Fed's Beige reports 10 of 12 districts saw slow-to-moderate economic growth, one showed slight decline and one was unchanged. Consumer spending is uneven; rising cost pressures have widened differences across income groups—high-income households remain relatively resilient and less price-sensitive, middle-income households are “scrimping every penny before spending,” and low-income households face greater financial strain. Several districts reported higher credit-card use, softer retail sales an

Fed's Beige reports 10 of 12 districts saw slow-to-moderate economic growth, one showed slight decline and one was unchanged. Consumer spending is uneven; rising cost pressures have widened differences across income groups—high-income households remain relatively resilient and less price-sensitive, middle-income households are “scrimping every penny before spending,” and low-income households face greater financial strain. Several districts reported higher credit-card use, softer retail sales and stronger demand for necessities. Auto dealers cited weaker new-car demand due to cost and fuel pressures, with increased purchases of used cars and hybrids. Manufacturing expanded at a moderate-to-strong pace in nine districts, with one district reporting a slight decline. Banking conditions are largely stable, but multiple districts reported rising delinquencies in mortgages, consumer and agricultural loans. Six-month business outlooks were little changed amid elevated uncertainty and signs of weaker consumer spending.