Avoiding highly indebted companies, high-yield bonds and speculative investments will be important during a recession to ensure your portfolio is not exposed to unnecessary risk.
If you want to insulate yourself during a recession partly with stocks, consider investing in the healthcare, utilities and consumer goods sectors. People are still going to spend money on medical care, household items, electricity and food, regardless of the state of the economy.
The simple answer is that during recessions people tend to lose their jobs, and when you don't have cash coming in for a while it's very important to have savings available to spend. That buffer could save you from losing your home or worse.
“The demand for travel and hospitality services typically declines as consumers cut back on discretionary spending,” Sarib Rehman, CEO of Flipcost, said. “To attract customers, airlines, hotels and travel agencies often lower their prices and offer more promotions.”
17951), co-authors Hilary Hoynes, Douglas Miller, and Jessamyn Schaller find that the impacts of the Great Recession (December 2007 to June 2009) have been greater for men, for black and Hispanic workers, for young workers, and for less educated workers than for others in the labor market.
“While it can be tempting to withdraw all your funds from a bank and keep them at home, banks are typically more secure and offer protection against theft or loss. Plus, keeping money in a bank allows for easier access to funds if needed for emergency expenses or unexpected bills.”
In a recession, it's smart to preserve your capital by investing in safer assets, such as bonds, particularly government bonds, which can perform well during economic downturns.
Whatever you call it, a recession can impact your finances. Economic expansions create opportunities: new businesses, more jobs, and higher wages. Recessions reduce opportunities: failed businesses, fewer jobs, and lower wages.
The industries known to fare better during recessions are generally those that supply the population with essentials we can't live without. They include utilities, healthcare, consumer staples, and, in some pundits' opinions, maybe even technology.
The good news is that recessions generally haven't lasted very long. Our analysis of 11 cycles since 1950 shows that recessions have persisted between two and 18 months, with the average spanning about 10 months.
For workers and households, the picture was less rosy. Unemployment was at 5% at the end of 2007, reached a high of 10% in October 2009, and did not recover to 5% until 2015, nearly eight years after the beginning of the recession. Real median household income did not recover to pre-recession levels until 2016.
For this process, the innocent party must notify the breaching party of their intention to rescind due to the breach. Rescission for breach aims to restore the innocent party to their pre-contractual position by undoing the contract, in so that the innocent party isn't able to be made whole.
During a recession, economic activity slows. When consumers spend less, the demand for goods and services falls. Once that happens, prices tend to drop, slowing down inflation.
Don't use funds that you need soon.
Make sure you have the time horizon to weather any losses, or hold your cash in stable assets like an interest-bearing savings or checking account, money market fund, or CD—especially if you're expecting a large expense or purchase in the short-term.
Inflation Is Eating Away at Your Funds
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average rate of inflation from April 2023 to April 2024 was 3.4%. If you've been keeping your money in a savings account with a lower yield than the rate of inflation, you should switch over to a higher-yield account.
Credit unions and banks are both insured, with most banks being insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for up to $250,000 per customer.
Since economists began studying the distributional effects of the Great Depression in the 1940s, it's been thought that inequality and economic growth could be “countercyclical”, meaning that earnings inequality rises during recessions and contracts during periods of economic growth.
Some industries feel the impact of an economic downturn more than others. These industries tend to get hit the hardest. Hospitality and tourism - Many cut down on vacations and travel to save money. Entertainment and leisure - People tend to seek inexpensive, at-home forms of entertainment during a recession.
Food. Food is required for life and this means demand will always be high. For this reason, the food industry is one of the safest industries for investment. The food industry covers a variety of activities such as agriculture, ranching, processing, preservation, preparation, and packaging.