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What Do Rising Interest Rates Mean for Your Money?

On March 16, 2022, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve raised the benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25% to a target range of 0.25% to 0.50%. This is the beginning of a series of increases that the FOMC expects to carry out over the next two years to combat high inflation.1

Along with announcing the current increase, the FOMC released economic projections that suggest the equivalent of six additional 0.25% increases in 2022, followed by three or four more increases in 2023.2 Keep in mind that these are only projections, based on current conditions, and may not come to pass. However, they provide a helpful picture of the potential direction of U.S. interest rates.

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Two Decades of Inflation

After being largely dormant for the last decade, inflation roared back in 2021 due to various factors related to the pandemic and economic recovery. For perspective, it may be helpful to look at inflation over a longer period of time. During the 20-year period ending September 2021, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), often called headline inflation, rose a total of 53.8%. While the prices of some items tracked the broad index, others increased or decreased at much different rates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021 (data through September 2021)

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IPI Market Update for the week of March 11th, 2022

Last week was pretty schizophrenic, where a highly volatile equity market churned alongside a surge higher in interest rates, a strong USD, and
weaker commodity markets (with the exception of spot nickel +44%). For the week, U.S. equity markets were down nearly 3% while developed
international markets, particularly Europe (+4.5%), held up better. U.S. Treasuries took a notable step down as interest rates moved sharply
higher across the curve while broad based weakness across the commodity spectrum was paired with a strong USD.  Click the link below to read more.

TKA 3.14.22

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Weekly Update for the week of of April 23, 2021

IPIWeekly

FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 23, 2021, click the link above.
Key market drivers last week included a good slate of corporate earnings, encouraging global PMI data, and more details about the Biden plans for increasing taxes and spending. Equity markets finished with minor gains primarily concentrated in REITs, healthcare, and cyclicals and yet another new record high for the S&P500.  (click link to read more…