Stocks Down, Housing Down, Inflation Up

[Insane Voter]

Now doesn't that headline make you feel all warm and cozy?

A sharp increase in consumer inflation sent stocks lower and raised concerns Friday about how much freedom the Federal Reserve has to continue cutting interest rates.

Concerns emerged after the Labor Department reported its consumer price index had a bigger-than-expected jump for November, which raised questions about the Fed's options for moving the economy forward.