First Merchants Resource Library | Financial Education Bank Blog Story

The volatile ride in U.S. equity markets continued last week as tariff concerns remained front and center on the minds of investors as well as consumers ahead of the White House’s scheduled tariff announcements to be released April 2nd.

Following a bruising four week sell-off that saw the S&P 500 briefly dip into correction territory, U.S. equity markets managed to find some footing last week and have started this week on a constructive tone following several reports this weekend that upcoming tariff increases may be more measured than initially feared.

U.S. equities tumbled lower for the fourth straight week as the S&P 500 briefly dipped into correction territory with a drawdown over 10% before rebounding higher on Friday to close the week.

Investor confidence was shaken last week while they contemplate the effects of multiple actions taken by the Trump administration. After a contentious meeting at the White House with President Zalinski on a trade agreement for rare earth minerals, President Trump paused all aid to Ukraine increasing global tensions.

Online banking can be very safe, but as you are managing your bank account(s) via your institution’s website or app, there is a unique set of security risks to be aware of, such as phishing attacks that trick users into revealing sensitive information and unauthorized access if login credentials are compromised.