Category Archives: Consumers

Housing Construction, Sales Strong, Interest Rates Still Ultra-Low

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Housing starts are being hit by huge swings. November starts fell 18.7 percent in November to a much lower-than-expected 1.090 million annualized rate following an upward revised gain of 27.4 percent to 1.340 million in October, says … Continue reading →

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Janet Yellen and The Fed’s Rate Hike(s)

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised a key U.S. interest rate for the first time in a year and signaled a more aggressive approach in 2017, when incoming president Donald Trump plans a so-called ‘full-throttle’ strategy to … Continue reading →

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Why Are Consumers Happier?

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Why are consumers much happier during these holidays? The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index for November jumped 6.6 points to a six-month high while the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index jumped 6.3 points to 107.1 for its … Continue reading →

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4.6% Unemployment–178,000 Payroll Jobs in November

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Nonfarm payrolls rose 178,000 in November to just beat out expectations with revisions no factor, says Econoday. A sharp downward revision to October, now at 142,000, was offset by a nearly as sharp upward revision to September, … Continue reading →

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GDP Growth, Consumer Confidence Soar

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The economy grew at the fastest pace in over two years in the third quarter, as consumers, business investment and government increased spending. Gross domestic product expanded at a 3.2 percent annual rate in the Commerce Department’s second … Continue reading →

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Conforming Mortgage Limits Rise for 2017

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Housing Finance Authority, or FHFA, just announced it is increasing the limit for conforming mortgages from $417,000 to $424,100 in most regions of the United States starting Jan. 1, 2017—the first such increase since 2006. The … Continue reading →

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Conforming Mortgage Limits Rise for 2017

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The Federal Housing Finance Authority, or FHFA, just announced it is increasing the limit for conforming mortgages from $417,000 to $424,100 in most regions of the United States starting Jan. 1, 2017—the first such increase since 2006. This … Continue reading →

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Housing Starts, Home Sales ‘Yuge’

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner Housing starts surged 25.5 percent in October to a 1.323 million annualized rate. This is the best rate of the cycle since August 2007 with the monthly percentage gain the strongest since 1982, says Econoday. It and … Continue reading →

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Record Retail Sales, Higher Growth Ahead?

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs It looks like Q4 GDP could be higher than the Third Quarter’s initial estimate of 2.9 percent growth. That’s because retail sales and wholesale inventories, both major contributors to growth, are surging. Retail sales jumped 0.8 percent in … Continue reading →

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Personal Incomes, Manufacturing Remain Strong

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Personal income rose a solid but slightly lower-than-expected 0.3 percent in September, reports the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The wages & salaries component rose 0.3 percent, another sign of rising incomes. That’s why consumer … Continue reading →

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