--- title: It's Feeling Like a Goldilocks Moment description: Economists describe a Goldilocks economy as one that’s not too hot and not too cold; it’s just right. And 2024 is starting to feel just right. image: https://www.harvestwealthgroup.com/hubfs/Blog%20Its%20Feeling%20Like%20a%20Goldilocks%20Moment%2c%20v2.png --- ** [![Logo-Harvest-1](https://www.harvestwealthgroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo-Harvest-1.png?width=300&height=96&name=Logo-Harvest-1.png "Logo-Harvest-1")](https://harvestwealthgroup.com/) # It's Feeling Like a Goldilocks Moment [PERSONAL FINANCE  |  ](https://www.harvestwealthgroup.com/blog/tag/personal-finance) Jun 5, 2024 2:41:41 PM  |  by [Garrett German](https://www.harvestwealthgroup.com/blog/author/garrett-german) ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harvestwealthgroup.com%2Fblog%2Fgoldilocks-moment-2024%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harvestwealthgroup.com%2Fblog%2Fgoldilocks-moment-2024%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harvestwealthgroup.com%2Fblog%2Fgoldilocks-moment-2024%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.harvestwealthgroup.com%2Fblog%2Fgoldilocks-moment-2024%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=It%27s%20Feeling%20Like%20a%20Goldilocks%20Moment) Economists describe a Goldilocks economy as one that’s not too hot and not too cold; it’s just right. And 2024 is starting to feel just right. When the Fed started raising short-term interest rates in early 2022 to rein in inflation, Chairman Powell’s top priority was managing consumer prices by slowing economic growth without pushing the U.S. into a recession. The goal was to have a soft landing, or what’s called a Goldilocks moment. So far, the 2024 economic scorecard looks like Goldilocks 1, Recession 0. Consumer inflation is slowing, but it’s still above the Fed’s target of 2%. Gross domestic product is solid, with the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow showing Q1 growth forecast of 2.1%. And payrolls increased by 275,000 jobs in February, which means companies are hiring. Taken together, all three suggest no recession in sight at this point.1,2 ![Graph of "Atlanta Fed's GDPNow Outlook."](https://www.harvestwealthgroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/feda2d4a-59af-4d9e-a97b-1533dc50f5e9.jpg?width=540&height=686&name=feda2d4a-59af-4d9e-a97b-1533dc50f5e9.jpg) Meanwhile, the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index continued to improve in March. Keep in mind the stock market is a discounting mechanism, meaning it’s anticipating what the economy will look like in 6-9 months, which has some wondering if Goldilocks may kick off her shoes and stay a while. Remember that past performance is no guarantee of future results.3 I’m excited about the economy’s outlook and optimistic about the future. I think back to August/September 2023, when nothing seemed to go right for the economy and the financial markets. It’s fair to say that I’m hopeful for the balance of the year. I also hope the three bears take a longer-than-expected walk in 2024! 1. CNBC.com, March 12, 2024. “Consumer prices rose 0.4% in February, and 3.2% from a year ago.” 2. CNBC.com, March 8, 2024. “U.S. job growth totaled 275,000 in February but unemployment rate rose to 3.9%.” 3. WSJ.com, March 12, 2024. “S&P 500 Hits New Record After Hot Inflation Data.” [** Previous Post: Emotional vs Strategic Investment Decisions](https://harvestwealthgroup.com/blog/emotional-vs-strategic-investment-decisions) [Next Post: Who is Your Trusted Contact? **](https://harvestwealthgroup.com/blog/who-is-your-trusted-contact) ### About the Author ![Garrett German](https://www.harvestwealthgroup.com/hubfs/Garrett%20German%20Open%20Jacket%20Square.png) ## Garrett German Garrett German* founded Harvest Wealth Group with the aim to create a meaningful experience that will impact his clients, in a significant way, both personally and financially. 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