How To Protect Your Wealth During A Recession Or Depression (2024)

FAQs

How To Protect Your Wealth During A Recession Or Depression? ›

Build up your emergency fund, pay off your high interest debt, do what you can to live within your means, diversify your investments, invest for the long term, be honest with yourself about your risk tolerance, and keep an eye on your credit score.

That said, if you have the cash to invest, you may want to consider buying recession-friendly sectors such as consumer staples, utilities and healthcare. Stocks that have been paying a dividend for many years are also a good choice. These tend to be long-established companies that can withstand a downturn.

In A Private Vault

Private Vaults are the most secure way to protect wealth. Moving your liquid assets into hard assets such as gold, sliver, diamonds, or coins helps invest in depression proof investments. Once you've invested keeping these items at your home isn't wise and is downright dangerous.

Your biggest risk in a recession is the loss of your job, if you're still employed or semi-employed. If you need to tap your savings for living expenses, a cash account is your best bet. Stocks tend to suffer in a recession, and you don't want to have to sell stocks in a falling market.

Cash, large-cap stocks and gold can be good investments during a recession. Stocks that tend to fluctuate with the economy and cryptocurrencies can be unstable during a recession.

Although the government has stepped in to contain the damage caused by the bank failures and ensure account holders can access their funds, inflation and interest rates remain high, so the threat of a recession persists. Generally, money kept in a bank account is safe—even during a recession.

If you have money in a checking, saving or other depository account, it is protected from financial downturns by the FDIC. Beyond that, investment products are more exposed to risk, but you can still take some steps to protect yourself.

The short answer is no. Banks cannot take your money without your permission, at least not legally. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures deposits up to $250,000 per account holder, per bank.

Widely used during the global financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the Great Recession that followed, the phrase was also often used to describe companies which could avoid share issues or bankruptcy. Commercial establishments that accept only cash payments have become suspect in the modern age.

Do things get cheaper in a recession? ›

In general, prices tend to fall during a recession. This is because people are buying less, and businesses are selling less. However, some items may become more expensive during a recession. For example, food and gas prices may increase if there's an increase in demand or a decrease in supply.

Do Car Prices Go Down In A Recession? Car prices typically go down when supply exceeds demand. However, unlike in past recessions, some automakers are making permanent changes to how they do business.

Home prices generally fall during recessions, with home values slipping in four out of the five major recessions between 1980 and 2008.

Should Investors Ever Pause 401(k) Contributions? Investors should avoid pausing their 401(k) contributions during a bear market, recession or market downturn. The loss in compounding earnings typically outweighs any potential for savings you think you're getting by keeping the cash out of your retirement savings.

According to McKinsey report published in 2009, recession-resistant industries include consumer staples, healthcare, telecommunication services, and utilities, among more. In 2008, the total returns to shareholders fell for all sectors by over 20%, but consumer staples was an exception to this.

Basic Staple Foods with a Long Shelf Life

Basic staples like wheat, rice, oats, pasta, beans, sugar, and dehydrated or freeze-dried foods specifically packaged for long-term storage are great options.

Despite the recent uncertainty, experts don't recommend withdrawing cash from your account. Keeping your money in financial institutions rather than in your home is safer, especially when the amount is insured. “It's not a time to pull your money out of the bank,” Silver said.

Keep Cash to a Minimum

Danielle Miura, CFP, the founder and owner of Spark Financials, suggested, “You should keep enough money on hand to get you a couple of gallons of gas, pay for a delivery tip, or to help in unfortunate events,” or around $100-$200 at a time.

Recessions typically go hand in hand with higher unemployment, and finding a new job may not happen quickly. Catherine Valega, a CFP and wealth consultant at Green Bee Advisory in Winchester, Massachusetts, suggests keeping 12 to 24 months of expenses in cash.

What typically goes down during a recession? ›

During the recession phase of the business cycle, income and employment decline; stock prices fall as companies struggle to sustain profitability. A sign that the economy has entered the trough phase of the business cycle is when stock prices increase after a significant decline.

Over the course of five days in March 2023, three small- to mid-size U.S. banks failed, triggering a sharp decline in global bank stock prices and swift response by regulators to prevent potential global contagion.

The standard deposit insurance coverage limit is $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category, per FDIC bank. So if you have accounts in more than one ownership category you may be eligible for more than the current minimum of $250,000 in protection at a single FDIC-insured bank.

History shows that when it comes to a credit union vs. bank in a recession, the credit union is likely to fare a little better. While both can be hit hard by tough economic conditions, credit unions were statistically less likely to fail during the Great Recession.

Banks must report cash deposits totaling $10,000 or more

When banks receive cash deposits of more than $10,000, they're required to report it by electronically filing a Currency Transaction Report (CTR). This federal requirement is outlined in the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).

Overall, your money should be just as safe in a credit union as in a bank, though it's important to consider the effectiveness of NCUA coverage versus FDIC. The FDIC is a much more extensive network with more robust safety nets. If you feel concerned, consider moving to a bank.

1. Warren Buffett. In October 2008, Warren Buffett published an article in the New York TimesOp-Ed section declaring he was buying American stocks during the equity downfall brought on by the credit crisis.

Many millionaires keep a lot of their money in cash or highly liquid cash equivalents. And they tend to establish an emergency account even before making investments. Millionaires also bank differently than the rest of us.

A rise in the price of gold may be a signal that the economy is struggling. As a result, in times of either a crisis or inflation, many investors turn to gold to protect their principal.

Will food prices go down in 2023? ›

Food prices are expected to grow more slowly in 2023 than in 2022 but still at above historical-average rates. In 2023, all food prices are predicted to increase 6.5 percent, with a prediction interval of 4.9 to 8.2 percent.

The "slowing economy is likely to bring the yearly inflation rate down to around 4.0 percent by the end of 2023," Kiplinger predicted.

Recessions over the last half a century have ranged from 18 months to just two months. Federal Reserve economists believe the next downturn may stick around for longer than usual.

During a recession, the average person (i.e., you) is at higher risk of unemployment and financial squeezes. Others impacts of economic downturns include price and interest rate changes, decreased healthcare coverage, less credit access and increased stress.

Similarly, if you're receiving other income sources, like Social Security or a pension, it may be easier to minimize your retirement fund withdrawals. On the other hand, if your savings are falling short, a recession could make it harder for your money to last throughout retirement.

Build up your emergency fund, pay off your high interest debt, do what you can to live within your means, diversify your investments, invest for the long term, be honest with yourself about your risk tolerance, and keep an eye on your credit score.

The first reason why May 2023 is a good time to buy a home is that mortgage rates are mostly steady and likely to drop. According to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates averaged 6.41 percent to open the month, and there's been little movement since.

There are several reasons to consider buying a home during recessions - the two main reasons are less competition and lower prices. There are also several potential drawbacks, like sky-high interest rates, a floor on pricing decreases and potential income changes if the U.S. does officially slide into a recession.

Is Buying A Home During A Recession Worth It? In general, buying a home during a recession will get you a better deal. The number of foreclosures or owners who have to sell to stay afloat increases, typically leading to more homes available on the market and lower home prices.

Most of our experts agree that one of the safest places to keep your money is in a savings account insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). “High-yield savings accounts are an excellent option for those looking to keep their retirement savings safe.

Will a recession wipe out my 401k? ›

What can happen to your 401(k) in a recession? Unfortunately, a recession can hurt asset prices, and therefore your 401(k) balance. According to CFRA Research, an investment research firm, the S&P 500 has lost an average of 8.8% of its value during the four recessions since 1990.

If you have money in a checking, saving or other depository account, it is protected from financial downturns by the FDIC. Beyond that, investment products are more exposed to risk, but you can still take some steps to protect yourself.

Key Takeaways. The financial crisis started with Bear Stearns and Lehman brothers. The U.S. government did not bailout Lehman and the institution filed for bankruptcy and eventually closed. Bear Stearns was picked up by JP Morgan and no longer exists.

Inter-American Federal Credit Union is the first federally insured credit union to fail in 2023.

Consumer staples, vices, healthcare, education, defense, utilities, budget travel, and premium luxuries are seen as recession-proof.

Drawing on non-taxable accounts, like a Roth IRA for example, can help get you through a recession while keeping your Social Security safe until you absolutely need it.