If market watchers get out their magnifying glasses, they can certainly find some evidence of tariffs impacting inflation in various goods, but those goods are such a small part of the overall CPI calculation that they didn’t account for any of this month’s higher inflation.  Rather, it was the usual suspects (housing, medical care, professional services) that did most of the damage of the damage. Bonds are certainly able to rally based on the fact that CPI came in below forecast, but bonds are just as certain to have second thoughts about that rally based on the persistence of non-tariff-driven inflation (housing alone accounts for almost half of inflation year over year).  The net effect is a fairly half-hearted rally that falls well short of launching yields triumphantly back toward recent lows.

The Office of the Comptroller of Currency said it will no longer include examinations for disparate impact liability but will still perform fair lending risk assessments on a regular basis.

Stocks have swung wildly on Pulte’s comments as he opines on everything from credit score pricing, to cryptocurrencies as mortgage assets, and even the job security of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

The number of homes purchased by foreign buyers increased for the first time in 8 years, with many making all-cash purchases of vacation and rental homes.

Prosecutors said the defendant will pay back $13,784 in restitution for federal housing assistance he fraudulently obtained between 2019 to 2020.

Most indicators cited by Morningstar DBRS are favorable to a good securitization market the rest of the year, but inflation is one of several challenges.

A federal judge in Texas dismissed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s medical debt rule and prohibited states from passing their own laws prohibiting medical debt on credit reports.

Dr. Mark Calabria takes on the additional role of chief statistician of the United States; retired Ally Bank executive Diane Morais has joined First Citizens Bancshares’ board of directors; MainStreet Bank has promoted Alex Vari to chief financial officer; and more in this week’s banking news roundup.

While refinances are behind the latest increases, the pace of purchase activity may be a stronger indicator of where the housing market sits.

The share of economists expecting a September rate reduction grew in the July Wolters Kluwer survey, but the October or later percentage also increased.