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☆ Some consumers are punting big purchases like pools and mattresses
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Rachel Wisniewski | ReutersAmericans are kicking the can down the road on some more-costly, traditionally financed purchases as elevated inflation and interest rates bite. "As a result, consumers continue to scrutinize their spending and make near-term decisions based primarily on need, price and perceived value. But those options have fallen out of favor as interest rates rose. He also cited increased interest rates as another weight on their shoulders. Lofty interest rates have also hampered housing improvement efforts for those staying put, according to Home Depot .

Persons: Rachel Wisniewski, Joe, Shelly Ibach, Ibach, FactSet, Mark Mathews, Platt, J, Mitchell Dolloff, Dow Jones, it's, Mathews, Enphase, Badri Kothandaraman, Marc Bitzer, Patrick T, bode, Robert Ohmes, Richard McPhail, It's, McPhail Organizations: Reuters, Reserve, Prosper, National Retail Federation, San Francisco Fed, New York Fed, Management, Commerce Department, Consumers, Whirlpool, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, Bank of America, CNBC Locations: Gilbertsville , Pennsylvania, Minneapolis, U.S, California, Torrance , Calif, Minnesota

☆ For working moms, it's some good news and some bad news
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewFor working mothers, it can sometimes feel like even when there's good news, there's also bad news. Just this week, several stories drove home some of the things that parents and working women already have sensed. But it's a good signal for working moms. The chart shows that since 2015, the percentage of women working across all those groups has gone up in the last 10 years. It's that same mix for the state of working moms — not all good, but not all bad.

Persons: —, there's, Emily McCrary, Ruiz, Esparza, Hewlett Packard, That's, it's, Rachel M, Cohen Organizations: Service, Business, Hewlett, Bloomberg, Free, New York Times Reading

☆ China just unveiled the strongest remedies yet for its troubled housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Chinese government unveiled a raft of measures to stimulate its embattled housing market. It will remove the floor on mortgage rates, offer cheaper housing loans, and lower down payments. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementChinese authorities just announced their biggest effort yet to shore up the troubled housing market. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Overbuilding, — Organizations: Service, People's Bank of, Business Locations: People's Bank of China

☆ Why some investors are bullish on this asset class that's yielding over 6%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Right now, securitized products in general look relatively cheap, said John Kerschner, head of U.S. securitized products and portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors. To meet this need, Janus launched its Securitized Income ETF (JSI) in November, which invests across the securitized space. JSI YTD mountain Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF Collateralized loan obligations Another fund Kerschner manages is the Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF . One way investors can get broad exposure to CMBS via BlackRock's iShares CMBS ETF . CMBS YTD mountain iShares CMBS ETF year to date However, Janus' Kerschner pointed out that all office work isn't going away.

Persons: Nick Travaglino, Nuveen, Travaglino, John Kerschner, Janus Henderson, Janus, Kerschner, Rick Rieder, I've, Rieder, CLOs, it's, isn't, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Kershner, We're Organizations: Investors, Fund, Janus Henderson Investors, SEC, Janus Henderson AAA CLO, Bank of America, AAA CLOs, BlackRock AAA CLO Locations: CLOs, BlackRock, Moody's, CMBS, multifamily

☆ China pledges $42 billion in a slew of measures to support the struggling property sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

China announced "historic" steps to stabilize the crisis-hit property sector on May 17, 2024, allowing local governments to buy "some" apartments, relaxing mortgage rules and pledging to deliver unfinished homes. These and other measures announced Friday marked Beijing's latest efforts to address issues in the massive real estate sector. The real estate companies can then use funds earned from those sales to complete construction on other apartments, the central bank said. Pre-sold, unfinished homesFor years, many apartments in China tended to be sold before construction was finished. Nomura estimated last year there were around 20 million such pre-sold, unfinished apartments in China.

Persons: Zhu Ning, Tao Ling, Xiao Yuanqi, Larry Hu, Dong Jianguo, Lifeng, Zhu, Nomura Organizations: China, Nurphoto, Getty, Tsinghua University, People's Bank of China, National Financial Regulatory, Macquarie, CNBC, of Housing, Housing, Future Publishing Locations: BEIJING, Wanxiang City, Huai'an City, East China's Jiangsu, China

Mortgage interest rates have moved lower amid signs that persistently high inflation may be starting to cool. The 10-year Treasury yield fell following the release of this data, and mortgage rates followed suit. Once inflation slows enough that the Federal Reserve is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates and other consumer rates should trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Investors, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ Housing market: China unveils sweeping measures to rescue its crisis-hit property sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has unveiled wide-ranging measures to rescue its property sector, including asking local governments across the country to buy unsold homes from beleagured developers and easing rules on purchases. In a coordinated move, the People’s China of China (PBOC) announced that it will set up a nationwide program to provide 300 billion yuan ($41.5 billion) in loans to fund state purchases of unsold homes. The 300 billion yuan provided by the central bank could eventually underpin 500 billion yuan ($69 billion) worth of credit to support such purchases, she estimated. Expectations that Beijing was preparing a plan to have local governments across the country buy millions of unsold homes have successfully buoyed China stocks. On Friday, He also urged local governments to buy back or directly purchase land that has been sold to developers but not yet used.

Persons: Lifeng, Tao Ling, Larry Hu, ”, Société Générale Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist, China Real Estate Business, Macquarie Group, Reuters, provident Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing

☆ Here's how to get an ultra low mortgage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Diana Olick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's how to get an ultra low mortgageRome is a startup that facilitates assumable mortgages. CNBC's Diana Olick speaks with Roam CEO Raunaq Singh on how it works, and their new partnership with a lender.

Persons: Diana Olick, Raunaq Singh Locations: Rome

This means mortgage rates could start to go down more substantially as we approach the fall. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Nearly Flat (+0.02%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.05%, just 2 basis points higher than last week. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: That's, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Federal, Federal Reserve, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Budget-minded homebuyers should look in these 23 cities where down payments are plummeting, even in an unaffordable housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Affordability remains a headacheHome affordability has taken a huge hit since the pandemic as mortgage rates, property prices, and — by extension — down payments have surged. Mortgage rates have since more than doubled at over 7%, and houses cost over $70,000 more at $332,000. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now roughly triple the 2.7% rate it was at in early 2021. The savings rate in the late 2010s was around 6.5% of disposable income, and it spiked early in the pandemic due to a surge of government stimulus. 23 cities where down payments are down meaningfullyAlthough affordability is limited as mortgage rates, home prices, and down payments have risen, there are still dozens of cities where the cost of buying a house is headed lower.

Persons: —, Hannah Jones, Realtor.com, Freddie Mac, they'd, Jones Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Realtor.com

☆ As bad as you may think the economy is now, it’s nowhere near the 1970s
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —When new gross domestic product figures last month showed US economic growth slowed from recent gangbuster levels, many people diagnosed the economy as having a really ugly sickness: stagflation. So March’s ugly inflation report, which showed an unexpected jump in the pace of price increases, and the lackluster GDP report, made the diagnosis seem like a no-brainer. Even JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said last month the US economy “looks more like the 1970s than we’ve seen before” and that stagflation is a growing risk. Economic slack, a term I unfortunately cannot take any credit for, broadly describes a situation where the economy isn’t performing as well as it could be. The most widely recognized symptom of economic slack is a rising unemployment rate.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, we’ve, Jerome Powell, ”, Powell, you’ve, it’s, Austan Goolsbee, Diane Swonk, wasn’t, stagflation, millennials Organizations: New, New York CNN, JPMorgan Chase, Fed, Chicago Fed, KPMG Locations: New York, stagflation

☆ Home prices in these 22 cities are set to surge the most in the US in the next 12 months, according to Zillow
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

US home prices are set to rise by 1.6% over the next 12 months, Zillow forecasts. Factors include population growth, mortgage rates, and cost of construction supplies, and more. AdvertisementHome prices in the US are set to rise by 1.6% on average over the next 12 months, according to Zillow forecasts. In a recent analysis, financial information site SmartAsset compiled Zillow's price growth forecasts for 192 US metropolitan areas over the next year. Below, we've listed 22 cities where Zillow expects to see the largest price growth through the end of March 2025.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business

☆ The NBA is picking its next TV partners — and a deal hinges on Warner Bros. Discovery's next move
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The league ended its exclusive window to renew a deal with its two current media partners, Disney and Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

Persons: Adam Silver, it's, NBCUniversal, NBCUniversal's, Warner, David Zaslav, — Organizations: National Basketball Association, Warner Bros, Turner Sports, Comcast, CNBC, Disney, NBA, Discovery, Warner Bros . Discovery Locations: Cleveland , Ohio

☆ An early retiree shares the advice he received in his early 20s that helped him retire at age 48 — and how he invested his money to build a seven-figure portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It aligned with the life-changing money advice he received from a boss in his early 20s. The stock market: from tech stocks to low-cost index fundsCooper's investment strategy has evolved over the years. AdvertisementTo lower his risk, "I am in the process of transitioning my portfolio to mostly low-cost index funds, which are very popular among the FI community." "They're all paid off and bring in about $65,000 a year in rent," he said, adding that they played an important role in his early retirement. Advertisement"I think the easier route is to invest in low-cost index funds," he said, noting that the playbook is much simpler.

Persons: —, Eric Cooper, I'd, Cooper, Cooper's, Roth Organizations: Service, Business, Roth IRA, FI Locations: Louisville, Egypt

☆ Mortgage rates will 'lead the way' lower ahead of Fed rate cut, says Matt Graham
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMortgage rates will 'lead the way' lower ahead of Fed rate cut, says Matt GrahamMatt Graham, chief operating officer at Mortgage News Daily, joins CNBC's 'The Exchange' to discuss the housing market outlooks, mortgage rates, and more.

Persons: Matt Graham Matt Graham Organizations: Mortgage News

☆ Average annual child care costs twice as much as rent in 11 states and the District of Columbia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If you think the rent is too damn high, wait until you get the bill for child care. And the tab exceeded annual typical mortgage payments in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, according to Child Care Aware. Nationwide, the average annual cost of care rose to $11,582 per child last year, up 3.7% from the prior year. Further exacerbating the shortage was the continued disappearance of licensed child care providers who operate out of their homes. Also, another $15 billion federal pandemic infusion for child care and development block grants, which states use to subsidize child care for working families, will expire this coming September.

Persons: that’s, Sandra Bishop, ”, Anne Hedgepeth Organizations: CNN, District of Columbia, of Columbia, Care, Nationwide, US Department of Health, Human Services, Care Aware’s, Century Foundation Locations: Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Massachusetts, Minnesota , Nebraska , Pennsylvania, Rhode Island , Vermont, Wisconsin

See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage Refinance Rates TodayMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week's average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.09%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched up to 6.38% this week, according to Freddie Mac data. Mortgage rates increased dramatically over the last two years, but they're expected to go down at some point this year.

Persons: Fannie Mae, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

☆ Mortgage demand from homebuyers drops even as interest rates pull back to April lows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage rates last week dropped to the lowest level since April, but buyers are still struggling to afford today's housing market. As a result, mortgage demand flattened at a weak pace. "While the downward move in rates benefits prospective homebuyers, mortgage rates are still much higher than they were a year ago, while for-sale inventory remains tight," Kan added. Another read on inflation will influence the next move from the Federal Reserve on interest rates. "The difference between a result of 0.2 or 0.4 is surprisingly massive when it comes to the world of interest rates.

Persons: Joel Kan, Kan, Matthew Graham Organizations: Mortgage, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Mortgage News

☆ PGA Championship: When Y.E. Yang became ‘The Tiger Killer’ to clinch Asia’s first men’s major trophy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Tiger Woods, world No. Yang?’Despite his giant-slaying efforts, Yang was still relatively unknown when he pitched up to PGA Tour qualifying school the following season. Yang clinched his first PGA Tour title on his fourth start of the season at the Honda Classic to join K.J. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images“I wasn’t that nervous because it’s a game of golf,” Yang told reporters. The 24-year-old American stamped a last-minute ticket to Valhalla with his first PGA Tour victory at the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday.

Persons: Yang, –, Woods, ”, Joe, Mike Douglas, Yang –, Joe ”, fatefully, Yang toasts, ’, “, ” AJ Montecinos, texted, “ I’d, ” Montecinos, Montecinos, Jamie Squire, Choi, Montecinos –, Charles Baus, It’s, you’re, – it’s, Streeter Lecka, ” Yang, “ It’s, ” Woods, I’m, Hideki Matsuyama’s, Yang …, Christian Petersen, Montecinos ’, Chris Gotterup, Wanamaker, Tiger Organizations: CNN, Korean –, Hazeltine, Augusta National, –, CBS, European, HSBC, PGA Tour, PGA, Honda, K.J, Koreans, South Korean, Woods, Tiger, Hong, Korean, Southern Hills, Myrtle Beach Locations: Chaska , Minnesota, Jeju, Korea, Asia, Shanghai, China, Korean, Texas, San Antonio, Hazeltine, Woods, Hong Kong, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Valhalla, Kentucky

☆ High inflation harms older households — and two factors determine who is most at risk, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This year, Social Security beneficiaries saw a 3.2% increase to their benefits. The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment may also be 3.2% in 2025 based on the latest government inflation data, estimates Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst. That estimate may change between now and October, when the Social Security Administration announces next year's cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. The average Social Security COLA has been 2.6% over the past 20 years, according to The Senior Citizens League. Many households tend to cut back on savings and increase withdrawals to try to lift themselves to where they were before inflation picked up.

Persons: Lourdes Balduque, Mary Johnson, Social Security COLA, Laura Quinby, It's, Quinby, Warren Buffett's Organizations: Social, Social Security, Social Security Administration, Senior Citizens League, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College, Center for Retirement, Finance

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: GameStop, AMC, Boeing, Nio and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading: GameStop , AMC Entertainment — The so-called meme stocks retreated significantly after a two-day rally . GameStop declined about 30%, while AMC dropped 20% as the trading frenzy seemed to fade. The sell-off in AMC shares also came after the company announced a debt-for-equity swap. Before Wednesday, GameStop and AMC were up 179% and 135% this week, respectively. According to the firm, shares could benefit from Chinese government stimulus policy and Nio's latest battery as a service, or BaaS, strategy, which could drive sales, said the bank.

Persons: Max, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Glenn Murphy, Cowen, Yun Li, Pia Singh, Michelle Fox, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound Organizations: GameStop, AMC Entertainment, AMC, Boeing, Justice Department, Dell Technologies, JPMorgan, Tesla, Management, New York Community Bancorp, Petco, Wellness Locations: Nio

☆ ‘Big Short’ investor Michael Burry piles into physical gold fund, making it his biggest bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Michael Burry, known for calling the subprime mortgage crisis, piled into a physical gold trust in the first quarter, making it his biggest bet, according to a new regulatory filing. Burry, who now manages hedge fund Scion Asset Management, bought more than 440,000 units of the Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS), worth more than $10 million in the first quarter. The closed-end fund holds its assets in physical gold bullion. The gold trust is trading at a discount to its net asset value. The widest discount PHYS has traded at over the past 52 weeks is 2.52%.

Persons: Michael Burry, Burry, It's, Michael Lewis Organizations: Asset Management, Nuveen, JD.com, HCA Healthcare, Citigroup, Block, Securities and Exchange

During the pandemic, mortgage rates reached historic lows. HELOC rates have generally remained between 8.16% and 8.59% this year, depending on the term length of the loan. Check out our current HELOC rates page to see the latest rates. To find out the maximum amount you could borrow with a HELOC, multiply your home's current value by your HELOC lender's maximum CLTV. For example, Boyd says that some HELOC lenders can take 50 days or more to close.

Persons: HELOCs, you'll, Adam Boyd, Boyd, You'll Organizations: Bank, Citizens Locations: U.S

☆ 4 Takeaways From Our Homeowners Insurance Investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

One of the best and most recent examples is the insurance market. In response, they’re raising rates, squeezing homeowners already struggling with rising mortgage costs, and even abandoning some markets altogether. (Are you having trouble with your homeowners insurance? The health of the home insurance market is inextricably tied to the health of the broader economy. A broad downturn in the insurance industry could spill over into real estate values and hurt local tax revenue.

Persons: Dave Jones Organizations: University of California Berkeley Locations: California

Thirty-year mortgage interest rates have been holding steady after dipping below 7% earlier this month, according to Zillow data. Once the Fed is able to start cutting rates, mortgage rates should also go down. On the other hand, if April's CPI data shows signs of cooling, mortgage rates could inch down a bit further. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

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