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☆ The Fed will be the main event in the week ahead that includes a jobs report, more tech earnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On top of that, the latest U.S. jobs market scorecard will be released along with more mega-cap earnings. This week, the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield briefly climbed above 4.7% for the first time since November. That's down sharply from the six or seven rate cuts investors were anticipating coming into the year. April jobs Investors will also get an update on the labor picture next week, with the release of the April nonfarm payrolls report set for Friday. Corporate earnings season will also ramp up in the week ahead with a slew of consumer-facing companies set to report.

Persons: Stocks, Powell, David Alcaly, Jerome Powell's, we've, they're, Brian Nick, Matt Stucky, it's, Stucky, Dow Jones, Nick, Archer, Eli Lilly, Kraft, Estee, Ingersoll Rand, Stanley Black, Decker, Hershey Organizations: Nasdaq, Google, Microsoft, Treasury, Lazard Asset Management, Macro, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, Fed, Apple, Micro Computer, Dallas Fed, Paramount, ON Semiconductor, Chicago PMI, Prudential Financial, Devices, Storage, Diamondback Energy, Caesars Entertainment, Corning, Daniels, Midland, Molson Coors Beverage, Marathon Petroleum, GE Healthcare Technologies, PayPal, ADP, P Global, Manufacturing, Oil, MGM Resorts International, Allstate, Etsy, eBay, Qualcomm, MetLife, First, Devon Energy, Cruise Line Holdings, Brands, Marriott International, Kraft Heinz, Pfizer, Companies, CVS Health, Generac, Mastercard, Labor, Nation Entertainment, Booking Holdings, Natural Resources, Motorola Solutions, Expedia, EOG, Coterra Energy, Dominion Energy, Howmet Aerospace, ConocoPhillips, Moderna, PMI, Services PMI Locations: U.S, Chicago, McDonald's, Albemarle, EOG Resources

☆ Homebuyers' Biggest Mistake: Waiting for Mortgage Rates to Fall
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Then, as the Federal Reserve began its battle against inflation in 2022, mortgage rates shot up, eventually hitting a 20-year high in October. Over the past decade, there's been a clear correlation between mortgage rates and inventory: When mortgage rates fall, the number of available homes for sale at a given moment shrinks. So, yes, waiting it out until mortgage rates decline sure seems appealing. The Federal Reserve has signaled that it plans to drop borrowing rates this year, which would likely push down mortgage rates. Advertisement"People are focusing on mortgage rates because every week they hear about mortgage rates changing," Doerner of the FHFA told me.

Persons: swiping, there's, Mike Simonsen, Freddie Mac, CoreLogic, —, homebuyers, Redfin, John Burns, Alex Thomas, There's, Will Doerner, Doerner, They're, Simonsen, it's, Jerome Powell Organizations: Federal Reserve, Buyers, Altos Research, Bank of America, John, John Burns Research, Consulting, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal, Fed

The title acceptance pilot waives the need for a lender's title insurance policy on some refinance mortgages. The Federal Housing Finance Agency recently rolled out a new pilot program that would lower refinance closing costs for some borrowers. Called the "title acceptance pilot," this program would waive the requirement that conforming loans have a lender's title insurance policy on certain refinance mortgages. Borrowers are required to purchase a lender's title insurance policy, which can be a significant out-of-pocket cost. Pushback from the mortgage industryLeaders from the mortgage and title insurance industries overall weren't pleased with this announcement.

Persons: —, Biden, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, homebuyers, Christopher Tyson, Tyson, doesn't Organizations: Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mortgage Bankers Association, Union, Consumer Financial, National Community Stabilization Trust, homebuyers

☆ Home prices continued to soar higher across the US in the 4th quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US home prices climbed up 6.5% year-over-year in the last quarter of 2023. AdvertisementUS home prices continued their rise in the last quarter of 2023, though they showed slower growth compared to the prior quarter. The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Tuesday said home prices climbed 6.5% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, up 1.5% from the third quarter, and up 0.1% on a seasonally-adjusted basis in December compared to November. "U.S. house prices increased modestly over the course of 2023," said Dr. Anju Vajja, acting deputy director for FHFA's Division of Research and Statistics. "However, the market showed signs of softening as house price appreciation was lower in the fourth quarter of the year than in the previous quarter."

Persons: —, Anju Vajja Organizations: Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, FHFA's Division of Research, Statistics, District of Columbia, Federal Reserve, New England, West South Central Locations: Rhode, Vermont, West Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, Hawaii, New

☆ Wall Street will try to maintain AI-fueled momentum in the final week of February, as inflation concerns linger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In the final week of February, Wall Street will strive to maintain its AI-fueled rally even as economic concerns linger and the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation measure is on deck. But many worry the writing is on the wall for these market leaders as economic and inflation risks linger. The 'lone cloud' of inflation The Fed's preferred inflation gauge will also be released in the week ahead. Investors are concerned that sticky inflation will mean that the Fed will hold onto its higher-for-longer interest rate policy. Next week will also be the final week of February, with stocks headed for another strong month of gains.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Patrick McDonough, Europe's, PGIM's McDonough, McDonough, Charlie Ashley, Dhaval Joshi, Joshi, Ashley, John Williams, TJX Cos Organizations: Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Japan's Nikkei, Catalyst Funds, BCA Research, CPI, PPI, Dow, New, Dallas Fed, Fidelity National Information Services, Richmond Fed, eBay, Enterprise, Cruise Line Holdings, New York Federal Reserve Bank, York, Monster Beverage, Paramount Global, PCE Deflator, Chicago PMI, . Kansas City Fed Manufacturing, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Autodesk, Body, Hormel, PMI, Manufacturing Locations: U.S, Lowe's, Chicago, . Kansas, Michigan

☆ Wall Street is barreling toward a big week ahead with megacap earnings, Fed meeting in focus
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Wall Street is headed into the thick of earnings season, with results on deck from the bulk of the so-called Magnificent Seven names. On top of that, the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy decision and the January jobs report will be in focus. Federal Reserve meeting Investors aren't anticipating much out of the Fed meeting next week. Market participants say recent reports show the trends have been going in the right direction, and Friday's report is expected to confirm the softening in the jobs market. Other significant earnings in the week ahead include Boeing , a major Dow component.

Persons: Russell, we've, Shannon Saccocia, Jonathan Krinsky, Tesla, that'll, Hogan, you've, John Bailer, Jerome Powell, Tony Welch, Welch, FactSet Organizations: Microsoft, Nvidia, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Dow, JPMorgan, Riley Securities, Newton Investment Management, Fed, PCE, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Dallas, Whirlpool, Petroleum, United Parcel Service, General Motors, Pfizer, Devices, ADP, ECI Civilian Workers, Chicago PMI, Mastercard, Qualcomm, Labor, PMI, Manufacturing, Apple, Chevron, Exxon Mobil Locations: Thursday's, nonfarm payrolls, Chicago, Royal Caribbean, Michigan

☆ Life insurers binge on US financing aimed at helping housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Koh Gui Qing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It has been predominantly used by life insurers, because they need to boost their investment returns with cheap funding to meet long-term liabilities. They provide the cheap funding to banks and insurers in exchange for collateral to ensure they get their money back. Insurers are entitled to tap FHLB funding. Insurers’ borrowing from FHLBs picked up in 2008 financial crisis, as those that spread themselves thin with aggressive investments scrambled for cash. They did not explain why insurers need FHLB funding to invest in mortgages.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Ryan Donovan, CMBS, Lawrence White, White, Graphics JUICING, Cynthia Beaulieu, Cornelius Hurley, Hurley, FHLBs, ’, Michael Ericson, Jack Dolan, Koh Qui, Greg Roumeliotis, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Loan, Federal Housing Finance Agency, of Federal Home Loan, FHLBs, FHLB, National Association of Insurance, New York University, MetLife Inc, Equitable Holdings Inc, Corebridge, Brighthouse Financial, MetLife, TIAA, Equitable, Graphics, Wellington Management, Boston University School of Law, Coalition, Silicon Valley Bank, First, American, of, Insurance Coalition, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Boston, Silicon, First Republic, Chicago, New York

The dollar index , which measures its value against six major currencies, fell as far as 102.89, the lowest since Aug. 31. The index is on track for a loss of more than 3% in November, its worst performance since November 2022. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index increased to 102.0 this month from a downwardly revised 99.1 in October. In other currencies, the euro rose to a 3-1/2-month peak of $1.0985 . The dollar fell 0.2% to 148.33 yen , with the Japanese currency continuing its recovery from the brink of 152 per dollar earlier in the month.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sterling, Karl Schamotta, underscoring, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Alun John, Brigid Riley, Ed Osmond, Mark Potter, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Federal Reserve, Board, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Traders, Australian, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Thomson Locations: Swiss, U.S, Toronto, OPEC, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, New York, London, Tokyo

☆ US annual home price growth at 6.1% in September, FHFA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - U.S. annual home price growth accelerated again in September, underscoring the rebound of the housing market as it entered the final quarter of the year, data showed on Tuesday. Home prices rose 6.1% on a year-over-year basis in September, up from an upwardly revised 5.8% increase in the prior month, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) said. On a quarterly basis, annual house prices increased 5.5% between the third quarter of last year and the comparative period this year. The report also showed prices rose moderately on a month-over-month basis, in line with recent trends. Annual house prices rose the most in the New England and Middle Atlantic regions in August, with gains of 11.4% and 8.3%, respectively, the FHFA data showed.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Lindsay Dunsmuir, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve, Chicago, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New England, Atlantic, Detroit

☆ Wall Street is set to wrap up a strong month next week as stocks gun for new highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Wall Street is set to wrap up a strong month next week as stocks gun for new highs heading into year end. The Nasdaq Composite is on pace to close out the month with a double-digit advance, up 10%. In contrast to September and October, which are typically weak periods for stocks, the seasonal patterns are now in favor of equities. This week, LPL Financial's Adam Turnquist pointed out that more than half, or 55%, of S & P 500 stocks closed above their 200-day moving average. It's set to show a rise of 0.2%, down from the 0.7% rise in the prior month, according to FactSet consensus estimates.

Persons: Stephen Suttmeier, Sam Stovall, That's, CFRA's Stovall, What's, LPL, Adam Turnquist, Turnquist, Wolfe, Rob Ginsberg, Ginsberg, Morningstar's Dave Sekera, Sekera, Morningstar's Sekera, Salesforce, Gartner Organizations: Nasdaq, Bank, Treasury, Costco Wholesale, Kroger, New, Dallas Fed, Richmond Fed, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, NetApp, Intuit, PCE Deflator, Chicago PMI, PMI, Manufacturing, Dominion Energy, Cboe, Cardinal Health Locations: Chicago

☆ The Fed decision and jobs report are in the week ahead as Wall Street wraps up a brutal month
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Federal Reserve meeting and October jobs report are on the docket next week as investors wrap up a brutal month for markets. Both the S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite slid into correction territory this week following some disappointing megacap tech reports. "I suspect that the Fed is not going to comfort the market," said James Camp, managing director at Eagle Asset Management. Many investors expect stocks could remain choppy until the markets gain clarity on when the Fed will start to cut rates. Jobs report Investors will get another look into the labor market next week soon after the Fed decision.

Persons: Jerome Powell, James Camp, Dave Sekera, Sekera, Dow Jones, Nick Galluccio, you'll, Powell, Charlie Ripley, Ripley, Galluccio, we've, Eli Lilly Organizations: Reserve, Nasdaq, Eagle Asset Management, Fed, Teton Advisors, Treasury, Asset, Apple, Investors, Allianz Investment Management, Advisors, Dallas Fed, Simon Property, Semiconductor, Western, ECI Civilian Workers, Chicago PMI, Devices, Caesars Entertainment, Pfizer, GE Healthcare Technologies, Caterpillar, ADP, PMI, Manufacturing, Costco Wholesale, Qualcomm, Cruise Line Holdings, Brands, Labor, Factory, News Corp, Booking Holdings, Paramount Global, Moderna, Jobs, Services PMI, Health Locations: U.S, FactSet, Chicago

☆ US annual home price growth accelerates in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 26 (Reuters) - U.S. annual home price growth accelerated for a second straight month in July, signaling that softening prices in the market may be bottoming out, according to a report released on Tuesday. Home purchase prices increased 4.6% on a year-over-year basis in July, up from a revised 3.2% increase in the prior month. June marked the first acceleration in annual price growth since February 2022, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) said. The report also showed prices rose moderately on a month-over-month basis, in line with the trend over the past quarter. "Regionally, all nine census divisions posted positive price appreciation over the last 12 months, although the Pacific and Mountain divisions experienced only modest growth," said Nataliya Polkovnichenko, FHFA's supervisory economist.

Persons: Mike Blake, Nataliya Polkovnichenko, Amina Niasse, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Thomson Locations: Rancho, San Diego , California, U.S, New England, Chicago, Cleveland

☆ Stock market weakness could continue in week ahead as looming government shutdown adds to fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Headwinds are piling up for the market heading into the final week of the month, as September lives up to its reputation as a horrible month for Wall Street. Wolfe Research's Rob Ginsberg pointed out in a note this week that the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) doesn't suggest much fear in markets. "We have a potential shutdown in Washington, as well as the UAW strike, which could potentially create some volatility in jobs data in particular." But investors heading into the final trading week of September will likely see a continuation of those losses, if history is any indication. "We could see the market experience additional weakness over the next several weeks," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

Persons: Wolfe, Rob Ginsberg, VIX, Amy Wu Silverman, Aditya Bhave, Shannon Saccocia, Saccocia, there's, RBC's Wu Silverman, what's, Goldman Sachs, Scott Rubner, Sam Stovall, Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox Organizations: Wall, Dow Jones, Reserve, Bank of America U.S, UAW, CFRA, Costco Wholesale, Nike, Chicago, Dallas Fed, New, Richmond Fed, Costco, Micron, . Kansas City Fed Manufacturing, BEA, Auto, PCE Deflator, Chicago PMI Locations: Washington, Detroit, . Kansas, Chicago, Michigan

☆ US home prices show signs of stabilizing, reports show
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Amina Niasse | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Octavio Jones Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. housing prices showed further signs of stabilizing in June, according to two reports out Tuesday that signaled the lengthy run of softening sales prices may be bottoming out. Both reports showed prices rose modestly month-over-month. House prices rose 3.0% between the second quarters of 2022 and 2023, FHFA said. FHFA's data showed June’s year-over-year gains were strongest in the East North Central and New England regions, up by 5.4% and 6.8%, respectively. On a city basis, the Case-Shiller data showed Chicago and Cleveland experiencing the greatest price accelerations.

Persons: Octavio Jones, FHFA, ”, Anju Vajja, ” Craig Lazzara, DJI, Amina Niasse, Safiyah Riddle, Andrea Ricci, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Federal Reserve, FHFA’s Division of Research, Statistics, East North, Thomson Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S, “ U.S, East North Central, New England, Chicago, Cleveland

☆ Stocks are heading for a down August as market kicks off September with jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Regardless, the major averages are set to close a losing month as higher yields and Fitch downgrades weighed on equities this month. "Further cooling in the labor market and the services sector," said Brian Ellis, portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. The labor report will be preceded by the July personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, report on Thursday. In fact, many investors expect that the Federal Reserve is probably done hiking rates here as policymakers await the effects of higher rates on the real economy. Increasingly, investors are looking for opportunities in income as they deal with the possibility of higher rates for longer.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Jackson, Jay Hatfield, Fitch downgrades, nonfarm, Brian Ellis, Powell, Morgan, Ellis, Ben Kirby, that's, Thornburg's Kirby, Campbell Organizations: Federal, Nvidia, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Capital Management, Dow Jones Industrial, FactSet, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Federal Reserve, Thornburg Investment Management, Labor, Investors, Dallas Fed, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP, ADP, Costco, PCE, PCE Deflator, Chicago PMI, Dollar, Broadcom, Jobs, PMI, Manufacturing Locations: , Wyoming, U.S, cautiousness, Smucker, Chicago

☆ US regulators consider to limit major lenders' borrowings from FHLBs, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File PhotoJune 30 (Reuters) - U.S. officials are considering to limit the ability of large banks to use Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) as a financial backstop, as part of a broader proposal to overhaul the system, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) might still adjust its plans before announcing the recommendations in the coming months, the report added. Federal Home Loan Banks are 11 U.S. government-chartered institutions that raise money for low-cost lending to their member regional banks. For many of the member banks, they are a preferred final stop for cash before banks in need turn to the Federal Reserve itself as a last resort. Federal Housing Finance Agency did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, FHFA, Jaiveer Singh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Loan, Bloomberg, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Reuters, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Credit Suisse, Federal, Loan Banks, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Silicon, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Forget about a housing market crash, Harvard researchers say. Here are the 4 reasons they say a repeat of the mid-2000s drop in home prices is unlikely.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

They cited a strong labor market, low foreclosure rates, favorable demographics, and low supply. That was their biggest drop since the mid-2000s housing bubble, when home prices fell 27% over the course of a few years. As long as interest rates remain elevated, home price growth will likely continue to slow. First is that the labor market remains healthy. But so far this year, the labor market has continually surprised economists to the upside.

Persons: Hoff, Ian Shepherdson, Desmond Lachman —, millennials, Ellen Zentner, Morgan Stanley's, Z, it's, there's, Louis Organizations: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Federal Reserve, Harvard Joint Center for Housing, FHFA National Mortgage Database, Federal Reserve Bank of St, JPMorgan, Mortgage, Association

☆ House prices are declining in these 7 Western states while continuing to hit new heights across the rest of the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US house prices rose modestly in the first quarter, said the FHFA on Tuesday. The agency's House Price Index reached just under 400, hitting an all-time high with figures tracking back to 1991. "However, year over year prices in many western states have started to decline for the first time in over ten years." Over the last four quarters, house prices rose in 78 of the top 100 largest metropolitan areas, fronted by a 14% rise for the Miami area. The start of the spring selling season showed house price gains in March in a separate S&P CoreLogic report released Tuesday.

Persons: —, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Anju Vajja, Black Knight, San, FHFA Organizations: Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, FHFA's Research, Statistics, of Columbia, Pacific, Federal Reserve, Black, Nationwide Locations: . Utah, Nevada, Washington, Idaho , Oregon, Colorado, West Coast, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, San Mateo, Redwood City , California

☆ Stocks week ahead: SVB and Signature Bank execs are set to testify next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs is holding three hearings this coming week centered around the collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March. ET : Greg Becker, former chief executive, Silicon Valley Bank; Scott Shay, former chairman and co-founder, Signature Bank and Eric Howell, former president, Signature Bank. ET : Mark Bialek, inspector general, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Paul Kupiec, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute and more. Since then, the Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have released reports detailing management missteps at SVB and Signature Bank, as well as federal regulators’ own mistakes in properly addressing red flags preceding the banks’ demises. A separate report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Friday shows that American households are becoming increasingly frugal.

☆ Spinning Federal Mortgage Fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week's best and worst from Kim Strassel, Mene Ukueberuwa, Collin Levy and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/AFP/Getty Images/Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyChanges to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s mortgage pricing are creating a stir in the marketplace, not that the bureaucracy wants to admit it. The changes, which take effect Monday, raise costs for some good-credit borrowers while making mortgages cheaper for low-income borrowers. We highlighted the changes in a recent editorial, and FHFA Director Sandra Thompson objected to our characterization that the plan will socialize mortgage-lending risk. Ms. Thompson says the new policy “won’t impose higher fees on higher-credit-score borrowers than on lower-credit-score borrowers, all else equal.” She says some borrowers with higher credit scores may even pay less.

☆ Changes are coming to some mortgage fees next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Broadly, the fees will go down for many with lower credit scores and will increase for many with higher credit scores. But that doesn’t mean people with lower credit scores will pay less than those with higher credit scores. The changes mean that people with higher credit scores will still pay less based on lower risk to the lenders, but having a lower credit score will now come with less of a penalty. For those with higher credit scores, more price tiers have been put in place, which in some cases may increases fees. The difference in assessed fees is about $4,000 more for a buyer with a 640 credit score than for a buyer with a 740 credit score, based on a $300,000 mortgage.

The changes will update the current fee structure on the majority of loans originated by mortgage lenders in the US. Prior to these fee changes, that same borrower would been charged a fee equal to 0.75% of the loan amount. On a $300,000 loan, that's the difference between a $375 fee and a $2,250 fee. While fees have generally been reduced for borrowers with lower scores compared to the old fee structure, those with low scores will still pay higher fees than those with high scores. DTI fee changes coming August 1Another fee change is set to go into effect on August 1, after its implementation was postponed following pushback from the mortgage industry.

☆ What to watch for in the markets in the week ahead: Monster tech earnings, then sell in May?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

More than one third (35%) of the S & P 500 reports earnings next week — including megacaps Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta Platforms and Amazon — versus less than 12% in the week just ended and only 2% last week. So far this quarter, S & P 500 earnings are running 4.7% below the same period a year ago, Refinitiv data shows. Back then, the S & P 500 fell 19.4% from its April high to a low on October 3. Meanwhile, next week is the last full trading week before Wall Street's old adage to "sell in May and go away" takes hold. ET: FHFA Home Price index (February); S & P Case-Shiller home price indexes (February) 10:00 a.m.

☆ Bank fears will likely lead to even more market volatility in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Market turbulence could reign supreme once again in the week ahead, as investors worry about the potential for more trouble rippling through the banking system. The broader market was initially under pressure Friday as investors became jittery about Deutsche Bank . "The market is saying: 'You, the Fed, do not appreciate the slowdown that is going to hit us,'" Chandler said. "The market is going to do a lot better and it held onto its gains despite all the things that rocked the market. He added that market concern about banks has risen, and there is concern credit tightening will hurt the economy.

☆ U.S. house price inflation cools further in December
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The S&P CoreLogic Case Shiller national home price index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, increased 5.8% year-on-year in December. Prices increased 5.8% in 2022, pulling back from 2021's record-setting 18.9% gain. The housing market has been hammered by the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary policy stance, with residential investment contracting for seven straight quarters, the longest such stretch since 2009. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to an average of 6.50% last week from 6.32% in the prior week, according to data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac. While higher mortgage are hurting demand and cooling house price inflation, the FHFA noted that "these negative pressures were partially offset by historically low inventory."

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