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 […]
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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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September 24, 2024 It has been a full two and one-half years since the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates in reaction to the post-pandemic inflation surge. While many expected inflation to react immediately to the Fed’s medicine, the period of higher rates became very drawn out as inflation showed its stubbornness. Thus, the use […]
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September 17, 2024 We have received news that the job market has slowed down – including a major downward revision of jobs over the past year to the tune of 818,000 jobs. We have seen major progress on the war against inflation. The most recent consumer price index came in at 0.2 % monthly and […]
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September 10, 2024 In exactly one week, the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee will be meeting and contemplating lowering short-term interest rates. For the past several weeks, the markets have been counting on the first decrease in rates since the Fed started the cycle of raising interest rates in March of 2022. All indications have […]
Read More September 3, 2024 We are in the middle of bookend labor events this week. We started out with Labor Day on Monday, a time for celebrating the American workers who have made our country a world leader. We will then close the week with the employment report for the month of August. Both events are […]
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August 27, 2024 Mortgage interest rates have already moved significantly lower over the past several weeks. Where they move from here will be determined by many factors – not the least of which is the next jobs report to be released next week. After the weaker report for the month of July another tepid or […]
Read More August 20, 2024 The war on inflation has been a long-drawn-out affair. From a low of 1.23% during the height of the pandemic in 2020, inflation rose to 4.71% in 2022 and peaked at 8.00% in 2022. During the past 12 months, inflation has averaged approximately 3.0%, a drop of over 100% from the peak […]
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