Matthew Sheets, CFP®, shares important factors to remember during times of heightened market volatility.
October Is National Economic Education Month
At Vision Capital Management, we believe in educating our clients on all aspects of their financial life and, in doing so, know we will be empowering financial wellness. October is National Economic Education Month, so we have gathered several of our favorite resources for our own ongoing education on the global economy, financial markets and personal finance. Below are links to various blogs, websites and podcasts we hope you find valuable and informative.
Websites and Blogs:
- HerMoney – As a journalist, founder Jean Chatzky recognized that when it comes to money matters, women are different. She founded HerMoney with the intention to inform women with easy-to-understand content about finance and the economy and inspire them to stress less and invest more.
- Investopedia – Aiming to simplify financial information and decisions, Investopedia provides clear and easy to understand information and news updates on banking, investing, the economy and personal finance with over 56 million monthly readers.
- San Francisco Federal Reserve Blog – in-depth articles with insight from Federal Reserve experts, it provides commentary to accompany data and indicators as well as a behind the scenes look at working for the Federal Reserve.
Podcasts:
- Bloomberg Daybreak– Powered by the massive research and analysis provided by Bloomberg, this show delivers the day’s top financial stories in 15 minutes.
- Freakonomics – Bearing the same name as the ultrapopular book by Steven J. Dubner, it explores the ‘hidden side of everything’ such as pollution, bananas and human behavior and the impacts on the economy.
- Planet Money – Journalists explore various topics such as cap and trade policies, political turmoil abroad, artificial intelligence and more and then explain the ties back to the economy and the effects on consumers.
The Consumer and Producer Price Index
One word defines this year: “inflation.” Reaching levels not seen in 40 years, inflation in the US has been tenacious, peaking at 9.1% in June and budging only slightly in the face of government policies aiming to reduce it further. Its impact has been inescapable. As we wrap up 2022, there is widespread concern about what the inflation levels of this year mean for the next. But what is inflation exactly, and what does it tell us?
5 Tips to Reduce Financial Stress During Market Volatility
Market volatility. Most investors understand this is a normal occurrence when investing but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to stomach the rollercoaster balances in your accounts. Your chest feels constricted, your jaw is tight, at the back of your mind there are nagging worries that frequently send you down a rabbit hole of “what-if” scenarios. Understandably you’re worried: it’s your livelihood, your future, your quality of life, your legacy.
But given that making knee-jerk financial decisions based on emotional reasoning is unlikely to get your investments to where you want them to go, here are a few suggestions of ways to hang tight and stay calm through a period of market volatility. [Read more…]
Inflation in the Modern Era
Americans have heard quite a bit about inflation lately and probably noticed how the price of goods and services have risen. This is commonly referred to as inflation, but it is a little like putting the cart before the horse. In fact, the rising cost of goods and services are merely the symptoms of a debasement in the reserve currency. In other words, inflation is a word used to describe the symptoms of a weakening of the dollar relative to assets and goods and services. Understanding its implication requires an examination of inflation within the context of the modern economic era.
