For the past few decades, the Federal Reserve has succeeded in keeping inflation low—perhaps too low. It had an assist: Shifts in the global economy, including globalization, demographics and the rise of e-commerce, helped keep prices in check. ~ WSJ · Gwynn Guilford · July 12, 2021 Price levels are increasing – home prices, car […]
Leadership Change: Is it Time for a Value Comeback?
In spite of the drastic economic shocks caused by the Coronavirus during 2020, the market managed to regain its footing in a few short months. Some dominant market trends are worth a discussion here. Optimistic Expectations Drive Valuations Euphoria for Bitcoin, Wall-Street “unicorns” like Snowflake, Zoom Video, and a host of other companies is reminiscent […]
Post-COVID-19 Planning: Three Trends That Will Likely Stay
Suffice it to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives – hand-washing best practices, shopping on phones, school at the dining table, and sporting events in empty stadiums (I sincerely hope that the latter are only temporary). From a personal financial-planning perspective, there are three “COVID changes” that I believe […]
Casualties of the Pandemic: Employment and Job Market Trends
In early 2020, the unemployment rate was at all-time lows. When the coronavirus arrived in the U.S., immediate layoffs occurred as companies promptly changed plans. Congress quickly pushed through the CARES Act, a stimulus package to prop up the economy. This stimulus package had a profound effect on the job market as well as the […]
Market Disruptions: The Supply/Demand Disequilibrium
Do you have enough toilet paper? Remember the first days of the pandemic lockdown, when the hunt for toilet paper and the hoarding of it became a topic of conversation? Thankfully, the supply and demand for paper products has come back into equilibrium, even though it did not happen overnight. This imbalance was exacerbated by […]
