What is Stagflation? Stagflation is the name economists give to a specific kind of economic crisis. It combines three things that normally do not happen together: high inflation, high unemployment, and stagnant or shrinking economic growth. Most recessions look different. In a normal recession, demand falls and people lose jobs. Prices either fall or rise […]
In 2024, the United States imported $439 billion in goods from China. In 2025, that figure dropped to $308 billion. That is a 30 percent fall in a single year. Early 2026 data shows imports running at about $20 billion per month, which puts the full year on track for around $240 billion. Compared to
You wake up on a Monday morning, log into your bank account, and the balance on the screen is identical to Friday’s. Yet when you go to buy euros for an upcoming trip, you get 10% fewer than you did three months ago. Nothing was stolen. No fees were charged. Your currency simply lost value
A drone strikes a refinery 8,000 kilometers away. Within hours, the price of gasoline at your local station goes up. The grocery bill that used to come in around $150 now lands at $180. A war you have never seen, in countries you may never visit, is quietly reaching into your pockets every single week.
Every time you pay for imported goods, every time an oil contract is settled, every time a central bank anywhere in the world stores wealth for a rainy day, there is a very high probability the US dollar is involved. The dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency is one of the most consequential facts
A war breaks out in the Middle East. Oil prices spike 15% overnight which causes stock markets across three continents drop before breakfast. Your portfolio loses value and you never saw it coming. This is geopolitical risk in action and it is one of the most powerful and least understood forces shaping your financial life.
