3 money moves to make in 2024

Americans are more optimistic about where the economy is headed in the new year: The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) rose nearly 10% since last month, reaching its highest point since July.

The monthly report surveys 5,000 American households about their expectations for savings, unemployment and the overall economy in the next six months. The latest CCI, released Dec. 20, reached 110.7, up from 101.0 in November 2023.

"It was really a sharp uptick – just about every measure throughout the survey was positive," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at the Conference Board, the nonprofit think tank that calculates the CCI. "Not only was it the amount of increase that was surprising, but also the breadth of improvement."