Turkey Futures, Loan Performance, Tepid Inflation
As someone that loves turkey leftovers (porridge, ramen, pasta, tacos) I’ve never had a problem buying/eating a larger. This year we will likely see an oversupply of turkey and lower turkey prices after peak season. Rates – ended the week where they started with some fluctuation in response to Pfizer’s vaccine announcement (upward pressure) as […]
Back to Work? 22M Jobless Claims & Forbearance
Covid-19 – worldwide countries, states, counties and cities weigh the cost of opening back up the economy versus maintaining social distancing/shelter in place. Texas announced they will re-open with a clear plan: 4/20: State Parks – masks required, groups more than 5 prohibited, maintain social distance4/22: surgery restrictions lifted4/24: all retail stores open limited to […]
Pandemic Trade, Unemployment Claims, Fed Stimulus
Hospitals, adult care facilities, essential workers, and the public at large (especially individuals with comorbidities) are in dire need of face masks. I interviewed a college friend who lives in Nanjing and is now on the other side of the curve. He does import/export and leveraged his shipping connections to source face masks for friends and hospitals. […]
Cheap Fuel, Rate Volatility, 20 Year Low Delinquency levels.
Gasoline – people staying home & the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia has lowered the demand for fuel (I didn’t even wait in line at Costco this week!). Prices have dropped to a national average of $2.30. At one pump in Virginia prices are $1.81 per gallon. Savings are a moot point if […]
Corona Data, Treasury Decline, Fed Emergency Cut
Coronavirus – the larger 40 page report can be found here. There is plenty of memes and noise circulating about the virus, here is a report from the World Health Organization. In this study of over 44,000 infected individuals 3.4% died. Certain factors heightened chance of fatality including: gender (males 4.7% vs 2.8% female), age […]
FICO Algorithm Update, Rates Improve, New Homes Selling
FICO Scores – are about to change and 40,000 million Americans will see a 20+ point drop and a similar number will see a comparable increase. The FICO algorithm is updated roughly every 5 years and this time the update focuses on personal loans. Currently personal loans are growing faster than any other debt category […]
529 Plans Expanded Again, Rates Improve, Strong Home Sales
As of December 2019 you can use up to $10,000 of 529 plans to pay down student loans for yourself or a sibling ($10,000 per). The new law also allows the funds to be used for apprenticeships that are registered with the Federal Labor Department. This is the second expansion in 2 years – in […]
Robo Calls, Rates Tepid, Lack Luster Shipping, Strong Loan Performance.
RoboCalls – Every second 2,115 Robocalls are made in the United States. With ‘spoofing’ technology, scammers make it look like the call is coming from a local or even your own number. The FCC has announced that Telcom Companies have a year to institute ‘Shaken/stir’ technology. A reduction in RoboCalls would be welcome, but according […]
Female Labor Force, Soft Weekly Earnings, Fed Juice?
Women secured 95% of the net jobs added in December and for the second time in US history women make up over 50% of the workforce. This figure is for payroll jobs that excludes farm workers and self employed individuals. During the great recession men were handed ‘pink slips’ before women and there was a […]
Historic Bubbles, Rates Improve, Home Appreciation
Bubbles – NPR’s Planet Money is doing a series on bubbles & this one took place in Kuwait during the late 1970’s. A massive influx of oil money had recently changed the city from minimal infrastructure (no running water/minimal electricity) to a bustling metropolis. With a highly regulated market and stable political climate became a […]