By MATT OTT, Associated Press Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers confidence in the economy was shaken in December as Americans grow anxious about high prices and the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

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The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1 in December from November’s upwardly revised reading of 92.9. That is close to the 85.7 reading from April, when Trump rolled out his import taxes on U.S. trading partners.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market remained stable at 70.7, but still well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It was the 11th consecutive month that reading has come in under 80.

Consumers’ assessments of their current economic situation tumbled 9.5 points to 116.8.

Write-in responses to the survey showed that prices and inflation remained consumers’ biggest concern, along with tariffs, despite repeated claims by President Trump that inflation is a hoax.

Perceptions of the job market also declined this month.

The conference board’s survey reported that 26.7% of consumers said jobs were “plentiful,” down from 28.2% in November. Also, 20.8% of consumers said jobs were “hard to get,” up from 20.1% last month.

Last week, the government reported that the U.S. economy gained a healthy 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October. Notably, the unemployment rate rose to 4.6% last month, the highest since 2021.

The country’s labor market has been stuck in a “low hire, low fire” state, economists say, as businesses stand pat due to uncertainty over Trump’s tariffs and the lingering effects of elevated interest rates. Since March, job creation has fallen to an average 35,000 a month, compared to 71,000 in the year ended in March. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said recently that he suspects those numbers will be revised even lower.

Despite the broad pessimism, the proportion of those surveyed who think a recession in the next year is is unlikely grew.

The December survey showed that respondents’ views of their family’s current financial situation sank into negative territory for the first time in close to four years. On the flip side, expectations about their future financial situation were the most positive since January.

Also Tuesday, the government reported that the economy expanded at a 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, though economists expect a much more sluggish fourth quarter.

By AYESHA CURRY

I call this the “So This Is Christmas Cocktail.” But the drink, from my cookbook “The Full Plate,” is perfect for any family celebration, whether it’s actually Christmas or not.

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Maximalism is back in cocktails with bold colors and flavors

In the cold winter months, the Champagne keeps you warm and the rosemary reminds you of the crisp, fresh air.

First, make the rosemary simple syrup, then combine with the other ingredients.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Combine ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 cardamom pods and 2 small fresh rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Strain, transfer to a lidded jar, and refrigerate; the syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks.

So This Is Christmas Cocktail

This image released by Voracious shows a recipe for a Champagne cocktail made with pomegranate juice, from the cookbook “The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do” by Ayesha Curry. (Voracious via AP)

Ingredients

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Rosemary Simple Syrup

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon fresh pomegranate seeds

Champagne, for topping glass

Rosemary sprig, for garnish

Directions

In a Champagne flute or highball glass, combine the rosemary syrup, pomegranate juice and pomegranate seeds. Top off the glass with Champagne and add a rosemary sprig for garnish.

This cover image released by Voracious shows “The Full Plate: Flavor-Filled, Easy Recipes for Families with No Time and a Lot to Do” by Ayesha Curry. (Voracious via AP)

Ayesha Curry is the bestselling author of “The Seasoned Life” and “The Full Plate,” and is an entrepreneur, television host and restaurateur. She is mom to four children, and wife to basketball star Stephen Curry. She lives in the Bay Area.

Excerpted from “The Full Plate” by Ayesha Curry. Copyright (copyright) 2020 by Ayesha Curry. Photograph by Eva Kolenko. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

By Maria Salette Ontiveros, The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS — A new version of the common flu is spreading globally, and health officials are monitoring this evolving strain of influenza A(H3N3) Subclade K, which has been increasingly detected worldwide.

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Flu season could get a lot worse in the coming weeks, experts say

Seasonal influenza activity has increased globally in recent months, with influenza A viruses accounting for the majority of detections, according to the World Health Organization.

Health officials are closely monitoring a growing subgroup of influenza A(H3N2) viruses known as J.2.4.1, also referred to as Subclade K.

The WHO says detections of this subclade have risen rapidly since August 2025 based on genetic sequence data shared through the global GISAID database.

Current epidemiological data do not indicate increased disease severity associated with subclade K, the WHO says, though its spread reflects the continued evolution of seasonal influenza viruses.

What is subclade K?

Subclade K is a genetically distinct subgroup of influenza A(H3N2) viruses, according to the WHO.

These viruses have drifted genetically from related J.2.4 viruses and carry several amino acid changes in the haemagglutinin protein, which plays a key role in the virus’s attachment to human cells.

Influenza viruses commonly undergo such changes over time. Global surveillance tracks these shifts to assess potential impacts on transmission, severity, and vaccine effectiveness.

Where is subclade K circulating?

The WHO reports that subclade K viruses were first detected at increased levels beginning in August 2025, particularly in Australia and New Zealand.

Since then, the viruses have been identified in more than 34 countries over the past six months, including the U.S.

Detections are increasing in many regions of the world, except so far in South America, according to the WHO.

What is happening in America?

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that influenza activity in North America remains relatively low but is increasing, driven mainly by detections of influenza A viruses.

During the 2025 southern hemisphere influenza season in the Americas, transmission exceeded the seasonal threshold in mid-March and mainly remained at low to moderate levels, the CDC says.

The CDC reports a predominance of influenza A(H3N2) in both the United States and Canada, with growing detections of the A(H3N2) subclade K.

Are symptoms different?

The WHO says there is no evidence that infections caused by subclade K produce symptoms that differ from or are more severe than those caused by other seasonal influenza A(H3N2) viruses.

Seasonal influenza symptoms typically include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache and fatigue. Severity can vary based on age, underlying health conditions and immune status.

Do vaccines still protect?

Early estimates cited by the WHO suggest that seasonal influenza vaccines continue to protect against severe illness and hospitalization in both children and adults.

While effectiveness against symptomatic infection may vary from season to season, health officials say vaccination remains one of the most effective public health measures, particularly for people at higher risk of influenza complications and their caregivers.

Even when circulating viruses differ genetically from vaccine strains, vaccines may still reduce the risk of severe outcomes, the WHO says.

What happens next?

The WHO says it continues to monitor global influenza activity and viral evolution, while supporting countries in surveillance efforts and updating guidance as new data emerge.

Health officials note that changes in circulating influenza viruses are expected each season and are routinely assessed through international monitoring systems.

©2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Kate Ashford, NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

If you’ve ever decided to save less cash in your retirement account so you could do more traveling or support an expensive hobby, you might be “soft saving” (and not even know it).

Soft saving is about choosing to spend money on things you enjoy today and stashing money away less aggressively for your later years. People who take this approach are more concerned about what they’re doing tomorrow than what they’ll be doing at age 65 or 70.

“Soft saving is being more mindful about your lived experience now and not being willing to sacrifice too much in favor of your future yet,” says Rebecca Palmer, a certified financial planner in Washington, D.C., and head of guidance for financial planning platform Fruitful. “So, the balance between prioritizing future you versus current you.”

Is soft saving new?

While revenge saving has gotten more attention recently, soft saving isn’t a new phenomenon — for years, people have chosen current wants over elevated saving for future needs. But today’s soft saving trend is a purposeful mindset shift.

Jesica Ray, a certified financial planner with Brighton Jones in Washington, D.C., recently talked to a young client who didn’t want to focus on retirement savings. “They said, ‘I’m not going to do that because I don’t really care what’s in that bucket when I’m 50 years old, I care about using that money now and knowing it’s not tied up in some retirement account that I can’t access until I’m 59,’” Ray says.

Soft saving is often attributed to Gen Zers who’ve watched their parents navigate strict rules around money and budgeting — and they don’t want to take that same approach.

“I really felt allergic to this idea of budgeting when I was getting my own financial life together,” says Nicole Lapin, a Los Angeles-based financial expert, author and host of the “Money Rehab” podcast. “It felt really scary. It felt like, ‘Wow, I can’t have any fun.’ Where are the extras?”

The pros and cons of soft saving

In some cases, soft saving serves as a gentle entry to a consistent savings habit, which can be a boon for people feeling anxious about how to approach financial planning.

“Soft saving invites people to just start,” Palmer says. “It does need to be consistent for it to work, though. It can’t be just, ‘Oh, I’ll save a little when I want to.’ Consistency here is really important so it can be increased later.”

One disadvantage, however, is that if your savings rate is smaller as a person in your 20s, it may be tough to boost it in your 40s — especially if you’ve experienced lifestyle creep and have more financial obligations like a mortgage and children. It’s easier to downsize your savings rate than to upsize it.

The advantage to starting with a higher savings percentage, Palmer says, is that “if stuff comes up, you might need that space.”

Is soft saving smart for long-term goals?

“I actually don’t think this is an irresponsible strategy,” Ray says. “I like the idea of reframing the conversation to, ‘Is your money supporting the life that you want to have today?’”

Good financial planning is about being aware of your decisions, Ray says, and she does her best to make sure her clients understand the pros and cons of their choices. If they understand the tradeoffs and choose to take certain steps anyway, “I think that’s OK,” she says.

Palmer points out that it’s important that people don’t stop investing for retirement, even if it’s not a huge percentage. “If they don’t do some investing for the long term early on, they’re going to miss out on a massive amount of compounding interest, and later you have to work twice as hard to get half as far,” she says.

How to find the middle ground

Soft saving doesn’t mean no saving — it means saving some while giving yourself room to enjoy your life.

The key to making soft saving work is to keep an eye on future you — are your choices going to force you to work until age 75? If so, you may want to tweak your approach. Consider having a financial professional run the numbers on your planned savings rates over time.

“What I do is show them, ‘If you do that, here’s what that means for the lifestyle you can afford when you’re in your 50s and 60s,’ so they understand the impact of the choices that they’re making,” Ray says.

To set yourself up for success, try saving first and spending what’s left. Lapin refers to it as making your “end game” money moves first. “I like to think about paying my future self, that old lady Nicole,” Lapin says.

And make sure you’re leaving room in your budget for some extras. “Whatever that small indulgence is for you, allow for it in the overall plan so it keeps you on track and keeps you from binging later on,” Lapin says.

In the end, soft saving is a great way to get started, Palmer says, but you have to couple it with a consistent system for bumping up your savings over time.

“Don’t rely on memory or willpower or ‘shoulds,’ — automate your soft savings,” Palmer says. “Then maybe have a check-in point for increasing that. Bump it up a little every quarter, every year, whatever that cadence is so you’re slowly building the space for more savings over time.”

Kate Ashford, WMS writes for NerdWallet. Email: kashford@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kateashford.

The article Is ‘Soft Saving’ Smart — or Short-Sighted? originally appeared on NerdWallet.