On September 21, 2022, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis points (or 0.75%) and projected more interest rate increases in the future. While the Federal Reserve is escalating its inflation-fighting efforts, analysts say a so-called “soft landing” is looking less likely. The Federal Reserve is still...
Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 8.3% year-over-year in August 2022, exceeding economists’ expectations. This news sent markets spiraling, with the Dow closing nearly 1,300 points down and the S&P 500 dropping by 4.3%, marking the worst day for stocks since June 2020. If current market...
September has historically been the worst-performing month of the year for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 since 1950, according to reports by MarketWatch. As the final quarter of 2022 approaches during a time of significant volatility, consumer portfolios could be exposed to new market risks. In...
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that the fight against inflation would cause “some pain” during a speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium on Friday, August 26. In the trading hours after the speech, stocks plummeted, and the Dow fell 1,000 points before markets closed. Economic growth may continue...
On August 22, 2022, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.9%—over 600 points—while the S&P 500 lost 2.1% after weeks of steadily climbing. Analysts at Bespoke Investment Group told Forbes the earlier summer rally was a “textbook example of a bear market rally,” which was “grinding to a halt.” Likewise, the...
In the first half of 2022, Americans lost $3.4 trillion from their 401(k)s and IRAs, according to Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Market turmoil in the first half of the year may have further intensified an underlying issue of underfunded retirement accounts, which...
On August 7, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed a $430 billion piece of legislation known as the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” On August 12, 2022, the House of Representatives passed the bill, and President Joe Biden stated he would sign the bill into law within a week. Once the bill is signed into law by the...
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has been reluctant to declare the U.S. economy in a recession, despite two quarters of contracting gross domestic product. Despite this, many analysts continue to be concerned about the possibility of a recession, and more data reveals potential weaknesses in the...
Over half of the respondents to a July 2022 CNBC survey expect the Federal Reserve’s policies regarding interest rates to cause a recession by the end of the year. The Federal Reserve is in the midst of a tightening cycle and may continue to hike interest rates—even as some analysts think a recession is already here....
Between November 2021 and July 21, 2022, the cryptocurrency market lost almost $2 trillion in market capitalization, according to data from CoinMarketCap. This sharp downward trend continues to fuel concerns about crypto’s high volatility and its viability as a financial safe haven. Cryptocurrency prices have fallen...
The Conference Board’s latest Consumer Confidence Survey found that confidence in the U.S. economy has dropped sharply, hitting its lowest point since 2013. Other measures of consumer confidence in the U.S. economy have fallen as well, prompted by constrained economic performance. America’s economy has contracted in...
U.S. stocks have fallen 23% since hitting a record high on January 3, 2022, according to CNN Business. Analysts believe stocks may fall even further before the current bear market ends. Markets have moved into a downturn since the start of 2022. On March 7, 2022, the Nasdaq Composite Index closed 20% below its...
