2022 Crystal Ball?

Welcome to 2022!

May it bring us peace, prosperity, and moving beyond COVID.

And some greater certainty about what lies ahead.

(However, this email includes precious little certainty.)

You're probably seeing an endless parade of emails, listicles, and thought pieces loaded with predictions for 2022.

Will these predictions be right?

In some ways.

Will they be wrong?

Could be.?We'll try anyways.

The economy looks poised for more growth...?BUT...

Despite plenty of hurdles, the U.S. economy looks to have entered 2022 in shape for more growth.

Current estimates suggest the economy will continue to grow this year, faster than typical historical trends.

There is a speed bump though.?It is in the form of a slowing economic growth.?How can we be poised for more growth this year, and at the same time have slowing growth??Easy!?It's called the Rate of Change.

Right now, the Rate of Change is telling us that the first half of the year won't be as good as the second half of the year.?So while we expect growth in the economy, it won't happen all at once.??

And to make things more confusing, all this growth depends on a lot of assumptions about variants, spending, hiring, inflation, and more. We'll see just how rosy those assumptions are as the year progresses.

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For more on the outlook for 2022, we are hosting our annual

Market Outlook

Thursday, January 27th

12:00pm and 4:00pm

Click here to register and attend.

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There's hope for COVID-19 in 2022.

As omicron numbers skyrocket, it's clear the pandemic is still with us in this third year.

But, I'm hopeful that increasing vaccination rates, medical advances like Pfizer's at-home anti-viral pill, and decreasing virulence could help reduce the impact of COVID on our lives.1

I also want to acknowledge that our outlook as Americans is not reflected in every country around the world. Getting to the other side of this pandemic will require the whole world's efforts.

I deeply hope this is our year.

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Politics will dominate headlines.

Mid-term elections mean politics will play a big role (in the media at least).

Election years always mean uncertainty, and that often rattles markets. However, historical analysis shows that markets typically bounce back after election uncertainty is over.3

While the past doesn't predict the future, it's a good reminder of why we don't let elections drive strategy. They're just one more factor in a very complex system.

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Folks are ready for some kind of normal.

I think it's safe to say that we're all tired of the pandemic and longing for normalcy.

What does normal look like in 2022?

Will it look like what we had before the pandemic? Will it be completely different?

What do you think?

Do you have any predictions for 2022 to share?

Be well,

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Nathan Krampe, CFP?, CPWA?

Founder, Wealth Advisor