Two new surveys suggest that financial optimism is on the rise. But even with the improving numbers, among average Americans, those who are upbeat about their personal finances are outnumbered by the pessimists, and we're still wary of buying stocks.
The news from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis was mixed Wednesday. Consumer spending rose in October, but just barely. Incomes were up a bit, but savings did too. And employment figures were just conflicted.
Too scared to spend amid today's economic uncertainty, homeowners are just saying no to remodeling. The number of homeowners who say the economy has them shying away from renovations jumped from 69% in the spring to 80% now, and remodeling contractors report their business is down 3.81% over the last 12 months.
The American consumer's financial health is showing signs of improvement, but the weak job market continues to derail the nation's economic recovery -- particularly for people in the lower income brackets, according to September's Consumer Reports Index, released on Tuesday.
The S&P 500 was up by only 4% in the first half of 2011, and it fell about 1% in the second quarter. Will it end there? A sell-off may be about to begin that would take the index lower for the full year. Here are half a dozen reasons why one of history's most impressive stock market runs may have ended.
Last week, oil's ascent trumped a raft of healthy U.S. economic reports. With a relatively light slate of economic data scheduled this week, oil prices and political turmoil in the Middle East could play an even larger role in the trading sessions ahead. [Video]