recession

If you're finding it a bit easier to snag a table at your favorite restaurant lately, don't go crediting your debonair charm or your glowing Yelp review. Eateries really are less crowded these days.

With all the varied estimations of the chances that the U.S. is headed into a new recession, someone must have gotten it right ... right? But whom?

Nearly every homeowner has some ideas for a makeover, but with the housing market as it is, many of us have chosen to put them on hold. Now, there are positive signs on the horizon that might encourage you to break out the tools.

A rocky economy could adversely affect newborns, according to new research published in the journal Epidemiology. And the impacts on their health and well-being could last a lifetime.

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Indicators Index rose 0.9% in October, outpacing increases in the previous two months and providing some grounds for hope of more robust economic growth to come.

Three separate surveys released this week show rising levels of anxiety among Americans over when -- or whether -- they'll be able to stop working. And even where confidence is rising, some of it may be misplaced.

Americans' economic health appears to be edging closer to code red: The Consumer Distress Index fell sharply in the third quarter, indicating that more of us are falling behind financially.

Unemployment remains high. The housing crisis has chipped away at consumer confidence. Commodities costs have pushed prices upward. Yet there are signs the economic picture might be getting better for some Americans -- which means businesses could start working harder to get us to start spending again.

Here's more evidence that the foreclosure crisis has changed the way we think about home ownership's place in the American dream. Nearly half of those polled in a newly released survey said that owning a home today was a "nightmare." But not all polls reflect such a pessimistic view.

With unemployment still high, late mortgage payments rising, and the number of Americans in poverty at record levels, it seems that Main Street is headed for a hard, cold holiday season. But, somewhat surprisingly, so too are the fat cats of Wall Street -- relatively speaking.