Even with a boost from holiday spending, the U.S. economy looks shaky, thanks to slumping housing prices, Wall Street woes and debt-laden consumers. How bad could it get?
New home sales plunged to the lowest level in 12 years. The weak housing has raised the odds of having a recession. One thing for sure is that housing problem will persist well into 2008, or maybe even longer.
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the second time in about about a week amid rumblings about a recession. While Wall Street may celebrate the lower rates, what will it mean for the average consumer?