Trump Announces Next Fed Chair

President Donald Trump announced that Kevin Warsh will be the next Chair of the Federal Reserve. Before getting into what this could mean, a quick refresher on two animals you’ll often hear about when people talk Fed policy: hawks and doves. In Fed-speak, a hawk is someone who prioritizes fighting inflation over supporting economic growth. […]

No rate cut to start the year

The Fed met this week and, as expected, did not cut rates. No surprise there. Markets were already priced for a hold, so the decision itself didn’t move mortgage rates. Here are a few things that have been moving rates: Trump previously said he would appoint a new Fed Chair by now. The fact that he hasn’t isn’t […]

Fed cut=higher rates?

The Fed meets tomorrow, and we’re almost certainly getting another ¼% rate cut. Prediction markets are putting the odds around 90%, so the cut itself likely won’t move mortgage rates much. Because of the government shutdown, there were no official jobs reports for October or November. The delayed jobs report will finally come out on 12/16, and the […]

Introducing the 50-Year Mortgage — What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The government is trying to roll out a new “solution” to the housing crisis  and just like everything the government does, it’s perfectly logical and definitely won’t make the problem worse. They’re calling it the 50-year mortgage. That’s about how long a tortoise lives… and probably how long it’ll take to build equity in the house you’re […]

Rate Cut Expected, but the Details Matter

Happy Fed Week to all who celebrate! On Wednesday, the Fed is widely expected to deliver another 0.25% rate cut. This move is already priced in by the markets. Any big reaction will likely come from what Fed Chair Jerome Powell says about future cuts and the broader outlook. Another thing to watch: the Fed’s approach to […]