Charter Financial Resources

HOT TOPIC: Recession Fears

Considering the high level of public concern, it may be helpful to look at how a recession is officially determined and some current indicators that suggest strength or weakness in the U.S. economy.

Business Cycle Dating

U.S. recessions and expansions are officially measured and declared by the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a private nonpartisan organization that began dating business cycles in 1929. The committee, which was formed in 1978, includes eight economists who specialize in macroeconomic and business cycle research.

Continue reading here: http://www.cfrusa.com/HOT-TOPIC-Is-the-U-S--Economy-in-a-Recession.c9942.htm

What’s Triggering Market Volatility?

During the intensely volatile first 100 trading days of 2022, the stocks of companies in the S&P 500 index delivered their worst performance since 1970.¹ The S&P 500 continued to tumble, and the benchmark index descended into a bear market — typically defined as a sustained drop in stock prices of at least 20% — on June 13, 2022. When the market closed, the S&P 500 had dropped 21.8% from its January 3 peak, and the tech-heavy NASDAQ, already in bear territory, had plunged 32.7% from its November 19, 2021, peak.

Continue Reading: http://www.cfrusa.com/HOT-TOPIC-Tech-Sector-Turmoil-and-the-Bear-Market.c9927.htm

Hot Topic - Join Long List of Housing Dilemmas

Homebuyers braving the hot U.S. housing market have run headlong into a striking transition. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage jumped from around 3.2% at the beginning of 2022 to 5.3% in mid-May, the highest level since 2009. This rise was sparked by... Continue Reading: http://www.cfrusa.com/HOT-TOPIC-Rising-Rates-Join-Long-List-of-Housing-Dilemmas.c9913.htm