Americans Say They’re Struggling. So Why Are Many Still Spending? | The Important Part

Americans say they feel bad about the economy. Their spending tells a different story. Michelle Meyer, Chief Economist at Mastercard and head of the Mastercard Economics Institute, joins Liz Thomas to share her perspective on what Mastercard is seeing in real-time spending data. The episode looks at why consumer sentiment has stayed weak even as spending has held up. Meyer says the data shows consumers are still buying, but the easy spending environment has changed. Higher prices have made people more selective. That puts more pressure on companies that once had more room to pass costs through. The conversation uses travel as one example of the gap between mood and behavior. And also looks at how spending behavior is changing beneath the headline numbers, from online returns to the way people research purchases before they buy. This episode is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. The Important Part: Investing with Liz Thomas is a video podcast covering investing, markets, economic trends, portfolio strategy, and the biggest stories shaping investors today. About SoFi®: A finance company that could help you get ahead. Get Your Money Right® with SoFi.