Last week marked an abrupt end to the gentle, sideways-to-slightly-lower trend in interest rates that had been intact since late February. This week, things got worse.
Source: Kevin Litwicki Universal Lending
Interest Rate Volatility Comes Roaring Back

2018 began with a massive spike in interest rates. It was the proverbial big bad wolf for housing markets and for financial markets in general, or so we’re told. Refreshingly, the wolf was on vacation in March, but now he’s back, huffing and puffing.
Source: Kevin Litwicki Universal Lending
Housing Market Not Very Scared of Big Bad Wolf

Do the President’s tweets really move rates? Of course that’s going to depend on what he says, so let’s take a look at this week specifically. Tweets relating to missiles, Syria, and Putin got a lot of attention. At times, it seemed like the biggest issue of the week as far as rates were concerned.
Source: Kevin Litwicki Universal Lending
Do Interest Rates Really Care About Trump Tweets?

One great (frustrating) thing about financial market discourse is the fact that so many words have more than one meaning. “Test” is a good example. Among market analysts, “test” can refer to a line on a chart attempting to break through a certain barrier. With that in mind, this week saw several important tests, and next week promises at least one more.
Source: Kevin Litwicki Universal Lending
Lowest Rates in 2 Months Face Big Test Next Week