Consumer Confidential: Prices stay flat; FedEx stays busy

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Here’s your wantonly Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Consumer prices were up last month, but the experts were expecting that, so nothing to worry about. The Labor Department says consumer prices rose 0.4%, mostly because of an increase in energy prices. Take away energy and food costs, and consumer prices were unchanged from the month before. So you can finish your holiday shopping with a little peace of mind.

-- Our friends at FedEx say they had their busiest night of the year Monday, moving an estimated 13 million packages worldwide. That’s about double the usual total. It’s also an economic indicator of sorts, suggesting that we’re shipping a whole lot of goodies, which means we’re shopping, which means retailers are happy, which maybe -- just maybe -- means jobs. And that’s a good thing.

-- David Lazarus