What recession?

Remember when economic experts were predicting another recession? Yeah, we don’t either. Looking at the U.S. GDP over the past two years, it’s clear our national economy is trending up. In other words, don’t believe the hype!

Mortgage rates on the decline.

According to the folks at Freddie Mac, average interest rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.61% last week, the ninth consecutive week of decline, but still higher than one year ago (6.42%). Economic experts expect further declines heading into 2024, although the current dip has yet to spur an uptick in home sales due to a lack of inventory.

Here's a look at how key economic indicators fared in 2023:

Halloween by the Numbers

Did you know the average American will spend $108 on Halloween related activities this year alone, and 60% of parents will dip into their childrens’ trick-or-treating haul? Wallethub breaks down the facts and figures of costumes, candy, and pumpkins, complete with the world’s longest infographic.

California’s Best Small Cities

When personal finance company WalletHub recently compared 1,300 American cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on affordability, economics, health, education, safety, and other indicators, Los Altos and Palo Alto ended up in the 95th percentile, just behind Livermore as the highest-ranked California small cities. See the full list here.

State of the nation

Looking at the national economy, the Fed is ramping up to another 25 bps rate hike at their May meeting, but the job market isn’t feeling the recession burn. Unemployment sits at 3.5%, private payroll is on the rise, and 236K jobs were added in the past month. Meanwhile, interest rates remain unpredictable day to day.