• The week starts off Monday morning with reports on Personal Spending and Personal Income, as well as Pending Home Sales.           
   
• On Monday, we'll also see the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, which is the Fed's favorite gauge of inflation. Remember, inflation is the archenemy of Bonds and home loan rates, so this will be an important report to watch. 
   
• Manufacturing reports will also hit this week. On Wednesday, we'll see the Chicago PMI, which reports on manufacturing in Chicago and is a good indicator of overall economic activity. Then on Thursday, we'll see the ISM Index, which is the king of all manufacturing indices and is considered the single best snapshot of the factory sector.
   
• The big topic of the week will be employment. First up is the ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday, which measures non-farm private employment, followed by another round of Initial Jobless Claims on Thursday. In last week's report, Initial Jobless Claims were reported higher than expected. This leading indicator of the labor market shows us that things remain weak.
   
• Finally, the busy week culminates with the highly anticipated monthly Jobs Report on Friday. This report features new data regarding job growth and the unemployment rate - needless to say, this report can be a big market mover!     
        

     Remember: Weak economic news normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into Bonds, helping Bonds and home loan rates improve, while strong economic news normally has the opposite result. 

     As you can see in the chart below, the markets have continued their volatility. But Bonds and Home loan rates were able to finish the week strong.

     That means that home loan rates are still at some of the most attractive levels we've seen in history. If you know someone in considering purchasing a home or refinancing, it's an ideal time for them to review their options and see how they can benefit. All they have to do is call or email me to get started.            

3 Tips for Increasing Intelligence  

     Webster's Dictionary defines intelligence as the ability to learn and understand, or to deal with new or trying situations. Simply put, it's the degree of one's mental sharpness.

     It's easy to believe that your intelligence is set, meaning there's no way to "boost" your brainpower. However, many scientific studies have proven the exact opposite. A combination of lifestyle adjustments and mental exercises has been shown to not only increase intelligence, but also to improve general brain health and help prevent disorders associated with aging, such as Alzheimer's disease.

     According to most neurologists, the key is to stay mentally active, despite your age. The following three tips will help boost your mental activity and increase your intelligence. 

Get Some Sleep - An adequate amount of restful sleep is an important component of brain function. While scientists argue over its effect on memory and learning, restful sleep provides energy as well as the ability to focus. Both are vital factors in achieving mental stimulation. Some studies have also shown the reverse to be true. More mental stimulation during the day equals better sleep at night.

Increase Your Exercise - Exercise brings oxygen-rich blood to the brain, an important component to overall brain health. Exercise also regulates blood sugar levels. Some recent studies have shown a correlation between impaired glucose tolerance and an undersized hippocampus, the portion of the brain that controls the conversion of short-term memory into long-term. In addition, forms of exercise such as aerobics, dance, and martial arts all require memorization and are great for promoting mental stimulation. They also help to develop the rhythm and timing circuitry that runs through multiple regions of the brain.

Play Games - Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, certain board games, and card games are great for mental stimulation. Each of them will exercise various brain functions such as lexical recall (memory for words that name things), attention, memory, logic, and pattern recognition. They are accessible to almost everyone, and some only require one player. The key here is that as you advance in skill, you should seek out harder, more challenging versions.