The last batch of inflation news that Federal Reserve officials will see before their policy meeting next week is in, and none of it is very good. In the aggregate, Commerce Department indexes that the Fed relies on for inflation signals showed prices continuing to climb at a rate still considerably ahead of the central bank’s 2% annual goal, according to separate reports this week. Within that picture came several salient points: An abundance of money still sloshing through the financial system is giving consumers lasting buying power. In fact, shoppers are spending more than they’re taking in, a situation neither sustainable nor disinflationary. Finally, consumers are dipping into savings to fund those purchases, creating a precarious scenario, if not now then down the road. Put it all together, and it adds up to a Fed likely to be cautious and not in the mood anytime soon to start cutting…
