ABA Report: Credit Card Market Expands in Second Quarter, Mirroring Economic Growth
Credit card use continued to expand in the second quarter, according to the American Bankers Association’s latest Credit Card Market Monitor. Monthly purchase volumes rebounded after a seasonal decline in the first quarter, rising by 9 percent across risk tiers. On an annual basis, purchase volumes rose 4.9 percent for prime accounts and 5.2 percent…
CFPB: Newly Available Data Shows Lowest Mortgage Delinquency Rate Since the Financial Crisis
Newly Available Data Shows Lowest Mortgage Delinquency Rate Since the Financial Crisis The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced the launch of a new Mortgage Performance Trends tool that tracks delinquency rates nationwide. Information newly available through this tool shows that mortgage delinquency rates nationally are at their lowest point since the financial crisis….
FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Decreased in September 2017
Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages decreased from August to September, 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 4.00 percent for loans closed in late September, down 5 basis points from 4.05 percent in August….
HUD and Census Bureau: New Residential Sales Report for September 2017
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau today jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for September 2017: NEW HOME SALES Sales of new single-family houses in September 2017 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 667,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the Department…
FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.7 Percent in August 2017
U.S. house prices rose in August, up 0.7 percent from the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) seasonally adjusted monthly House Price Index (HPI). The previously reported 0.2 percent increase in July was revised upward to 0.4 percent. The FHFA monthly HPI is calculated using home sales price information from mortgages…
Census Bureau: New American Community Survey Data Now Available
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey one-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files and Supplemental Estimates Tables are now available on census.gov. 1-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Files The PUMS files contain data on approximately 1 percent of the U.S. population and allow users to create their own tabulations. The files show…
Census Bureau: Three Blogs to Help You Understand Population Estimate
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released the 2016 population estimates, which helps gauge change in the population since the 2010 Census. Read the blogs below to understand the methodology behind these releases. Net Migration and Population Estimates: A High-Level Overview Written by: Amel Toukabri, Local Government Estimates and Migration Processing The U.S. Census Bureau recently…
Federal Reserve: FEDS Notes | The Unequal Distribution of Economic Education
The Unequal Distribution of Economic Education: A Report on the Race, Ethnicity, and Gender of Economics Majors at US Colleges and Universities Amanda Bayer and David Wilcox Abstract: The distribution of economic education among US college graduates is quite unequal: female and underrepresented minority undergraduates, collectively, major in economics at 0.36 the rate that white,…
HUD and Census Bureau: Residential Construction Activity in August 2017
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for September 2017. Building Permits: Privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in September were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,215,000. This is 4.5 percent (±1.6 percent) below the revised…
FHFA: Agency Issues 2016 Report to Congress on Guarantee Fees
As required by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its annual report on the single-family guarantee fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). The report discusses guarantee fees charged in 2016 and provides a five-year perspective with data back to 2012. The…