Finance Explained by Family Finance Mom

This week is all about energy prices, featuring a deep dive with Patrick DeHaan, Head of Petroleum Analysis for Gas Buddy. Energy prices have been one of the significant drivers behind inflationary pressures we’ve seen over the last year… and in recent months, now that energy prices have started to abate, inflation is as well. But energy prices still remain high by historical measures. Back in Feb...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the last 2 weeks of October saw a bear market rally - what does that mean, what’s behind it, and does that mean the market has seen its bottom? Next, last week we got the first estimate for Q3 GDP, and it was a pleasant positive surprise… does that mean the economy isn’t as bad as many believe? Then, we are also in the height of Q...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the stock market ended the week up +1.5%, but is still in bear market territory - what were the major market movers last week? Next, energy prices are on the rise again due to OPEC. What is OPEC and why do they have such sway over the energy market? Finally, we got multiple data points on the labor market last week. What does it s...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, all major US stock market indices ended last week in bear market territory... what does that mean and what does it mean for your investment portfolio? Next, the British Pound tumbled last week to lows not seen since the 1980s. What happened and what does it mean for the US? Finally, we got the latest data point on the Fed’s prefer...

This week, instead of the usual 3 headlines of the week, I'm tackling the question I get more often these days: are we in a recession? I'll take a look at 7 indicators and what they indicate about the state of the current economy, including: GDP Consumer spending Consumer sentiment Stock market Yield curve Unemployment And the official recession announcer - NBER … I'll explain what each of these i...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the stock market had its 6th consecutive down week in a row... what’s causing the downward trend and when will the market free fall end? Next, the Fed is fully committed to reigning in inflation - and at their May meeting, they raised the target rate by 50bps. What else is included with tightening monetary policy and what does it...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the stock market had its 4th consecutive down week in a row... and is now officially in correction territory, with the NASDAQ in a bear market. What's driving the market down? Next, Q1 real GDP was down, and surprised everyone. Does it mean we are already in a recession? Finally, Q1 earnings season continues, with 80% of companies...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the stock market had it's 3rd down week in a row... and is now officially in correction territory. What's driving the market down? Next, we got all the housing market data for March - what does it tell us about where home prices are headed this Spring? Finally, Q1 earnings season has 3 out of 4 companies beating earnings... so why...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the stock market finished mostly flat last week, with March ending the month up, but down for the first quarter - the first down quarter in 2 years Next, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the PCE Price Index showed inflation is still rising… what’s rising most? Finally, the March employment situation revealed a return to h...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you.. First up, the stock market rallied for its second up week in a row... where does it stand now for March and 2022YTD? Next, what sectors and asset classes are winning and losing in the current market? Finally, interest rates continue to rise, and fast. What does it mean for mortgage rates? And how are rates warning us of what’s to come? … af...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you... First up, the market may have just found its bottom for now, finishing up for the second week in a row… but it wasn’t without some ups and downs along the way. What’s driving it? Next, last week’s economic data was all about the labor market. Is there still a labor shortage? And if so, what’s causing it? Finally, Q4 earnings season is well...

This week, it was actually hard to narrow it down to just 3 major financial headlines given all the data released last week, but here’s what I picked for you First up, the market had its first positive week of the year… but it was a wild ride to get there. What’s driving the market volatility? Next, Q4 earnings season is underway. Most companies are beating earnings expectations - so why is the ma...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you First up, the market’s rough start to 2022 got even worse last week, with the S&P 500 down -5.7% for the week ending January 21st, and now down -7.7% year to date. What’s driving it? Next, several December housing data points were released, indicating more new construction, but prices still rising. How do these data points compare to what...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you First up, the market has had a rough start in 2022, down -0.3% for the week ending January 14th, and down 2.2% year to date. Next, December CPI indicates inflation is still rising - up 7.0% over the last year. What are the drivers and are there any signs it will slow soon? Finally, what’s the latest data on the Omicron surge. Cases have skyro...

This week, instead of the usual top 3 headlines of the week, I’m going to share 5 key factors I’ll be watching that are likely to drive the economy and financial markets in 2022… including interest rates and inflation, the labor market and how that impacts incomes and consumer spending, and finally, the wild card no one can truly predict - the virus. … after that, we will take a deep dive into UTM...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you  First up, the stock market went on a bit of a seesaw ride last week, ultimately ending the week up just +0.3%, and is essentially flat over the last 2 weeks. What’s moving, or better said, pausing the market?  Next, the pandemic is back on center stage again. What’s behind it and what are the facts on the numbers here in the US?&nb...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you First up, The stock market had its first down week in over a month, as inflation concerns became front and center again Next, inflation concerns were front and center again because October CPI numbers were reported indicating the highest inflation increase in over 30 year Finally, We also got an update on the demand side of labor – job openin...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… First up, the stock market hit new highs again as Q3 earnings season continues with solid earnings reports and interest rates took a bit of a breather Next, October employment numbers finally delivered. Where did we see improvement, and where is there still work to do Finally, Congress finally got a bill passed - the $1 trillion infrastructu...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… Last week, the stock market hit new record highs again, finishing the month of October up +6.9%, it’s best monthly performance of the year. What’s behind the stock market’s soaring? Next, last week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its first estimate for Q3 GDP… and it missed big - up just +2.0% for the quarter. Why were economists e...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… Last week the stock market got off to a rough start, but finished the week strong, including its best daily performance since March 2021 on Thursday, to finish the week up +1.8%. The market is now up +3.8% for the month of October, and +19% for 2021 year to date… what’s behind the week’s performance? Next, August JOLTS report released last w...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… Last week, the stock market ended the month of September with the worst monthly performance since March 2020. Will it recover in October? Next, Personal Income and Expenditure data for August was released - what does it tell us about the strength of the US consumer and inflation? Third, the biggest overhang on the market last week - the debt...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… Last week, the stock market eked out a small gain, despite a rough start Monday and shaky finish Friday… what’s behind the market volatility? Next, Congress repeated their temporary budget solution with the debt ceiling - now we have a temporary reprieve on both until December 3rd… then what? Third, the biggest bust last week was the Septemb...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… Last week, the stock market barely eked out a gain, pressured early in the week by concerns over Evergrande’s default, and buoyed later in the week by the Fed’s economic outlook Next, housing market data for August was released - are there signs the market could be softening? Third, the big economic news of the week was the Fed’s statement f...

This week, I’ve got 3 major financial headlines for you… First, August 2021 Consumer Price Index released last week showed inflation still at levels far beyond Fed's long-term target Next, House Democrats put forward are pushing forward with their proposed tax increases to fund their massive spending bill... and the market didn't like it too much And third, another factor weighing on the market, t...

This week, as we kick off Season 2, let's play some catch-up on what you may have missed this summer... What is the state of the economic recovery and where are we now? I'll take you through 5 major indicators and what they tell us about the state of the recovery, and what to look for as we head towards 2022. GDP Inflation The Labor Market Personal Income and Outlays (aka Consumer Expenditures) St...