3 money moves to make in 2024

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."

Peterson credits cooling inflation and the recent decline in mortgage rates for consumers' rosy outlook during the holiday season. Despite some economists still predicting a mild economic slowdown later in 2024, most respondents didn't believe the US would go into a recession next year.

Optimism about the economy was visible across all ages and income levels, she said, but the gains were largest among households with income levels of $125,000 and above. Consumers' top issue is still rising prices, according to write-in responses, with concerns about interest rates, politics and global conflicts all receding.