We’re posting to offer some thoughts on the horrific situation unfolding in Israel. The devastating terrorist attacks have already cost thousands of lives and may profoundly affect the region. While the violence might seem far away, behind every headline are real people, families, and communities that will never be the same. Let’s take a moment […]
What’s going on with markets? Why does the federal government keep getting into fiscal fights? A lot is going on, so let’s discuss. Why did markets melt down? A combination of things. Some negative news about home sales and consumer confidence created fresh concerns about the state of the economy.1 The reality of what high […]
Is a new recession warning flashing? Let’s discuss. You’ve probably heard us say that consumers (like us) are the backbone of the U.S. economy. It’s true. Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70% of economic growth. It’s been the engine of the pandemic recovery and has played a large part in calming recession fears. As long […]
You might have heard that Fitch downgraded the U.S. government’s credit rating in August.1 What does that mean for you? Let’s discuss. Who is Fitch Ratings, anyway? When companies and governments issue bonds, the bonds get rated by one of three agencies: Fitch Ratings, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s. The rating represents the agency’s evaluation […]
How high do you think the Federal Reserve will have to push interest rates to fully tame inflation? Before we dig in, here’s some good news: inflation is much, much lower than it was last summer. From its 2022 peak, headline inflation has plummeted to 3.2% in July after rising slightly over June’s reading.1 Core […]
Big question: how’s the economy doing? With the year more than half over and markets on a spree, it’s an important question to consider. Let’s dig into the latest data and find out. Inflation continues its downward spiral. The latest data for June shows that inflation fell for the 12th month in a row to […]
Politicians are creating more drama than Hollywood over the federal debt ceiling. Let’s recap what we know with some educated speculation about what could happen next. What is the debt ceiling and why is it in the headlines (again)? The federal debt ceiling is a limit on how much the U.S. Treasury can borrow to […]
Markets are doing their thing again, so let’s discuss. Markets tumbled, heading into negative territory, and then bounced back. And then promptly fell again.1 We’re caught in a whipsaw pattern of uncertainty. Is this weird? Not really. These things happen pretty regularly when investors get jittery. Let’s talk about what’s going on. (Scroll to the […]
Is it 2008 all over again? Should we be worried about the financial system collapsing? Deep breath. Let’s discuss. On March 10th, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a bank catering to startups closed its doors after it could no longer cover withdrawals.1 Days later, regulators also took over Signature Bank. There’s reason to believe a number of […]
Simple question: How’s the economy doing? Answer: It’s complicated. After the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates again (but less than last time) and all the market volatility, it’s a good time to talk about the economy.1 Inflation has been falling since summer Inflation fell for the sixth straight month in December, bolstering evidence that it […]
