Consumer Confidence news and trends

Consumer Confidence Marks Big Gain Despite Inflation Concerns
Economy // October 29, 2024

One week ahead of the election, we’re living in what might charitably be called uncertain times. And yet, as measured by The Conference Board’s latest reading of its Consumer Confidence Index, consumers are optimistic about what’s on the horizon. As reported on Tuesday (Oct. 29)...

Credit Card Delinquencies Crept Up in September Amid Renewed Spending
Credit Cards // October 27, 2024

Consumers spent with confidence last month as retail sales climbed. And as Seeking Alpha noted in its “Credit Pulse” report Sunday (Oct. 27), much of that spending happened with credit cards, with loans at seven major card issuers increasing slightly — 0.4% month over month...

NY Fed Sees Four-Year High in Consumers Expecting to Miss Minimum Debt Payment
Consumer Finance // October 15, 2024

A growing percentage of consumers think they could miss a minimum debt payment in the next three months. Consumers’ delinquency expectations increased for the fourth consecutive month in September and reached the measure’s highest level since April 2020, according to a Tuesday (Oct. 15) press...

U. Mich. Consumer Index Slips Amid Unexpected Frustration Over High Prices
Economy // October 11, 2024

Consumer sentiment inched down in early October amid continued frustration over the prices of goods and services. While it dipped a “meager” 1.7% or 1.2 index points — a figure that is within the margin of error — it marked a change from the gains...

Interviews & Exclusives
Mixed Economic Signals: Strong Jobs Report, but Declining Confidence

October 07, 2024
Monday (Oct. 7) marked a double dose of economic data that provided a continued diet of mixed signals. First up, the Federal Reserve’s latest data on consumer credit showed an overall slowdown in the annualized gain for credit overall in August, ratcheting down to a 2.1% pace, down sharply from 6.3% in the previous month. Mix […]

Consumer Confidence Drops to 2-Year Low as Paycheck-to-Paycheck Segment Struggles

September 24, 2024
For lower-income consumers, the most vulnerable subset of the paycheck-to-paycheck economy, the outlook is, in a word … gloomy. As measured in the latest reading by The Conference Board, the...

Connecting The Dots: Consumer Confidence, Inventories Tell Separate Economic Tales 

August 28, 2019
Economic data points are frozen in time – and yet taken collectively tell tales.  The latest readings on consumer confidence and on business inventories and shipments seem to hint at...

Online Fraud Detection Sizzles, iPhone Shares Fizzle — And Some Upbeat Economic News

June 02, 2017
Sizzle Online fraud falls — a LOT: Contrary to popular opinion — and perhaps contrary even to logic — the fraud fight has given a round to the good guys, even...

Quick Reads
Primark Owner Forecasts Uptick in Lower-Income Consumer Confidence

November 05, 2024
The head of Associated British Foods has predicted rising confidence among lower-income consumers. As the Financial Times (FT) reported Tuesday (Nov. 5), George Weston made this forecast in light of the Labour government’s budget, while also predicting that his company would be set back by “several tens of millions” due to some of the changes. […]

Credit Card Delinquencies Crept Up in September Amid Renewed Spending

October 27, 2024
Consumers spent with confidence last month as retail sales climbed. And as Seeking Alpha noted in its “Credit Pulse” report Sunday (Oct. 27), much of that spending happened with credit...

NY Fed Sees Four-Year High in Consumers Expecting to Miss Minimum Debt Payment

October 15, 2024
A growing percentage of consumers think they could miss a minimum debt payment in the next three months. Consumers’ delinquency expectations increased for the fourth consecutive month in September and...

U. Mich. Consumer Index Slips Amid Unexpected Frustration Over High Prices

October 11, 2024
Consumer sentiment inched down in early October amid continued frustration over the prices of goods and services. While it dipped a “meager” 1.7% or 1.2 index points — a figure...