Explainers
Mortgage rates just hit 6.22% for a 30 year fixed rate loan, and a lot of people are confused and frustrated. Weren't rates supposed to come down this year? Wasn't the Federal Reserve going to cut interest rates? What happened? Let's break down
Economic growth
China's property market, which has been crashing for over two years, is finally showing some signs of stabilization. Prices are still falling, but the pace of decline is slowing. New home sales are still down, but not as badly as they were. It's not exactly good
Economic growth
The US economy is losing steam fast. The Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDPNow forecast, which tracks economic data in real time, just cut its estimate for first quarter 2026 growth down to 2.3%, from 2.7% just two weeks ago. That's a significant downgrade, and it&
Inflation
The Pentagon is deploying thousands of Marines and ground forces to the Middle East as the war with Iran escalates to a new level. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that three amphibious assault ships loaded with Marines are heading to the Persian Gulf region. This is the
Inflation
UK inflation just came down to 3.0% in January, and people were starting to feel some relief. But that relief is about to vanish. The Bank of England is warning that inflation could jump back to 3.5% by the third quarter of this year, driven almost entirely by
Personal Finance
Mortgage rates just hit 6.22% for a 30 year fixed rate loan, the highest level in more than three months. That's up from 6.11% just a week ago and 5.87% in February. For anyone trying to buy a home, this is painful timing. Freddie Mac
Investments
President Donald Trump just issued a 48 hour ultimatum to Iran, and oil markets responded by spiking to $113 a barrel. The White House warned that if Iran doesn't fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within two days, the US will escalate military action significantly.
Stocks
The Russell 2000 index officially entered correction territory this week, falling more than 10% from its recent peak. Small cap stocks are now the first major US index to hit this painful milestone, and it's a warning sign for the broader market. The Russell 2000 closed at 2,
Investments
Gold just had its worst week in over four decades. The precious metal crashed more than 10% in just five trading days, falling from a high of $5,626 per ounce to around $4,500. That's a loss of over $1,100 per ounce in less than a
Stocks
JPMorgan just delivered a stark warning to investors. The bank's equity strategist team cut their year end target for the S&P 500 and said the index could fall to 6,000 in the near term if current pressures intensify. That would be another 8% drop from
Stocks
Wall Street's mood just turned dark. Bank of America's latest global fund manager survey shows sentiment at a six month low, and investors are doing something they only do when they're really scared. They're selling stocks and holding cash. Cash levels in
Stocks
The S&P 500 just closed its fourth straight week of losses, and Wall Street is getting nervous. The index closed at 6,507 on Friday, March 20, down 1.5% for the day and down 5.1% for the year. That might not sound catastrophic, but the trend