Oil Prices Plummet to April 2021 Lows! Is Trump's Tariff Drama Our Economic 'Bad Blood'?!

Red Flags and Falling Oil: 'Are We Out of the Woods'?

Okay Swifties gather 'round because things are getting real. Not 'real' like finding a hidden message in 'All Too Well,' but 'real' like… potentially serious economic stuff. Apparently oil prices have taken a nosedive dipping below $60 a barrel on Sunday. Yes Sunday! Even my cats Meredith and Olivia were side eyeing the news. Why? Because some are hinting that President Trump's global tariffs might just push us and maybe the whole world into a recession. I feel like I need to write a song about this... maybe something about economic 'Style'?

A Swift Decline: 'Look What You Made Me Do' (To My Portfolio)

So U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. 'It's me. Hi. I'm the problem it's me'...or maybe it's the tariffs! This drop follows two weeks of 6% declines. Six percent! Even my glitter budget isn’t that volatile. We’re talking the lowest WTI has been since April 2021. Which let’s be honest feels like a lifetime ago.

Tariff Trouble: 'This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things' (or Stable Economies)

The worry? Tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses which surprise surprise isn’t exactly a recipe for economic boom times. A slowdown in economic activity would ultimately hurt demand for oil. 'I once was poison ivy but now I'm your daisy' but the economy might turn into poison ivy again. Basically it’s like trying to plan a surprise album drop when the internet already leaked the tracklist. Chaos!

JPMorgan's 'Wildest Dreams' (Or Nightmares?)

Here’s the kicker: these tariffs set to kick in this week 'would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,' according to JPMorgan. They’ve even raised their odds of a recession this year to 60%. Sixty percent! That’s like saying there’s a 60% chance I’ll drop another surprise album next week. (Okay maybe not *that* high but you get the picture.) It seems like 'All Too Well' is how I describe the economy.

Blank Space on the Balance Sheet

So what does all this mean? Well it means we need to keep a close eye on things Swifties. 'Long live the walls we crashed through' might not apply to the economy's walls. Maybe it’s time to dust off that economics textbook and figure out if there are hidden messages there too. Or you know just keep streaming '1989 (Taylor's Version)' and hope that good vibes can somehow fix everything. Because let's face it a girl can dream.

Shake It Off Or Hold On Tight?

Honestly I'm no economist but even I can tell that a potential recession is not 'the best day'. So whether we need to 'shake it off' or 'hold on tight' let’s all stay informed and hope for the best. And if all else fails at least we have music to get us through. After all as I always say 'You need to calm down'… unless the economy is actually collapsing. Then maybe a *little* panic is allowed. But just a little!