If you think markets have been relatively calm lately you are right. The S&P 500 Index has now gone 64 consecutive days without a 1% change either up or down, the fourth-longest streak since 1990.  (LPL)

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 3 percent for the week and were 4 percent higher on the year.  Applications to refinance a home loan increased 3 percent for the week and are 34.5 percent lower than one year ago.

Retailers Could Hire Over 700,000 Seasonal Workers This Holiday Season. Retailers are expected to hire more than 700,000 seasonal workers for the December holidays. The most since 2015, according to a Challenger Gray Christmas analysis of federal jobs data. 

Business Insider reported that with the holiday season approaching, “retailers are scrambling to figure out how to win over workers.” Target, which “is seeking 120,000 workers this season, up by 20% from the year before,” is offering “all new hires, including part-time seasonal workers...a $12-per-hour minimum wage.” JCPenney is offering paid time off and even offering 401(k) benefits for some, Kohl’s is giving seasonal workers a 35 percent discount on purchases. 

With Northwest Quadrant Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor I am Troy Reinhart.