The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increased in August after also rising in July. The Index now stands at 133.4, up from 127.9 in July; the August reading is the Index's highest since October 2000. People's assessment of their current economic situation improved, as did their expectations for the future. The Consumer Confidence Index is released each month and is based on a probability-design random sample conducted by Nielsen. The Conference Board is a global business research association.