Consumer Confidence Plummets Amid Economic Uncertainty

In today's episode, we delve into the sharp decline in U.S. consumer confidence, with insights from the University of Michigan's latest data. We explore the factors driving this downturn, including inflation fears and trade policy volatility. Additionally, we discuss the Federal Reserve's cautious stance on interest rates amidst these economic challenges and the global GDP growth projections for 2025. Join us as we unpack the implications of these developments on the broader economy and financial markets.Sources:https://members.asicentral.com/news/industry-news/march-2025/stat-spotlight-a-snapshot-of-the-economy-at-the-ides-of-march/https://thumbwind.com/2025/03/17/consumer-confidence-in-michigan/https://theshopmag.com/features/kpi-march-2025-consumer-trends/https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/202503206620/us-leading-indicators-weak-as-consumer-sentiment-turns-sourhttps://michiganbusinessnetwork.com/icymi-pnc-senior-economist-jay-hawkins-consumer-sentiment-plunged-in-march/https://www.cmegroup.com/education/events/econoday/2025/03/feed636537.htmlhttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/03/consumers-take-fright-at-us-policy-trajectory-and-other-key-economic-news-to-know/https://za.investing.com/economic-calendar/michigan-consumer-sentiment-320https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20250323178/will-the-stock-markets-relief-rally-continue-watch-for-tuesdays-consumer-confidence-datahttps://www.mdm.com/news/research/economic-trends/u-s-consumer-sentiment-plunges-to-lowest-mark-in-28-months/https://www.mitrade.com/insights/news/live-news/article-3-707606-20250320https://www.nb.com/en/link?type=article&name=cio-weekly-perspectives-wait-and-worry-or-wait-and-seehttps://www.staffingindustry.com/news/global-daily-news/consumer-sentiment-hits-7-month-lowhttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/03/consumers-take-fright-at-us-policy-trajectory-and-other-key-economic-news-to-know/https://www.usfunds.com/resource/recession-warning-signs-are-flashing-red-as-consumer-confidence-collapses/https://cressetcapital.com/post/market-update-3-19-25-understanding-the-wealth-effect/https://www.cambridgetrust.com/insights/global-uncertainty-is-accelerating/https://simplyethical.com/blog/why-is-the-us-market-falling-in-early-2025/https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomcprojtabl20250319.htmhttps://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/03/where-next-for-the-u-s-economy/https://www.ctol.digital/news/markets-economic-data-policy-outlook-2025/https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/outlook/economic-outlook/fed-meeting-march-2025https://www.thestreet.com/economy/economic-week-ahead-reports-will-signal-if-slowdown-is-a-real-threathttps://www.bty.com/us-federal-reserve-holds-rates-firm-amidst-trade-volatility/https://fortune.com/2025/03/23/us-economy-outlook-emerging-market-debt-trump-tariffs-doge-musk/https://www.conference-board.org/podcasts/c-suite-perspectives/How-Badly-Will-Uncertainty-Hurt-US-GDP-Growth-in-2025https://www.raymondjames.com/platt/resources/2025/03/21/weekly-economic-commentaryhttps://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20250323178/will-the-stock-markets-relief-rally-continue-watch-for-tuesdays-consumer-confidence-datahttps://www.qnb.com/sites/qnb/qnbglobal/en/eneconomics23mar2025newshttps://www.fool.com.au/2025/03/24/goldman-sachs-revises-sp500-forecast-for-2025/https://www.qnb.com/sites/qnb/qnbglobal/document/en/enEconomics23Mar2025https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/en-asia/insights/unravelling-the-uncertainties-facing-stock-marketshttps://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/articles/2025/3/fed-to-update-economic-projections-hold-rates-steady-as-uncertainty-soars-88041960https://www.cambridgetrust.com/insights/global-uncertainty-is-accelerating/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stocks-down-trump-tariffs-trade-wars/https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/2025031811695/fitch-lowers-world-growth-forecast-amid-tariffs-chaoshttps://www.bbvaresearch.com/en/publicaciones/global-the-economic-impact-of-trumps-