![]() While certain experts foresee some of the strongest economic growth in decades, many are also worried about higher inflation. Bigger investors are still betting on the strong economic recovery continuing as the year progresses. Individual investors, flush with extra stimulus cash, have poured into the market. Concerns about the Delta variant and lagging vaccination rates in parts if the world still linger. It has since recovered most of those losses, opening Friday morning at 34,855. It reached into record territory last week before dropping off sharply earlier this week. Despite the recent rollercoaster ride, the Dow Jones remains far above where it was at this time last year. The stock market continues to perform well too. And of the homes that sold in June, 89 percent were for sale for less than a month. Housing inventory increased over May, but was still down 18.8 percent year over year. Much of that rise was helped along by houses priced above the median. That number rose or stayed the same all over the country. The National Association of Realtors recently reported that the national median sales price for an existing home hit $370,600 in June, up 24.4 percent from June of 2020. The housing market has also surged, thanks to low interest rates and people stuck at home realizing the limitations of their living space. With many households sitting on a lot more money than they had in early 2020, pent-up demand is helping to drive the broader economy during the rebound. ![]() On Face the Nation, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan estimated that its customers have not spent 65-70 percent of their last two stimulus checks. In May of 2021, it sat at 12.4 percent, still above the 8.3 percent from February of 2020, the month before the pandemic. The personal saving rate ballooned to 33.7 percent in April of 2020 and has remained well above pre-pandemic levels ever since. And with fewer places to spend money during the pandemic, plus three stimulus checks, many Americans saved more than they might have otherwise. Many jobs performed at a desk in an office are just as easily performed at a desk in someone's home. The country's gross domestic product (GDP), an estimate of economic activity across the U.S., has returned to pre-pandemic levels.īroad segments of the workforce have endured little economic hardship during the pandemic. The Conference Board forecasts 9.0 percent growth in the second quarter and continued growth through the rest of the year. economy grew at an annualized rate of 6.4 percent, faster than the 4.3 percent rate from the fourth quarter of 2020. Opinions differ on whether another stimulus check is necessary. They seem to have worked to some degree, but have also helped many who didn't actually need it. Relief payments were intended to lessen COVID's economic impact and support the economy in the process. The ARP checks closely followed the $600 payments from January, which came nine months after the $1,200 payments from the pandemic's early days. Since then, about 169 million people have received up to $1,400 each, accounting for most of the $422 billion set aside. The third round of relief payments started back in March, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). There are some clues that signal where things are heading. ![]() That question still hasn't been answered definitively. But more government assistance, in the form of a fourth stimulus check, might better serve those in need. The new Child Tax Credit, which started on July 15, is helping some. Meanwhile, the federal eviction moratorium ends in about a week, and millions of people are still short of food and behind on bills. Many states have already discontinued the federal unemployment bonus. Unemployment remains above pre-pandemic levels, even as the number job openings rise. Some people's finances have improved, but other people's haven't. The surging economy isn't affecting everyone the same way. continues to settle into some sort of new normal. The pandemic isn't quite over, as the Delta variant has case numbers rising in many states. ( CBS Boston) - Stimulus checks have been a financial lifeline for families finding their way through COVID.
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