{
  "id": 10809877,
  "title": "US consumer confidence sinks to lowest since 2014",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/us-consumer-confidence-sinks-to-lowest-since-2014",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-29T23:31:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTHK News - Finance",
    "slug": "rthk-news-finance",
    "url": "https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1872057-20260930.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "US consumer confidence plummeted in September to its lowest point since 2014, a key economic indicator revealed on Tuesday. This decline was attributed to a surge in the cost of living and economic uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict. The Conference Board's consumer confidence index dropped by 6.7 points to 81.9 in September, marking the lowest level since April 2014. The soaring cost of living in the United States is particularly concerning as the country prepares for crucial midterm elections in November, where Democrats aim to seize control of Congress from President Donald Trump's Republican Party. Dana Peterson, the chief economist at the Conference Board, noted that consumers expressed pessimistic views on various economic factors in September, with references to prices, high costs of goods and services, and oil and gas prices reaching unprecedented levels. The recent escalation in fuel costs, triggered by the war in Iran and Tehran's retaliatory actions targeting US allies in the Gulf, has driven the average price of a gallon of regular petrol in the US up nearly 50% since the war began, according to AAA motor club data. While comments about war and conflict eased this month, they were still elevated. Heather Long, the chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, expressed concern over the data, stating that American consumers are worried about the economy just as the most important shopping season of the year begins.",
  "summary": "US consumer confidence plunged sharply in September to a level not seen since 2014, according to a key benchmark published on Tuesday, with US households battered by a high cost of living and economic uncertainty from the Iran war. The Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell by 6.7 points to 81.9 this month, its lowest level since April 2014. The high cost of living in the United States…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}