If you had asked me in January what epidemiologists study, I might’ve guessed insects (entomologist) or the history of words (etymologist), or maybe even the outer layer of skin (epidermis). I still struggle pronouncing it, but after spending a few months reading, watching and listening to experts in the field, I not only understand what they study, I can also relate to some of the struggles they face. There are more similarities than you might expect between the fields of financial planning and epidemiology, so I thought I’d explore a few lessons that apply to both.

The past few months have given us all time to step back and reflect on our lives. The forced changes to our regular routines allowed us to see things from a different perspective. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I learned through this time and wanted to share some of my reflections.

While the country is starting to open back up on a limited basis, we have a long way to go before we can put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us. The complete shutdown of the global economy is just now starting to show up in the economic data. Nobody knows what a recovery will look like, how long it will take, or how many setbacks we will face before we get there. The last few months have been so full of unusual events in the investment markets, now feels like a good time to reflect on what we learned in the markets over the last couple months, with the help of some graphics.

After weeks of quarantine and “stay at home” orders, we are starting to see encouraging signs of progress in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are not out of the woods yet, our collective focus seems to be shifting to what life looks like after COVID-19. We are all eager to go back to some sense of “normal”, but some experts believe the COVID-19 global pandemic will cause permanent changes in our lives, our psyches, and in the normal way business is conducted in America and around the world. Will we ever go back to the way we were before the virus struck?

As the saying goes, there are two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. While nobody can permanently escape either, everyone tries their best to do so. This makes sense when it comes to dying, but it might not always make sense for paying taxes.

We are living through a very scary time right now as COVID-19 spreads across the globe, forcing billions of people to stay in their homes. Back in January, I mentioned the trade war with China, escalating tensions with Iran and wildfires in Australia as scary headlines that might draw too much of your focus. Little did I know, just a few short months later, we would be in the midst of a global pandemic. I think it’s safe to say the headlines have become a lot scarier now. Let’s review what happened in the first quarter, what we learned and where we go from here.