Commercial construction has hit a brick wall. Why?

Mar 13, 2024
Factors like high interest rates, tight credit and workers continuing to work from home are all hitting commercial construction demand.
Factors like high interest rates, tight credit and continued remote work are all hitting commercial construction demand.
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Even as hourly wages outpace inflation, rising prices take a bite

Mar 12, 2024
It’s been harder for lower- and middle-income households to afford higher food, rent and gas prices without getting into debt.
“We see higher wage growth since the recovery. But if people are working less, their total earnings are still less than inflation,” said ADP's Liv Wang.
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Banks are still grappling with fallout of SVB's failure one year on

Mar 11, 2024
Regulators are more watchful, and banks are trying to be more resourceful.
The banking system was caught off guard by the problems at Silicon Valley Bank,  Signature Bank and First Republic Bank.
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When will the Fed cut rates? Senators are likely to put Jay Powell on the spot when he testifies

Mar 7, 2024
He says there's likely to be a rate cut this year, but he won't say when.
Above, Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jerome Powell testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday.
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For some online bank customers, not all high-yield savings accounts are equal

Feb 29, 2024
Online-centric bank customers with high-yield savings accounts aren’t getting the bang for their buck. 
“Make sure you're checking your statements or your online banking portal and seeing what your rate is there," says Wall Street Journal reporter Rachel Ensign.
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A year after Silicon Valley Bank failed, lenders are still feeling pressure on all sides

Feb 23, 2024
Rising interest rates have cranked up the interest banks are paying depositors. But banks also have a lot of cash stuck in low-interest bonds and loans they made before the Federal Reserve started raising interest rates.
A lot of the problems that last year’s bank failures revealed are still troubling small and mid-sized banks today.
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"I think our fear of high inflation is well warranted," Minneapolis Fed president says

Feb 21, 2024
Neel Kashkari weighs in on the state of the economy and what's left to bring inflation down to the Fed's 2% target.
"I do the grocery shopping for my family. I started doing that when the pandemic hit, and I still have sticker shock," says Neel Kashkari, Minneapolis Fed president.
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Want to know where inflation's headed? Look to the producer price index

Feb 20, 2024
It's usually called a measure of wholesale prices, but it can also be a leading indicator that shows where consumer prices are headed.
The cost of hospital outpatient care was up more than 2% last month. Health care costs are included in both the PPI and PCE.
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High mortgage rates, low inventory keep the housing market tight

Feb 19, 2024
High interest rates and limited inventory are key factors in restricting affordability.
The "mortgage lock-in effect" is part of what's keeping the inventory of homes on the market low right now.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Larger credit card issuers charge higher rates than smaller ones

Feb 16, 2024
Consumers often choose a familiar name, despite the costs. The CFPB's findings come as credit card debt in the U.S. is rising.
The median interest rate that larger issuers offered to customers with good credit is 28%, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
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