• Consumption Decreases As Environment Changes – Economic Dynamics

    Over 65% of the country’s economic growth, as measured by Gross Domestic Production (GDP) is driven by consumers. Sentiment and confidence are critical components to consumer spending behavior, influencing spending patterns and habits. […]

    Published On: October 22, 2023Categories: Economy

  • Macro Economic Overview / October 2023

    A federal government shutdown was averted on September 30th, when Congress voted to fund government operations until mid-November. Volatility in the financial markets increased during September, as uncertainty surrounding a resolution persisted. The […]

    Published On: October 12, 2023Categories: Economy

  • Producer Prices Heading Lower, What It Means – Producer Inflation

    The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the selling prices domestic companies receive when purchasing everything from raw materials to products themselves. Similar to how the Consumer Price Index (CPI) tracks prices consumers pay […]

    Published On: September 20, 2023Categories: Economy

  • New Mortgage Rules To Accommodate Lower Credit Scores

    New mortgage rules are attempting to make homes more accessible to homebuyers with low credit scores by lowering the fees for low-credit buyers while, in some cases, raising the fees for high-credit buyers. […]

    Published On: September 19, 2023Categories: Debt/Mortgage/Liabilities, Economy

  • Housing Market Is Among The Least Affordable In U.S. History

    Measured by the Housing Affordability Index, the affordability of homes has been steadily eroding since early 2021. Factors affecting affordability include home prices, mortgage rates, and household incomes. With historic inflation outpacing income […]

    Published On: September 18, 2023Categories: Debt/Mortgage/Liabilities, Economy

  • Inflation In Europe Calms – International Economic Focus

    Demand for products and services can vary from country to country as consumers have different choices on what they purchase. Supply constraints, transportation costs, and currency exchange rates can also affect prices among […]

    Published On: September 14, 2023Categories: Economy

  • Macro Economic Overview / September 2023

    Congress is spending the bulk of September deliberating over the Federal Budget for fiscal year 2024 as a looming deadline on September 30th approaches. Should an agreement not be reached, then a government […]

    Published On: September 11, 2023Categories: Economy

  • Inflation Slows to a Two-Year Low – Inflation Trends

    Inflation measured at 3% in June, a two-year low not seen since March 2021. Inflation peaked at a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022, more than three times the latest inflation figure. […]

    Published On: August 31, 2023Categories: Economy

  • Fixed Income Overview

    Government and corporate bond yields saw a slight increase in July as the Fed raised short-term rates and increased government debt levels. Shorter-term bond yields remained higher than longer-term bond yields at the […]

    Published On: August 28, 2023Categories: Economy, Retirement

  • Dollar Losing Value as Fed Continues to Raise Rates – Currency Overview

    When the Fed began increasing its Fed Funds Rate in 2022, the U.S. dollar became stronger as higher rates attracted foreign funds. Other currencies, such as the euro, simultaneously lost value due to […]

    Published On: August 24, 2023Categories: Economy