• On Tuesday, the Meeting Minutes from the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting will be released and it could garner some attention.               
   
• The usual weekly Initial Jobless Claims report will be released on Thursday. Last week's initial jobless claims crept back up to just above 400,000 so it will be important to see which way this week's numbers move.    
   
• Investors will also be focusing in on the Retail Sales report for September, which is due out on Friday. Last Thursday it was reported that September sales for retailers, which is a separate report, were solid-showing a 5.1% year-over-year gain from the 23 largest retailers due to back-to-school sales.   
   
• Also on Friday is the Consumer Sentiment Index, so we'll get an idea about how consumers are feeling about the economy.           
        

     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, Bonds and home loan rates worsened last week due to several factors. I'll be keeping a close eye on which way they move this week.                

Anxiety and Stress Are No Match for a Good Laugh   

     Whether you're stressed about a deal at work, anxious about an upcoming meeting with a client, or just feeling under the weather, laughter can be the best medicine.

     But why? What really happens that makes laughing so beneficial? Doctors and scientists have some ideas about the benefits of laugher:

Stress- There's actually a physical reason that laughter reduces stress. In addition to being a great emotional release, laughter reduces the number of stress hormones (such as cortisol and epinephrine) in your body and helps boost good hormones like endorphins.

Blood Flow- Scientists have found that blood vessels function healthily when people watch comedies, which means they expand and contract more easily and help blood flow normally. This is in stark contrast to the tightened blood vessels that were found in people after watching a drama. In short, laughter improves blood flow, which helps prevent heart attack and heart disease. 

Cholesterol Levels- Recently, researchers have found that people with Type 2 Diabetes who watched funny videos for at least 30 minutes each day had better "good cholesterol" levels after just two months.

Heart and Abs- It turns out that laughing is a lot like exercising. A good laugh can increase your heart rate, exercise your diaphragm, and even contract your stomach muscles.

Calories- With the similarities between laughter and exercise, it shouldn't come as a surprise that laughing helps you burn calories. In fact, one study found that 50 calories are burned in 10 to 15 minutes of laughter.

Immune System- There's also evidence that laughter helps boost antibodies, making your system better prepared to fight viruses. So, a little laughter not only makes you feel better in the short term, but also can help you remain healthier in the long term.

     In addition to all of these physical reactions and benefits, laughing is beneficial for your mental health too. It's a great anti-depressant... not to mention a great way to interact with friends, family, and even clients while you strengthen your social relationships.