The U.S. dollar has risen over 7% since the beginning of the year driven by increasing interest rates and a flight to safety for international investors. A stronger dollar can also be a hindrance for certain U.S. companies that have …

Global bond yields rose in April, with both government and corporate bond yields rising across various international regions. Numerous analysts believe that the Fed may be raising rates too fast in response to inflation data that may have caught the …

As U.S. oil producers, workers and drillers benefit from rising oil prices, Russia’s economy is starting to suffer from imposed sanctions. Newly enacted sanctions by both the U.S. and European countries are partially targeting Russia’s oil conglomerates. With Europe as …

Domestic economic growth, as measured by GDP, turned negative for the first time since the second quarter of 2020, when the pandemic was in full swing. Initial reports indicated that a drop in exports was to blame, but many economists …

A prudent and effective tax strategy during your employment years will most likely need to be modified in retirement. Once earned income ceases and income from retirement plans, investments, and Social Security commences, tax liabilities change. The impact of the …

Becoming more of a topic throughout the financial media is stagflation, characterized as an environment with minimal economic growth, inflation, and elevated unemployment. The last time the U.S. experienced stagflation was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with only …

The pandemic derailed many working families, keeping family members home with children as schools and daycares were shuttered. Many mothers stayed home to care for children and other family members, with many even leaving their jobs. As the pandemic has …

Global commodity prices have experienced extreme volatility since the inception of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Of concern is that many of the affected commodities are essential to food production and industrial manufacturing worldwide. As exports of some of these …

Global bond yields rose in March as European and Asian central banks concurrently raised rates to help stifle global inflation. The Fed began to raise rates in March, with its first of perhaps six additional increases this year. Even though …

Food and energy have become the two fastest rising expenses for consumers nationwide, as well as representing a larger proportion of total living costs. Currently, 21.5% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is composed of food and energy expenditures, where …

Global bond yields rose in March as European and Asian central banks concurrently raised rates to help stifle global inflation. The Fed began to raise rates in March, with its first of perhaps six additional increases this year. Even though …

For decades, Russia, also known as the former Soviet Union before 1991, the United States, and China have dominated global energy production. Energy is a vital component to the survival and expansion of any economy worldwide. Over the years, the …

Government data figures come in two categories, lagging and leading indicators. Economists interpret lagging data as something that has already passed, as though it’s in the “rearview mirror”. A leading economic indicator is considered forward-looking, sort of the view through …

As the world’s third-largest exporter of oil and third-largest wheat producer, Russia is a global provider of key commodities. The imposed sanctions on Russia affect these markets since essential payment methods have been restricted, thus not allowing Russia to fulfill …

Even as the United States has curbed its appetite for oil and gasoline over the past few years, demand among emerging economies has increased. Fossil fuels, including natural gas, petroleum, crude oil, and gasoline still account for roughly 80% of …

Global geopolitical events have historically affected oil and gasoline prices worldwide, as production and supply issues evolve. As the largest oil producer in the world, the United States accounts for roughly 20% of total world production. Saudi Arabia accounts for …

The issuance of debt by the U.S. government since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 resulted in another $7 trillion being added to the total debt outstanding. As of the end of February, total debt outstanding amounted to …

Geopolitical rifts emulating from the Russian invasion of Ukraine roiled financial and commodity markets globally as uncertainty arose surrounding the extent of the conflict. Ramifications from the conflict could take months or longer to unfold, as imposed sanctions on Russia …

Consumers are saving the lowest amount in four years as stimulus assistance funds and generous unemployment benefits have gradually evaporated, encouraging consumers to tap their savings at an accelerating pace. The drop in savings has also been prolific for those …

After rising consecutively every quarter since the middle of 2020, housing prices have started to pull back. Limited inventory, migration to rural areas, extended low mortgage rates, and material supply issues have all contributed to elevated home prices over the …