America's consumers stepped up their spending by a solid 2.4% in January
But consumers are more optimistic about current conditions than they are about the near future
The Fed chair’s comments are in contrast to the increasing optimism about an economic rebound
Faster vaccine rollout in the U.S. likely to give the country a jump on reopening
Regulator pays out another US$3 million for enforcement help
In January, Fed officials expressed concerns about a slowing economy
The January result followed three months of declines
Whether big banks would be resilient to a severe recession, an unemployment spike and a stock market plunge will be tested
The Russell 2000 Index has more than tripled the gains of S&P 500 in the last three months
Despite the monthly increase, inflation remains tame