Car buyers aren’t just dealing with higher sticker prices. Since 2020, auto loan rates, average loan balances, and monthly payments have all moved higher, creating a much bigger payment shock than many families expected. This breakdown shows how the real cost of owning a car has changed — and why the monthly payment tells the real story.
Today’s economic reports gave the bond market a lot to digest: PCE inflation, jobless claims, GDP, building permits, durable goods, and oil. Some of the data was mortgage-rate friendly, especially cooler monthly Core PCE and softer labor numbers, but inflation is still running above the Fed’s target. Here’s what today’s numbers mean for mortgage rates, real estate, and the Fed’s next move.
Why Housing Still Feels Unaffordable Even Though Rates Have Improved The monthly payment has come down from the 2024 peak, but not enough to erase the affordability shock created by higher rates, higher home values, rising taxes, and rising insurance.
Congress just passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a major housing bill aimed at improving supply, affordability, rural housing, manufactured housing, and financing access. But will it actually help homebuyers, homeowners, and builders — or is it mostly political window dressing? In this breakdown, I explain why I’m skeptical, why I give the bill a D, and what really needs to happen if America wants lower housing costs and better mortgage affordability.
New York’s billionaire exit risk is not just about one wealthy person changing residency — it is about what happens if future jobs, capital, office demand, and high-income tax revenue begin shifting to Florida, Texas, and other lower-tax states. With millionaire earners contributing a major share of New York City’s income tax base, even a slow leak of executives, finance firms, real estate investors, and business expansion could create serious long-term budget pressure. The question is no longer whether New York is still powerful — it is whether the next wave of wealth and growth chooses to stay.
Veterans earned their VA loan benefits through service — but too many are being targeted with confusing ads, too-good-to-be-true rate quotes, and alleged bait-and-switch tactics. Here’s what every veteran should know before buying, refinancing, or signing a VA loan offer.
What to do if rates drop after you locked your rate?
Mortgage rates are moving higher today as MBS prices weaken, and the pressure is not coming from a collapsing jobs market. Initial and continued jobless claims still point to a solid labor backdrop, which gives the Fed less reason to rush into rate cuts. The bigger problem is inflation — especially oil prices — while the latest housing starts and permits data shows a troubling split: multifamily construction is holding up, but single-family homebuilding is weakening. For homebuyers, that means future for-sale housing supply could stay tight just as financing costs remain under pressure.
Companies spent years blaming tariffs for higher prices. Now that some tariff money may be refunded, the big question is simple: will those dollars make their way back to consumers, or will they quietly boost corporate profits? Here’s how the tariff refund process works, who gets paid first, and why accountability may become the next major economic fight.
