Patience is a virtue. It is natural to want to see instant progress while watching nature do its thing. We have all been guilty of squatting down to examine the soil, waiting for the first seedling to sprout. Now imagine someone who checked their garden every ten minutes for progress. It would look ridiculous.

The rogue thunderstorm blowing into this situation is the standoff between Russia and the West by way of Ukraine. I don’t pretend to be an expert in geopolitical matters, so I won’t attempt to forecast the outcome. However, plenty of investors are taking measures to protect their portfolios from any escalation on that front, which shows in the daily price moves. This isn’t the first flare-up of hostilities, and it certainly won’t be the last. Before hitting that sell button, think about all the prior occurrences and the related outcomes.

For the average American, the Federal Reserve raising interest rates has ramifications beyond the immediately visible. With the current expectations being that the Fed will likely raise its key interest rate possibly up to four times in 2022, this piece will examine the impact of higher rates.

Get in shape. Save money. Get organized. Sound familiar? ‘Tis the season for examining your life and identifying ways to improve. As we are all aware, the problem is following through on our promises. This being a financial post, we will view each of those goals through the lens of your finances and propose methods to help you stick with them.