In this week’s Steady Investor, we explore current market news that we believe investors should keep on their radar, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Update on the Fed and rate cuts
\u2022 Takeaways from the Q4 2023 earnings season
\u2022 Congress passes bill to avert government shutdown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell Testifies on Inflation and Policy<\/strong> \u2013 On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appeared before the House Financial Services Committee to give testimony on inflation and monetary policy. Powell mostly stuck to the script, highlighting progress made on inflation thus far, but also striking a cautious tone about moving too quickly on rate cuts. In short, no surprises. Market expectations for rate cuts commencing in June did not change, and neither did Fed projections for three rate cuts in 2024. One positive takeaway was a reminder that the Fed is not necessarily waiting for inflation to fall back down to 2% exactly. In Powell\u2019s words: \u201cWe\u2019re not looking for better inflation readings than we\u2019ve had. We\u2019re just looking for more of them.<\/em>\u201d Statements like this one make the next few months of inflation data critical, and we will want to see a sustained improvement trend \u2013 even if just slightly. We know that shelter costs are likely to improve as the year goes on, which \u201cbakes in<\/em>\u201d improvement in the data in a meaningful way. The central bank has been taking comfort in the strong economy, which has given them a bit of runway in deciding when to make cuts. But they are also cognizant of the risks, as evidenced by this comment made by Chairman Powell: \u201cReducing policy restraint too late or too little could unduly weaken economic activity and employment.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Improve Your Long-Term Investment Goals with This Simple Step!<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While it’s challenging to accurately anticipate market fluctuations, you can strategically position your investments to navigate potential changes ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing your net worth is a great place to start as it is critical to your financial well-being and can help you prepare for what\u2019s ahead. So today, we\u2019re offering our free guide Measuring Your Net Worth2<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em>, which helps answer important financial questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 How do I correctly calculate my net worth? If you have $500,000 or more to invest and want to understand how to measure your net worth, click on the link below to get your copy today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 How does my net worth compare to other households?
\u2022 What strategies can help me grow my net worth over time?
\u2022 What are the risks and factors that can help me grow my net worth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n