Foreclosure Nation

Fannie Mae’s latest national housing survey finds that Americans are more confident about the stability of home prices than they were at the beginning of 2010, even though they lack confidence in the strength of the economy. The GSE’s fourth quarter survey, conducted between October 2010 and Decemb...

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Economic Confidence among Middle-Income Consumers Drives Record Increase in Monitor’s Index, but Consumer Spending Intentions Remain Flat RIVERWOODS, Ill.-Consumers’ confidence sharply rebounded in January, fueled by a surge in the number of middle-income consumers who see improvement in the U.S...

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February brings new evidence, that for the first time since the economy tanked there is reason to believe a turnaround is happening. A recent Siena College poll shows plans to buy cars, furniture, and homes are all about at the highest level in more than three years. And people who already own t...

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Anticipation of improved conditions in business and the job market caused consumer confidence to inch up in January. Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, reports that “consumers have begun the year in better spirits. As a result, the Index is now near levels no...

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(MCT)—With the economy starting to recover, consumers feel better about spending again—and that spare cash is going back into their homes. Home remodeling is on an upswing after the industry’s worst slump since at least the early 1960s. Scores of foreclosed properties need a ton of TLC, prompting b...

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While the January confidence reading is the highest in thirty four months, it still remains in the recession range. The index averages 100 plus when economic growth has been better than average for more than a year and the unemployment rate has been below average for more than a year. The consumer ...

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As president Obama prepares to address the nation in tonight's State of the Union, he'll be speaking to an increasingly cheery group of American consumers. Consumer confidence hit an eight-month high in January, with spending growing at the best rate since 2006. The Conference's Board's widely-wat...

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Consumer confidence among Floridians soared in January, according to a University of Florida survey. The increase to 77 points from 70 in December is the largest since the index rose seven points from March to April 2010, and the score of 77 is the highest since the April 2010 mark of 78. “Th...

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As a key piece of President Obama's signature tax-cut package begins boosting paychecks this month, American workers will confront a critical question that could determine the pace of country's economic recovery: Spend or save? One of the most visible components of the $858 billion plan passed by ...

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The essential promise of a consumer society is that virtually all satisfaction can be purchased. This promise runs so deep in us that we've come to take our identity from our capacity to purchase: I shop, therefore I am. The dependency on shopping is not just about things, it includes the belief tha...

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Customers, employees, shareholders and taxpayers hate large corporations for many reasons. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed many of these to choose the 15 most hated companies in America. We examined each company based on six criteria. First, employee opinions, using research firm Glassdoor and other servi...

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Economists reported in September that the recession officially ended in June 2009 and the American economy was growing again. Not only did the Washington area fare better than many others during the hardest times, but 18 months later the region's economy is one of the strongest in the country, ahead...

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NEW YORK — Packed malls? Healthy gains in holiday spending? It's beginning to look at least a little like a pre-recession Christmas. Americans spent more on clothing, luxury goods and even furniture, delivering healthy gains across the board, according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, whic...

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Americans are less certain that the housing market has found its floor, and continue to be wary of buying a home. Those are the findings of Fannie Mae’s most recent nationwide housing survey, which polled homeowners and renters between July and September. Findings were compared to similar surveys c...

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The Recession Is Over, but Pessimism Still Reigns By FLOYD NORRIS NYT AMERICANS became more pessimistic about their chances for higher incomes during the Great Recession than at any time in the past 45 years. That pessimism has eased, but still remains high. Multimedia Graphic Cons...

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September consumer confidence in the United States slipped to its lowest levels since February, driven by a deteriorating labor market and business conditions, according to a private report released Tuesday. The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes fell to ...

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