Welcome to our April Viewpoints, a monthly bulletin from PDS Planning to our valued clients and friends. Our goal with each issue of Viewpoints is to provide you with a wide variety of perspectives on life and wealth. Feel free to share with others.
- Germany 2 Year: For the first time since 2014, the yield on Germany’s two-year bond turned positive. The European Central Bank has inflation to contend with, along with the much more direct impact from the war in Ukraine. Yields have risen along with the anticipation for interest rates to follow suit. (Source: Yahoo Finance)
- US 2 Year: Not to be outdone, the yield on the US two-year treasury has increased from 0.18% to 2.39% in the last 12-months. This represents an increase of over 1,200% as the Fed continues to take measure to curb rising inflation. (Source: St. Louis Fed)
- Ranch Dressing Is Forever: In a charity auction benefitting Feeding America, a diamond ring made from Hidden Valley Ranch sold for $12,550. The company hired a diamond maker to heat and press ranch dressing to create the dream diamond. It was set into a band engraved with HVR LVR: “Hidden Valley Ranch Lover”. (Source: TimeOut)
- Student Loan Pause Extended: The 40 million American’s currently benefiting from a pause on student loans have been given an extra four months. At this time, payments are set to resume at the beginning of September. Veronica Dagher of the Wall Street Journal wrote a great article with 5 ways to make the most of the extra time. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Buying Happiness
Originally published September 24, 2020 by Beth McCampbell FPQP™
I agree “money can’t buy happiness” in that just because you have more money doesn’t mean you’re going to be happier. However, I wouldn’t completely disagree with the statement either. When you spend money on a vacation you’ve always dreamed of, or buy a gift for a close friend you just know they’ll love, or in my case buying a new toy for our dog, money can, in fact, bring you happiness.
When my husband and I were first married, our budget was simply “don’t spend money unless you have to”. This meant spending a dollar at a fast food restaurant would come with a sense of stress and added weight on our shoulders. Not a great way to live. Fast forward a year and we starting using a full fledged budget. We broke it out with specific dollar amounts allocated for specific line items. After paying ourselves first (savings), we were able to build each line item including a little extra money for each of us to spend on whatever we wanted without worry or judgement from the other spouse. The stress dissipated and we could enjoy a few nights out here and there because they were already accounted for. …
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