The survey showed consumers' outlook for the next six months deteriorated to its lowest level since

The survey showed consumers' outlook for the next six months deteriorated to its lowest level since 2011 - a signal to Lynn Franco, the board's director of economic travel in asia indicators, that consumers are worried about the tax hikes and spending cuts that take effect Jan. 1 if the White House and Congress can't reach a budget deal.
The December drop in confidence "is obvious confirmation that a sudden and serious deterioration travel in asia in hopes for the future took place in December - presumably reflecting concern about imminent 'fiscal cliff' tax increases," said Pierre Ellis, an economist with Decision Economics.
But the political wrangling in Washington threatens the economy's slow, steady progress. President Barack Obama and House returned to Washington Thursday to resume talks with just days to go before the deadline.
Stocks plunged early after the weak consumer confidence report and a warning from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that the government appeared to be headed over the "fiscal cliff." At one point, the Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 150 points.
But the market came back in the final hour of trading on a potential sign of movement in the talks: Republican leaders announced they would bring the House back into session travel in asia on Sunday evening. The Dow recouped nearly travel in asia all of its losses to close down just 18 points at 13,096.
While consumers are more worried about where the economy is headed, they were upbeat about present conditions, according to the latest survey. Their assessment of current economic conditions rose this month to the highest level since August 2008.
But the opposite has happened. A report from MasterCard Advisors Spending pulse indicated sales grew in the two months before Christmas at the weakest rate since 2008, when the country was in a deep recession.
There were other distractions this holiday season. In late October, Superstorm Sandy battered the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, which account travel in asia for 24 percent of U.S. retail sales. That coupled with the presidential election, hurt sales during the first half of November.
The National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, remains travel in asia optimistic that sales won't be quite as bad as earlier reports have suggested. It is sticking to its forecast for total sales for November and December to be up 4.1 percent to $586.1 billion this year. That's more than a percentage point lower than the growth in each of the past two years, and the smallest increase since 2009 when sales were up just 0.3 percent.
The Sun News allows readers to comment on stories as a privilege; the views expressed in story comments are not those of the Sun News or its staff. travel in asia Readers are required to adhere to all commenting policies, and must avoid commenting behavior such as personal attacks, libelous posts or inappropriate remarks. Users in violation travel in asia of The Sun News' commenting policies can have their comments travel in asia blocked, removed, and/or ultimately see their account banned travel in asia from the site. Some comments travel in asia may be reprinted in the newspaper. Registered user names will be posted with comments.