It’s Wednesday, Apexians! Hump day! The middle of the week. And you know what everybody is talking about? The same thing they’ve been talking about for a month now: the coronavirus. Hey, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. In today’s installment of Apex Money, we’ll look at some coronavirus-related money news.
“I tested positive for the coronavirus.” [Afford Anything] — “I’m 36, a non-smoker, in shape, fit and healthy, with no chronic conditions. No asthma, no diabetes, no cancer, no high blood pressure, no history of any type of organ disease. I’m the poster child, the ideal candidate, of someone who would only experience a ‘mild or moderate’ case. My experience of coronavirus was sheer brutal hell. It was the most intense prolonged physical agony I’ve ever felt. Here’s what coronavirus feels like.”
Why did it take the stock market so long to react to the coronavirus? [Morningstar] — “Could the economic damage from the coronavirus have been predicted? Sure. Some investors did just that. Unfortunately for those attempting to profit from information, though, every year researchers predict dozens of events that never occur, or that do happen but have trivial investment consequences (for example, the Ebola virus hitting American shores). The better question is, should investors have recognized that, after many false alarms, the bear was indeed at the door?”
No, you didn’t just lose half of your retirement savings. [Mr. Money Mustache] — “Once you really get the big picture above, you can see that we are going to come through this better in every way…The end result will be a better, more resilient and richer world than ever. Yes, that will also eventually mean more money in your retirement account, but more importantly it means better and happier living conditions for every living thing on Earth.” There are many reasons I love my friend, Pete. His relentless optimism is one of them.
Finally, for those of you trapped at home and forced to do video calls, here’s a way to make them a little more fun. DC Comics has released a set of virtual backgrounds for you to import into your favorite conferencing app. Now you can talk with co-workers, friends, and family from the Batcave. Or the Fortress of Solitude. Or Atlantis. NERD! Dial in from the DC Universe with these virtual backgrounds. [DC Comics]
Oh wait. One more thing. Here’s a fun, short video in which a father performs a virus-related prank on his three daughters for April Fool’s Day.
Nicely done, sir. Nicely done.
Okay, enough goofing around. I’ll be back tomorrow with more of the best from the world of personal finance. See you then.