A Look Back at 2020 Thus Far
The year in brief. The coronavirus pandemic disrupted the global economy, global financial markets, and daily life in 2020. For investors, it was certainly an eventful year. Economic activity abruptly contracted in the spring, and stocks quickly fell. The upcoming presidential election and COVID-19 vaccine developments could provide more market-moving headlines.1 The Federal Reserve cut short-term interest rates to just above zero as the pandemic took hold, and adjusted its monetary policy stance, announcing it would tolerate higher inflation for an extended period. U.S. households received one economic stimulus payment from the federal government, and might yet receive another. The U.S. and China reached a partial trade deal. The United Kingdom…