SnoQap

Feb 16

Feb 16 Remote Work: The New Commonplace?

The CDC confirmed the first coronavirus case in the United States on January 21, 2020. Although it was the first of many, no one foresaw the perilous snowstorm to come. Rapidly, more deadly cases popped up around the country and the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020 (AJMC 2021). It was then that fear began to spread, and businesses worldwide began to close their in-person operations due to health concerns. Thus began months of work from home. Due to health concerns, opportunities for businesses to cut costs, and increases in employee productivity from working remotely, remote work will likely become a more common and frequent occurrence after the pandemic ends.

Jun 24

Jun 24 Interest Rates, Refinancing, and the Threat to Mortgage-Backed Securities

Andy Colando

Business Current Events

While not the first viral illness to be labeled a “pandemic,” it goes without saying that the pervasive spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus is an unprecedented event in modern times. Likewise, the fallout of this pandemic, including that of economic significance, is equally substantial, and its full effects are still far from known. 2020 felt the sharpest spike in unemployment, with the national percentage (approximately 14.7% in April and still over 13% in May) comparable only to the Great Depression. This year has also seen one of the most severe and sudden stock market shocks in history, with the NASDAQ falling over 30% from its February peak in March. Despite impressive rebounds in most stocks, the forecast of the real US economy remains bleak, with some analysts expecting a 50% reduction in yearly GDP growth in 2020. Such devastating outlooks have persisted despite the historic $3 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress, as well as the Federal Reserve’s pledge to provide “unlimited” monetary support to the economy. Drastic times certainly do call for drastic measures, but even these great attempts are proving ineffective to shield many Americans from the effects of this economic slowdown.

May 1

May 1 Can The Cruise Lines Outlast Coronavirus?

Andy Colando

Business Current Events

As we press on into yet another week of quarantine and social distancing to combat the invisible enemy that is coronavirus (COVID-19), it continues to become more and more apparent that this sudden and startling contraction to our economy may not be followed by the V-Shaped recovery for which many optimists were hoping. Companies from almost every industry are being brought to the brink, some seemingly overnight. Restaurants are closing their doors, air travel has been heavily limited, and the very supply chains that drive logistics for the largest tech companies in the world are, at least for now, grinding to a halt as they seek ways to adapt to this “black swan event”. Fortunately, the $2 trillion stimulus bill passed just over 3 weeks ago, in tandem with aggressive monetary policy from the Federal Reserve, has offered some degree of relief for large and small businesses, as well as individuals alike. However, there is an industry, one with over $100 billion in total estimated economic impact, that has largely been overlooked by these fiscal and monetary policies, while also being positioned as perhaps the most vulnerable of all to coronavirus impacts: The Cruise Industry.