Shoppers Will Shop

No news: U.S. consumers will probably trim their holiday spending plans this year. Good news: It won't be as bad as expected, according to a recent survey.

The survey of more than 1000 adult consumers, conducted by the Consumer Federation of America and the Credit Union National Association, reports that 57 percent say they'll spent the same amount for the holidays as they did a year ago; 28 percent say they'll spend less. (A year ago, when the economy and the country's geopolitical situation were stronger, 56 percent said they'd spend the same and 24 percent said they'd spend less.)

“These results suggest that the contraction in holiday spending may not be as pronounced as we might have expected,” said Bill Hampel, chief economist for the credit union group.