We’ve all just gone through one of the most tumultuous weeks in recent American history – not just for the financial markets, but for how we live our everyday lives. So we’re releasing this podcast episode a little earlier than usual so that you can get our latest take on the coronavirus situation and the broader economic picture.

For today’s show, we put in some overtime to get you our up-to-the-minute take on how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting financial markets.

The short version: Outside shocks to the financial markets, like the coronavirus, can't be predicted, but we do plan for them. Outbreaks like Ebola, Zika, MERS and SARS have rattled the markets before. And while past performance does not guarantee future returns, after downturns like the one we’re experiencing right now, the markets are typically on the road to recovery within a short amount of time. We’re also optimistic about what other key economic indicators are telling us about the overall strength of the US economy.

However, that doesn’t mean we're Pollyanna or complacent. We continue to monitor the situation and are ready to take action if the situation warrants. Listen to this episode for our thoughts on the opportunity that volatility provides us to re-balance portfolios and other strategies to utilize when the market is low, what the government might do to help stabilize the markets, and the likelihood of a recession