Confidence Not Recovering YetOn one level, it would seem like consumer confidence should be recovering. The recession is over, and consumer spending posted its strongest growth in 2½ years in the third quarter. But the reality is different. Consumer fundamentals, though not declining as they were late last year or early this year, remain extremely weak. The growth in spending was primarily caused by a temporary, government generated, surge in auto sales. Finally, seasonal adjustment issues seem to lead to consistent declines in confidence in October....
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