Recession alarm bells are ringing…again. The latest GDP report shows the economy shrank by 0.3%.1 That kicked off a flood of doomscrolling, scary headlines, and panicked selling. But before we jump to conclusions, let's dig into what's really behind the number. Because once you dive into the report, things get quite interesting. As a quick refresher, think of GDP like a grocery receipt for the entire country. It adds up everything we produce domestically… goods, services, the works. When that number shrinks, it often signals a problem for a country's economy. But sometimes, the final tally can be a little bit misleading. And from time to time, it pays to dive a little deeper into the details. The first number that stands out in last week's report? Business investment. Corporate spending on equipment spiked 22% during the first quarter.2 That number blew most analysts' expectations out of the water. It's strange because that's not something we usually see right before a recession. Moreover, we also saw a 1.8% bump in consumer spending.3 Keep in mind, that figure wasn't as robust as we have seen in previous quarters. However, Americans usually shut their wallets ahead of a downturn, so this figure represents a vote of confidence in the U.S. economy. So what then caused the big drop in GDP? A 41% spike in imports.4 Companies raced to stock up on goods ahead of potential tariffs tied to President Trump's proposed trade changes. Why does that matter? Because in the GDP equation, imports don't just get ignored. They're actually subtracted. That means even with solid economic activity, all those extra imports pulled the final number down. Think of it like this… If GDP is like a grocery receipt, it only counts what we grow or make ourselves. So if you fill your cart with imported bananas, the house is still full of food. But the total on the receipt drops, because we don't grow those bananas here in America. That's what happened last quarter. The shelves stayed full, but the receipt looked smaller.
The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.
There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.
Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.
