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> strong consumer spending

I’d like to see that plotted against average consumer debt

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CCLACBW027SBOG

The trend is basically back to where it would be if you just extrapolated 2019.

You can even see the origin of the "vibe-session" here, things got pretty good for a lot of people in the money shower of the pandemic stimulus combined with low "stay at home" spending. Its the return to normal that has people spun with "the economy sucks".

>The trend is basically back to where it would be if you just extrapolated 2019

So crap going crappier, with a short reversal for a couple of years.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CDSP

slightly below pre-pandemic levels, and significantly below 2005-2008 levels.

It's always fun to see a graph like this and realize that (aside from the pandemic), that the last time people were significantly better off by this metric was 30 years ago, while many of us were children, or not even born yet. And yet everyone is complaining that things are so bad, and that this is a new phenomenon.

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