December 3, 2024 We have had so many months of jobs gains that the monthly employment report has held little intrigue lately. As a matter of fact, the ancillary numbers such as wage inflation have garnered more attention than the number of jobs gained in some circles. For at least one month, this is no […]
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November 26, 2024 The initial response to the President-elect’s victory was a huge Wall Street rally. Despite the fact that there were already significant gains in 2024, stock market indices reached new heights immediately after the election. The bond market? Not so much of a rally, despite the fact that the Federal Reserve lowered their […]
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November 19, 2024 The election is over. The Federal Reserve has met and made their decision regarding short-term interest rates. The next question is – where do we go from here? While the Fed has lowered their rates, mortgage rates actually increased leading up to the election and the meeting of the Fed. And this […]
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November 12, 2024 A lot has happened in the past few weeks. First, we had a slew of data showing that the economy is still on solid footing. The advanced estimate of economic growth (GDP) for the third quarter came in at 2.8% — a solid, but unspectacular number. The October jobs report was obviously […]
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November 5, 2024 Today is the day we elect the next President of the United States – along with many Senators and a complete slate within the House of Representatives. Whatever side you are on, it is important that you go out and vote, though nowadays many Americans have voted early. A recent Gallup pole […]
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October 29, 2024 If there is one feature of the markets you can always count on, it is the attribute of non-lineal progression. What does that mean? In plain English, it means that the markets do not rise or fall in a straight line or in accordance with a certain set path. For example, when […]
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October 22, 2024 Before every meeting of the Federal Reserve there is a blackout period in which the members have to refrain from talking to the public and the media regarding the state of the economy and their policies. This particular blackout period, which starts in a few days, takes on special importance because it […]
Read More October 15, 2024 Last week we had the latest inflation readings. The Consumer Price Index was reported to be up 0.2% monthly and 2.4% annually in September. The core readings excluding food and energy were higher. The Producer Price Index was reported unchanged for the month and up 1.8% annually, but again higher at the […]
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October 8, 2024 The Federal Reserve has lowered their Federal Funds Rate. As we have indicated, the move was expected – and the bond markets had strongly anticipated this move. But the Fed lowered their base rate by 0.5%, yet mortgage rates have moved down approximately 1.25% from their peak earlier this year. Why is […]
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October 1, 2024 It is the final quarter of the year. And quite a year it has already been. Mortgage rates moved back near all-time highs in the spring only to start falling in the summer. The National Association of Realtors signed a consent agreement which will change the way that real estate agents will […]
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