HOT NEWS FOR JANUARY 2024
- The median US home mortgage payment is decreasing.
- 2024 prepares changes for credit card fees and rewards.
- Boeing’s stock is falling rapidly: 9% in one day and still dropping.
TODAY’S TOPICS
- Americans spent a record $222 billion this holiday season despite saying that they don’t like the current economy.
- Home affordability in the U.S. has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 40 years. Should you buy a house in 2024?
- The BRICS’ power is growing with 5 newly joined countries.
- Investors who believed that Tesla’s shares would fall lost over $12 billion last year.
- What are the best investments in 2024?
QUIZ
1. Who can become the world’s first trillionaire by 2026?
- Bill Gates
- Jeff Bezos
- Donald Trump
- Mark Zuckerberg
2. What American generation spends the most?
- Gen Z
- Millennials
- Gen X
- Baby boomers
3. How many Americans save money regularly?
- 89%
- 28%
- 17%
- 66%
(You will find the answer below)
REAL ESTATE
Current mortgage rates
- 30-years fixed: 6.500%
- 20-years fixed: 6.000%
- 15-years fixed: 5.875%
- 10-years fixed: 5.750%
Real estate news
- The median US home mortgage payment is down nearly $400 from its October peak:The median US home mortgage payment was $2,361 on December 31. This is $372 (-14%) less than the October peak and is the lowest in almost a year. Also, according to Redfin, demand for homes is rising as buyers take advantage of lower rates and more homes to choose from. Overall, new supply is up 10% year-over-year. Learn more
- Americans’ home affordability in 2023 has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 40 years:Only 15.5% of homes for sale last year were affordable for the typical American household. That’s the lowest since Redfin began tracking this data in 2013 compared to the usual 40% level seen before the pandemic home-buying frenzy and the 21% recorded in 2022. Learn more
U.S. ECONOMY
Inflation
- Current US inflation rate: 3.14%
Unemployment
- Current US unemployment rate: 3.70%
FED rate
- Fed funds rate: 5.5%
U.S. economy news
- Americans spent a record $222 billion on online shopping this holiday season:Between November 1 and December 31, purchases were up 4.9 % over the previous holiday shopping season. According to polls, Americans are still actively spending money even though they don’t like the current economy. On Cyber Monday alone, shoppers spent a record $12.4 billion online purchases. Learn more
- US employers added 216,000 jobs in December:It was the latest sign that the US labor market remains resilient despite sharply higher interest rates. In addition, average hourly wages rose 4.1% from a year earlier and up from a 4% increase in November. Thus, this could make it more difficult for the Fed to slow inflation to its 2% target. Learn more
- We could be left with no credit card points:Talks about the Credit Card Competition Act of 2023 don’t stop. If passed, this bill could influence both merchants and regular buyers. What’s the matter? The supporters of this Act say that it can finally end the monopoly in the credit card market and lower the operation costs for businesses. Yet, the opponents insist that it may not be reflected in prices while the credit card companies will slash their reward programs to make up for losses. Learn more
GLOBAL OUTLOOK
- 5 new countries joined BRICS in 2024:On 1 January 2024, 5 countries (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) officially joined the BRICS bloc. These plans were announced back in August 2023 at the 15th BRICS Summit. Argentina was also invited to join along with the other countries, but its new president, Javier Milei, refused the offer. Learn more
- The global economy could face a period of prolonged weakness:The world faces a prolonged period of weak economic growth that will undermine progress on sustainable development. The UN secretary-general urges governments to increase investment to stay caught up on climate change and sustainable development. The slowdown in global economic growth proves this. For example, it has fallen to 2.4% this year from 2.7% in 2023, well below the 3% rate before the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more
STOCK EXCHANGE
Stocks recommended by experts
Have you wondered what the world’s richest invest in? Today, let’s take a look at Warren Buffet’s portfolio. As of January 2024, about 80% of his portfolio is invested in:
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- Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock is top. They account for 47% of Berkshire’s entire portfolio, and its value is estimated at $170 billion.
- The Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). It makes up 9.6% of Buffett’s portfolio and is valued at $34.7 billion.
- The American Express (NYSE: AXP) stock makes up 7.8% of Berkshire’s portfolio.
- The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO). Warren Buffett opened a position in Coca-Cola in 1988. Today, it represents 6.6% of his investing portfolio.
- Chevron (NYSE: CVX) oil and gas stocks still make up 4.6% of Berkshire’s portfolio.
- Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY). It makes up 4.1% of the conglomerate’s total portfolio.
Stock market news
- Boeing’s stock is falling rapidly:Boeing shares fell nearly 9 % early on January 8. It occurred after the US Federal Aviation Administration ordered the temporary removal of some Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes from service. Earlier, a piece of the fuselage broke off an Alaska Airlines plane Friday after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, forcing the pilots to turn back. Learn more
- In 2023, short-sellers incurred significant losses from bets against Tesla:Short sellers – investors who bet Tesla’s stock price would fall – lost $12.2 billion last year. By the way, that’s more than Microsoft and Meta losses combined. Meanwhile, Tesla’s stock has slightly more than doubled in the past year. Learn more
COFFEE BREAK
Fun facts
If someone ever offers you $1,000,000 at once or just $1 that will double every month, choose the second option. Why? In 3 months, you will have only $4, but in 3 years, you will get over $68,000,000,000! How? It’s simple; that’s how geometric progression works.
Warren Buffet’s ‘economy’ (aka capital) is larger than that of many countries. Just imagine one of the world’s largest investors running Berkshire Hathaway, which has a market capitalization of more than $700 billion. In comparison, the GDP of a developing country like the Philippines is only $435 billion.
Investor of the month
Bill Ackman, one of the most famous American investors, once said, ‘Investing is a business where you can look very silly for a long period of time before you are proven right.’
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It is hard not to agree with this because when you start investing, you may not see the result for some time. This can be frustrating and demotivating. Yet, if you keep going, you will wake up one morning and say, ‘Yes, I did it!’.
With a fortune of $3.4 billion, Bill Ackman is one of the 1,000 wealthiest people in the world. But he started out with $40,000. His parents gave him this money to cover his education-related expenses. But Bill Ackman invested it in Wells Fargo stock. Today, he is a billionaire hedge fund manager.
QUIZ ANSWERS
- B. Jeff Bezos
- C. Gen X
- A. 89%
CONTENT YOU CAN’T MISS
This month’s recommended book
Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics
A timeless classic by Henry Hazlitt. Over 1 million copies sold! This book is a guide to the fundamentals of economic theory. If you want to debunk economic myths and stereotypes to understand how modern economics works, this book is for you.
Essential Steps To Buy Your Investment House In 2024
Learn the essential steps to buy your investment house in 2024. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or looking for a new investment opportunity, this video provides valuable insights and guidance. Explore credit management and its impact on securing your financing, beyond just your credit score.
Should You Buy a House in Today’s Economy?
Is now the right time to buy a house? In this video, we are diving into this question. We will discover how to spot the best moment to make this important investment, regardless of current prices or interest rates.
