Archives April 2025

I once had a client who made many trips to the post office when she was going through a divorce. She wasn’t mailing legal documents to her attorney. Rather, she was seeking comfort from the pain of the breakup through online spending sprees, and ultimately returning many of the purchases she bought that overspent her budget.

As financial planners, we frequently detect emotional influences behind our clients’ decisions—when they turn to money to react to feelings of stress, sadness, or even joy. Thankfully, there are ways we can put them back on the right financial track.

What I’m Telling My Clients

Here are the key steps I use with clients to navigate these delicate conversations:

1. Start With Goal Setting

 Work with clients to help them establish financial goals. By mapping out these, clients can better resist impulse purchases, knowing they have financial markers to reach. For instance, understanding the number you need to save for retirement or your child’s college education can help dissuade against purchases that detract from that.

2. Use Spending Management Tools

Budgeting tools are a great way to keep clients on track. By knowing how much they have allotted towards “for fun” purchases, they will better understand when it’s time to splurge and when to hold off.

3. Practice The 24-Hour Rule

I suggest the 24-hour rule, whereby clients should wait 24 hours before making non-essential purchases. This allows clients to consider whether the purchase supports their financial goals. One of my clients was able to eliminate a $900 monthly budget deficit using this practice!

The Bottom Line

Not only do we help our clients make more rational decisions by acknowledging the psychological aspects of spending, but we also promote their overall well-being.

By mapping out their goals, offering budgeting and time management tactics, and knowing when to offer professional support, we can help clients combat their emotional spending. This ultimately paves the way towards greater financial security and independence they can carry throughout their lives.

Moving to a new home is expensive. The costs don’t end once the moving truck pulls out of the driveway.

A new Realtor.com survey found that movers spend almost $20,000 setting up their new homes, often feeling motivated to update their lifestyles with new items and services.

Movers bought new furnishings, with 40% of Realtor.com users also getting new appliances. A third of movers also updated their home and auto insurance and made other changes to their spending habits. Movers, including renters, are three times more likely to buy or lease a car than people who stay put, according to the survey, with many getting larger vehicles than they had before.

A report released in January by moving company HireAHelper found that almost 26 million Americans moved in 2024, or about 8% of the population.

“It’s a moment of possibility—one where people are open to trying new things and spending both time and money to settle into their new homes,” said Laura Eddy, vice president of research and Insights at Realtor.com.

Moving alters how people shop, according to Realtor.com. Online grocery usage jumped from 37% to 67% for movers in their new homes. Similarly, 65% of users reported utilizing online pharmacy services, reflecting a more than 40% increase after moving.

More than 30% of movers also switched companies for their home or auto insurance, and a similar amount added a new type of coverage, such as flood or fire insurance.

Apple (AAPL) lost its title as the world’s most valuable public company on Tuesday after the stock slid the day before steep tariffs on Chinese imports were scheduled to take effect.

Apple shares fell 5% on Tuesday, pushing the iPhone maker’s market capitalization to less than $2.6 trillion, compared with software maker Microsoft’s (MSFT) $2.65 trillion.

Apple shares have lost over a fifth of their value in the four sessions since President Trump announced he would increase the tariff rate on Chinese goods by 34% starting April 9. After China responded last week with its own 34% tariff on U.S. goods, Trump said he would raise tariffs on Chinese goods an additional 50%.

Apple, which assembles an estimated 90% of its products in China, won exemptions during the first Trump administration’s U.S.-China trade war. It’s had no such luck this time around.

Worries about the company’s reliance on China have made its stock the worst-performing of the Magnificent Seven in the last week. Tesla (TSLA), the group’s second-worst performer, has declined about 21.5% since Trump’s tariff announcement. Amazon (AMZN), Nvidia (NVDA), and Meta Platforms (META) have all declined between 12% and 13% over the same period, while Alphabet (GOOG) and Microsoft have fallen 7.7% and 7.2%, respectively.

Apple’s slump has wiped nearly $775 billion off the company’s market value. That’s more than Tesla’s market cap and greater than those of all but seven U.S. companies (including Apple itself).

As Americans with 401(k) retirement plans lose thousands of dollars due to a downturn in major stock indexes, financial planners say 401(k) savers should focus on diversification in their portfolio.

Last week, President Donald Trump imposed “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from many foreign countries, ranging from 10% to as high as 50%. The stock market has been volatile as traders reckon with what tariffs will do to the economy. The major indexes, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, recently fell to their lowest level since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. And in turn, 401(k)s have been impacted by the stock market’s recent fall.

Some Americans on social media have said their retirement accounts have lost tens of thousands of dollars since tariffs were announced. It’s left many asking if they should rebalance their 401(k)s.

Market Volatility Serves As a Reminder Of How Important Diversification Is

The answer—as is often the case when it comes to retirement funds—depends on your situation.

The majority of savers who are further from retirement should be able to recover the money they lost once the market returns to normal. However, more than 4.1 million Americans who will turn 65, the conventional retirement age, this year may experience some interruptions when they try to enter retirement.

“You have time to recover from these downturns and generally, whether it’s quickly or it takes some time, the markets tend to move upward,” said Rob Williams, director of financial planning and wealth management at Charles Schwab. “If you’re a disciplined investor, or diversified in your portfolio, as most people would be, and you’re not retiring in the next two to four years, [you] should not panic.”

In the midst of stock market volatility, financial planners said 401(k) savers of any age should not completely change their investment plan or portfolio just because of market swings. However, they do advise reviewing 401(k) investments and potentially rebalancing portfolios to be more diverse.

“Some other international markets have actually performed better in this climate,” Williams said. “So this is a nice reminder and a highlight that in your stock portfolio, global diversification helps.”

Additionally, financial planners say this could be the time to build up your investments outside of the stock market. That could involve taking advantage of your employer match, buying real estate to build up equity, or placing money into high-yield savings accounts.

​As buyers search for the top crypto coins of 2025, several key players like Solana and AAVE are shaping the market. AAVE whale action has stirred significant attention, with large holders making substantial moves, potentially signaling shifts in the DeFi market. At the same time, Solana (SOL) price drop has raised questions about its long-term viability, despite its strong presence in the ecosystem. 

However, the spotlight is shifting toward BlockDAG (BDAG), as its recent Keynote 3 event led to an impressive $5 million surge in the presale in just 48 hours. With $212.5 million raised in presale and 19.1 billion coins sold, BlockDAG is carving out a solid path for future growth.

AAVE Whale Action Signals Major Market Shift

AAVE experienced significant whale action as a major holder dumped 73.5K tokens worth $12.51 million. Despite the pressure, technical analysis shows potential for a 270% rally toward $628 if market momentum returns. 

The whale’s recent sell-offs, totaling 59,001 AAVE, reflect broader market shifts, with AAVE’s price down by 24.38% over the last month. This suggests the potential for a bigger unwind, but AAVE could still see a price recovery if speculative interest returns, which could trigger another upward movement, depending on broader market sentiment.

Solana Value Drop: Will 15% Dip Trigger Further Losses?

The Solana (SOL) price drop saw SOL decline by 15% over the past week, falling below $120 and breaking critical support levels. This drop pushed Solana down to the 7th spot in market cap rankings, though it has slightly recovered since then. 

Analysts have pointed to broader market weaknesses as a contributing factor and warned that repeated testing of trendlines could lead to further declines. Additionally, newly launched Solana ETFs have faced minimal volume, indicating market caution.

Despite these challenges, some experts remain hopeful for a potential recovery, depending on future market sentiment. A shift in conditions may trigger a reversal in Solana’s fortunes.

BlockDAG’s Keynote 3 Highlights & $212.5M Presale Triumph

BlockDAG’s recently launched Keynote 3 has garnered significant attention as the project showcased its unique fundraising strategy, emphasizing its ongoing growth. The massive reception and success of the keynote led to an incredible $5 million raised in just 48 hours. This rapid and impressive fundraising effort clearly demonstrates the immense confidence buyers have in BlockDAG’s future.

CEO Antony Turner, the visionary behind BlockDAG, remarked, “This milestone validates the power of our innovative technology, and the trust our community has placed in us is the key driver for the project’s success.” His words highlight the unwavering belief the community has in BlockDAG’s cutting-edge solutions, solidifying the project’s path forward.

This fundraising success is not just a testament to BlockDAG’s vision but also the broad support for its technology. With such strong backing, BlockDAG is set to make significant strides in its development, further solidifying its role as a leader in the blockchain and Web3 space.

The presale funds raised will be crucial in propelling BlockDAG’s technology forward, supporting the launch of the mainnet and introducing educational initiatives like the BlockDAG Academy. These efforts will drive the growth and expansion of BlockDAG’s decentralized ecosystem and contribute to its broader adoption.

Ultimately, these financial milestones reflect the growing community trust in BlockDAG’s potential. With a massive presale collection of $212.5 million and 19.1 billion coins already sold, the current presale batch 27 stands at $0.0248, marking a pivotal moment for early adopters. 

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, the AAVE whale action signals continued confidence in the DeFi sector, whereas the Solana price drop has raised concerns for its future. On the other hand, BlockDAG is making impressive strides, with the success of Keynote 3 bringing in $5 million in just 48 hours, reflecting strong community backing. 

The total presale, which now stands at $212.5 million, and BlockDAG’s significant progress position BDAG as a top crypto contender for 2025. While Solana is working through challenges, and AAVE remains a key player in decentralized finance, BlockDAG’s strong presale and future plans make it a superior option among the top crypto coins of 2025.

Presale: https://purchase.blockdag.network

Website: https://blockdag.network

Telegram: https://t.me/blockDAGnetworkOfficial

Discord: https://discord.gg/Q7BxghMVyu ​

Disclaimer: The views and opinions presented in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CoinCheckup. The content of this article should not be considered as investment advice. Always do your own research before deciding to buy, sell or transfer any crypto assets. Past returns do not always guarantee future profits.

President Donald Trump’s campaign of imposing tariffs on trading partners for a broad range of products is unlikely to bring back the kind of manufacturing jobs that were once the backbone of the blue-collar middle class, economists say. 

As Trump enters the next phase of his administration’s trade wars, experts are warning that his efforts to impose far-reaching import taxes are unlikely to achieve one of their stated goals: restoring manufacturing to a central role in the U.S. economy.

In the mid-20th century, the U.S. was the world’s manufacturing capital, employing more workers than any other sector. At its peak in the 1950s, a quarter of the civilian workforce was employed in manufacturing. However, since the 1980s, free trade agreements have helped many industries move overseas, while automation reduced the number of workers needed in the remaining factories. Today, only about 7% of the workforce is employed in manufacturing, a figure that’s held steady since the Great Recession.

Tariffs are aimed at encouraging businesses to relocate their factories to the United States to avoid paying the import taxes, which are usually passed along to consumers. Many economists said this approach could work for certain businesses, but it’s unlikely to bring back the days when most items in someone’s house could have a “made in the USA” label on them.

US Workers Make More Than Workers Elsewhere

The U.S. is still a major manufacturer, No. 2 in the world behind China. However, it’s more expensive to make things domestically, depending on how much labor is involved in the production process.

The typical U.S. manufacturing worker earns just over $70,000 a year, while their counterpart in China makes just over $13,000, and an Indian manufacturing worker only makes around $2,300, according to an analysis by Apollo.

That means that for many products, it could still be cheaper to make them overseas and pay a tariff than to relocate a factory to the U.S. and pay higher wages.

If some businesses decide to build factories in the U.S., they will likely be highly automated, leading to few jobs being created.

“It’s unlikely to accomplish the goal that Trump is looking for,” said James Veitch, dean of the School of Business and Management at Notre Dame de Namur University,.

Bring Back Manufacturing? It Never Left

Sometimes lost in the debate over industrial policy is that the U.S. still makes lots of stuff: it is a leader in multiple high-tech industries, including aerospace, medicine, and weapons. While the U.S. has lost jobs in manufacturing since the 1980s, its output has increased in terms of the value of the products being manufactured.

Farouk Contractor, a professor of economics at Rutgers, is among the experts who say tariffs could be part of a coordinated strategy to boost manufacturing in certain key high-tech industries such as computer chips. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, attempted that with the CHIPS Act legislation, which promoted the construction of semiconductor factories in the U.S.

But bringing back lower-tech manufacturing might not be possible or even desirable, Contractor said. The U.S. has lost the most jobs in industries like textiles, where many hours of hard work at sewing machines go into final products that don’t sell for very much money.

“High-end stuff, high-value stuff, can come back to the U.S., partially because the value is not in labor, but in thought,” Contractor said. “So if you have a highly automated, highly sophisticated item like computer chips, it doesn’t matter if labor cost jump from $6 to $36 an hour, because the labor content is low, and the main value and the price of the item is in thought, rather than in manual labor.”

Veitch laid out the exchange in terms of hours of labor. An American worker might work at an auto parts company and create a complex part worth $400 in one hour. A worker in Cambodia or Vietnam might work at a factory making T-shirts and create a garment that sells for $10 in that same hour.

“You’ve taken one hour of American labor, and instead of producing a t-shirt, you produce something you sold to somebody else that will bring you back 40 t-shirts,” Veitch said.

Written by Steven Dooley, Head of Market Insights, and Shier Lee Lim, Lead FX and Macro Strategist

Aussie, kiwi and yuan pressured as trade war escalates

Global markets took another step lower overnight, snuffing out an initial rally in US markets, with the benchmark S&P 500 down 1.6% and Nasdaq down 2.2%.

However, the losses mask the full extent of the reversal, with the S&P 500 down 5.4% from last night’s highs while the Nasdaq tumbled 6.4% from the day’s best levels.

In FX markets, the focus was on China after the Trump administration responded to Friday’s increase in Chinese tariffs on US goods. The White House said that an additional 50% tariff on Chinese goods would be implemented at midnight on Wednesday (EDT), bringing the total US tariff on Chinese good to 104%.

The Chinese yuan tumbled on the news with the CNH, the offshore currency, falling to the lowest level since it was launched in 2010, as USD/CNH climbed above 7.40 for the first time ever. The CNY neared the lowest level since 2008.

Across the region, the Aussie and kiwi also gave up earlier gains. The AUD/USD ended back below 0.6000 with a 0.6% loss.

The NZD/USD, down 0.4%, continues to hold just above technical support at 0.5500.

US tariffs drive inflation concerns

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee highlighted growing concerns among US business executives regarding the inflationary impact of tariffs. He noted that while recent economic data has been relatively positive, tariffs could disrupt supply chains and potentially reignite inflationary pressures reminiscent of 2021-2022.

This uncertainty has made short-term economic forecasting more challenging.

USD/SGD recently eased from eight-week highs. The next key support levels for USD/SGD are at 50-day EMA 1.3421 and 200-day EMA at 1.3400.

Advances are expected to be corrective, with resistance at 1.3531 marking a potential shift to a positive price momentum if breached.

RBNZ mulls 50bps cut

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand decision will be closely watched today as a potential bellwether on central bank moves – will the RBNZ react to market moves and go big?

New Zealand’s Q1 Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion (QSBO) revealed a sharp drop in pricing intentions, reaching their lowest level since the initial COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.

The index fell to +2, significantly below its long-term average of 20 and the lowest since 2015, excluding lockdown periods.

This decline suggests that inflationary pressures are easing, with the headline CPI likely to fall short of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s (RBNZ) 2025 midpoint target of 2%. Historically, New Zealand’s CPI has averaged 2.4% year-over-year since 1990.

In light of these developments, for the RBNZ rate decision today, a 25bps rate cut to 3.50% is anticipated, with a 50bps cut also being a possibility.

The easing pricing intentions reflect a broader trend of subdued inflation, which could influence the RBNZ’s monetary policy decisions moving forward.

NZD/USD is now near five-year lows of March 2020. Key support level for NZD/USD remains at 0.5500 handle, with next key resistance level at 50-day EMA of 0.5706.

Aussie, kiwi back at lows

Table: seven-day rolling currency trends and trading ranges  

Key global risk events

Calendar: 7 — 11 April

All times AEDT

Have a question? [email protected]

*The FX rates published are provided by Convera’s Market Insights team for research purposes only. The rates have a unique source and may not align to any live exchange rates quoted on other sites. They are not an indication of actual buy/sell rates, or a financial offer.

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The No. 1 Factor Impacting Bank Rates

The Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate, the federal funds rate, can be raised and lowered by the central bank to both fight inflation and manage the economy’s growth. This rate is important to everyday savers because it directly influences the interest rates that banks and credit unions pay on savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit (CDs).

In 2022-2023, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate to its highest level in two decades to fight post-pandemic inflation. That in turn raised savings and CD rates to their highest levels in 20-plus years.

Since then, bank deposit rates have come down some, as the Fed began lowering its benchmark rate in late 2024—with three cuts last fall totaling one percentage point. But the central bankers have put further rate moves on ice so far this year, leaving the best savings accounts and the leading CDs still paying very high rates in the mid-4% range.

Where Are Rates Headed? It Depends on Who You Ask.

What the Fed Is Signaling

At its mid-March meeting, the Fed rate-setting committee released its forecast for 2025 rate moves. At that time, its median prediction was that it would cut the benchmark rate by 0.50 percentage points—most likely in two quarter-point reductions—by the end of this calendar year.

The Fed won’t release another forecast like this until mid-June, but in comments made Friday, two days after President Trump’s tariff announcement, Fed Chair Jerome Powell made it clear that the Fed is still in wait-and-see mode.

“What we’ve learned is that the tariffs are higher than anticipated, higher than almost all forecasters predicted,” Powell said. “We still don’t know where that comes to rest, though, and we’re just going to have to see that through.”

He added: “It feels like we don’t need to be in a hurry. It’s not clear to me at this time what the appropriate path for monetary policy will be.”

Other Economic Players Are Mixed on Their Forecasts

At any given moment, you can look up the probabilities that interest-rate traders are pricing into the market on various rate scenarios. As shown in the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool at the time of this writing, the odds are currently 35% that we’ll see four cuts in 2025, totaling a full percentage point reduction, while traders are pricing in a 11% probability that we’ll see three cuts.

Most of the remaining probability falls into the “five or more cuts” bucket, with 38% odds on the combination of those outcomes.

The probability of three or more cuts this calendar year has grown in the past few days. The thinking is that Trump’s dramatic tariff announcement has raised the likelihood of a recession, and if that occurs, the Fed will be pushed to cut rates further and faster than it previously predicted.

On Monday, Goldman Sachs analysts raised the investment bank’s calculated odds of a recession in the next year to 45%, up from 35%, due to a “sharp tightening in financial conditions, foreign consumer boycotts, and a continued spike in policy uncertainty that is likely to depress capital spending by more than we had previously assumed.”

But not everyone agrees. Most notably, Larry Fink, CEO of investment giant BlackRock, believes it’s possible for things to go the other way. During an interview Monday at the Economic Club of New York, Fink suggested tariffs could reignite inflation and push the Fed to raise, not lower, interest rates.

“This notion that the Federal Reserve’s gonna … ease four times this year, I see zero chance of that,” Fink said, according to a Bloomberg video of the event. “I’m much more worried that we could have elevated inflation that’s gonna bring rates up much higher than they are today.”

What This Means for Savings and CD Rates

It’s impossible to know how the Fed will act in the coming months and the rest of 2025. And that means we can’t know how banks’ and credit unions’ consumer rates will be impacted. Until more clarity arrives on the Trump tariffs—namely, what the final tariff rates will be and how countries will potentially retaliate—predictions for the economic road forward will remain murky.

If you are inclined to lock funds into a CD, now is still a good time, as rates are high and you’ll be securing a guaranteed rate that can’t change—no matter what happens with tariffs and the Fed. While it’s true interest rates could hold steady for a long time, or even rise, the odds currently favor some reduction this year. As always, however, only time will tell.

How We Find the Best Savings and CD Rates

Every business day, Investopedia tracks the rate data of more than 200 banks and credit unions that offer CDs and savings accounts to customers nationwide and determines daily rankings of the top-paying accounts. To qualify for our lists, the institution must be federally insured (FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions), and the account’s minimum initial deposit must not exceed $25,000. It also cannot specify a maximum deposit amount that’s below $5,000.

Banks must be available in at least 40 states to qualify as nationally available. And while some credit unions require you to donate to a specific charity or association to become a member if you don’t meet other eligibility criteria (e.g., you don’t live in a certain area or work in a certain kind of job), we exclude credit unions whose donation requirement is $40 or more. For more about how we choose the best rates, read our full methodology.