The big asterisk on that October jobs report: Economist

Windermere’s Principal Economist Jeff Tucker looks at how recent events have impacted the October jobs report and what it means for the economy. Continue reading

Existing-home sales show the market is still frozen: Economist

Windermere’s Principal Economist Jeff Tucker looks at September’s “disappointing” existing-home sales report and discusses some of the factors impacting the numbers. Continue reading

Numbers to know: Is the Fed having second thoughts about rate cuts?

Inflation, combined with September’s strong jobs report, suggests that the Fed might be rethinking how quickly to cut the Federal Funds Rate, says Windermere’s Principal Economist Jeff Tucker. Continue reading

Sustained surge in mortgage rates could dent home sales

In addition to worries about the potential impact of Fed tapering, there’s also uncertainty about the approaching U.S. debt ceiling and the future leadership of the Fed. Continue reading

Banks can now delay appraisals for up to 120 days after closing

In addition to allowing lenders to delay appraisals for up to 120 days after closing, the temporary rule also allows for desktop appraisals and other forms of assessment flexibility. Continue reading

Washington’s political drama obscures potential new rate drops

The forecast for interest rates is still low, reinforced by new information from the Federal Reserve. Continue reading

Housing market too strong for more Fed cuts

President Trump has tweeted that the “boneheads” at the Federal Reserve should lower interest rates to “zero” or “less,” but Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell took a more moderate approach. Continue reading

Central banks scramble to ward off fears of a recession

Every thought in President Trump’s tweets is mistaken, which markets and businesses understand. They also understand that these tweets have no effect on Fed decisions. However, the erroneous content is worrisome because he does directly control trade a… Continue reading

How will a trade war impact the US?

Central banks can see this coming, underway in several places. But they have another problem: very little room to cut rates, and desperately frightened of the “zero bound.” Thus a continuous argument worthy of Monty Python: Do we fire our limited ammun… Continue reading