Real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 2.1% in the fourth quarter of last year, according to the advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter of 2019, GDP also grew at a 2.1% pace. Today’s Q4 GDP estimate is based on incomplete source data that is subject to further revision and […]
Continue ReadingNew £2 coin released to mark 75 years since D-Day landing
A £2 coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings has been launched by the Royal Mint. The coins will be released as a tribute to those who fought in the battle that turned out to be a crucial turning point in the Second World War. The coin is being released to mark 75 […]
Continue ReadingThe week the jobless numbers broke
The federal government’s jobless data that tracks new claims for unemployment benefits tumbled 13% last week to the lowest reading since mid-March – before schools, offices and stores closed amid the worst pandemic in more than a century. It’s good news for a number tracked in the mortgage and housing industries as a gauge […]
Continue ReadingHow to take a 10 day holiday this Easter with just four days leave
IF you’re in need of a break but don’t have a lot of annual leave left there’s a cheeky way you can get 10 days off in a row over Easter with just four day’s leave. First of all, if you’re lucky enough to get the bank holidays off work, then there are two coming […]
Continue ReadingNew-home sales show housing ready for rescue role
Sales of new houses in August rose to 1.001 million at a seasonally adjusted and annualized pace, the Commerce Department said on Thursday – the first time the number has broken 1 million in 14 years. The number shows that while other sectors of the economy are soft, housing is ready to play its traditional […]
Continue ReadingFed releases proposal to reform CRA
The Federal Reserve approved a revamp of the anti-redlining rules known as the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, in a live-streamed meeting on Monday morning and gave 120 days for community and industry feedback. The move comes four months after Joseph Otting, head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, stepped down […]
Continue ReadingTrump signs stimulus bill: Here’s what you need to know
President Donald Trump on Sunday officially signed the second COVID-19 relief and government stimulus bill, after a back-and-forth with Congress on the amount of money that will be sent directly to consumers. The $2.3 trillion bill gives $600 in direct payments to each adult making less than $75,000, with a reduced amount for those making […]
Continue ReadingWhy CAR campaigned for California’s Proposition 19
The passage of Proposition 19 in California — which will generate wildfire relief funds while providing tax breaks for senior citizens — was a victory for the California Association of Realtors, which lobbied for its passage and put real dollars behind the effort. The bill is expected to add $2 billion to California’s coffers […]
Continue ReadingCalabria says he’s willing to wipe out Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac shareholders
Mark Calabria, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said he’s willing to wipe out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders if needed to protect taxpayers from another bailout. “I’m working for the taxpayers,” Calabria said during testimony Tuesday to the House Financial Services Committee. “If the circumstances present themselves where we have to […]
Continue ReadingDiesel drivers ‘paying more for fuel to subsidise petrol price rises’, AA claims
MOTORISTS with diesel cars are paying more for fuel to subsidise for low petrol price margins for suppliers, says the AA. The motoring association has found that petrol stations charge 3p more to provide a litre of fuel to a diesel car driver than to someone with unleaded. Petrol stations charge 3p more to provide […]
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