US consumer confidence nears August 2013 high

Washington

CONSUMER sentiment in the US advanced last week to the second-highest level since 2008 as Americans grew more confident about their financial well-being.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index climbed to 38.1 in the period ended Nov 2, just short of the five-year high of 38.3 reached in August 2013. It rose almost one point from the prior week. The report's personal finances gauge was the strongest since mid-September.

The cost to fill up a car's fuel tank is less now than at any time in the past four years, giving consumers some extra spending money as the holiday-shopping season approaches. Fatter paychecks that coincide with progress in the lab…