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Initial Jobless Claims hit their lowest level since April, as 213,000 people filed for unemployment benefits for the first time. This reflects a decline of 6,000 from the previous week. However, Continuing Claims were a different story, as they surged by 36,000 to top 1.9 million for the first time in three years. What’s the […]

Even though home builder sentiment has started rising, builders pulled back on new construction last month, with Housing Starts falling 3.1% from September. Starts for single-family homes, which make up the bulk of homebuilding and are the most crucial due to buyer demand, were down nearly 7%. Building Permits, which reflect future construction, moved lower […]

Home builder sentiment rose for the third straight month, per the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), who reported that their Housing Market Index increased three points to 46 in November. Any score over 50 on this index, which runs from 0 to 100, signals that more builders view conditions as good than poor. What’s […]

Existing Home Sales, which reflect closings on existing homes, rebounded in October, up 3.4% from September and 2.9% from a year ago. This was the first annual increase in more than three years. The rise in closings last month makes sense, as the data likely reflects people who were shopping for homes in August and […]

National Gingerbread Cookie Day is November 21, making it the perfect day to enjoy these soft and delicious cookies courtesy of Allrecipes. Yields 2 dozen cookies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add 2 tablespoons sugar to a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, sift 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons […]

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time fell by 4,000 in the latest week, as 217,000 Initial Jobless Claims were reported. Continuing Claims also dropped by 11,000, with 1.873 million people still receiving benefits after filing their initial claim. What’s the bottom line? The low level of Initial Jobless Claims […]

Retail Sales rose 0.4% in October, above the 0.3% gain the market was expecting. The Core reading, which gets plugged into GDP, was weaker than estimates, though this miss was offset by a big revision higher to September’s reading. What’s the bottom line? Overall, the sales figures for October show that consumer spending remains resilient […]

The Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures inflation on the wholesale level, rose 0.2% in October, with the annual reading jumping from an upwardly revised 1.9% to 2.4%. This was hotter than the 2.3% that the market was anticipating. Core PPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.3% for the month and […]

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed that inflation rose 0.2% in October, with the annual reading coming in at 2.6%.While this was an uptick from the 2.4% 12-month rate seen in September, it was in line with what economists had forecasted. The core measure, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, increased 0.3% […]

Fall is the perfect season to make this easy and delicious Butternut Squash Soup courtesy of Allrecipes. Serves 4. In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook 1 small onion (chopped), 1 celery stalk (chopped), 1 mediumcarrot (chopped), 2 medium potatoes (cubed) and 1 medium butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cubed) […]

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time rose by 3,000 in the latest week, as 221,000 InitialJobless Claims were reported. Continuing Claims rose by 39,000, with 1.892 million people still receiving benefits after filingtheir initial claim. This marks the highest amount since November 2021 as Continuing Claims have now topped […]

CoreLogic’s Home Price Index showed that home prices nationwide rose 0.02% in September, and they were also 3.4% higherwhen compared to September of last year. CoreLogic forecasts that home prices will fall 0.1% in October and rise 2.3% in theyear going forward, though their forecasts tend to be conservative. ICE (formerly known as Black Knight) […]

The Fed’s new easing cycle continued last week, as they cut their benchmark Federal Funds Rate by 25 basis points, bringing itto a new range of 4.5% to 4.75%. This decision was unanimous and followed the 50-basis point cut the Fed made in September(which brought one dissent). Note that when the Fed cuts rates, they […]

Daylight saving time ended Sunday. This is always a great reminder to make sure your emergency kit is ready for any colder weather that’s ahead. Ready.gov provides an easy checklist to follow. For the basics, your kit should include batteries, flashlights, dust masks, whistle (to signal for help), moist towelettes, wrench or pliers, cell phone […]

The U.S. economy grew by 2.8% in the third quarter per the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which was a solid but somewhatdisappointing Gross Domestic Product reading given that forecasts expected higher growth. By comparison, we saw 3% and1.6% growth in the second and first quarters of this year. What’s the bottom line? Economic activity in […]