Market News

So, what are we to make of one the most serious and significant events of our lifetime – touching all of our lives – local, state, country, and around the world?  In a few months, we have come from relative well-being to an unseen enemy (virus) creating havoc in all aspects of life as we have known it – health, sickness, death, family, and disruption of business, economy, government, etc. all with life-changing repercussions from top to bottom and with multiple ‘domino effects’.  Think back over 2019 and what life was like then compared to the first half of 2020 – CHANGE is the operative word such that in so many ways it seems like two different worlds!

It becomes difficult to comprehend an insidious and invisible enemy that “runs” so silent and so deep (think submarine) causing fear, doubt, anxiety, sickness, and death; driving people to their knees in more ways and for more reasons than can be counted here.  Pain and suffering appear at nearly every turn and it becomes the news.  It serves no useful purpose here to recount the details of the pain and suffering or all of the reasons COVID-19 came about and the reaction, or lack thereof, to meet the crisis by health and governmental authorities at every level.  There will be plenty of time later for investigation, review and reflection of how all related matters might have been done differently - we must learn from these times.  Gratitude abounds for the millions who have been on the front lines, all hours of the day and night, dealing with the multiple issues confronting all aspects of our society.

Massive and staggering affects have brought our personal lives and economic conditions beyond what we could have imagined a year ago.  Let’s review some TERMS:

• Shelter in Place
• Stay at Home
• Work from Home
• No Public Gatherings
• Essential Services
• Non-Essential Services
• Voluntary Business Closing
• Involuntary Business Closings & Failures
• Social Distancing
• Wear Masks
• Wash Hands
• Use Wipes
• Use Hand Sanitizer
• Loss of Income
• Loss of Tax Revenues
• Record Unemployment
• Government Loss of Services

All of the above, and more, have resulted in a financial quagmire besetting all levels of our society.  People refer to the hope that we can get back to “NORMAL” – remember that operative word “CHANGE” – we are heading forward to a “NEW NORMAL” – still to be defined.  Government and businesses are providing significant financial and monetary relief to buttress this transition.  Like it or not, experts suggest many trillions of dollars are at play and will require at least 3-5 years for the “NEW NORMAL” to settle in.

So how shall we focus ourselves in this process?  Consider more TERMS:  Faith, Health, Patience, Tolerance, Civility, Appreciation, Consideration, Respect, Gratitude, Helpful, Willingness, Hopeful, Available, etc.!

Yes, we are in this together – one for all and all for one.  The above TERMS and others you can add will, with thought and action, lighten the load of the journey.  Let us put our best selves forward and the best will come!  Consult professionals:  lawyers, accountants, commercial real estate brokers, counselors, etc. as we stay PROACTIVE!