Hi Friends,
With global financial problems seeming to quiet down in the news cycle, there is a focus again on the inflation rates. The Fed generally targets, and is comfortable with, an inflation rate of around 2% per year.
During the global pandemic, the inflation rate stayed mostly constant with a 1.4% inflation rate posted for the calendar year of 2020. However, fears are that the 2021 inflation rate is going up too fast. Factors such as the government printing money, continued inefficiencies in manufacturing/supply chains/food production, a strong housing market, and increasing food costs are getting some people concerned.
The Fed has also started discussing interest rate increases for the federal funds rate, which is inevitable since we have been at a rate of 0% for quite a while. In general, high dividend stocks and bonds will struggle in high inflation, and a rising federal funds rate will be particularly bad for bond holders.
All this adds up to more volatile markets, but markets that can still go up. I am looking to add a volatility play to my portfolio and am thinking VXX (S&P VIX Short Term Futures ETN) might be the right move.
Hi Friends,
With global financial problems seeming to quiet down in the news cycle, there is a focus again on the inflation rates. The Fed generally targets, and is comfortable with, an inflation rate of around 2% per year.
During the global pandemic, the inflation rate stayed mostly constant with a 1.4% inflation rate posted for the calendar year of 2020. However, fears are that the 2021 inflation rate is going up too fast. Factors such as the government printing money, continued inefficiencies in manufacturing/supply chains/food production, a strong housing market, and increasing food costs are getting some people concerned.
The Fed has also started discussing interest rate increases for the federal funds rate, which is inevitable since we have been at a rate of 0% for quite a while. In general, high dividend stocks and bonds will struggle in high inflation, and a rising federal funds rate will be particularly bad for bond holders.
All this adds up to more volatile markets, but markets that can still go up. I am looking to add a volatility play to my portfolio and am thinking VXX (S&P VIX Short Term Futures ETN) might be the right move.
Thanks for coming by,
Brian