Consumer confidence falls for the first time in four months as anxiety about politics rises

The numbers: Consumer confidence retreated in February from a six-month high, partly because of angst about the U.S. presidential election. The closely followed index fell to 106.7 from a revised 110.9 in January, the Conference Board said Tuesday. It was the first decline in three months. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had forecast the index to register 115.1.Consumer confidence tends to signal whether the economy is getting better or worse. Confidence has improved considerably si