Marcela Leiros – Cenarium Magazine
MANAUS – The number of indebted people in Brazil reached the highest level in 12 years, with 77.5% of families with a “dirty name”. This is what indicates the Survey of Consumer Debt and Indebtedness (Peic), of the National Confederation of Trade of Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC). Faced with this large amount, CENARIUM talked to experts who indicate that the habit of families to consume beyond their income, added to inflation, are putting Brazilians in “bad straits”.
The survey considers the debts to fall due, spending with post-dated checks, credit cards, overdraft checks, store credit cards, consigned credit, personal loans, car and house mortgages. The data refer to the month of March and, according to the confederation, this is the highest value in the index in the last 12 years. According to Peic, a year ago, the proportion of indebted people was 67.3%, 10.2 points below the current percentage.
To CENARIUM, psychologist Calvino Camargo analyzed the consumption relationship of Brazilian families, recalling that the issue is how families relate what they receive per month to what they buy.
“The indebtedness of Brazilian families today has to do with how much they receive is not enough to cover their daily needs: food, housing, etc. Now we have a middle class with a certain willingness to consume at random, on what they don’t need and what is not planned. This is an important psychological fact. It, in a way, contributes to a type of consumption without planning”, he explained.
“The market focuses on people who can afford to consume. And the current situation is a decrease of the C class gain. You have an expectation of consumption, but cannot afford to maintain it”, he also pointed out.
In debt
Debts have complicated the life of designer Thiago Alencar. In 2019, he took out a R$ 5,000 loan to help his mother, but he became unemployed and had to postpone the payment. Today, the amount owed stands at R$20,000.
“At the time I was a commissioned civil servant and I was counting on not being fired. But with the change of government that took place that same year, I was fired and I already knew that my mother would not be able to help me with the loan installments. To make matters worse, I only got a job at the end of the same year and so I was already a few months in debt,” he said.
“Just when I thought I would be able to start paying, the pandemic ‘burst’ and I was unemployed again. It is worth mentioning that at the time of the loan I was also paying Fies [Student Financing System] that I currently also owe,” he added.
Income versus inflation
Economist Denise Kassama reminds that the income of Brazilians in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), fell 9.7% in relation to the same period last year, and 1.1% in relation to the previous quarter. And there is still the accumulated inflation of more than 10%. “It is almost a miracle to find someone who is not in some kind of debt,” she said.
Kassama gave families tips on how to pay their bills. “It is necessary to understand that the family’s income has decreased and adapt to the new reality. Evaluate all the family’s expenses and organize them in order of priorities. For example, food purchases should be ahead of dinners out and, finally, analyze the expenses and how to reduce them to fit the reality of the family’s income”, she explained.
Compartilhe:
Comentários
