There has been a lot of talk and media coverage around the question of, “is this the next recession?”

There's a lot of implication that it’s this big, looming thing that’s about to happen -- and we’re all totally screwed when it does.

But this is an emotionally-charged takeaway, to say the least. Is it true? To figure out what to make of recent headlines and recession fears, we take a step back in this episode to focus on a few key facts:

• We don’t know WITH CERTAINTY when the next recession will start
• We don’t know EXACTLY how much it might impact the market or economy
• We don’t know PRECISELY when it will end and a new expansion will begin

What we do know is:

• Recessions are normal parts of market cycles and should be expected
• Market volatility is also normal, and also to be expected
• Market timing doesn’t work… but investing for the long term with a diversified portfolio appropriately allocated to your goals, needs, and time horizon can work very well

In this show, we look at both what we know -- and what we don't -- and explain what you should make of each so you can feel confident about your investments, your finances, and what to do if a recession strikes tomorrow (or in a few years).

Full show notes with all links to data and stats discussed in this episode here: http://www.beyondyourhammock.com/21