The 2024 Investopedia Terms of the Year
The U.S. election, shifts in Federal Reserve policy, war in Ukraine and the Middle East, and declining inflation have all dominated the headlines in 2024, while also influencing markets. All the while, Investopedia’s millions of monthly readers are constantly looking for ways to understand these developments and how they impact our portfolios.
Here are Investopedia’s most important terms in 2024:
inflation
inflation This has been the dominant narrative for the past four years, affecting everything from how consumers spend their money to how they vote in November. Many Americans declared at the polls that the economy was their top issue and inflation their top concern. Although the inflation rate slowed from 3.1% in January 2024 to 2.6% in October this year, the continued rise in prices remains under pressure consumer sentiment This continued throughout the year despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates for the first time since 2020.
tariff
As President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign heated up last summer, investors and voters alike knew that raising money tariff If elected, issues regarding the United States’ major trading partners, Mexico, Canada and China, will be at the center of his agenda. This is proven to be true and has motivated millions of our users Read tariffs and its inflationary effects, as well as the historical implementation of tariffs and their effectiveness. Tariffs are expected to appear on this list again next year.
NVIDIA
Although there are rarely company names at the top of term lists, NVIDIA (NVDA) It turns out this is more than just another chipmaker that found its sweet spot in the right market at the right time. In 2024, NVIDIA will become the second largest listed company As of this writing, its market capitalization is US$3.5 trillion, ranking first in the world (second only to Apple). The company was founded over 30 years ago Jen-Hsun Huangwho himself became a celebrity CEO. The Santa Clara-based semiconductor maker dominates the gaming chip manufacturing industry, Cryptocurrency Miningas well as providing artificial intelligence processing to the world’s largest companies, and its revenue has doubled in the past few years due to high demand for all things artificial intelligence. Its quarterly earnings report moved the market, and it has delivered strong returns to shareholders this year, growing 167% year to date.
stock split
NVIDIA 10-1 stock split This term is on the minds of our readers this past June (along with other companies making the same move in 2024). For investors wary of Nvidia’s high price and unable to obtain fractional shares, the stock split makes this popular and widely held stock much cheaper. By broadening the shareholder base, spinoffs improve the chipmaker’s chances of being included on the shareholder list. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) at some point in the future. But Nvidia isn’t the only popular stock split company this year—Walmart, Chipotle, and Broadcom are among 477 companies that have split or split their stocks in 2024. reverse stock split.
national debt
Although neither presidential candidate seems keen to discuss the rising U.S. national debt During the campaign, the $36 trillion burden on the nation’s balance sheet threatened to undermine the government’s ability to pay for social services. Investopedia readers want to discuss this issue, though, because campaign promises from both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump point to further increases in government spending and another sharp spike in the national debt. this government bonds The market has also been paying attention to Treasury yield Interest rates have remained high as many debt holders express doubts that the United States will continue to be a fiscally safe country to invest in in the coming years.
homeowners insurance
Homeowners traveling from Florida to North Carolina must consider the fact that their home insurance Although premiums have been rising steadily over the past few years, they do not cover every possible scenario that comes with a natural disaster. Insurers in some states, such as Florida, decided that insuring homeowners was no longer a good business and abandoned the state. As climate disasters like floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes become more frequent and extreme, the economics surrounding homeowners insurance are reaching a breaking point and our readers want to know more about how to protect their homes.
student loan relief
The Biden administration has big plans student loan reliefworking to ease the financial burden on tens of millions of borrowers, especially low-income borrowers. However, those ambitions were thwarted last summer by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which dismissed save The program launches in 2023. Despite the setback, President Biden has pushed for several other small student loan relief programs in 2024, freeing millions of borrowers from repayment. President-elect Trump and his nominee for Education Secretary Linda McMahon have pledged to undo these policies once they take office in January, with total student loan debt reaching $1.8 trillion and tens of millions of borrowers There are far more questions than answers. .
High Yield Savings Account
There will still be money in the bank in 2024, As financial institutions try to retain and attract customers High Yield Savings Account (HYSA) Its yield exceeds 5.5%. With the Federal Reserve starting to lower interest rates this September, our readers sensed those days were coming to an end, and they were right. But that hasn’t stopped millions of people from searching on our site Top Rated HYSA This way they can continue to make money with their own money.
Bitcoin price history
Reader interest follows price, and Bitcoin price It has never been more popular than it is this year. Approval and issuance Spot Bitcoin ETF The end of 2023 paves the way for another historic year for Bitcoin and its price as more retail investors begin to gain exposure to the cryptocurrency. But November’s presidential election took Bitcoin to a whole new level, with President-elect Trump’s campaign promises including that the United States would become the “crypto capital of the world,” the Treasury Department would mine its own Bitcoin, and the government would long term holding It holds over 200,000 Bitcoins forever. Since November 6, 2024, the price of Bitcoin has increased by more than 35% and is close to breaking through $100,000.
Money Line Betting
The worlds of sports betting and stock and options trading have always been close cousins, but the lines become even more blurred in 2024, especially around the election. Betting on election outcomes is nothing new, either, but in the fall of 2024, many of our readers and many market participants were either actively betting on election outcomes or learned how Betting on money lines and parlays As the election approaches, they see the odds changing daily.
Honorable mention
American dream
this American dream“Our 2023 Term of the Year” remains popular this year, especially because both parties have used the term throughout the presidential campaign, either trying to revive the possibility it represents or reminding us that it’s no longer a reality. Our team also crunched the numbers this year and put a price tag on legitimate “dreams” Today will cost you:$4.4 million.
Sam’s Rule Decline Indicator
Labor economist Claudia Sahm insists she did not coin the term. Sam indicator Named after her. But her principles suggest that a three-month rise in the unemployment rate usually cause economic recessionbecoming one of the most talked about and discussed topics in the financial media this year. The SAM indicator is actually triggered in the fall of 2024, but a recession has not arrived – at least not yet.
Backdoor Roth IRA
one Backdoor Roth IRAa strategy that allows high earners approaching retirement to contribute to a tax-free Roth IRA, has long been popular with our readers, but it’s getting more attention in 2024 because of its potential Tax cuts expire in 2017 It seems very big. 2024 also marks “peak 65,” a year in which more Americans than ever are celebrating the birthday, and many are looking for effective ways to bolster their retirement portfolios while still working.