Coronavirus Have You Down? | Ep. 33

• Tiffany opens by acknowledging the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and market turmoil, noting the S&P 500 and Dow are down roughly 30% year-to-date.

When you invested, you invested for a reason. And typically when you invested, it was for the long term.

• She reassures younger investors (20s-40s) they have time for recovery, citing the 2008-2009 crash where markets fell 40% but later exceeded prior highs.

• Encourages continued investing during the dip to benefit from lower purchase prices.

Your cost basis will start going down if you keep buying during this time.

• Links to vocabulary explanations (basis point, dollar cost averaging) provided in show notes.

• IRS extended 2020 tax deadline to July 15. Federal student loan interest accrual paused indefinitely—payments now go entirely to principal.

This has never happened before where interest is no longer accruing on federal student loans. So please take advantage.

• Urges building 3-6 months (ideally more) of expenses in savings due to rising unemployment risk. Advises pausing major purchases like cars until clarity emerges.

Go ahead and make sure that is fully funded... three months worth of expenses saved up. I like to see six months, sometimes even 12 months.

• Fed funds rate near 0% has driven mortgage rates to historic lows (as low as 3.25%). Refinancing may make sense if current rate is 4.5% or higher and savings exceed 1%.

I'm at a 4.25. And I think I feel pretty safe there. I'm not going to refinance at this time.

• Tiffany shares personal positives: homeschooling, starting a garden, baking bread, more outdoor family time, and witnessing the circle of life in a fish tank.

In every circumstance, in every trial, in every tribulation, there's always going to be something good that comes out of it.

• Challenges listeners to identify their own sources of joy amid the crisis.