A blog for everyday financial tips, Trajan news updates, and more
As we look ahead in 2024, it’s crucial for potential homebuyers to anticipate the direction of mortgage interest rates. While you can’t control interest rates, you can certainly prepare for them. Take a closer look at the factors that could influence mortgage rates during the summer and beyond.
The Fed is aiming for a soft landing by reducing inflation without causing a recession. However, bringing inflation back to the 2% target is challenging. The unemployment rate has dipped and the Consumer Price Index, another measure of inflation, has increased.
As an investor, it is essential to filter out noise and focus on relevant information. Keep a long-term perspective, research, stick to your investment strategy, and avoid making decisions based on the news.
Recessions are complex phenomena with economic, social, and political facets. To understand their impacts, we must look beyond GDP and consider direct and indirect consequences. A holistic understanding can help build resilient economies and societies.
Government credit ratings are like personal credit scores and they can turn sour. Here’s how the recent downgrade could it impact citizens in the US.
When inflation increases, people often feel the sting of paying more for groceries, gas, and almost everything else. Many may feel inflation is terrible because their paychecks are shrinking, and they don’t like paying more for the same items. But inflation also has positive benefits. Yes, really. There is an upside to inflation.
Currently, the Federal Reserve Bank is selling assets from its balance sheet, decreasing the money supply and shrinking the monetary base, adding more concern to the banking industry and the market. With tightening money supply and higher interest rates, it is unrealistic to expect equity market returns higher than the growth in corporate profits. Investors today cannot rely on that past growth moving forward.
Recently, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failed. Bank customers and investors have some protection through FDIC insurance or SIPC, but understanding what each cover can help you plan for failure risk.
Recently, Congress has implemented the SECURE Act 2.0, a momentous reform of the retirement savings plan. This new law represents one of the most comprehensive changes to retirement plans since the advent of automatic enrollment and the addition of Target Date funds back in 2006. With the intention of helping Americans to more adequately prepare for their future financial security, this Act offers considerable changes that should make retirement savings more achievable.
Artificial intelligence promises to be the most disruptive technological innovation since the Internet. We discuss opportunities and risks across a variety of industries, including online search, semiconductors, cloud computing, software, design and creativity, customer service, and logistics. We also offer some thoughts on what AI could mean for the labor market.
