In the past, it might have sounded too easy to summarize a year by saying it’s been unlike any other. But 2021 has been a year spent navigating truly uncharted territory -- the second calendar year of the Covid-19 pandemic; the first months of the vaccine era; continued economic and social fallout from the pandemic; changes in political leadership; and the mainstreaming of new technologies.
Throughout 2021, the FundVisualizer blog explored these and other subjects important to you and your clients. In case you missed some of them, here are highlights from what we shared with you in 2021.
When manufacturing and transportation issues hit in the spring, some saw it as a temporary situation caused by pent-up consumer demand for products meeting declining inventories, a re-emerging workforce, and ongoing travel restrictions.
As the we move into the final days of the year, supply chain delays, product shortages, and rising shipping costs continue to impact consumers and businesses. We took a look at the topic with 5 things you should know about supply chain disruptions.
The 2021 worker shortage has become so much of a cultural phenomenon that it was given a name: the Great Resignation.
With 4.4 million Americans voluntarily quitting their jobs in September alone, the work world looks very different than it did pre-pandemic. The realignment that is taking place is likely to be a reality for employers and workers for some time to come. Read more in A whole new work world: What you should know about the pandemic-related labor shortage.
Every time they visit the gas pump or grocery store, Americans are reminded that inflation has also been one of the key stories of 2021. In October, consumer prices jumped 6.2% – the most in 30 years. As the story on inflation continues to unfold, read more in An inflation primer: What clients need to know about inflation.
Along with challenges, 2021 also brought new investments to the forefront.
With the U.N. global climate summit grabbing political headlines in the last months of the year, it’s worth noting that sustainable investing is no longer limited to a feel-good corner of the market. As of 2019, one out every three dollars invested by Americans went to some form of sustainable investing. We wrote about the growth in ESG investing is mainstream — and booming.
When a piece of digital artwork created by a little-known artist sold at auction for $69 million this spring, NFTs (nonfungible tokens) suddenly became a hot topic of conversation well beyond those who track the latest crypto-related fads. We helped breakdown the phenomenon in Behind the NFT hype: Answers to five common questions.
Finally, 2021 may be the year that cryptocurrency fully entered the public consciousness. According to a poll from Newsweek, about 46 million Americans — or 17% of the adult population — own at least a share of Bitcoin. We covered the basics in Cryptocurrency goes mainstream: What you and your clients should know.
What new developments lie ahead in the new year remain to be seen. We will continue to be on the lookout for topics that will be of importance to you and your clients, and offer tips for using FundVisualizer to help build your client relationships.
Putnam Retail Management.
