Vladimir Tenev, co-CEO of the online broker Robinhood, will appear before the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday and defend his company’s decision in late January to temporarily restrict trading in so-called meme stocks, including GameStop Inc. He will also push back against allegations that the app’s features encourage investors …
Read More »Capitol Report: Congress looks to resume confirmation of Biden victory after protesters storm Capitol building in Washington
A joint session of Congress remains on recess Wednesday evening after protesters broke into the Capitol building during a joint session meant to officially confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November presidential election, though many members say the proceedings will resume some time Wednesday night. The building was first …
Read More »Mortgage rates hit another low, Congress ironing out stimulus deal
The dips keep on coming. This week’s Freddie Mac average on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 2.67%, another historic low. Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist Sam Khater was optimistic in this week’s release, saying “Homebuyer sentiment is sanguine and purchase demand shows no real signs of waning at all heading …
Read More »Capitol Report: Mike Pence could ‘go rogue’ when Congress counts electoral votes, election experts warn
The campaign by President Donald Trump and his allies to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the November elections has dealt long-lasting damage to U.S. democracy and will set up the nation for more drama on Jan. 6, when Congress formally tallies the electoral votes for president, election experts said …
Read More »Outside the Box: To save thousands of lives, Congress must extend unemployment benefits and paid leave
Predictions for the coming months are dire. In much of the country, the rate of COVID-19 infections is higher than it was last spring. Vaccines are already being administered in the U.K. and should soon begin to be administered in the U.S., but the pandemic is not over yet. Epidemiologists predict that by spring 2021, when it is likely a vaccine may become more widely available, another 200,000 …
Read More »Market volatility spurred by Congress, housing demand stays strong
The continued back and forth in Washington has pushed the stock market into continued volatility this week. President Trump’s comments on Wednesday that legislators were “starting to have some very productive talks” about a new federal economic support plan spurred Wall Street to its best finish since July. The Dow …
Read More »Rates remain historically low, Wall Street waits on Congress
The main headline in housing is yet another week of historically low mortgage rates. However, the extremely low rates are starting to have an adverse effect on purchasing power. This week, and for the eighth time this year, Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed-rate mortgage average hit an all-time low. The latest …
Read More »Wall Street stymied by battle in Congress
There is no question that the COVID-19 virus, and the reactions to it, are controlling the United States economy right now. But the breadth of that control was extremely evident this week. As expected, the Federal Reserve decided to keep overnight lending rates stable, in the range of 0% – …
Read More »Coronavirus update: Pandemic will continue for some time, experts tell Congress as U.S. case tally nears 4.5 million
With close to 4.5 million Americans confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus illness COVID-19, the pandemic will continue for some time, public health officials will tell Congress on Friday, underscoring the importance of following their recommendations on face masks, frequent hand washing and social distancing. “While it remains …
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