Car-buying in U.S. Helps Retail Sales Numbers

Though retail sales have been weak due to many factors such as the collapsing housing markets, and people just plain not having any dough to spend, the car sales have added to the overall retail sales numbers in the last months. This doesn't mean people are out buying more gund stuffed animals, but it does make a play on the Fed to makes some cahnges in rates to help the economy.

"Consumers have turned more cautious under the weight of the weakening housing market, high gasoline prices and now a fragile job market," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "The retail sales number is just one more reason for the Fed to lower rates." more