Bond Market

Double, double whammy. After two years of endless concern from a once-a-lifetime pandemic (let’s hope), and the clouds just starting to part, barely, we get hit with an unruly market bent on testing our already fragile mindsets; Double Whammy #1.
If this isn’t enough, let’s toss in inflation exhibiting the endurance of a marathon runner, coupled with rising interest rates increasing borrowing costs to businesses and consumers with higher rates on mortgages, car loans, credit cards, home equity and improvement loans, and personal loans of all types. When you can’t buy a new home, or a car, because of limited supply, now you can’t afford them from a budget perspective. Double Whammy #2.

On our minds for early 2022 are several things – the pandemic, interest rates, and inflation. These will all be critical, near-term influences on the markets. We will address each in this Outlook.