Interest rates for US 30-year fixed home loans have just risen for the second week in a row. The average rate is now 5%, against 4.92% last week. That may not sound like much of an increase, but the reason behind the rise should have housing bulls everywhere worried.
Last year, the Federal Reserve set out to cut mortgage rates to help struggling US homeowners. It did this by slashing interest rates, printing money and also pledging to buy US bonds backed by home loans. The size of this last part of the stimulus was increased to $1.25 trillion just this March.
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End of “fleecehold”: Will leasehold reforms bring an end to the UK's feudal system?Britain’s feudal system of property ownership is being overhauled. It's about time, says Simon Wilson
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Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI is on the rocksMicrosoft’s joint venture with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, appears to be in trouble. What now for the two groups?
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House prices to crash? Your house may still be making you money, but not for much longerOpinion If you’re relying on your property to fund your pension, you may have to think again. But, says Merryn Somerset Webb, if house prices start to fall there may be a silver lining.
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Prepare your portfolio for recessionOpinion A recession is looking increasingly likely. Add in a bear market and soaring inflation, and things are going to get very complicated for investors, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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Investing for income? Here are six investment trusts to buy nowOpinion For many savers and investors, income is getting hard to find. But it's not impossible to find, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here, she picks six investment trusts that are currently yielding more than 4%.
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Stories are great – but investors should stick to realityOpinion Everybody loves a story – and investors are no exception. But it’s easy to get carried away, says Merryn Somerset Webb, and forget the underlying truth of the market.
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Everything is collapsing at once – here’s what to do about itOpinion Equity and bond markets are crashing, while inflation destroys the value of cash. Merryn Somerset Webb looks at where investors can turn to protect their wealth.
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ESG investing could end up being a classic mistakeOpinion ESG investing has been embraced with enormous speed and zeal. But think long and hard before buying in, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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UK house prices will fall – but not for a few yearsOpinion UK house prices look out of reach for many. But the truth is that British property is surprisingly affordable, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Prices will fall at some point – but not yet.
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This isn’t the stagflationary 1970s – but neither is it the low-rate world of the 2010sOpinion With soaring energy prices and high inflation, it might seem like we’re on a fast track back to the 1970s. We’re not, says Merryn Somerset Webb. But we’re not going back to the 2010s either.
