Prior to the 2016 election (Oct  16) consumer confidence measured by the University of Michigan was indexed at 87.2 Today that same confidence rating is 101.1 A stunning 15.9% increase. Similarly, consumer expectations were indexing 76.8 in October 2016 and now stand at 91.3, an increase of 18.9%.   Conservative TreehouseBusiness Insider   US consumers haven t been this optimistic about the economy since the start of 2004, according to a survey conducted by the University of Michigan.The consumer-sentiment index registered a preliminary October reading of 101.1, a monthly report showed Friday.The data suggest that consumer spending will likely continue to support the economy through at least mid-2018, at which time this economic expansion would become the second-longest since the 19th century. US economic growth in the second quarter rose to a two-year high on stronger consumer and business spending, a late-September report showed.The surge in optimism  reflects an unmistakable sense among consumers that economic prospects are now about as good as could be expected,  said Richard Curtin, the chief economist of the survey. This  as good as it gets  outlook is supported by a moderation in the expected pace of growth in both personal finances and the overall economy, accompanied by a growing sense that, even with this moderation, it would still mean the continuation of good economic times. 