St. Louis FED President James Bullard ‘Wouldn’t Rule Out’ Bigger Rate Hikes Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations April 17, St. Louis Federal Reserve Board President James Bullard reiterated the Federal Reserve target of...
Read More30-year Fixed Mortgage Surpasses 5% This past week, the average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage surpassed 5%, reaching 5.02%, according to Mortgage News Daily. This is the first time it has crossed that...
Read MoreConsumer Confidence Climbs Modestly in March Despite Inflation Worries The monthly Consumer Confidence Index, released on March 29, was up from February (105.7) at 107.2, slightly higher than economists’ expectations at 107, due to continued...
Read MoreRecession and Stagflation Discussions Open as Inverted Yield Curve Returns The yield on the two-year Treasury note was higher than the yield on the 10-year Treasury note for the first time since 2019 on March...
Read MoreOn March 22, the average interest rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage reached 4.72%, moving 26 basis points higher since last Friday. This is compared to March 2021 when rates were about 3.45%. As a...
Read MoreSpeaking at a conference on March 21, Chairman Powell stated that raising rates by more than .25% could be considered at future Federal Reserve meetings. His comments referenced the strong job market and pandemic-related economic...
Read MoreThe March 8 NFIB Optimism Index continued to fall in February to 95.7 compared to the average score of 98. Inflation was again reported by 26% of business owners as their biggest concern with 68%...
Read MoreThe NY Fed report released March 7 showed credit card balances fell 0.3% after increases in December and November, 4.9% and 24.8% respectively. Total consumer debt, which rose only $6.8 billion, had been forecast for...
Read MoreAmericans with student loans are in for a fast-approaching wake-up call, according to a recent blog post by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Student loan interest and payments are scheduled to resume after May...
Read MoreWith the inflation rate at its highest in four decades, real estate investors are concerned about the strength of the market’s ability to combat against higher prices. Commercial properties have long been viewed as inflation...
Read MoreRetail properties are re-gaining momentum among mortgage bankers and lenders even as lender sentiment shifted significantly during the pandemic. After witnessing the performance of various retail property types throughout the pandemic, lenders are feeling more comfortable...
Read MoreThe monthly Department of Commerce report exceeded expectations, rising 3.8% in January, well beyond the 2.1% increase predicted. This was largely supported by on-line sales, home furnishings and vehicle sales. Bars and restaurants, however, saw...
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