ECONOMICS

Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A new WalletHub report indicates that total national mortgage debt is now over $12.6 trillion, with the average American household currently owing $105,000 on their mortgages. The report blames rising interest rates and housing costs for making home ownership more challenging.

A development of new homes in Eagleville, Pa., on April 28, 2023. Matt Rourke/AP

Vermont, the sixth-smallest state in the nation, experienced (more…)

While middle-market retailers brace for a slowdown, luxury’s upper echelon continues to soar – underscoring a growing economic divide that may prove as precarious as it is profitable.

Photo: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg News

Signs of strain are increasingly visible among mass-market players. Retail giants like Target and Macy’s are reporting that their customers are pulling back, trading down to less expensive alternatives as tariffs and inflation weigh on household budgets. But (more…)

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com,

While coming in much stronger than expected, the latest employment data confirmed what we already suspected: the economy is slowing. The reason the employment data is so important is that without employment growth, the economy stalls. It takes, on average, about 200,000 jobs each month to keep up with population growth, which ultimately keeps the economy growing. That is because, as discussed in last week’s #BullBearReport, (more…)