John Saum - Cobalt Credit Union

12/28/2018

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11/29/2018

Stocks soar as Fed gets Dovish
Today is one of those days when you can absolutely tie remarks from the Federal Reserve to higher stock prices. The DJIA posted its best day in 8 months on the heels of comments from Fed Chief Jay Powell suggesting that the interest rate level is ‘just below neutral’. His exact comments:

"Interest rates are still low by historical standards, and they remain just below the broad range of estimates of the level that would be neutral for the economy — that is, neither speeding up nor slowing down growth,"

Powell made these remarks in a widely anticipated speech at the Economic Club of New York, and the BUY signal was on. Nearly every sector rallied on the news except for Utilities, which have been a relatively safe harbor over the past few months.

09/28/2018

Inflation remained contained in August and comes after Fed Chair Powell said this week that he doesn't see any upside surprises to inflation. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported this morning that Core Personal Consumption Expenditures, the Fed's favorite inflation gauge, was unchanged year-over-year at 2%, right at the Fed's target range. Inflation data is one of the metrics that dictates the path of mortgage rates. A low inflation environment tends to keep interest rates in check.

Consumer Sentiment continued to hover near at frothy levels in September due in part to a strong economy and tight labor market. The Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 100.1 in September, well above the 96.2 recorded in August and topped the triple digit mark for only the third time since January 2004. Richard Curtin, chief economist at the index said, "All households held very optimistic expectations for improved personal finances in the year ahead, the most favorable financial prospects since 2004."

02/05/2018

Economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grew in January for the 96th consecutive month, reports the Institute of Supply Management (ISM). As of the end of 2017, there are more Millennials (83 million) in the United States than there are Baby Boomers (75 million). The U.S. Stock markets finally have finally occurred some losses after record highs seen in January.

01/16/2018

Creating a Home Safety Plan

Moving to a new home is an exhilarating process. Because it can also be a busy process, many homeowners may forget to develop a safety plan.

Develop a Fire Escape Plan

Homeowners should plan two ways out of the home during an emergency and to designate two meeting places: one outside of the home and one outside of the neighborhood in case the first meeting place is blocked during the emergency.

- Involve everyone in your home with the planning process.
- Teach kids to recognize the sound of smoke alarms and to retreat to your designated meeting place.
- Ensure all windows and doors are easily opened.
- Learn the emergency number for your local fire department.
- Ensure your house number is visible from the street.
- Practice a fire escape drill at least twice a year.

Identify Your Severe Weather Shelter

The Red Cross advises to find an interior spot in your home that is on the lowest floor, away from windows and isn't near an outdoor wall.

Go tohttps://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/home_safety_checklist.pdf for your Home Safety Checklist.

Stay safe!

12/22/2017

Sales of new homes soared in November, driven by solid demand across the nation. The Commerce Department reported that New Home Sales rose 17.5% from October to an annual rate of 733,000 units, a 10-year high. That was the biggest monthly gain since January 1992. Sales also were up nearly a whopping 27% from November 2016.A strong labor market was one of the catalysts that propelled New Home Sales higher. Regionally, sales rose 31% in the West, 14.9% in the South, 9.5% in the Northeast and 6.9% in the Midwest. The median home price rose 1.2%. Inventories remained on the low end with just a 4.6-month supply, where six months is a more normal level.

Inflation remained tame in November and is a big reason that interest rates as well as home loan rates remain low. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the fed's favorite inflation gauge, the Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE), rose 0.1% in November, which was inline with expectations. The Core strips out volatile food and energy. The Core PCE on an annual basis rose 1.5% from 1.4% in October, but remains well below the fed's target range of 2%.

Happy Holidays!

11/27/2017

The Federal Reserve reports that home equity hit an all-time high in mid-2017 at $13.9T, up $0.5T from the 2006 peak and up $6T from the lowest point in the Great Recession. Quickly rising home prices are the main reason for the equity gains. Increasing home prices have also helped many homeowners to come out of negative equity. There were 12.2 million homeowners in negative equity at the end of 2009. That number has now decreased to just under 3 million in 2017.

The Commerce Department reported on Monday that sales of new homes rose to their highest level in 10 years due to strong sales across the country. New Home Sales rose 6.2% in October from September to an annual rate of 685,000 units, above the 629,000 expected. September was revised to 645,000 from 667,000. Strong sales were seen in the Northeast, Midwest, South and West. Year-to-date New Home Sales rose 18.7%. There is a 4.9 month supply of new homes for sale on the market, where a six-month supply is seen as a healthy balance between supply and demand.

Shoppers were out in full bloom as they shopped online on Thanksgiving and hit the malls on Black Friday. Black Friday and Thanksgiving online sales show U.S. retailers raking in a record $7.9B, up nearly 18% from a year ago. Cyber Monday is now underway and record online sales are expected to the tune of $6.6 billion. Total holiday sales are expected to come in between $678.75 billion to $682 billion, up from $655 billion last year.

09/21/2017

Southwest Iowa Area Realtors - Realtor Safety