The Federal Open Market Committee Meeting was held this week and as expected, interest rates were unchanged. But this week’s meeting also included a new set of economic forecasts by the Committee members (SEP), that journalists love to scrutinize. This week’s list also includes articles on investing, the housing market, and a great interactive from The Economist on the relative affordability of cities.

Economics

Below find four articles related to this week’s FOMC:

• Jeanna Smialek of the NYT gives her “what to look for” in her article before the meeting took place.
• CNBC gives the details and market reaction.
• Reuters gives you another perspective on the readout and reaction.
• Finally, Robert Armstrong and Ethan Wu of the Financial Times give a great analysis of the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP)—what it is, what is isn’t, and how Chair Powell is obviously not a fan.

 And in other Economic news:

• Housing starts dropped again in August to the lowest level in three years, but permits are up. (Reuters)
• House vacancy rates are at historic lows, demonstrating excess demand for houses despite high mortgage rates. (Apricatas)
• Mortgage rates are higher than they have been in 20 years. Chartr displays that data.

Behavioral Finance

• This piece is a bit more analytical, but delves into why it is so hard to sell investments. (Flyover Stocks)

Investing/IPO updates

• Ben Carlson explains how IRAs changed the stock market in A Wealth of Common Sense.
• Instacart had its IPO on Monday at $30 and promptly rose to $42, but was back $30.10 by the end of trading on Wednesday. (CNBC)
• Andrew Bialecki's net worth grew by $3.2 billion on Wednesday when his company, Klaviyo went public. (Yahoo Finance)

Budgeting

• The Economist (subscription may be required) has introduced the Carrie Bradshaw Index of housing affordability. Check it out!
• If your child made a purchase on Fortnite with your credit card, you may be able to get a refund from Fortnite maker EPIC as part of the legal settlement with the FTC. Look for an email. (AP)

About the Author

Beth Tallman

Beth Tallman entered the working world armed with an MBA in finance and thoroughly enjoyed her first career working in manufacturing and telecommunications, including a stint overseas. She took advantage of an involuntary separation to try teaching high school math, something she had always dreamed of doing. When fate stepped in once again, Beth jumped on the opportunity to combine her passion for numbers, money, and education to develop curriculum and teach personal finance at Oberlin College. Beth now spends her time writing on personal finance and financial education, conducts student workshops, and develops finance curricula and educational content. She is also the Treasurer of Ohio Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.

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