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[NY, OH, IN, PA] Northwest Bank $400 Checking Bonus


Update 8/31/26: There is a link with a $600 bonus, talks about an exclusive code but the mailer just used  REWARD600 so YMM if they filter by address or something. Hat tip to reader Dealgamer

Update 7/18/26: Bonus is now $400 (was $160) so significantly better than before. Hat tip to reader Bockrr

Update 5/1/23: Extended until June 30 2023.

Update 2/27/23: Also available in NY, OH, IN

Update 2/6/23: Deal has been extended until 4/30/2023.

Offer at a glance

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Northwest Bank is offering a $400 bonus when you open a new qualifying checking account and complete the following requirements:
    • Use promo code GET400
    • make direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within a single statement cycle within the first 3 statement cycles from account opening

 

The Fine Print

  • To qualify for the $400 checking bonus, you must open a Northwest Affinity Checking, Affinity Plus Checking or Affinity Premier Checking account using the promo code GET400 by 12/31/2026 and make direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within a single statement cycle within the first 3 statement cycles from account opening.
  • Account can be opened online or by bringing this email with the promo code to a financial center; promo code must be entered at account opening.
  • A qualifying Direct Deposit is an Automated Clearing House (ACH) credit, which may include payroll, pension or government payments (such as Social Security).
  • To receive the bonus, you must meet the deposit requirements and your checking account must be open at the time the bonus is paid out. After all qualifying activity requirement(s) have been fully completed and verified, the bonus will be deposited into your new account, typically within 30 days after the statement cycle in which you satisfy the requirement(s).
  • Offer is not available to existing Northwest checking account customers or to those with a Northwest checking account that has been closed within the last 12 months.
  • Northwest Bank reserves the right to limit each customer to one new account-related bonus per calendar year. Eligibility may be limited based on your account type and ownership role. Bonus is subject to IRS 1099-INT or, if you do not possess a Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification number, the bonus will be reported on IRS form 1042-S.
  • Employees of Northwest Bank, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not eligible for this offer.
  • Cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • Offer subject to change, including cancellation, at any time without notice.
  • All bank account bonuses are treated as income/interest and as such you have to pay taxes on them

Avoiding Fees

Monthly Fees

Affinity Checking has no monthly fees to worry about.

Early Account Termination Fee

$25 fee according to the fee schedule, 180 days.

Our Verdict

Need to know if this is a hard or soft pull to open.

Useful posts regarding bank bonuses:

China’s AI-fueled IPO boom hits $54 billion this year, with chipmakers and Shein’s $1.7 billion IPO



Chinese markets are booming with new public stock offerings, energized by the craze for artificial intelligence and other advanced technology and a growing preference to list shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

In the latest big stock listing, shares in China-founded e-commerce and fast fashion giant Shein are due to debut Tuesday in Hong Kong in a blockbuster initial public offering raising $1.7 billion, in one of the city’s biggest new share sales this year.

In July, CXMT, China’s largest memory chipmaker, raised more than $8.6 billion in Shanghai in the second-largest IPO for its Nasdaq-style STAR market, mainland China’s second-largest IPO. Its shares jumped 466% on the first day of trading.

Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, also made its listing debut in Shanghai in August. Shares rose 460% on the first day of trading.

“The current IPO boom is powered by investor appetite for AI and robotics,” said Ruiying Zhao, a senior research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Trading in Shanghai’s stock market, for one, is heavily driven by retail investors.

AI driving Chinese IPO boom

CXMT’s IPO in Shanghai “placed China in a strategically significant position in tech manufacturing related to AI,” said Perris Lee, head of APAC equity capital markets for ION Analytics. “It’s also a testament to China’s tech self-sufficiency ambitions.”

Founded in China in 2016, the company’s revenue surged more than 700% year-on-year to 50.8 billion yuan (about $7.5 billion) in the first three months of 2026 on a spike in demand for computer chips needed for AI.

IPO proceeds in Hong Kong and Shanghai so far this year have already surpassed the funding raised last year, according to the financial data platform LSEG.

It says IPOs and secondary listing activities on the Hong Kong and Shanghai exchanges raised a total of over $54 billion from so far in 2026, surpassing last year’s total of more than $46 billion.

Combined Hong Kong and Shanghai proceeds so far this year accounted for roughly 21% globally, ranking them only behind only the Nasdaq’s roughly 55% global share, LSEG said. There, the mega $75 billion IPO by SpaceX in June made the U.S. exchange the world’s biggest IPO market this year.

Since China limits foreign purchases on mainland exchanges, many Chinese companies do parallel listings in Hong Kong to help raise international capital.

Fewer big Chinese companies listing overseas

Stricter U.S. and Chinese regulatory scrutiny in recent years of big Chinese companies listing in U.S. markets, especially those in strategically important sectors like advanced technologies, has led some Chinese companies to stick closer to home.

Listing overseas typically takes more time compared with doing IPOs in China, said Howie Farn, a capital markets partner at the law firm Freshfields.

In Hong Kong, recent public stock listings of Apple-supplier Luxshare Precision Industry, and Zhongji Innolight, which makes optical transceivers used in data centers, were among this year’s largest deals and were also a reflection of investor demand for advanced technologies.

More companies are looking to hold their IPOs in Hong Kong or Shanghai, like robotics firms AGIBOT and Deep Robotics.

Shein also explored the possibility of listings in the U.S. and London before opting for Hong Kong.

Investors are wary of a possible AI bubble in China, too

After massive oversubscriptions and huge gains in their share debuts, some companies have seen their market value shrink.

Chinese robot maker Unitree’s share price had fallen more than 40% as of Friday from its peak share price on the day of its trading debut.

“The critical question remains: is the AI sentiment enough?” said Zhao from S&P, as the similar question that raised worries among investors in the U.S. also now also applies to China. “For a durable market cycle, investors will demand sustainable revenue, visible profit margins, and realistic valuations.

The global AI frenzy also has also drawn attention away from companies like Shein. “The AI investment cycle is absorbing much of the risk appetite that would have otherwise flowed to a company like Shein,” said Jacob Cooke, CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies.

Shein’s IPO puts the company’s value at around $27 billion, a fraction of its peak valuation a few years ago, though that is partly due to U.S. and EU moves to restrict de minimus tax-exemptions for imports of small packages.

EQB gains uninsured mortgage share as credit pressures persist




EQB says stronger applications and closer broker relationships are helping it win business, even as impaired mortgages rise and enforcement timelines stretch as long as two years.

if war bad… why stocks go up?



The biggest stock market rally of the year had nothing to do with peace, the news, or anything else you were told. Wall Street lied to you.

On April 8th, the S&P ripped 2.5%, the Nasdaq jumped almost 3%, and the Dow had its best day in a year. Every financial outlet called it a “relief rally” on the back of the Iran ceasefire.

But the truth is, this was not a relief rally.

In this video, I’ll break down:
• Why hedge funds were selling at the fastest pace in 13 years
• How a short squeeze actually works
• The $86B of forced buying that compressed into five trading sessions
• How commodity trading advisors and options dealers turned a squeeze into a full-blown melt-up
• Why this exact pattern in the stock market keeps repeating

👉If one video wasn’t enough, I post everyday here:

All illustrations, visuals, and animations in this video are original and hand-drawn by a freelance artist.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this video and on this channel (collectively, the “Content”) is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice, nor a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or investment strategy. Investing involves risk and you must do your own research. Nothing in the Content should be interpreted as creating a fiduciary relationship, financial advisory relationship, or client relationship of any kind. The host, the channel, and all affiliated entities expressly disclaim any and all liability for any direct or consequential loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from the use of, reliance upon, or interpretation of the Content. By viewing or interacting with the Content, you acknowledge and agree to these terms and release the host and all related parties from any and all claims related to your reliance on the information provided.

#economy #economics #wallstreet #stockmarket #investing #finance

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Michigan Seniors Can Now Get Into 21 Colleges Without A Traditional College Application


Michigan high school seniors can now get admitted to college without applying. The Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) opened its new MI College Match portal on Aug. 26, 2026, and 21 public and private colleges have signed on to send direct admission offers to students who fill out a free profile.

Students upload a transcript, answer a few questions about their interests and preferences, and wait for offers to arrive. There are no essays, no letters of recommendation, and no application fees.

The first deadline is September 21. Students who complete a profile by then will receive their first round of acceptance letters by Oct. 5, and will be entered for a chance at a $5,000 scholarship through the program. Students who sign up later still get offers, released on a monthly basis.

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Why It Matters

The college application process can be a massive challenge, and it’s the most impactful to first generation students who don’t have support to walk through the process.

MCAN Executive Director Ryan Fewins-Bliss put it this way in the launch announcement: “When colleges say, ‘We want you here, and you’re already admitted,’ it changes the entire conversation around postsecondary education.

Michigan’s colleges also have an enrollment problem to solve. The Common App logged a record 10.8 million applications last cycle, but 41% of member colleges still received fewer applications than the year before, with small private schools losing the most ground.

In-state tuition at Michigan’s public four-year universities averages about $14,500, and 59% of Michigan graduates leave with debt. Participating colleges can attach scholarship offers to their admission letters, so a student may learn what a school will actually cost before deciding whether to engage with it at all.

Participating Colleges

As of Aug. 28, 2026, the MI College Match participating colleges page lists 21 schools. It’s important to note that the state’s flagship (The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus) is not among them, and each school sets its own admission criteria. Kalamazoo College said the program changes how students find the school, not who gets in.

  • Albion College
  • Alma College
  • Aquinas College
  • Baker College
  • Bay College
  • Calvin University
  • Cleary University
  • Davenport University
  • Great Lakes Christian College
  • Kalamazoo College
  • Lake Michigan College
  • Monroe County Community College
  • Montcalm Community College
  • Oakland University
  • Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
  • Schoolcraft College
  • Spring Arbor University
  • University of Detroit Mercy
  • University of Michigan-Dearborn
  • University of Michigan-Flint
  • The University of Olivet

How This Connects

Direct admission is growing nationwide. California’s SB 640 takes the CSU system’s direct admission pilot from 43 school districts to all 937 by fall 2027, covering 16 of 23 campuses for students with a 2.5 GPA and the A-G course sequence.

Michigan’s model is different: it’s run by a nonprofit rather than the legislature, includes private colleges, and uses the same EAB matching software behind the Alabama Direct Admission Initiative, which sent more than 141,000 offers to over 18,000 students in its first year.

What’s Next

Watch the participating college count. The list already grew from 20 to 21 in the last two days, and MCAN is pushing the program through its 355 K-12 partner sites.

The bigger signal is whether Michigan’s remaining public universities, especially the larger regional campuses, join the program. Seniors who want to apply should build their application timeline around that date.

Editor: Colin Graves

The post Michigan Seniors Can Now Get Into 21 Colleges Without A Traditional College Application appeared first on The College Investor.

Trump threatens to blow Kharg Island ‘to smithereens’ as U.S. and Iran trade fresh strikes


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ONE BIG THING

Temu spent up to $962 million on ads that helped finance an army of fake creators on Meta, research claims

The top creator in Temu’s European partnership ad network on Facebook and Instagram is “YaLilly.” Her posts have been boosted by Temu and were seen more than 1 billion times across both platforms in a 16-month period ending in April 2026, according to Online Risk Labs, a cyber research organization. The only problem is that YaLilly doesn’t exist. In fact, of the top 100 creators boosted by Temu’s partnership ads, 73 are likely fakes, the research suggests.

And yet Temu spent as much as $962 million on ads like these in the period, in the U.K. and 27 E.U. countries, according to ORL.

It is not clear whether Temu is doing this deliberately or is being fooled by scammers into spending money on influencers who don’t exist. But the likely fake accounts could set up a legal quagmire for Temu, as European law bars the use of misleading advertising formats.

MORE FROM FORTUNE

Apple’s John Ternus era: Can a low-key engineer win the AI race? – Sebastian Herrera

Why Meta is Paying Billions to Settle This Case | Fortune Daily

The Strait of Hormuz crisis threatened Asia’s oil and gas lifeline. Here’s how the region is rewriting its energy playbook – Katie Silver

Why the head of Taiwan’s stock exchange wants you to look past TSMC—and embrace the ‘technology island’ – Nicholas Gordon

‘We’re facing a double whammy’: America’s hottest tinned fish snack is shrinking by nearly half thanks to climate change and war in Iran – Catherina Gioino

This Gen Xer spent 28 years in a cubicle and never made more than $70,000. At 59, she made $500,000 in the creator economy – Tatiana Sataua

31-year-old millionaire has zero sympathy for unemployed Gen Z’s ‘excuses’—he says ‘it is scarily easy’ to build a business and get rich right now – Orianna Rosa Royle

IRAN

Iran and the U.S. trade strikes

The price of Brent crude oil moved back above $90 today as hostilities between the U.S. and Iran intensified over the last 24 hours. On Sunday, the U.S. struck rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island, which Centcom said were being prepared to launch sea mines. Iran responded by bombing American military bases in Jordan. The attack was the first since late July.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also reported that a tanker was disabled after it caught fire when it struck two sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker had not followed Iran’s rules for transiting the Strait, Iranian media reported.

President Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social showing “Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!!” Kharg is the terminal through which Iran exports 90% of its oil. 

Oil market shrugs at Venezuela deal

Oil’s rise came despite a post from Trump saying that the U.S. had struck a deal with Venezuela that “secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer. This Historic Transaction MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans.”

The agreement provides the U.S. government with a 55% stake in a joint venture with an unnamed private operator in Venezuela, a U.S. official told CBS News. Experts expressed some skepticism, saying that the deal would likely take months or years before new supplies come online.

THE MARKETS

Stocks mixed as traders eye hostilities in the Gulf

  • S&P 500 futures were flat this morning. The index sank 0.25% on Friday. 
  • In Europe, the Stoxx 600 was down 0.11% in early trading. The U.K.’s markets were closed for the August bank holiday.
  • Asia: South Korea’s KOSPI was up 0.46%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 was up 0.14%. India’s Nifty 50 was down 0.4%. China’s CSI 300 was up 0.35%. 
  • Brent crude was $91 per barrel this morning, up from a low of $87 in the previous 24 hours.
  • Bitcoin was at $78,669.

Chart via TradingEconomics.com

The more they go up, the cheaper they get

The S&P 500 is up 12.65% year to date, and the Q2 earnings season was “exceptional,” according to J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Kriti Gupta and Nick Roberts. Counterintuitively, stocks are technically cheaper now than they were a year ago. That’s because that near-13% increase has underpriced the performance of the companies within the index. “Revenue across the S&P 500 has grown 16% year-over-year. Earnings growth is approaching a 52% rise,” they said in an email. “Despite the strength of the underlying fundamentals, investors have yet to fully reward it in the stock market. … The result is an unusual backdrop: Earnings are accelerating while valuations move in the opposite direction.”

At Bank of America, it’s a hot stock summer as Trump’s ratings decline

President Trump’s declining approval ratings will force him to find an end to the Iran war, according to Michael Hartnett and his colleagues at Bank of America. “Trump economic (35%) and inflation approval (28%) slumping again so [the] consensus [that stocks will] grind higher continues as [a] quick end to US-Iran conflict [is the] easiest way back to approval,” they said in a recent note.

Meanwhile, the summer vibe on Wall Street is “no macro landing, no Fed hike, no AI capex cut, no DEM sweep midterms = no fear” and “EPS better than Champagne,” they said. That is setting up “contrarian” traders to sell when they see the next market peak.

CHART OF THE DAY

AI buildout is nowhere near dot-com bubble excess

AI infrastructure buildout—as measured via the proxy of non-residential fixed investment—is currently 17.7% of GDP, according to Liz Everett Krisberg and David Tinsley of Bank of America. That’s “slightly above its long-term average but still within the range of earlier peaks,” they said in an email to Fortune.

NUMBER OF THE DAY: 

$566 billion

The potential cumulative value of the lunar economy through 2050, according to a forecast by Deloitte. That’s the value of investment and revenues attached to lunar transport, scientific advances, new energy sources, national security “high ground,” helium-3 extraction, rocket propellant, orbital compute, in-space manufacturing, and innovative commercial applications.

THE FRONT PAGES TODAY

Andrew Bailey warns G20 of danger AI poses to financial system – FT

British Museum hosted Palantir founder Peter Thiel in private viewing of Bayeux tapestry – The Guardian

Russia preparing ‘massive strikes’ on Ukraine’s energy sites after deadliest attack of the year – CNBC

Inside the socialists’ civil war over AOC and 2028 – Axios

The Sudden Unraveling of Wall Street’s Momentum Trade – WSJ

Crypto.com-Linked Lending Platform Hit by $74 Million Exploit – Bloomberg

What It Took to Dismantle the Most Powerful Company in the World – NYT

OpenAI to cut off AI models for SpaceX-owned Cursor, escalating feud with Musk – NY Post

ONE MORE THING

Singles are using LinkedIn to screen their dates

LinkedIn’s rules are very clear: it is not a dating site. “Do not use LinkedIn to pursue romantic connections, ask for romantic dates, or provide sexual commentary on someone’s appearance or perceived attractiveness,” its policy states.

But a June survey by Zety of more than 1,000 U.S. employees found that one in four believe it’s “fair game” for romantic advances. The survey also found that 22% had reached out or responded to someone on LinkedIn with romantic intent, while 12% had formed a romantic relationship that originated on LinkedIn, Fortune’s Sarah Glodek reports.

And half of survey respondents believe that information on the platform is more reliable than the jobs and college attendance people claim on dating apps such as Hinge.

ONE MORE THING

Mizuho cuts PG&E stock rating on wildfire reform failure




Mizuho cuts PG&E stock rating on wildfire reform failure

inKind Is Expanding Beyond Restaurants With Spas and Trampoline Parks


inKind Is Expanding Beyond Restaurants

inKind might be branching out beyond dinner and drinks.

I recently spotted a non-restaurant option appearing in the inKind app, Wthn. This is an acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine wellness business in New York City. They have several locations currently showing in the inKind app with up to 20% back when paying with a credit card. Interestingly, the listing specifically tells customers to book an appointment through Wthn’s website and then pay through inKind after the session.

I searched the app and also noticed that AustinDeep is a similar business in Austin with two locations which are both available in the inKind app, offering 20% cash back.

I shared this in our Facebook Group and another group member said a trampoline park they regularly visit recently appeared on inKind as well.

If you don’t have an inKind account yet, you can sign up now to save $25 on your first bill of $50 or more that you pay through the app. Recently they also introduced a new feature called Recommendation Rewards, which gives select users a way to earn inKind Cash by sharing restaurant offers.

Guru’s Wrap-up

I’ve always thought of inKind as a way to save money at restaurants and bars, so seeing acupuncture, spa services and trampoline parks pop up is definitely interesting.

If inKind is intentionally expanding into wellness, entertainment and other experiences, it could make inKind Cash and those frequent bonus offers much more useful.

For now, it’s worth opening the app and taking another look around your area. You might find something besides dinner this time. And don’t forget to let us know if you find any of these non-restaurant merchants!

How Warsh’s hawkish comments will impact mortgage rates



Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh sent markets a clear, hawkish signal: don’t expect any interest rate policy shifts, post-speech commentators said.

Processing Content

Warsh, if anything, spoke out against providing the markets any forward guidance, which is typically used to price longer-term instruments.

The speech was Warsh’s first as chairman at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual policy conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Coming in, market observers, including Kate Wood, NerdWallet’s lending expert, were feeling if the speech lacked what she termed “substance,” it could negatively affect mortgage rates.

What Warsh’s comments mean for mortgage lending

Afterward the speech, Wood said she came away with the same impressions of Warsh she held after his first two press conferences after replacing Jerome Powell (who remains a Fed governor) as chair.

“Yes, he’s once again stating a firm commitment to returning to a 2% rate of inflation,” Wood commented. “But it remains unclear what steps might be taken to slow inflation or what kind of data the central bankers would need to see in order to take action, whether that means raising the federal funds rate or resuming balance sheet runoff.”

Both of those actions could have an impact on mortgage rates. The Fed ended the balance sheet run-off program last December, but as mandated by President Trump, the government-sponsored enterprises stepped in as a mortgage-backed securities purchaser to lower rates.

Inflation first priority

Warsh during the speech reiterated that the Fed’s primary objective is to tame inflation, said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American. The Fed’s preferred measurement remains the personal consumption expenditures index.

“Prognostication about what measures he is using to determine success were put to rest with his clear reference to the 2% PCE target,” Fleming said. “The economy remains strong and, while the labor market may be in a low-hire, low-fire regime, the unemployment rate remains on target, which gives the Fed the freedom to focus on lowering inflation.”

The markets should look for higher short-term rates with the focus on lowering inflation, “but don’t expect a lot of communication about how and when the decision to raise rates will be done,” Fleming commented.

With this speech, “Warsh has opened the door to rate hikes, but has not taken any action,” added Chris Whalen of Whalen Global Advisors and an NMN columnist. “This is probably a net negative for mortgage rates because inflation related to the Gulf War is likely to go higher in the fall. Higher fuel prices and also prices for petroleum byproducts are going to ripple through the economy.”

The speech’s effect on the 10-year Treasury

Mortgage rates have already moved higher because of the gains in the 10-year and 30-year Treasury yields, which moved higher in anticipation of rising short-term rates, making it likely these gains are already “baked-in” to the 30-year fixed, he said.

During the speech, Warsh only mentioned housing specifically once and it was in passing.

“Now, certain sectors like housing and agriculture are showing strains, but on balance, I would be hard pressed to describe broad financial conditions as restrictive,” he commented.

Warsh did speak about the Federal Open Market Committee communicating rate movements. The rates the FOMC sets do not directly impact mortgage pricing, but influence the underlying elements, like the 10-year Treasury yield.

“I believe when policymakers make quasi-commitments on interest rates throughout the cycle, we inhibit our own freedom to make the right calls when it’s time to decide,” Warsh said. “To get policy right, we also need to get the relationship right between the central bank and financial markets.”

While the markets will anticipate what the Fed will do next for the short-term rates it controls, “we should not indulge a regime in which market participants are looking primarily to the Fed for their next trade,” he said.

The 10-year Treasury yield, one of the items used to price mortgages, opened the day at 4.67%. When Warsh came to the podium the yield was at or near its day-low at 4.65%, but during the speech it rose to 4.7%, according to data from Yahoo Finance.

By 11 a.m. eastern time it was back to the opening price. But it changed direction again, rising to 4.73% by 1:30 p.m.

Observers have been making guesses after each new data point is released, most recently the personal consumption expenditures index, on whether the FOMC will or won’t hike short-term rates in September, or keep them unchanged. Little sentiment exists right now among investors that the next move will be lower.

Today’s market opinion on a September FOMC rate hike

“Despite the lack of new information, the odds of a rate hike in September have nearly flip-flopped from where they were yesterday,” Wood said. “It wouldn’t be surprising to see those expectations tempered relatively quickly.”

As of this morning after the speech, the CME Fed Watch Tool gives a 40.5% probability of no rate hike and 59.5% chance of a 25 basis point rise. Yesterday it was 64.6% for no hike and 35.4% for the basis point increase.

But by the time the FOMC meets on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16, members have plenty of additional data to make a decision, Wood said. “But two, aside from inflation, Warsh expressed a fairly rosy view of the economy, and it hardly feels impossible that the Fed could continue to wait for inflation to subside without intervention.”