Meghan L. Donelon
New Orleans Market President
Red River Bank
The past few months of interest rate hikes, coupled with a possible recession, are good reminders to maintain a strong relationship with your local banker. Open and honest conversations about finances can be uncomfortable, but having those discussions now will provide you with the confidence and tools to continue to operate your business and manage your personal finances long after we weather this storm. It’s also important to stay financially disciplined during the holiday season. Many retailers are over-inventoried and will entice consumers with holiday sales; however, the prices of gas, food, and housing should remain high for the foreseeable future. Keep the lines of communication open with your local bank and stay disciplined with spending.
Chris Ferris
President & CEO
Fidelity Bank and NOLA Lending
My best consumer financial tip for the end of the year is to not put yourself in debt with holiday spending. It’s easy to get caught in a gift-buying frenzy, but if you have to go in debt to do it, it’s a mistake and a pitfall to avoid.
One popular payment feature right now is buy now, pay later. Unlike the old layaway plans, this purchase option allows you to leave with your purchase immediately and not have a payment due or have a reduced payment for a specified period of time.
While this can be a great interest saving benefit for tho-e who can pay off the item during the grace period, most people do not make substantial payments during the grace period. This can result in interest due and often a hefty monthly payment, which can cause more hardship for the consumer.
Make it a priority to get financially fit in 2023. Start with an emergency fund. If you haven’t already, save up to $1,500 in an account that you can access for unforeseen events like car repairs.Review your subscriptions. Americans spend upwards of $100 per month in subscriptions, many of which they don’t use.Learn what your credit score is and how to improve it. At OnPath, we have an app called Savvy Money that gives members access to credit education and tips. The more you know, the better your financial decisions will be.
Jared Freeman, President and CEO of OnPath Federal Credit Union
Jarrett Cohen
Principal and Chief Investment Officer
JECohen
Investing
Financial markets, especially the U.S. stock markets, are incredibly volatile and uncertain, but they always are. Shelby Davis, an investing legend, famously said, “You make most of your money during a bear market. You just don’t realize it at the time.” Now is that time. We’re advising our clients to stay the course, and more importantly, encouraging them to dig up the backyard to invest more. As such, our proprietary strategies are fully invested as we’re finding very compelling opportunities today.
Financial Planning
Ignore tax loss harvesting hoopla and other bogus financial-planning ideas that financial advisors bestow to appear intelligent. Most times, doing nothing is in fact the best decision to make. However, one should reassess as regularly as one’s gut will allow.
Inflation
Eggs are $4 a dozen today; I doubt they’re going down to $1. Inflation is a compounding mechanism. Thus, the Fed’s sentiments about getting back to 2% inflation are misleading because the 2% will compound on the recent 8% figures. Investing in high-quality stocks is by far the best way to maintain your purchasing power over time. Investors should think about this going into year-end as their cash compounds increasingly negative real rates of return.
Global Economy
Financial markets and economies are often negatively correlated. The U.S. economy is performing very strong on many accounts today, yet we find U.S. stocks in a bear market. The U.S. economy was propped up by the Fed the past 15 years, but the U.S. stock market continually set new highs. I’d wager that the U.S. stock market will surprise many people in the near term but with heightened volatility — not risk of permanent loss of capital.