One-third of adult Americans plan to cut back on spending because of fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis, according to TNS, a New York-based provider of customized research and analysis.Of those surveyed, 17% said they planned big cutbacks in home improvement and major furniture outlays, vacation travel, and entertainment, and 14% said they would scale back on technology purchases, TNS reported. About 70% blamed subprime mortgage lenders for the crisis, followed by 60% who blamed the real estate and housing industry, 58% who blamed subprime mortgage borrowers, and 57% who blamed investors. The Internet-based survey was based on a national sample of 2,500 people 18 years of age or older, the company said. TNS can be found online at http://www.tns-global.com.