After the Federal Reserve projected cutting interest rates during their December meeting, markets have been holding their breath wondering when that will happen and how far interest rates may drop. “Updated quarterly economic projections laid out after the meeting show that a majority of Federal Open Market Committee...
Despite recent economic positivity, recession risks are still present. Institutions and market analysts see reason to believe that a major market pullback or a recession may be on its way. “Remember that even as soft landing talk has gathered pace, this is not unusual before recessions. Despite all the signs pointing...
The national debt of the United States surpassed $34 trillion at the end of 2023. On top of the expanding national debt, the cost of paying off that debt is also rising. “At some point, [creditors] may look at us and say, ‘Your political system is broken, your debt is out of control, there’s no plausible path to...
Geopolitical conflict, bank failures, and the Federal Reserve’s pivot away from raising interest rates were some of the stories that drove gold prices to all-time highs in 2023. By looking back at the biggest financial news stories in 2023, we may gain insight into the major factors that could affect gold in 2024....
The global economy is showing signs of slowing, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). European nations, as well as China, may be entering recessionary periods. “In summary, the global economy is grappling with inflation, slowing growth, and mounting fiscal pressures” —OECD...
Gold prices surged above their previous record highs of $2,072/oz. on December 1, 2023. Since then, gold prices have remained strong and shown signs indicating a potential to go much higher. “Gold prices are on course to hit fresh highs next year and could remain above $2,000 [per oz.] levels, analysts said, citing...
November was the best-performing month of 2023 for both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. While stocks have performed strongly over the past month, recession concerns have not dissipated from the minds of researchers and analysts. If these concerns come to fruition, stocks may see significant...
According to recent reports from Bank of America, Vanguard, and Fidelity, an increasing number of Americans are taking early, nonrefundable distributions from their retirement accounts—also known as “hardship withdrawals.” “According to the latest data from Fidelity Investments’ Q3 2023 retirement analysis, account...
The United States earned a C+ in a recent global study conducted by the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index. Among retirement weaknesses in the United States, one is that almost 50% of American families have no retirement plan. “Retirement savings coverage and institutional quality retirement vehicles remain...
As of October 31, 2023, gold prices have outperformed stock prices in 2023. According to CNBC, the spot price of gold had grown 9.4% in 2023 while the S&P 500 had only grown 8.5%. “[Thomas DiFazio, director of investment and technical macro strategy at Strategas] said that gold’s strong performance compared to...
Gold prices have rallied as much as 10% throughout October, according to Financial Times, repeatedly reaching over $2000/oz. in late October and early November. JPMorgan’s top strategist recommends that consumers cut equities and instead allocate a portion of their portfolios to gold. “Our [economic] outlook is...
Rising interest rates have damaged housing affordability, and mortgage demand has fallen to the lowest level since 1995. Many homeowners are reluctant to sell their homes in the current environment, further restricting available housing. “Homebuying activity continues to pull back given reduced purchasing power from...
