U.S. Economy

• What is driving the expansion in consumer credit? Valeo Financial Advisors
• Retail sales grew by the most since June Bloomberg
• U.S. new applications for jobless claims increase by 68,000 to 368,000 during the first week of December MarketWatch

U.S. Government

• The U.S. House of Representatives passes a two year budget plan. The Senate will vote on it next week. Reuters
• The U.S. government sold the last of its shares in General Motors. The government recouped $39 billion of the $49.5 billion it invested, resulting in a $10.5 billion loss on its 2009 rescue of the company USA Today

Around the Globe

• The U.K. is considering raising the pension (similar to U.S. social security) age to 68 Bloomberg
• Greece is expected to run a budget surplus for the first time in ten years BBC
• China to push reform in 2014 Reuters
• Canada is set to end home postal delivery in cities and suburbs over the next  five years NBC