Track the Economy

The Trump administration has made good on the President’s campaign promises to wield the threat of tariffs on allies and adversaries alike as leverage to advance both economic and national security agendas. The administration has said it is prepared to levy hefty taxes on goods coming into the country from its largest and most crucial […]

On Wednesday, April 2, President Trump unveiled his plan to impose baseline, and in some cases, reciprocal tariffs on all imported goods to the United States. The tariff rates were more aggressive than most investors expected, causing an abrupt response from the markets. Most risk assets—those that have a high potential for price volatility—sold off

Investors entered 2024 anxious. Pundits wondered whether the economy would stall or continue to grow while having to endure higher interest rates. It did not stall, and for now it looks like Chairman Powell orchestrated an elusive soft-to-no landing. As a result, the S&P 500 posted its second consecutive year of greater than 20% returns,

Investor sentiment has shifted sharply over the first quarter of 2025, driving the U.S. stock markets, as measured by the S&P 500 Index, lower by approximately 10%. The potential catalysts include artificial intelligence disruptions, markets navigating the Trump administration’s policies, particularly tariff policies, and revised GDP estimates. Their common thread is rising uncertainty. After entering

After taking a closer look at interest rates in part 1 and inflation in part 2 we come to the heart of the matter: When interest rates, inflation, or both are on the rise, what’s an investor to do?   Big picture, we are continuing to deploy the same core principles we use to help people invest across time and through

Has rising inflation got you down? In our last piece, “Understanding Interest Rates,” we explored how rising and falling interest rates can impact a healthy economy. Today, let’s add inflation to the conversation.     How Do We Measure Inflation?   Inflation is the rate at which money loses its purchasing power over time. As you might guess, there

At its March 15–16 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its federal target funds rate by a quarter point. It was the first increase since December 2018, but it wasn’t a huge surprise. Fed Chair Jerome Powell had already said we should expect as much, with the potential for additional hikes

2022 Investment Lessons 2022 was a rocky year for markets. Buckingham’s Head of Financial and Economic Research Larry Swedroe shares 10 investment lessons that show sticking to a well-thought-out plan remains the best strategy. READ MORE Economic Views: Inflation May Have Peaked as New Year Begins As the new year begins, markets have grown somewhat more

There’s been a lot of talk about recessions lately: Whether one is near, far, or perhaps already here. Whether we can or should try to avoid it. What it even means to be in a recession, and how it’s related to current market turmoil. To put market and recessionary concerns in perspective, it might help

Main Takeaway: While inflation has moderated since June, it remains stubbornly high, and the Federal Reserve took further action by raising its benchmark rate again in September. Shocks happening abroad are the main contributor, and speculation about the world entering recession early next year has risen. Top Risks: The war in Ukraine has led to