Trump says the economy is `roaring.` Consumers aren`t convinced

President Donald Trump used his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to wave away worries about affordability, touting a “roaring” economy and a country "richer" than ever before. But the data this week suggests that cost of living concerns are still very much front and center for American households.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index nudged up 2.2 points in February to 91.2, but that`s still well off its late-2024 peak of 112.8. The expectations component improved slightly, but when consumers wrote in their actual concerns, the answers looked the same as they have for months: prices, inflation, trade, jobs. Views of current conditions got worse, and how people feel about their own family finances? That got worse, too...