If you have a balance on a credit card or an adjustable rate mortgage, you might be noticing changes in your payments. Higher interest rates are starting to ripple through the personal finance landscape, and it doesn’t look like that trend will change anytime soon.
Until a few weeks ago stock and bond markets (and also cryptocurrencies and gold) were trading at or near all-time highs. Now, having come off their highs these markets are all in significant turmoil. Both states drive many investors to seek alternatives. As such, collectibles markets have seen a surge of interest and prices in many of them are at record levels. Collectibles are an ill-defined category that includes artworks, antiques, automobiles, coins, stamps, and sports memorabilia, among other things.
The U.S. Federal Government has been borrowing for decades to fund all manner of serious government programs and politicians’ pet projects, with a major acceleration over the past decade. U.S. Government debt now exceeds $30 trillion.
Did you know that April is Financial Literacy Month? Financial Literacy Month is a national campaign designed to bring more financial education to children and adults. Whether you're a financial wiz or just learning the ropes, so many ways exist to improve your financial literacy.
There is plenty to worry about these days. Top of mind is the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the energy and economic disruptions likely to follow. Closer to home, high inflation persists, and the Fed is preparing to tighten monetary policy.
Changes in market prices (of stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, or anything else) are a combination of “signals” and “noise”. Noise is background chatter, reflecting random changes due to market mechanics (portfolio rebalancings, liquidations, asset allocation decisions, and the like) and technical factors (such as bid-ask spread and settlement procedures).