Consumer mood and finances are weakening even as people lean on credit to keep spending alive.
Sentiment hit a deeply depressed 55.2, dragging the overall picture down despite modest retail gains. Real incomes are barely growing and savings have been drained to historic lows, a pattern that cannot hold indefinitely.
Feeling vs. spending since 2021.
Consumer sentiment is how people say they feel. Retail sales are what they actually buy.
What changed
Sentiment hit a deeply depressed 55.2, dragging the overall picture down despite modest retail gains. Real incomes are barely growing and savings have been drained to historic lows, a pattern that cannot hold indefinitely.
What it means for you
People say they feel worse about their finances and are running down their cushion to pay for everyday life. When your paycheck barely keeps pace with inflation and you have little left to save, one unexpected bill or job loss becomes a real crisis. Watch whether savings stabilize or drop further—if it keeps falling, spending will eventually stall because there is nothing left to draw from.
What to watch next.
Latest consumer analysis.
Written after each data release. Plain English, no jargon.
Quick answers.
The questions people actually ask about consumer spending, answered from the data above.