Consumer News Inflation Is Pushing Families To Spend More Than Their Incomes

Inflation is cooling, so why is there an ‘affordability crisis?’

Housing and insurance costs remain stubbornly high, keeping monthly bills elevated even as overall inflation cools. Food prices have stopped rising ... Read More

Economic analyst says consumer spending has been resilient despite uncertainty

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks to an economic analyst for Visa about consumer spending this year, and what we could expect going into 2026. Read More

Consumer spending stalled in September as inflation remained stubborn

The last piece of official inflation data to land before the Federal Reserve’s policymaking meeting next week was a shutdown-delayed report that showed the pace of price hikes remained stubborn in ... Read More

Consumers' collective feeling about the economy isn't matching our spending behavior

There's a puzzling split between how consumers overall feel about the economy and how they're acting, how much they are spending overall. Normally spending and feelings go together. Not right now. Read More

How tariffs and inflation are reshaping consumers’ holiday shopping

Consumers stepped up gift giving during the first seven weeks of the holiday shopping season, yet uncertainty about the economy is making them more targeted in their buying. Read More

US Consumer Spending Stalled in September, Inflation in Line

US consumer spending stalled in September, suggesting Americans were already stretched going into the government shutdown in the face of stubborn inflation. Read More

Consumers feared a Trump tariff inflation crisis. Will it ever come?

Millions of Americans braced for runaway inflation in response to President Trump's aggressive import tariffs. They're still waiting. Read More

The U.S. economy grew robustly as Americans continued to spend

The data, which was delayed from October by the government shutdown, comes as the economy takes center stage for voters and the Trump administration. Read More

How consumers will get through the holidays

Tariff and inflation jitters have colored U.S. consumers’ outlook for much of the year, and now the holiday shopping season is commencing with a sense of instability across income levels. This year, ... Read More

Americans spending more for the holidays despite dour economic views

Americans may not be feeling jolly about their economic prospects, but that didn't stop shoppers from opening their wallets on Black Friday and driving spending to new records. Despite record holiday ... Read More