By Ruth Mantell
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Confidence among American consumers plunged in October to the lowest level in six months, as their expectations plummeted, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. The consumer-confidence index fell to 71.2 in October from a revised 80.2 in September. Economists polled by MarketWatch had projected the index to drop to 75 from a prior estimate of 79.7 in September. "Consumer confidence deteriorated considerably as the federal government shutdown and debt-ceiling crisis took a particularly large toll on consumers' expectations," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board.
