Whereas we could also be drawn to the clairvoyants and the algorithms, let’s not overlook that the longer term isn’t a riddle to resolve
Evaluations and suggestions are unbiased and merchandise are independently chosen. Postmedia might earn an affiliate fee from purchases made via hyperlinks on this web page.
Article content material
Because the calendar flips to a recent web page, we discover ourselves awash in predictions.
Article content material
Article content material
This isn’t new; it’s virtually a practice. In my line of labor as a wealth adviser, it’s an annual ritual. My inbox fills with questions: Will interest rates lastly stabilize? Are the markets poised to soar or sink? What’s the ripple impact of latest tariffs on our Canadian economy? How about change charges?
Commercial 2
Article content material
The questions are countless, starting from the pragmatic to the speculative, and infrequently requested in hushed tones as if I may need a secret hotline to the longer term. (Spoiler alert: I don’t.)
Everybody, from economists to stargazers, appears keen to color an image of what’s forward and we lap it up, hoping for reassurance, hoping it’s all sunshine and rainbows.
Article content material
Reality be instructed, we’re hooked on predictions. Why? As a result of they provide the phantasm of management in a world that’s inherently unpredictable.
However right here’s the factor about predictions: they’re simply educated guesses, if not outright conjectures, dressed up in a pleasant outfit — go well with or gown, take your decide. With that in thoughts, listed here are a number of common truths to assist us navigate the noise.
There shall be excellent news, and there shall be unhealthy information
Life has a knack for stability, doesn’t it? The inventory market will rise; it’ll additionally fall. Politicians will make choices, some that work and a few that don’t. Infants shall be born and, sadly, a few of us will lose family members. That is the ebb and move of existence.
Cash shall be spent, correctly or frivolously
We’ll shell out for wants, needs and all the things in between. Whether or not it’s for groceries or a last-minute splurge on that shiny gadget, our spending displays not simply economics however our feelings.
Commercial 3
Article content material
Taxes shall be paid, and low shall be brewed
Some issues in life are non-negotiable. For instance, taxes are a certainty that rivals even demise. However let’s not overlook life’s less complicated joys, comparable to an ideal cup of espresso savoured on a frosty morning.
The solar will rise and set
A cliché, maybe, however one which serves as a reminder of life’s rhythms. The world retains turning even when predictions miss their mark. There’s an odd consolation in that, don’t you assume?
Whereas we could also be drawn to the clairvoyants and the algorithms, let’s not overlook that the longer term isn’t a riddle to resolve. It’s an unfolding story, one we co-write with the selections we make immediately.
As a substitute of fretting over what would possibly occur, let’s give attention to what we are able to management. Set targets, save for wet days and cherish the moments that make up this unpredictable, stunning trip known as life.
Really helpful from Editorial
And in case you’re actually itching for a forecast, right here’s mine: 2025 shall be a 12 months of surprises, each nice and difficult. What issues most will not be what occurs, however how we reply. In spite of everything, the easiest way to foretell the longer term is to form it ourselves.
Colleen O’Connell-Campbell is a wealth adviser at RBC Dominion Securities Inc. and creator of the Money-Wealthy Exit Podcast.
Bookmark our web site and assist our journalism: Don’t miss the enterprise information it’s good to know — add financialpost.com to your bookmarks and join our newsletters here.
Article content material