Federal Reserve: FEDS Notes | Are Disappearing Employer Pensions Contributing to Rising Wealth Inequality?

Are Disappearing Employer Pensions Contributing to Rising Wealth Inequality? John Sabelhaus and Alice Henriques Volz* The share of U.S. workers covered by a traditional employer-sponsored pension plan has declined dramatically over the past few decades. Fewer jobs today have any form of employer-sponsored retirement plan coverage, and those jobs that […]

ABA: Report Shows Credit Card Market Expands Further in Third Quarter as the Economy Sustains Robust Growth

Credit card use continued to increase in the third quarter of 2018, according to the American Bankers Association’s latest quarterly Credit Card Market Monitor. Compared to the previous quarter, purchase volumes increased for both subprime and super-prime accounts, but moderated for prime accounts. On an annual basis, monthly purchase volumes […]

FHFA: Indices Show Little Movement in Mortgage Interest Rates in December 2018

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages were nearly flat from November to December, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.83 percent for loans closed in late December, down 3 […]

CFPB: Bureau Releases Sixth Annual Report from the Office of Servicemember Affairs

I am pleased to offer the sixth annual report from the Office of Servicemember Affairs (OSA) highlighting issues and emerging trends facing servicemembers, veterans, and military families (collectively referred to as “servicemembers” in this report). The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the OSA are committed to ensuring that servicemembers […]

Census Bureau: New Study Examines Barriers, Attitudes and Motivators Toward 2020 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau released results today from the 2020 Census Barriers, Attitudes and Motivators Study (CBAMS). The national survey and series of focus groups were designed to better understand the nation’s attitudes toward the 2020 Census, potential barriers that may inhibit participation, and possible motivators of responding. The CBAMS […]

ABA: Bank Economists Forecast Moderating Economic Growth and Heightened Uncertainty

According to a new forecast released today from the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association, the pace of growth will moderate through 2019 and 2020, reflecting fading policy support in the U.S. and a slowing global economy. The median forecast of 15 chief economists from major North American […]

ABA: Report Shows Consumer Delinquencies Rise in Third Quarter 2018

Installment loan and bank card delinquencies resumed a slow return towards normal levels in the third quarter of 2018, but remain low by historical standards, according to results from the American Bankers Association’s Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin. Overall, delinquencies rose in six of the 11 categories tracked by ABA while […]

FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in November 2018

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from October to November, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.86 percent for loans closed in late November, up 11 basis points […]