Tag Archives: Samuel Tombs

Tariff fears sour consumer sentiment, push mortgage rates up

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The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment fell 11 percent from March to April and is now lower than it was during the Great Recesssion. Continue reading →

Inflation eased in March, but tariff impacts remain to be seen

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Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index dropped to an annual rate of 2.4 percent last month, but the impact of tariffs is unlikely to show up in data until May. Continue reading →

Mortgage rates down sharply as tariff worries spark flight to safety

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Heightened fears of a trade war and recession have investors convinced that the Fed will start cutting rates again in June — a sentiment that gives mortgage rates more room to come down. Continue reading →

Trump announces universal tariffs of at least 10% on most nations

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Sweeping plan imposes higher duties on “worst offenders” and is in addition to 25 percent tariff on foreign automobiles slated to take effect April 3. Continue reading →

Surprise Fed move takes some pressure off of mortgage rates

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Central bank dials back Treasury rolloffs but is not ready to cut short-term interest rates, as Fed policymakers indicate they’re more worried about inflation than they were in December. Continue reading →

Inflation, job worries drive ‘horrific’ consumer confidence report

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Republicans are less worried about the future than Democrats and Independents, but “consumers from all three political affiliations are in agreement that the outlook has weakened since February.” Continue reading →

Encouraging CPI inflation report does little for mortgage rates

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Homebuyers have responded to a pullback in mortgage rates from January highs, but tariffs on imported goods could keep inflation elevated and halt the downward trend in rates. Continue reading →

Weak February jobs report moves the needle on mortgage rates

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Mortgage rates eased Friday as investors took stock of new data showing employers added 151,000 workers to their payrolls in February and the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1 percent. Continue reading →

Inflation is cooling. But is the economy about to crash?

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After moving in the wrong direction for three months, annual inflation cooled to 2.5 percent in January. But the biggest drop in consumer spending since February 2021 has one model predicting that the economy is shrinking. Continue reading →

Trump signals tariffs on Canada, Mexico will take effect March 4

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There’s rising anxiety among investors and consumers about the potential impacts of a trade war, surveys show, with stock prices and bond yields retreating as March 4 deadline looms. Continue reading →