We can only hope for lower interest rates to alleviate some of the consumers concerns

[Neil Anthony Giscombe]

These are just layoff announcements over the past month, and there are several more. The average consumer is some what aware of these layoff trends, inflation, higher interest rates, and higher home prices. We can hope for lower interest rates to alleviate some of the consumers concerns, but fear is real and creates welded pockets. Businesses are not wrong to layoff workers, but it is a double edged sword. On one side the companies appears stronger, due to labor cost cutting, so equity investors appreciate the companies improvement on the quarterly reports, which supports investors desiring to invest more in other business, which improves the economy. But on the other edge of that sword, the consumer is terrified of there own job security, and tend to tighten their own purse straps. Go figure!

[John Litz]

Lower rates will simply put inflation thru the roof, hurt the housing market by going back to way over asking prices with no contingencies, so making it more unaffordable. Leave rates over 7% to slow things down. Let builders catch up and build some inventory.