How Consumers Feel About the Economy — and Why It Matters

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

Learn how consumer sentiment affects the economy and your finances, plus insights on job market trends and inflation impact.

How do consumer sentiment indexes work and why should you care about them? What impact do these indexes have on the economy and your personal finances? Hosts Sean Pyles and Anna Helhoski discuss the intricacies of consumer sentiment, highlighting the University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment and The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index. They explain how these reports measure public feelings about the economy and why these sentiments matter in order to help you understand the influence of consumer opinions on economic trends and spending habits.

Then, they delve into recent money news headlines, including job market trends and their implications for the economy. By examining the latest employment data, Sean and Anna provide insights into how job growth and unemployment rates influence Federal Reserve decisions and overall economic stability. They also break down the recent movement in GameStop stock following the return of day trader “Roaring Kitty” Keith Gill and explain how your insurance rates could be impacted by your car collecting data on your driving habits.

In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: consumer sentiment, economic indicators, job market trends, consumer confidence index, personal finance, inflation impact, recession signs, economic forecasts, financial stability, unemployment rate, Federal Reserve decisions, economic growth, job growth, spending habits, employment data, interest rates, economic stability, financial trends, economic health, stock market trends, meme stocks, financial news, economic conditions, wage growth, business conditions, future economy, inflation rate, economic predictions, financial planning, job market analysis, consumer opinions, economic reports, financial data, job creation, market analysis, and economic insights.

To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [e-mail].

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