U.S. consumer confidence barely budged from a two-year low as housing troubles, a credit crunch, high energy prices and turbulence on Wall Street continue to make Americans uneasy about the economy and their own financial situations.

The RBC Cash Index released today showed confidence clocking in at 65.9 in early December. That hovered close to a reading of 64 in November, which marked the worst showing since the devastation wrought by the Gulf Coast hurricanes in 2005.

Over the last year, consumers’ confidence has deteriorated sharply, reflecting the toll of the problems facing the economy. Last December, confidence stood at a solid 86.9. The index is based on the results of the international polling firm Ipsos.

Economists keep close tabs on confidence barometers for any clues about consumers’ willingness to spend. Consumer spending accounts for a big slice of U.S. economic activity.

Overall consumer sentiment remains at very low levels, said T.J. Marta, fixed income strategist at RBC Capital Markets.

“Consumers have been seeing high gasoline and oil prices, a struggling stock market and falling housing sales and prices. And now they see worrisome headlines that financial companies thought to have been safe from the subprime mortgage debacle are running into trouble.”

Individuals’ sentiments about the U.S. economy’s prospects and their own financial fortunes over the next six months came in at a feeble 7.9. In November this measure turned negative, with a reading of minus 4.3.

Another measure looking at current economic conditions dropped to 85.3 in December, compared with 90.3 in November.

A gauge on peoples’ attitudes about investing, including their comfort in making major purchases, fell to 79.7 in December. That was down from 83.4 in November and was the lowest reading in just over two years.

Another index tracking consumers’ feelings about employment conditions edged up to 113.9 in December, up from 111.8 in November.

The overall confidence index is benchmarked to a reading of 100 in January 2002, when Ipsos started the survey.

The RBC consumer confidence index was based on responses from 1,009 adults surveyed Monday through Wednesday about their attitudes on personal finance and the economy. Results of the survey had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.