If you’re a Gen-Xer like me, you probably have put more than a few quarters in pinball machines in your time.   Something about that was just a lot of fun.  Now, imagine yourself inside that machine, and that is what the markets have felt like so far this spring, and as we head into summer, it may not get much better. 

April demonstrated the importance of being prepared for market uncertainty. The month began with the White House’s April 2 tariff announcement on nearly all trading partners. These tariffs were far higher than investors had expected, leading to fears of rising inflation, a global economic slowdown, and a trade war. Stock markets reacted with the sharpest declines since the pandemic.