Here Come the HELOCs: Mortgages, Housing-Debt-to-Income-Ratio, Serious Delinquencies, and Foreclosures in Q4 2025 by Wolf Richter • Feb 12, 2026 • 39 Comments One of the most fundamental changes resulting from the Financial Crisis was the transfer of mortgage risk from banks to taxpayers.
Household Debts, Debt-to-Income Ratio, Delinquencies, Collections, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcies in Q4 2025 by Wolf Richter • Feb 11, 2026 • 59 Comments Americans and their Debts. Long-defaulted federal student loans, after coming out of the woodwork, whack delinquency rates.
Not Seasonally Adjusted, Retail Sales Spiked by $80 billion, the Most for any December Ever by far, to $817 Billion, the Most Ever by Wolf Richter • Feb 10, 2026 • 34 Comments Seasonal Adjustments Gone Awry? They whacked $82 billion off December sales, by far the most ever.
Population Growth Slows to Crawl, Net Migration May Turn “Negative”: Census Bureau’s New Population Estimates by Wolf Richter • Jan 27, 2026 • 150 Comments Hugely important for housing, employment, and consumer spending.
Americans’ Incomes from Wages & Salaries, Businesses & Farms, Rentals, Dividends & Interest, and Transfer Receipts by Wolf Richter • Jan 23, 2026 • 110 Comments But their massive capital gains, realized and unrealized, are not included here.
Inflation-Adjusted Consumer Spending, Incomes, and Government Transfer Receipts by Wolf Richter • Jan 22, 2026 • 62 Comments Consumers may be in a foul mood, but they’re making money and are spending it, and are still saving some.
Household Money-Market Funds & Large CDs Hit Records despite Lower Yields. But Sorry, It’s Not “Cash on the Sidelines” by Wolf Richter • Jan 12, 2026 • 66 Comments Their balances ballooned even as prices of stocks, gold, silver, et al. surged to records. Everything surged. Almost.
WHOOSH, Went the Economy in Q3. The Fed Needs to Watch Out, Economy Is Running Hot by Wolf Richter • Dec 23, 2025 • 123 Comments Strong consumer spending growth (despite Sour Mood), big improvement of trade deficit, and government spending growth after two quarters of declines.
Mortgage Rates Are Not Too High. What’s too High Are Home Prices that Exploded by 40-70% in 2 Years, Creating the “Affordability Crisis” by Wolf Richter • Nov 29, 2025 • 178 Comments But there is a solution to this affordability crisis.
Credit Card Delinquencies, Balances, Burden, Credit Limits, and Collections in Q3 2025 by Wolf Richter • Nov 21, 2025 • 78 Comments Despite all moaning and groaning and sour feelings in consumer land, credit card delinquency rates improved further.
