Forecast for the Week

Look for key reports on housing, manufacturing and inflation. Plus, the Fed meets.        

• Monday’s Empire State Index and Thursday’s Philadelphia Fed Index will be the last major reports from the manufacturing sector in 2014.
• In housing news, look for the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index on Monday, followed by Housing Starts and Building Permits for November on Tuesday.
• On Wednesday, we’ll get a read on inflation with the Consumer Price Index.
• As usual, Weekly Initial Jobless Claims will be delivered on Thursday.

In addition, the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting of 2014 begins on Tuesday, ending Wednesday with the monetary policy statement being released at 2:00 p.m. EST. Stay tuned, as market volatility is always possible when the Fed meets!

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. The chart below shows Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS), which are the type of Bond on which home loan rates are based.

When you see these Bond prices moving higher, it means home loan rates are improving—–and when they are moving lower, home loan rates are getting worse.

To go one step further–—a red “candle” means that MBS worsened during the day, while a green “candle” means MBS improved during the day. Depending on how dramatic the changes were on any given day, this can cause rate changes throughout the day, as well as on the rate sheets we start with each morning.

As you can see in the chart below, the markets have been volatile of late but home loan rates are still hovering near historic lows.

Chart: Fannie Mae 3.5% Mortgage Bond (Friday December 12, 2014)

The Mortgage Market Guide View…

Build Your Personal Brand
Heading into a new year is the perfect time to think about your personal brand and what you want to be known for.

Get to Know Yourself First
Define the core values that guide your priorities and actions. These could be personal, like balance, family, financial stability or health. Core values are also professional, like accountability, dependability, expertise or innovation. Make a list and pick your top five.

Next, think about your talents and what you enjoy. Think about your expertise. Also identify what you are passionate about.

Once you have your lists, group related items together to find commonalities. For example, you may have identified expertise and professional development as your core values. Your personal brand could be that you are the go-to trainer in your field. If your top values included family, education and accountability, and you are a good leader, your personal brand could be an advocate for quality education.

Understanding what you want to be known for—–and building your brand around that–—allows you to focus your energy on activities that are meaningful to you.

Promote Your Brand
There are a number of steps you can take to promote your brand. Get involved in civic or professional organizations that allow you to demonstrate and further build your brand. Take on leadership roles in these organizations.

Give presentations in your community or through your associations to reinforce the expertise behind your brand. Blog or submit op-ed pieces to the local newspaper or trade publications.

Make sure your website bio, LinkedIn profile and resume highlight key attributes, certifications and experiences that reinforce your brand.

And finally, network.

Please feel free to pass these great tips along to your team, clients and colleagues!

Source: Inc.com

Economic Calendar for the Week of December 15 – December 19

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