Vendor Management, QC, Borrower Retention Tools; CX Strategy; Dave Chappelle and Affordable Housing

If you see someone buying candy, popcorn, and soda at the movies, they must be a drug dealer… There’s no other explanation for that type of income! Yes, inflation is moving ahead, faster than most would prefer. A little is good, a lot is not, as we found out yesterday and as we’ve learned for the last several months. U.S. consumer prices jumped 7.5 percent year-over-year in January to hit a four-decade high. Of course, it’s important to note that inflation differs across income/demographic cohorts and geographic regions. Rising energy costs were the big driver of the headline number, as were used cars. If you take away seasonal adjustments, the headline CPI rose 8.2 percent. The price appreciation of the past year is only beginning to be reflected in the inflation numbers. Housing is becoming more unaffordable, with rising financing costs and appreciation. At the other end of the scale, as noted in the Commentary last week it is fine for the Biden Administration to state affordable housing goals. But by the time those goals filter down to the state and local levels, well, things happen to hinder those goals, like economics, red tape, builder preferences, existing housing zoning, and mountain lion habitats. California isn’t the only place, and a town in Ohio voted down affordable housing after Dave Chappelle threatened to pull his plans for a restaurant and comedy club. NIHBY (not in his backyard). (Today’s audio version of the commentary is available here and has an interview with MCT COO Phil Rasori on what separates one hedge advisory firm from another. This week’s is sponsored by MCT and its hedge advisory division, pairing industry leading experience with award-winning technology to assist you in locking, coverage, best execution, and reporting.)