September’s CPI came in hot on the headline—up 0.6% month over month and 3.7% year over year—driven largely by a 9.1% jump in gasoline. Core rose 0.3% month over month and 2.6% year over year. Yet the 5-year U.S. Treasury, a common reference index for investor/DSCR loans, still closed right around 5.00% on the day and stayed flat across the week. With medium‑term inflation compensation near the mid‑2% range, the message to small investors is practical: treat financing as firm