savings rate

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.

Consumer outlays increased at the best pace in about four years -- providing some hope that the expansion can continue. The rise from the second-quarter rate of 1.7% was in line with economists' expectations. Soaring imports were a big drag on the growth report.

September's consumer sentiment level unexpectedly rose to 68.2 from its preliminary 66.6 reading. However, the entire gain came from more positive responses among households earning under $75,000 -- those who wouldn't be affected by a failure to extend the Bush income tax cuts for the rich.

What with the continued malaise over bloated unemployment figures, the slumping housing market, the Great Recession's incessant hangover and consumers avoiding retail therapy like the plague, one can't help but pose the million-dollar question (even if its value has plummeted to $76): Has America...

The consumer savings rate jumped to 6.4% in June, the highest it has been in a year. But this isn't exactly good news. Sure, it's a natural response to the crisis, but it's spending that drives GDP growth. So where will the next GDP growth surge come from? Our writer's theory: Corporate fear.

The U.S. savings rate rose to an eight-month high in May, as a 0.4% rise in average income outpaced a 0.2% rise in spending. But cautious consumers spending, while good in the long term, may slow the country's economic recovery.

Retail sales appear to be on the upswing lately. But where is the money coming from? Unfortunately, it seems to be coming from rising credit use and diminished saving. That's not exactly the formula for a consumer-led recovery.

Americans are saving more of their earnings than they have in years, and that's a good thing. But unfortunately, we're not being rewarded for it the way we were in flusher years. By now, everyone has heard about the government's unprecedented actions to drop interest rates to historic lows so...

Inflation hawks found few morsels to chew on in September's personal income, consumer spending and inflation reports. Real disposable incomes and consumer spending declined 0.1 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, while core consumer prices rose just 0.1 percent, the U.S. Commerce Department...

After a decade of hyper-consumption, in which Americans bought and consumed at unsustainable rates, consumers cut back massively in 2008 and 2009. Some of this was due to cyclical belt-tightening that inevitably had to occur, and some of it was driven by a record 6.5 million layoffs that were part...