As the second Trump administration begins, people have kept up their spending — but not all for the same reasons.

December saw a 0.4% monthly gain and November was revised up. Less well-off consumers kept up with the aid of credit cards or savings accounts.

Shelter costs were 4.6% higher in December than a year earlier, and they account for more than a third of the consumer price index.

Where prices did climb — warehousing and transportation — points to an inventory build. Upcoming CPI will make the inflation picture clearer.

Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group says a volatile Mideast, Russian disruption and a strained U.S.-China relationship could all prove harmful.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that pump prices on average were 21 cents lower per gallon in 2024 than they were in 2023.

The Federal Reserve has wanted cooling inflation coupled with steady employment. It’s gotten that.

Labor shortages may fuel inflation and hurt construction and food service. Some U.S.-born workers, along with the detention industry, may gain.

Many family-owned eateries are built on tradition. This time of year, they host tradition-seeking regulars coming in for holiday get-togethers.

Confidence was expected to continue to rise. Consumers cite inflation, politics and tariffs as factors they see influencing the economy.