Consumer spending up 0.5% in September, down 0.4% with inflation adjustment

Consumer spending climbed 0.5% in September 2005 after a 0.5% drop in August 2005, US Commerce Department said. But soaring fuel costs ate into the September 2005 gain, which when adjusted for inflation turned into a 0.4% drop. Personal incomes shot up 1.7%, the biggest rise since December 2004, as insurance payouts increased at a $120 bln annual rate in the wake of recent hurricanes.