“I got stuck in a conversation with some wealthy people and one woman asked me how my investments were doing. I replied that both avocadoes should be ripe by tomorrow.” Food prices are an everyday reminder of inflation on the spending side of the equation, but on the flip side, plenty of people don’t know where to put their savings these days. One can pick up additional income on savings in places like the perfectly safe TreasuryDirect account and earn over 4 percent on as little as $100. (I would like to think that money won’t change me, but I won $5 on a scratch-off lottery ticket and used it buy name-brand aluminum foil.) The Fed has been, as usual, in the headlines this week by raising the target Fed Funds rate (what banks charge one another for overnight loans). Chris Whalen penned a piece titled, “FOMC Doubles Down on Market Risk.” One picture is worth a thousand words, and here’s a nice chart of Fed Funds to help keep things in perspective. (Today’s podcast, with a slight delay due to travel, can be found here and this week is sponsored by Black Knight, Inc. As a premier provider of innovative, high-performance software, data and analytics for mortgage and home equity lending and servicing, Black Knight, Inc. is transforming the mortgage industry through its best in class solutions.) Lender and Broker Services, Products, and Software Fact: All 3,143 U.S. counties have at least one down payment assistance (DPA) program, and more than 2,000 counties have 10 or more DPA programs. If you’re not offering DPA because it feels like you need to be a PI to vet local programs, Down Payment Resource has your back. DPR’s tools make it easy to identify and curate DPA programs, review benefits and requirements and match borrowers with assistance. If you’d like a glimpse into Down Payment Connect, Innovative Mortgage’s Pam Marron provides an insightful overview of the product in a recent blog. Or, if you’ll be at MBA Tech April 2-5, schedule a meeting with Down Payment Resource’s Tani Lawrence and Rob Chrane.