By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. prices rose marginally in December, keeping the annual increase in inflation below 3% for a third straight month, bolstering expectations that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates this year. But the timing of the anticipated rate cut is uncertain, with the report from the Commerce Department on Friday also showing consumer spending surging at the end of 2023 as Americans splurged on goods and services over the holidays. Financial markets have pushed the odds of a March rate cut to below 50% in a nod to the economy’s continued resil…