Business Planning

The Federal Reserve raised the benchmark short-term interest rate by one-half a percent (“50 basis points”) at this month’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. It was the first half-percentage-point hike in 22 years, and another sign that the central bank is playing catch up in its attempt to combat inflation.

The nation’s economy added 431,000 non-farm payrolls in March, with a pickup in the more highly-compensated manufacturing and professional and business services jobs to go along with the continued sharp recovery in travel and leisure positions. For the first quarter, an estimated 1.685 million jobs were created, as COVID-19 concerns stateside eased.

When thinking about our physical health, it’s common for people to take a holistic approach—that is, we think about ways we can practice being healthy overall, like eating a balanced diet and getting an adequate amount of exercise. Keeping our bodies healthy means improving our quality of life.

The year 2020 was unprecedented for so many reasons—all because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many suffered from job losses, had to juggle childcare while working from home, and tried to keep their small businesses open with few resources.