MoneyOurWay

Helping people reduce debt and build wealth. Personal finance from two different perspectives. Views are our own.

[Kevin Carpenter @kejca]

Warren Buffett: "[Charlie Munger] has been the person, subsequent to my dad, that I didn't want to disappoint. It's good to have somebody in your life you don't want to disappoint. It's enormously important. It makes you a better person."

[Liz Ann Sonders @LizAnnSonders]

Big jump in % likelihood of #Fed hike as early as next FOMC meeting in July
@CMEGroup

[Heather Long @byHeatherLong]

Gas prices are back below $4 for the first time since March 30.

The AAA average gas price fell to $3.999 today.
That's still a dollar above where gas prices were before the war in Iran began. But it's a psychological milestone to see prices drop below $4 again

Warning: Getting back below $3.50 could be harder. In 2022, it took until after Thanksgiving to get back below $3.50

[St. Louis Fed @stlouisfed]

Pursuing higher levels of education contributes to accumulating more human capital, which helps one earn more income. As household surveys show, this results in a more positive financial outlook https://t.co/peiih8lWwU

[St. Louis Fed @stlouisfed]

In the week ending June 13, seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits—those filed for the first time after a job loss—fell by 4,000, to 226,000. The four-week moving average ticked up by 4,000, to 223,250 https://t.co/AITHZXf25C

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

One thing nearly everyone can agree on: The housing shortage is too great to not take action https://t.co/XAwmeSjjhZ

[Liz Ann Sonders @LizAnnSonders]

May pending homes increased +3.8% m/m vs. +0.3% prior … contract signings rose regionally led by Northeast +8.7%, followed by Midwest +8.1%, South +1.0% and West +0.1%

[The Kobeissi Letter @KobeissiLetter]

BREAKING: US housing starts dropped -15.4% MoM in May, to 1.18 million units annualized, the lowest since May 2020.

Furthermore, April was revised lower by -73,000 units from the initially reported 1.39 million units.

By comparison, the 5-year moving average is 1.44 million units.

This drop was primarily driven by multifamily starts, which fell -40.2% MoM, to 284,000 units annualized, the lowest since November 2024.

At the same time, single-family starts declined -1.9% MoM, to 882,000 units annualized, the lowest since September 2025.

Residential construction activity is rapidly slowing.

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Here is an early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal https://t.co/I2fRnYkJcs

[St. Louis Fed @stlouisfed]

Permits to build privately owned U.S. housing were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.413 million units in May, a pace 0.7% below the April rate of 1.423 million and 0.2% below the May 2025 rate of 1.416 million https://t.co/zjzRWr7RI7

[The Kobeissi Letter @KobeissiLetter]

The US stock market is rewriting every record in the financial history books:

The top 10 US stocks now have a combined market cap of $25.3 trillion.

If the top 10 were a stock market, they would be the 2nd-largest in the world, even exceeding China.

The top 10 US stocks' market value is also larger than China's GDP of $19.4 trillion, the world’s 2nd-biggest economy.

Together, these companies are now worth ~80% of US GDP.

Furthermore, the top 5 companies alone have a combined market cap of $18.6 trillion, exceeding the value of every global stock market outside the US.

Truly unprecedented numbers.

[The Kobeissi Letter @KobeissiLetter]

Inflation concerns among US consumers are intensifying:

~38% of Americans now perceive inflation as a greater risk than unemployment over the next year, the highest proportion since March 2025.

This percentage has risen +13 points over the last 2 months, the biggest 2-month increase in at least 2 years.

By comparison, 48% of consumers perceived inflation as a higher risk in July 2024.

At the same time, only ~5% see unemployment as a greater risk than inflation over the next year, the lowest reading in at least 2 years.

This brings the gap up to 33 percentage points, the widest since February 2025.

Inflation remains a major issue for US households.

[Liz Ann Sonders @LizAnnSonders]

Epic decline in multifamily housing starts in May … in full history of data, there were only two months with worse m/m drops

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Science suggests you don’t need a long vacation to recharge. A 24-hour break that interrupts your routine—and puts you into a flow state—can be hugely restorative. https://t.co/Uqimgp3xVY

[Barchart @Barchart]

Salary needed to afford rent in each U.S. State 🚨 California has shockingly passed Hawaii as the least affordable place to live 🤯

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Here is an early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal https://t.co/oR8Ofg6ZZy

[Liz Ann Sonders @LizAnnSonders]

Household net worth grew at its slowest pace in a year, rising $113.1B to $183T in 1Q26; equity losses were offset by gains in real estate and other assets

[St. Louis Fed @stlouisfed]

In the week ending June 6, seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance benefits—those filed for the first time after a job loss—rose by 4,000, to 229,000. The four-week moving average ticked up by 4,250, to 219,000 https://t.co/in6RFyN9pm

[Liz Ann Sonders @LizAnnSonders]

Misery Index (CPI y/y + unemployment rate) increased 4 percentage points in May and now sits at a cycle high of 8.5%, driven by the recent rise in inflation

[St. Louis Fed @stlouisfed]

The consumer price index rose 4.2% year-over-year in May, not seasonally adjusted. Excluding food and energy, “core” consumer prices increased 2.9% https://t.co/LganlGz4NV