Upcoming Events
The countdown to the Youth Financial Summit has begun. We are less than 20 days away!
The Youth Financial Summit is the first-ever all inclusive event for young finance enthusiasts and will be hosted online through Zoom on Saturday, February 26th. The summit allows participants to learn about hot financial topics, win cash prizes, compete against students from all over the nation, and network with like-minded individuals.
The summit includes over $2000 in prizes, a guest appearance by billionaire and legendary investor Howard Marks, and a presentation by distinguished UCLA finance professor, Avanidhar Subrahmanyam.
The summit will include a portfolio construction competition where competitors will have to create a portfolio that balances risk and reward that will then be graded through a variety of metrics and a portfolio back-tester. A combined $750 will be given in prizes.
The summit will also include a Quiz Bowl where participants can answer rapid-fire questions individually or in a team of up to 4 on a wide variety of finance questions. A combined $1000 will be given in prizes.
Note: Registration and participation is completely free. Attendees are not required to take part in every competition or speaker event.
Click below to learn more about the event and access the official event website.
FinaticTrends - Financial Trends
U.S Considering Sanctions on Russia
Recently, the U.S. Ambassador told NATO Julianne Smith, that the U.S and its allies are continuing to send messages to Russia about their response to a potential escalation in the situation between Russia and Ukraine. They have informed Russia that they are willing to impose massive economic sanctions and consequences. The increase in Russia’s military presence at the border has developed fear in the citizens of Moscow and Kyviv. The negotiations between the U.S. and Russia have not resulted in anything major and the possibility of the U.S. punishing economic sanctions, seems to have no effect on Russia for escalating the situation.
Smith has also stated that the decision to send 3,000 U.S. troops in the proximity of Ukraine was made for measuring the U.S.’s allies in the region, to show that the U.S. was there for support. When she was asked if this decision by the U.S. could be considered as a proactive decision, Smith said that the U.S. troops are not going to be stationed in Ukraine and wouldn't be moved permanently to central and eastern Europe.
Biden’s Economic Rebound
Early on, the Biden administration has had to face a lot of bad news consisting of increasing covid cases, inflation, and failed legislation. There was even a time in January when the Omicron variant peaked and it seemed like there was going to be a major labor-market shortage but employers hired a robust 467,000 jobs in January, ending all projections of a labor shortage. The payment in wages increased and more people started to look for jobs, resulting in stronger job growth and exceeding total employment levels in the pandemic. President Biden has also bragged about, “the greatest year of job creation under any president in history”, and for a change there are economists that are praising him.
President Biden needed a break from all of the early struggles that he faced in his early stages of presidency as they dragged his approval rating to the low 40s, the worst of his presidency. The narrative on the economy is continuing to look promising and Omicron is also starting to fade, bringing U.S. citizens a much needed relief from the pandemic. Americans are eager to start traveling once again which would ease the intense demand for the goods that are driving the inflation.
Financial Guidance
"Every once in a while, the market does something so stupid it takes your breath away." - Jim Cramer
There are no sure bets in the world of investing; there is a risk in everything. Be prepared for the ups and downs.
Money Fact
The first coins were minted around 2,500 years ago.