Key Points Credit card debt and mortgage rates are elevated. High interest rates and home prices have made housing unaffordable for average Americans, leading to a slowdown in existing home sales. Consumer health is having a progressively lower impact on the stock market due to the dominance of companies that sell products and services to other businesses, rather than directly to consumers. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › Investors often view the stock market as a representation o ...