Let's face it - 2020 sucked; There was a global pandemic, quarantines, a market crash (and yes I can use that term as it was a more than 30% decline at one point), and most of us had to get used to wearing masks everywhere we went.

I don't think I'm overstepping when I say how everyone, and I mean everyone, feels about 2020: "buh-bye, seeya - wouldn't want to be ya, good riddance, and not for nothing, but hope we never hear from you again".

You would think that with all this mishigas going on that it wouldn't be a hard act to follow, that 2021 should be a shoo-in for Best Year Ever! just by following the misery that was 2020.

• The job loss for December was higher than expected and more than 10 million Americans are out of work: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/01/08/US-loses-140K-jobs-in-December-unemployment-steady-at-67/4871610115244/

• We witnessed civil unrest on Capitol Hill that left many of us speechless and appalled

• COVID-19 cases continue to spike to new heights and there is even a new strain spreading in the US (OK, so maybe that one is on 2020, but the spread is more prevalent in the new year: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/dow-drops-383-points-as-covid-19-cases-surge/ar-BB1ct81q

• And now the Government is controlled by One Party , which could lead to an increase in spending and an overhaul of the taxes you pay (this is not intended as any type of political commentary, but we are projecting to the future and how the markets may be impacted by these and other events)

I don't know about you, but suddenly those rose colored glasses I was wearing to welcome in the New Year, now don't seem so rosie.

Fortunately the answer is no, atleast for now. The markets dropped to open the New Year, but rebounded to end the first week in the positive (S&P 500 +1.88%). The Bond Market also got in on the act as the yield on the 10 year treasury closed over 1% for the firsst time since March 2020.

But if you want to hear more than join us on Thursday, January 14th at 6:30 PM as we kick-off our weekly webinar series, THIRSTY for knowledge THURSDAYS with A State of the State of the Markets: A Financial Review. Visit our website www.ariesfoundation,.org/events to register and learn more.