Author: Jordan

More than 1 in 17 new California home loans used the California FAIR Plan in Q1 2026, showing how deeply the state’s insurer of last resort has moved into mortgage-backed home purchases. FAIR Plan use has declined from its Q1 2025 peak of 8.1%, but the 5.6% share still signals limited private-market capacity, especially after insurers pulled back from new California homeowners policies. Homeowners seeking broader protection face higher costs: about 40% of sampled FAIR Plan customers also carry an additional policy, paying roughly $2,000 more per year than those relying only on the FAIR Plan. More than 1 in…

CHICAGO – MARCH 28: Traders in the Ten-Year Treasury Note options pit at the Chicago Board of Trade signal offers in a flurry of activity following the announcement by the Federal Open Market Committee that it was raising short term interest rates another .25 percent March 28, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois. Trading in the pit was at a trickle in the moments leading up to the announcement. The raise was the 15th consecutive increase by the Fed and the first since Ben Bernanke took over as chairman of the FOMC.Scott Olson | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesInvestors concerned about…

HFCK stock represents equity in HF Group Plc (ISIN KE0000000257), a Nairobi based financial institution whose shares are listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The company, formerly known as Housing Finance Company of Kenya, has been reporting improving profitability in recent periods, with investors focusing on earnings recovery, capital strength, and the restructuring of its loan book in a competitive Kenyan banking market.According to public financial data for HF Group Plc for recent reporting periods, the group moved from losses in earlier years to a positive profit position, reflecting management efforts to stabilize the business and adapt to regulatory and…

Short sellers have placed record bets against the US stock market, according to a new analysis from S3 Partners.The financial data firm says its measure of short interest in US stocks has hit record levels. While shorting is a natural hedging strategy among bullish investors, increased bets on a decline in US stocks aligns with concerns about high valuations and cracks in the AI narrative as investors questions the economics of colossal capex. Short interest in all S&P 500 stocks is about 3.7% of the index’s free float, according to data S3 aggregated from hedge funds, asset managers, and financial…

  Making updates around the house can make your home more livable—and some renovations may add value. Whether you’re savoring the thought of having a professional-grade kitchen or need to replace the roof, home improvement loans could make it happen. If you’re wondering how to use a personal loan to fund a home makeover, Achieve shares a few ideas that might inspire you. Key takeaways: Home improvement loans let you borrow money to make repairs or renovations. You could use a personal loan to remodel your home, replace appliances, or make structural improvements. It’s good to shop around to find…

Cryptocurrency prices show mixed movements with Bitcoin up 1.81% and Ethereum up 1.41%. Pluang Source link

(Daily Signal) – Hawaii’s most recent Second Amendment defeat at the U.S. Supreme Court was both a major victory for the right to bear arms and entirely predictable. Since the court’s landmark decision four years ago in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, Hawaii’s anti-gun lawmakers had been trying to accomplish what Bruen had already forbidden: preventing ordinary, law-abiding citizens from carrying a firearm in public for self-defense. Their tool of choice became known as the “vampire rule,” an absurd legal contrivance stipulating that licensed concealed-carry permit holders couldn’t carry onto private property open to the public…

Housing back at the top of the political agenda Jeni Browne (pictured top left), sales and marketing director at Mortgage Finance Brokers, told Mortgage Introducer landlords have grown accustomed to weathering political turbulence, but argued this change of leadership felt different. “We’ve been through five chancellors in the last few years, so landlords are pretty used to tuning out the noise and just getting on with it,” she said. “But this one feels a bit different. Burnham and Healey both actually know housing, which could go either way. It might mean more joined-up thinking, but it also means property is…

United Trust Bank (UTB) Mortgages has enhanced its buy-to-let (BTL) criteria to provide greater flexibility for landlords and make it even easier for brokers to place and progress business. To give property investors more flexibility, the lender has increased its maximum mortgage term to 30 years and removed its period of minimum ownership to allow day one remortgages. Previous landlord experience is no longer required for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) up to six beds or multi-unit blocks (MUBs) up to four units, making specialist BTL finance accessible to more landlords. In support of experienced portfolio investors, the lender…

AGNC Investment Corp. AGNC reported second-quarter 2026 net spread and dollar roll income per common share of 40 cents, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.3%. The metric increased 5.3% from the year-ago quarter’s 38 cents. Results benefited from higher net interest income (NII), an increase in tangible net book value per share (BVPS) and growth in the investment portfolio. However, a lower net interest spread, a rise in the weighted average cost of funds and elevated prepayment rates were concerning. Given the concern, AGNC shares plunged nearly 2.7% in yesterday’s trading session. Adjusted net interest and dollar roll income…