Consumer confidence fell less than forecast in March, capping the best quarter since 2004 as the labor market stayed strong and gasoline prices leveled off. The University of Michigan said Friday that its final index of sentiment cooled to 93 this month from 95.4 in February. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 92 after a preliminary March reading of 91.2. The average from January through March was the highest since the third quarter of 2004. Much of the drop in confidence was among lower-income households, the ones most affected by rising utility bills after colder weather the month ... (full story)