“If you boil a funny bone, it becomes a laughingstock. Now that’s humerus.” What isn’t humer…, uh humorous, is a) most states losing an hour Sunday morning, and b) why rates are going down. The word “stagflation” is creeping into analyst’s missives. Mortgage rates and U.S. Treasury yields have fallen amid expectations of a trade-induced economic slowdown that could prompt the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates multiple times this year. Financial markets are pricing in the risk of recession, with various models like JPMorgan Chase’s or Goldman Sachs’ showing a rise in the market-implied probability of an economic downturn doubling from earlier levels given tariff-related uncertainty and weaker economic indicators. Lower rates are nice, but the reasons aren’t. (Today’s podcast can be found here and sponsored by Floify. Floify is an easy-to-configure point-of-sale platform that allows each branch or loan officer to customize its look and feel to meet the needs of their lending team, homebuyers, and market. Hear an interview with LoneStar Signing’s Jackie Spillman on breaking barriers for Women’s History Month.) Lender and Broker Products, Software, and Services Aven Broker Program: Earn 3% for brokering customers to Aven! Aven provides access to the lowest HELOC monthly payments, guaranteed. Plus, customers can get 2% unlimited cash back with the Aven Home Equity Visa® Credit Card giving them easy access to their funds. Aven is seeking licensed MLOs to join the Aven Broker Program. Aven’s dedicated portal streamlines application and management, with approvals and closings handled entirely online in as little as 15 within minutes. Brokers earn a 3% fee on the loan value. If you’re interested in partnering with Aven to offer an accessible HELOC solution to your clients, please contact ABP@aven.com. For more information on Aven, visit https://www.aven.com.