Gold prices have been on a wild ride lately, catching the attention of investors and economists alike. This precious metal has a history of being a safe bet during uncertain times, and it seems to be living up to that reputation once again. So, what's behind this sudden spike? Well, there are a few factors at play. For starters, global economic uncertainty has been ...
The Federal Reserve faces a tricky situation. Inflation is rising, and the job market is weakening. This puts the Fed in a tough spot as it prepares to cut interest rates. Inflation went up by 2. 9% in August compared to last year. This is the biggest jump since January. Even without food and energy, prices rose by 3. 1%. Both numbers are higher than the Fed's targe...
Buying a home has been tough lately. Prices keep going up, and so do mortgage rates. But there's some good news. Experts think things might get better by 2030. First, let's talk about what "normal" means. A home is usually considered affordable if it costs about 30% of your income. That's the standard. Back in 2018, things were pretty balanced. Mortgage rates were l...
The real estate market is feeling the pinch. In May, sales of new single-family homes took a nosedive, plummeting by 13. 7% compared to April. This drop brought the sales figure down to 623, 000 units on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis. To put that into perspective, it's not just lower than last month but also 6. 3% below May 2024. It's also lagging behind th...
The housing market is finally showing signs of slowing down. After a wild ride during the pandemic, prices are starting to cool off. In April, home prices only went up by 2. 7% compared to the same time last year. That's a big drop from the 3. 4% increase seen in March. It's the smallest gain in almost two years. Some places are seeing prices flatline or even drop. ...
The U. S. housing market is feeling the pinch. Home sales in May barely budged, rising just 0. 8% from April. This sluggish pace is the slowest for May since 2009, a year when the market was still recovering from a major crash. Compared to last year, sales dropped by 0. 7%, showing that the housing market is still struggling. Prices are still climbing, but not as fa...
Bitcoin is a hot topic in finance and tech, sparking interest from investors and enthusiasts alike. To truly understand this digital currency, one must grasp the elements that sway its price. The value of bitcoin is not static; it's influenced by several key factors. The basic law of economics, supply and demand, is at the heart of bitcoin's price movement. Bitc...
The job market is buzzing with activity from an unexpected group: federal employees. Many of these workers are from agencies that faced major cuts under the Trump administration. These agencies include the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U. S. Agency for International Development. The number of job applications from these workers skyrocketed by 60 per...
In the world of stocks, things can get pretty confusing. On a recent Thursday, the Asia-Pacific markets were all over the place. This happened after a report from the U. S. showed that inflation wasn't as bad as some people thought. This report helped two out of three major stock indexes in the U. S. bounce back from some losses they had over the past couple of days....
As 2024 comes to an end, the final jobs report is set to be released on Friday. This report can give us a hint at what 2025 might look like for jobs. In 2024, job growth started slowing down a bit. The US added about 180, 000 jobs each month, which is similar to the pace in the years before the pandemic. The unemployment rate also rose slightly but stayed quite low. ...