Consumer confidence soars to its best level since August 2001

Consumer confidence climbed in December to a post-recession high, according to the Conference Board's monthly report published on Tuesday. 
The confidence index rose to 113.7, the highest level since July 2007. Economists had forecast that the index rose to 109.0 from 107.1.
"Consumer Confidence improved further in December, due solely to increasing Expectations which hit a 13-year high (Dec. 2003, 107.4)," Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference