Data

Monthly home price appreciation gained steam in August even as a growing number of markets reported declines, according to FNC, Inc. The company's Residential Price Index (RPI) posted national growth of 0.8 percent in August, accelerating from July's 0.6 percent increase. Not all cities saw an acceleration, however.

The economy continued to grow on a "modest to moderate" track over the last month, with consumer spending and job growth fueling improvements in other economic sectors, according to the latest update from the Federal Reserve. With two weeks to go until the Federal Open Market Committee's next policy meeting, Wednesday's report further bolsters the popular prediction that the central bank will vote to end its monthly bond-buying program.

In a report released Wednesday, Wolters Kluwer Financial Services (WKFS) said its Regulatory & Risk Management Indicator increased again to 128, reflecting a 28 percent rise since its baseline score established in January 2013. Looking at compliance challenges, 72 percent of banker respondents listed "maintaining compliance with changing regulations" as one of their top concerns, up from 67 percent at the start of last year.

RealtyTrac's election housing scorecard rated 1,547 county housing markets in the U.S. based on five factors that affect the health of housing. A total of 811 U.S. county housing markets (52 percent) were rated as "better off" than they were two years ago, compared to only 11 percent (176 markets) categorized as "worse off."

In survey findings released Tuesday, Bankrate.com reported that two-thirds of American consumers are now limiting how much they spend each month. Of those who have had to draw their purse strings tighter, 32 percent cited stagnant income as the main reason, while 29 percent said they need to save more. Sixteen percent cited worries about the economy in general.

Fewer than one-third of American consumers have a passable understanding of their financial rights, according to a new study from FICO. In a comprehensive survey of U.S. bank customers, the analytics company found only 30 percent of those quizzed about their financial rights earned a passing grade, with only 1 percent achieving an A (with 92 percent of responses correct).

Now that the overall economy is on more solid ground, Wells Fargo economists suggest that housing may soon follow in its footsteps. While some predict that the housing market is poised for more rentals than buys for years to come, particularly among millennials, Wells Fargo suggests the contrary.

Condo prices are rising faster than single-family home prices, according to the Trulia Price Monitor, which observes asking prices on a monthly basis. Asking prices for condos rose 7.3 percent year-over-year in September, while asking prices for single-family homes rose 6.0 percent. Condo price gains outpaced single-family price gains in 18 of the largest 20 condo markets, according to Trulia.

Despite an uptick between the second and third quarters, home sales in the state of Pennsylvania failed once again to hit year-ago levels, according to data released Monday by the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR).

Rating agency A.M. Best is revising its outlook for the U.S. title industry, bringing it down from "positive" to "stable" as concerns build about uncertainty in the housing recovery. The change reflects the company's outlook shifting from a possible ratings upgrade due to favorable trends to a "low likelihood of a rating change."