°®¶¹´«Ã½

U.S. consumer comfort fell to the lowest level since March as ratings of the economy, personal finances and the buying climate all slumped, a potential sign of faltering in the strong support consumers are giving the expansion.

A new Congressional Budget Office research paper showing consumer price expectations better gauged the future direction of inflation than economists’ forecasts over two decades through 2018.

The House Judiciary Committee is joining the rush to investigate big technology companies, with a focus on whether increased concentration in the industry is crowding out competition and hurting consumers.

U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly dipped in October to a still-elevated level amid slightly dimmer views of personal finances and the long-term economic outlook, according to a University of Michigan report Oct. 12.

Many U.S. households remain in a precarious financial position despite unemployment falling to the lowest level in years, a new Federal Reserve survey shows.

Americans’ sentiment fell for a fourth straight week as still-rising gasoline prices drove a measure of the buying climate down by the most in eight months, the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index showed May 17.

U.S. retail sales rose in broad fashion last month as bigger after-tax paychecks helped compensate for rising fuel costs, signaling consumer demand was off to a firm start this quarter.

U.S. consumer prices rose by less than forecast in April as costs for automobiles and airfares declined, reducing chances that inflation will run significantly above the Federal Reserve’s target in coming months.

WASHINGTON — Americans increased their borrowing by $11.6 billion in March as a big increase in the category that covers auto and student loans offset the largest monthly drop in credit card borrowing in more than five years.

Rising prices at the gas pump helped drive U.S. household sentiment to a seven-week low at the end of April, the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index showed May 3.