In part one, we asked an important question regarding the future of customer service technology: Can machines replace human customer service representatives and processes permanently if they find a way to make them empathetic?

While machines, artificially intelligent applications, and other types of customer service software will only accelerate in its ability to better serve customers on all levels, it will disrupt the way things are currently done. This disruptive wave transforms the roles of those in customer service positions at organizations of all kinds, but with an Anticipatory mindset, you as a professional or business executive can get in front of these disruptions.

In a recent episode of my new “Opportunity Hour: Conversations with The Masters,” Shep Hyken shared a few examples:

“Now there are companies out there that already have voice recognition technology able to authenticate a customer’s account with nearly 100% accuracy within 10 spoken words from said customer. However, it would often say, ‘unfortunately, we don’t recognize this customer’ when faced with variances, such as the customer having a cold.

“This is exactly the reason why human beings will not be eliminated out of their customer service roles. If that voice-based identification technology does not work and locks a customer out wrongfully in the process, a company without human intervention only stands to lose. So while voice recognition software is certainly not new, nor is it the last stand for automation in customer service and customer experience, there are many new, accelerated technologies that are delivering better customer experiences alongside human help.

“At some companies, when you do finally get to talk to a customer service support representative, there may be a machine or software running in the background that is listening to your call, telling the representative vital information about you as their customer, so they can serve you more uniquely.”

Learning to adapt software with your human workforce is more vital in customer service and customer experience than nearly anywhere else in the workforce, all solely because customers are human beings with wants, needs, and issues needing resolution.

With that software, a customer service representative can predict what that customer will ask in the moment. This software is not yet there, but it is accelerating quickly, and applications are fast becoming more streamlined.

Aside from Shep’s example, we also have a variety of different augmented reality applications that can be leveraged exponentially in helping customer service representatives step up their game in the industry. This includes the example of smart glasses that I have referenced in the past, but in this case, glasses that project customer information in a representative’s line of sight, which is triggered by facial recognition software.

The Anticipatory point that myself and Shep derive from his research study is that these technologies must be utilized critically. Many autonomous technologies in customer experience may not be streamlined yet because no one has attempted to do so, or perhaps the answer is simply that many executives are locked in a paradigm around the basics of what the technology currently does with a rather cloudy Futureview® of where it is heading.

Setting a Higher Customer Service Standard 

Think of this: There are dozens of both huge chains and small, mom-and-pop outdoor equipment stores that have both online presence and brick-and-mortar locations in the United States and around the world. They all sell camping gear, hiking boots, and waterproof jackets.

Some customers go to Small Store A because it is close to their home, while others shop at Big Store B because their online user experience is simple, their prices are cheaper than mom-and-pop shop prices, and they get an at-home delivery within days of ordering gear. Those are certainly valid reasons that certain customers patronize specific stores, but what really makes Small Store A different from Big Store B?

The unique customer experience is the answer. For Small Store A to deliver on similar quality that Big Store B does, they must deliver a quality customer experience, both in human ways and with a pairing of exponential digital customer service technology. Shep has an idea about this as well:

“If you take a flight, you make a reservation, either digital or by way of calling the reservationist. Either way, it is still an interaction. How that interaction is managed to you as a person dictates your impression of the airline, whether you will utilize that airline again, and even the very experience on your trip.”

As the airline owner, having an Anticipatory mindset means there are dozens of different opportunities to make that simple customer experience better. This can include how the phone is answered, how long a customer must wait for it to be answered, can a customer receive a callback if there is a delay, and how specific is the time of that callback.

These are all interaction points that you as an Anticipatory leader can make better by way of leveraging exponential digital technology in creative, new ways that transform your industry. What I want to see is Anticipatory thinkers that transform a customer experience into customer amazement, and for that transformation to positively disrupt the customer experiences across all industries.

Posted On Tuesday, 19 July 2022 00:00 Written by

Lots of new information to digest and more on its way. As I have said before, you must keep an eye on what can move the markets. Information can be spun to suit the needs or to create and support a particular position, it can also be used to clarify and counter opinions or interpretations of these facts.

Here is what I found interesting and some of the reports and data I want to take note of in the weeks to come. Yesterday the CPI report revealed that inflation is hotter than expected and rose to 9.1%. This will likely lead to the FED raising rates by 75 to 100bps at the July meeting the end of this month. This could go a long way in stabilizing the long-term bond market. The PPI report that comes out this morning, the unemployment data, the labor participation rates will help clarify the job market and the Retail sales report, industrial production and utilization reports will shed light on the economy and will be critical in talk about recession.

MBA shared data on mortgage applications and it is sort of glass half empty or glass half full. Purchase applications were down 18% year over year and refinance applications were down 80% over the last year. Now it must be said that mortgage loan volume was a record year so 18% or the purchase side isn’t as bad as it appears, and I think that still seeing 20% of last year’s refinance volume is a surprise to most people.

Perhaps the most surprising data comes from a report about housing that was shared by Barry Habib of MBS Highway, that homes selling above asking price are still 52% of sales; last year it was 53%. Homes selling above asking price as a percentage of that asking price was at 1.9% vs 2.2% last year. Accepted offers within two weeks of listing were at 48% vs 49% last year; and average days listing to contract remained the same at 18 days. So, despite higher prices, higher rates, and inflation, things are not that far off where they were.

I remain alert to the possible shifts in the markets and all markets are hyper local; but the national numbers always make the news, and you need to be aware of what is going on. As always, your questions and comments are welcome: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Posted On Monday, 18 July 2022 00:00 Written by

Conversation with my wife, Tami – 

Jason: “Can you give me a ride to the airport tomorrow?  I leave for Nashville at 9 AM to attend my National Speakers Association conference.  I’m really sad to not take the kids.  I’m so grateful for all those years we drove the motorhome cross country to NSA events enjoying them together.”

Tami: “Are you saying you already have your flight booked, paid for the hotel and convention?  And why aren’t you taking the 3 oldest children who have gone with you to this event every year since 2015?”

J: “Because it would be financially irresponsible right now, on the heels of the pandemic, and before this looming recession, to spend any more money while things have been coming back with my bookings.  We need to be frugal and careful, as I am getting booked more and more, it’s great but we are still needing to be smart with our money.”

T: “I agree, however, this may be the last summer they’ll ever want to go on the NSA conference trip, even if they just hang out in the hotel and don’t attend the events, possibly see their friends in the hallway and pool, just to be there with you & together having a memorable family moment.  Is there any way you can use your SkyMiles or other points to get them flights?”

J: “Flights are like $800 per person right now. I leave tomorrow! The hotel can only get me a room with one bed. Do you think they’re willing to sleep on the floor on air pads from our camping gear?”

T: “Honey, we have 2 summers left with Ella before she’s 18. Redford has 3. Romney has 4. I feel we should do anything we can to have them go with you. I say we book it now.”

2 hours later ~

Jason: “I just got off the phone with Delta.I was able to find unused companion certificates, old cancelled flights still honored, and they changed my flight to a redeye to get us all on the same plane together. It hardly cost anything more. We land in Nashville at 1:30 AM. Thank you for forcing the issue. I’m grateful we get to go do this together.”

Tami: “I’m thrilled you’re going together! They will never forget this, and neither will you! Nashville is their favorite place. Let’s go tell them and pack some survival snacks.”

~

The Promise to be frugal in times of uncertainty can lead to creativity of resources to still honor family traditions and make new memories. I am thankful for a wife who sees what I don’t, who pushes me to book it now even when I’m timid or afraid of the present while she looks to the future while remembering the promises of our past.

It is mid-summer.

The world continues to go through some really challenging times.

Maybe you’ve lost sight of The Promise you made to Family, or even to yourself, and hopefully there’s still some time left to spend time together before summer is over.

Who can you count on to help you see the big vision through the thick of it while you’re caught in the weeds?  

Thank you, Tami.

See you in Nashville, my friends.

Posted On Wednesday, 13 July 2022 00:00 Written by

Auto and home insurance bundles, umbrella policies, constant arguments about paying for healthcare (especially during a pandemic), and thousands of streaming and social commercial advertisements pushing different providers as being the best option for the average Joe and Jane. 

Yes, we are talking about insurance and its many pros and cons. But what Flo from Progressive, the Geico Gecko, and the ever-popular Jake from State Farm may not be able to tell you is where the insurance industry is heading.  And truth be told, you do not need them to do so — you can use your own Anticipatory mindset to decode the disruptions that will change the insurance industry from this point forward.

As a consumer, this general concept may strike fear into your heart — or, conversely, bring much-needed relief. It is no secret whatsoever that the consumer-facing side of the insurance sector is complicated, no matter how easy advertisements and salespeople try to convince individual consumers the process of obtaining insurance will be. Disruptions — and better yet, digital disruptions — that turn the insurance industry on its head are meant to ease the common pain points customers face.

And as an insurance professional or a business owner in the insurance industry, digital disruptions should bring you joy — your life will be easier, your customers will be happier, and most importantly, new doors will open to better opportunities to help the masses and scale your organization. However, those who fear these new digital disruptions do so because they feel them to be unpredictable and earth-shattering.

The Real Problem: Life Changes Drive Insurance Changes

Getting in front of any type of digital disruption is easy, as has been demonstrated by my Anticipatory Leader System. But those in the insurance industry, just as in all other industries, who do not embrace the principles of an Anticipatory mindset are frequently left to dread disruption and change.

One of my favorite principles from my Anticipatory Leader System is the Skip It Principle, because it is a straightforward way to start to peel the onion of an issue that shakes up your reality. With the Skip It Principle, we shift our focus from the perceived problem to the actual problem that a digital or other disruption introduces.

In the case of the insurance industry, the real problem is not that accelerated digital technology is transforming how we buy, sell, and implement insurance — it is the fact that change happens in life, period!

Think about that for a second: Insurance is an industry built on the very idea of constant, variable change. Unpredictable change is why we have insurance, is it not? Because we cannot literally use a crystal ball to see what is coming, we pay money to be covered if something goes wrong. The very concept of insurance is Anticipatory, in and of itself! So digital disruptions are not the problem here — the real problem is just a mindset issue.

Insurance agents and other professionals do not actually fear change in general, as the promise of change brings them business — but they do fear change that could disrupt them. Similarly, many customers of insurance fear change in the industry because they worry that these changes will make the process of acquiring insurance even more complex and convoluted, leaving them with lackluster coverage despite their best efforts and investments.

New Digital Disruptions Improving the Insurance Industry

As a business professional in insurance, it is your job to ease the minds of your customers — and, moreover, to follow through with ensuring that your promises of more efficient and accurate experiences with insurance hold true. To perform these tasks, you must use an Anticipatory mindset to identify exactly what digital disruptions are impacting the insurance industry going forward, and how they impact your customers.

Let’s identify a concept and an applicable disruptive digital technology that is transforming a multitude of industries already. This way, we can pre-solve any customer and organizational problems this technology will bring to the insurance industry and prepare for what is to come, just as you do for your clients in creating policies that anticipate and help them to meet their insurance needs.

Omni-Channel Claims Experience — I interviewed Richard Berkman of IBM’s retail technology about omni-channel intelligent commerce. The convergence of a business’s digital technology user experience and its customers’ experience in the physical world is not solely constrained to retail, as evidenced by the ways the principles of omni-channel intelligent commerce are impacting insurance providers and their consumers.

Creating an omni-channel claims experience with an insurance agent or agency means streamlining the interactions that follow an actual, physical incident, when the need to file an insurance claim arises. Everything sounds wonderful on paper when the risks discussed are purely theoretical, but when an incident occurs, the integration of the policy, the insurance agent, and the resolution following an incident must be as seamless as the customer’s experience buying a product online or in-person at a physical location.

There are several technologies already disrupting the likes of retail and service-based industries, designed to create connected and seamless experiences, both virtual and in-person. Disruptions in the insurance industry surrounding this concept are already under way, driven most notably by Internet of Things (IoT) applications and telematics.

Internet of Things (IoT) Risk Assessments — With edge computing, 5G connectivity, and the ability to process more and more data in real time, we are reaching a point in the insurance industry where we can adjust rates by the minute! For example, what was once simply a perk of having a tracker in your car measuring your driving habits and ultimately helping you lower your premiums by making you a safer driver is now finding its way in your home, place of business, and more.

The proactive way insurance companies are already using IoT applications in homes and commercial spaces, for instance, includes predicting when an issue is more likely to take place, like a pipe bursting or a fire starting. This technology alerts the customer of the elevated risk and enables him or her to actually prevent the incident from happening to have them avoid filing a claim for damage to begin with. Talk about pre-solving using anticipation!

Overall, the point of a seamless customer and insurance agency experience is found in a connected experience, whereas legacy systems and legacy mindsets of insurance agencies reflect a passive product that a customer is simply required by law to have. Now customers feel interactive with their insurance, and it removes the top-down emotions once commonplace in the industry.

What Might This Do For You as an Agent?

Naturally, with every digital disruption that improves the customer’s experience, there is the pertinent fear that your status quo will be upended — or, in some cases, eliminated completely. I’d love to tell you that this is not true, but it is a Hard Trend future certainty that you cannot avoid.

However, the beauty of anticipation is that you stay ahead of these disruptions and foresee many of the idiosyncrasies that can and likely will disrupt you as an agency owner or insurance representative. In this case, knowing that increased connectivity is causing the disruptions we discussed in this blog, what aspects of your operation can you pinpoint as likely to be transformed by IoT, edge computing, or autonomous technology that processes customer data?

Insurance, like every other industry in the commercial world, is a Both/And industry, meaning that legacy systems are not completely irrelevant in the wake of new, transformative technology, much as human beings will not be replaced by machines. The skills you have developed as a professional in the insurance industry are still extremely valid, and an Anticipatory mindset will teach you how to help them converge with the new systems and changes coming now and in the future.

Posted On Tuesday, 12 July 2022 00:00 Written by

Many companies and their originators are dealing with the challenges of less loan volume. With refinance business about 20% of the volume it was last year and purchase volume down in many markets as well, there is simply less loan units to take through the process, which leads to the reality than many people are either making less money than they were last year, or they have people, salaries, and overhead that they no longer need or can afford.

We have seen tens of thousands of layoffs, some companies reduce locations, even a few just call it quits and either sell themselves off or just closed completely. None of this is a surprise when you see this type of volume reduction in such a short period of time, and those more heavily weighted on turning refinances have felt the most pain. However, that isn’t the end of the story. We do have to take a minute and see the big picture as to what do things cost in the mortgage industry?

What does it really cost to originate a loan? How many people are involved? What do they do? How much do they get paid to do it? What are those tasks worth in the context of the entire process? Are these functions paid for on a per file basis, or is it being done by a salaried person?

 Now is a great time to revisit and examine each role, each player, each job and function, and make a determination as to what is the cost of each task and have we allocated the proper resources to it? Are there people being paid too much for what their role is? Are their people not doing enough to earn the money they are receiving in compensation? Are their loan originators that don’t pay for their own assistants or turn over poor quality applications into processing but expect full commission on those files while the processor has to put everything together? Are there managers, area managers, regional managers, corporate staff and support that are not delivering true value for what they are being paid?

It’s time to have that discussion and realize that money isn’t falling from the sky, it must be earned! I welcome the discussion and if you have any questions or comments, it’s This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Posted On Monday, 11 July 2022 00:00 Written by

It is rare for me to have tears streaming down my face as I read a blog, but that happened to me last week.

One of the most wonderful couples and families I have ever known shared the story of a rare “wind event” tearing through their backyard, ripping out hundreds of trees in a hurricane-force moment that left them reeling to figure out what to do with their now apocalyptic landscape destroyed by nature.

Having just moved into their dream home on Lake Michigan, The Kotecki Family have inspired so many through 2 decades, finally able to achieve the great American Dream with their hugely successful company Escape Adulthood, while Jason paints & speaks, Kim runs the business details and homeschools their darling children, and found the perfect home on a property surrounded by trees, a majestic wonderland preserved for their joy.

What you’re about to see is how The Promise can be put into action, just by your choice and attitude.  

I would ask that you might watch this 6-min. video, as Kim shares the heartbreaking story, even with her Signature Smile, walks you through their yard, and candidly shares how their family, choosing hope in the devastation, will uplift you to see the embodiment of finding the good, gratitude, and blessing in a time of challenge.

Can you believe what you just watched? 

Not only how crazy the devastation is, but how incredibly inspiring Kim’s manner, hope, and love shines through amid the carnage.  You can’t fake what she just recorded, it’s who she is, it’s who Jason is, it is the way The Kotecki’s live every second of their lives.  Amazing.

Jason’s blog arrives in my inbox every Sunday and always brings a smile due to his storytelling and faithful attitude of optimism.  I send my blog out on Sundays because of Jason’s example to me as a man, husband, father, artist, and mentor.  I recommend you subscribe to his words in order to fight “adultitis” from now on and equally learn how to live The Promise that much better (since he’s my example of how best to do it).

As shared in Kim’s video, her book project is now on hold since insurance does not cover what happened to them, to the tune of at least $50,000 in damages to clean up their yard.  Please consider joining me in supporting Kim in her new book book efforts, and this family, who inspires my writing, which you receive weekly, as The Kotecki’s live The Promise unlike any family I have ever known.

Thank you for your support of them and here are links to the writings of what they’ve experienced.

Lessons From My Older Self

Wonderhunt Book Pre-Order

Posted On Friday, 08 July 2022 00:00 Written by

There is more opportunity now to transform the customer experiences and customer service of your business organization than at any other time in history. We live in a technological world, but more importantly, we also live in a human world. That world is filled with human customers, human employees, and human wants and needs. Human beings are all about relationships and experiences — the emotions and memories derived from these occurrences are what drive us and, largely, what separate us from machines.

I recently asked Shep Hyken — who I would refer to as the ‘Chief Experience and Amazement Officer’ at his company, Shepherd Presentations — to join me on my program, “Opportunity Hour Conversations with The Masters,” on the subject of creating amazing customer service experiences in this digital, transformative world. 

For decades, Shep has been helping companies elevate their customer experience and customer service efforts to remarkable levels. Shep and I talked about how you can create and elevate amazing customer experiences regardless of the size of your organization, whether you are an entrepreneur or just starting your company.

As Customer Service Technology Increased, Usage Preference Decreased

Shep Hyken has done some great things for customer service and customer experiences in 2022, starting with a massive customer experience study stemming from a survey of all types of consumers and their experience at organizations. What Shep aimed his study at was what I have discussed at length in previous blogs and articles regarding the human side of customer service, because, as mentioned above, we are humans buying products, using services, and impacted by business practices.

But what Shep went on to prove was that all of the accelerating and digitally disruptive technology of the world today can absolutely enhance a customer’s experience. In knowing this, Shep and I have some refreshed insights on how to leverage these technologies exponentially.

This is a benchmark study for several questions surrounding where customer service and, moreover, the customer experience is heading. This is the third year in a row Shep and his team have done a customer experience study, and this time it specifically had to do with technology and the human factor.

Shep said: “In past years, when we asked consumers if using a digital technology to get their questions answered and complaints resolved was a favorable option, a surprising 71% of the thousand customers we asked across the United States and around the world said ‘yes’ to a preference of a self-service tool, digital customer service solution, frequently asked questions section of a website, or video tutorials.

“However, when this same question was posed more recently, only 41% said they would go digital, which means our needs as a human being and decision to deal with a computer or another human vary depending on the circumstance.”

Shep went on to explain further that as of 2022, the same study again reflected a drop in customers wanting digital-only solutions to their needs and issues as a customer — down to 35% of that same size sample survey.

Machines Are Not Empathetic

It is a fact that companies invest millions and, in many cases, billions of dollars into digital technology solutions. Why would they not be seamless enough to serve nearly everyone better than a person could? Why do so many consumers in recent times prefer an old-fashioned telephone call to a human being over any of the aforementioned digital solutions to a problem or question about a product or service?

Shep Hyken believes this decline has something to do with companies glazing over what new, smart technology is capable of accomplishing at this stage, and what is just not yet fully developed.

“If, as a customer, all I want is to know what the balance of my bank account is, I should be able to log in, enter my password, and obtain that information without having to call somebody, be put on hold, then do a form of authentication through a person,” Hyken says. “This is something that is easily handled by customer-facing technology that has long replaced a customer service representative and a telephone.”

But where Shep Hyken, myself, and many others in customer service know a line gets drawn between digital applications in customer service and a human being helping begins with empathy. Digital technology is not empathetic toward your specific wants and needs as a customer, and as mentioned in Shep’s example of logging in to your bank account, much of the digital technology that a company invests all that money into is really just for entry-level questions and access — the mundane tasks that can be done by advanced, artificially intelligent software without human help.

A question many may have going forward is: Can machines replace human customer service representatives and processes permanently if they find a way to make them empathetic?

Find out in part two of this article series next week and learn how anticipation will position you and your organization in a way to connect transformative digital technology and the human empathetic touch in customer service.

 
Posted On Thursday, 07 July 2022 00:00 Written by

The following questions are asked to provoke thought and drive you the reader, into thinking about what the reality is in your market and the correct answer or response to the question!

Asking for a friend:

“The government says we aren’t in a recession, and they don’t see one coming, is that true?"

Technically, the answer is yes & no or not yet. While first quarter GDP numbers were once again revised to the worse, from 1.5% negative growth to 1.6% negative growth for the first quarter of 2022. It is generally accepted that you need two consecutive quarters of negative growth to be in a recession, so the first second quarter report is due on July 28th so stay tuned. In any case, the economy is challenged and that is a concern.

Asking for a friend:

“I hear there is going to be a housing bubble and I should wait for both home prices and interest rates to come down before buying, is that a good idea?"

 Since my crystal ball isn’t working at the moment, here is what I can tell you about both housing and mortgage rates. While home appreciation is slowing down from recent peaks, home values are projected to rise better than 5% in the coming year and while mortgage rates are certainly higher than the recent past, we are pretty close to historic averages, and you can always refinance if rates go lower. With rents going up better than 14% a year and no cap on future rent increases, you have to ask yourself are you comfortable with 100% interest on uncapped rent increases?

Asking for a friend:

“Is it true that 40% of all homes in the US don’t have a mortgage and those that do have an average of $185,000 in equity, and are foreclosures are at a 40 year low?"

Yup.

Questions or comments: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Posted On Monday, 04 July 2022 00:00 Written by

Sure looks like the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Tour are in for a long battle. As you know the PGA Tour is not allowing its members to play in the LIV golf events and has already suspended 17  well-known golfers (among them AT&T Pro-Am favorites Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson) from its ranks. Some of those who chose the play in the LIV tour played in the US Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

How can those PGA suspended players play in the 2022 US Open, you ask? Well, the US Open is run by the USGA (United States Golf Association) which has not suspended those players who played or will play on the LIV Tour.

Speaking of LIV – what do those letters mean? First off, the LIV is a Saudi Arabian-funded golf tour and is an adversary to the PGA Golf Tour. The LIV  (Roman numerals) translates to the number 54 which represents the number of holes golfers will be playing. Before you go to your calculators – 54 equals three times the number of holes played in a normal round of golf (18). We direct you to Google or other means for a complete explanation of what LIV is attempting. Obviously, the money awarded is paramount.

Should the PGA decide to allow those 17 (and perhaps others) to play in their tournaments as well as in the LIV tournaments? There are many concerns. Here are just a few. Surely you will find others.

  • Camaraderie. While the PGA players are highly competitive, they have a gentlemanly manner about them. A manner that would be prudent for all professional players to adopt. The operative word is professional and while there may be an occasional rift, golfers love competing and welcome others who feel the same. Will that “run-for-the-LIV money” change all that?
  • Family. If golfers are allowed to play in all tournaments, what challenges will that present in their home life? How much money do golfers need to maintain a congenial family? Will money become a conflict?
  • Burnout. Golfers practice much more than they play rounds of golf. Golfers love to “hit balls.” Will the challenges of both PGA and LIV burden the family structure?

 

Will you support golfers playing in both the PGA and LIV tournaments?

Posted On Friday, 01 July 2022 00:00 Written by

The numbers continue to show that people, especially millennials, are interested in home ownership. Despite higher home prices and higher rates, loan applications are still strong for home purchase loans. While refinances are significantly off year over year due to higher rates, purchase applications are down only about 10%. That is a far cry from what some would have you believe on social media and the TV “experts”.

Home prices are up on average 14.8% from this time last year, which is down but that is still significantly higher than the 5% or so rate experts were predicting. Despite all the claims of a housing bubble and higher foreclosures, we are at a 40 year low in actual units foreclosed upon. None of this is surprising if you just look at the markets and see that available home inventories of supply is down 4% year over year and we haven’t even addressed rent increases and the lack of new housing units coming close to meeting demand.

The bond market has improved a bit over the last few days and with strong demand for the 20-year bonds, we might be seeing some stability forming in this range. I’m not saying we won’t see future higher rates, and I’m also not saying we are heading back to 3% either, I am just sharing with you that we have had some positive news in the bond market, something we haven’t seen in a while.

Lots more to see and do before we call ourselves “back to normal” for sure, but having some positive news is certainly welcome. Hopefully we continue to improve, or at the very least, stay in this range for a while because the volatility has been a real challenge to deal with.

Next month we have another Fed meeting, jobs report, and second quarter inflation data to deal with, so keep your eyes open and if you like it, lock it!

Questions or comments: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Posted On Monday, 27 June 2022 00:00 Written by
Page 23 of 68

Realty Times

From buying and selling advice for consumers to money-making tips for Agents, our content, updated daily, has made Realty Times® a must-read, and see, for anyone involved in Real Estate.