Hoping Prices Go Back Down? Think Again

It's heard every day in grocery stores and other retail settings across the country: When are these prices going to go back down?

The general answer is they aren't because while the days of 7% annual inflation have subsided, Americans remain mired in a financial quagmire that includes sky-high housing prices, exploding revolving debt, and a federal government that refuses to stop borrowing and curtail spending.