WASHINGTON - Consumers' confidence in the economy and their own financial fortunes climbed to a 16-month high as better prospects for jobs and wages lifted people's spirits.

WASHINGTON - People are feeling better about the economy and their own financial situations, a hopeful sign they'll act more like Santas than Grinches while holiday shopping.

WASHINGTON - Consumer confidence emerged from a funk. With gasoline prices moderating, people are feeling better - but not ebullient - about the economy's prospects and their own.

It's not a big breakthrough.

WASHINGTON - Consumer confidence emerged from a funk. With gasoline prices moderating, people are feeling better - but not ebullient - about the economy's prospects and their own. The RBC CASH index, based on polling by Ipsos, showed that consumer confidence rebounded in November to a reading of 81.

Valley business owners and managers aren’t as confident about the economy as they were at the beginning of the year, a poll released Wednesday shows.

WASHINGTON - Consumer confidence dropped in early March as people fretted about the economy's performance and their own financial fate in the months ahead.

A new statewide poll shows that Arizona’s economic recovery could be built on the back of broken washing machines and worn-out transmissions.

The average consumer may feel far removed from the heated debates on Capitol Hill concerning the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, which the nation could crash into next week. But the truth is, American households are dealing with plenty of their own red ink, and the debt issues that lawmakers must solve to get the nation back on track are similar to those facing consumers.

A survey shows U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March compared with a year ago, the biggest gain since March 2006.

WASHINGTON - The average income of American families, after adjusting for inflation, declined by 2.3 percent in 2004 compared to 2001 while their net worth rose but at a slower pace.

WASHINGTON - The economy entered the new year in pretty good shape, with most parts of the country enjoying moderate growth, businesses boosting hiring and workers getting bigger paychecks.

RICHMOND, Va. - Welcome to the desperate time of the impulse buy, readily apparent the last few days before Christmas when it dawns on many consumers that their shopping days are numbered. And for some last-minute buyers, this short period can be a dangerous time.

WASHINGTON - The economy headed into the spring season with solid momentum, helping to generate more employment opportunities and keep factories humming, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

NEW YORK - The economy received another inflation warning on Wednesday, when a survey of industry executives showed that energy costs drove prices higher in September while business activity slowed in the services sector.

Trying to save money on food?

With offices in Tokyo, London, Sydney and Singapore, customer satisfaction giant J.D. Power and Associates has a global reach. But the firm that’s most known for its automotive research on brand quality and buyer satisfaction has an East Valley presence whose work has national impact.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - General Electric Co. said Thursday it will reorganize the company's 11 businesses into six industry-focused groups, and has named three new vice chairmen.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. - General Electric Co. reported its fourth-quarter profit rose 47 percent as industrial orders rose strongly, an insurance loss was reversed and a majority of the company’s businesses achieved doubledigit earnings growth.

NEW YORK - Consumers apparently shook off their worries about higher gas prices during May, shopping with enthusiasm at stores and malls and giving many retailers surprisingly solid results.

NEW YORK - Cooler temperatures and a later Easter gave consumers little incentive to shop last month and left retailers with tepid sales for the second month in a row.