Howell Tree Farm employees Avery Langholz, left, and Chris Allen carry a Christmas tree to a customer's car, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014, in Cumming, Iowa. A Christmas tree likely will cost a little more this year, and growers say it’s about time.  DES MOINES, Iowa - Christmas tree likely will cost a

OPEC has decided it will keep oil production levels steady at roughly 30 million barrels a day Oil prices came crashing down Thursday to trade below $70 per barrel after OPEC announced it was leaving oil production levels unchanged. WTI crude trading in the U.S. fell by roughly 7% to just below $69

Shoppers browse handbags on sale at a Bloomingdale’s store. The jobless rate is at a six-year low, gas prices have dipped below $3 a gallon, and consumers are more upbeat about the economy. These are the kind of economic conditions that should encourage consumers to loosen their purse strings this

Current gas prices are shown at a Shell gas station in Encinitas, California October 10, 2014. U.S. consumer prices rose marginally in September, painting a weak inflation picture that should give the Federal Reserve ample room to keep interest rates low for a while. The Labor Department said on

U.S. retail sales declined in September and producer prices also fell, worrisome signals on the economy's health that heightened financial market worries over faltering global growth. The two reports on Wednesday could deepen concerns at the Federal Reserve over the readiness of the U.S. economy to