How COVID-19 Has Changed the Future of Money

COVID-19 has spread across the world and closed down businesses everywhere. There have been changes to the world in ways that we never could have imagined. It will have a major impact on the way businesses and individuals handle money.

Consumer Spending

Spending is low in most industries because of lockdowns and limited locations being open. Some particularly low industries are travel and transportation, apparel, and services. Consumers are expecting lower household incomes for the upcoming months, so money spending is focused on necessities. The uncertainty causes irregular buying behaviors. These behaviors have businesses scaling back on production.

Industries that have been thriving include grocery stores, house supplies, and at-home entertainment. This is caused by the increased amount of time people are spending indoors. Consumer spending drives economic growth. Although it is positive that these industries are still doing business, it is vital to the economy that other industries pick back up again.

It is unknown if buying behaviors will go back to normal or not. Gyms may not completely recover because of the increase in at-home workout equipment and virtual fitness subscriptions. Restaurants have lost tons of money from canceled trips and lack of orders. Without a steady income, many of these businesses have had to permanently close their doors.

Retirement Plans

The CARES Act made three changes to certain retirement accounts. These changes have increased the number of early withdrawals to people’s retirement plans.

  1. It doubled the amount a person can take out as a 401(k) loan.
  2. It allowed people to take early hardship withdrawals of up to $100,000 from 401(k)s and IRAs in 2020 without paying a 10% penalty before the owner turns 59 1/2.
  3. It allowed retirees and those who have inherited IRAs to skip taking a required minimum distribution (RMD).

This may cause people to feel more comfortable taking out extra money when the CARES Act is not in place. There are rules and restrictions on that you can find here. 

Cash Payments

Many stores started to only take plastic cards and virtual payments like Apple and Samsung Pay. This is one way to reduce the spread of germs. There might be a shift in some of these places to only accept these payments over cash permanently. Some people have opted out on using cash on their own for the same reasons- to flatten the curve.

Other businesses have completely reduced contact with payments. Their solution to this is mobile payment applications. Venmo and Cash App are two increasingly popular examples of this. These apps are easy to download. After the pandemic, people will be more likely to use this form of payment after they feel more comfortable and trust that it works.

Future of Money

Businesses need to adapt to the changing world. Changes in spending habits, retirement plans, and cash payments are some ways COVID-19 has affected money. We can help you navigate the future of your business’s money. Serving the Baltimore area for several years, we are dedicated to providing customized services to fit each one of our client’s unique needs.

Please contact us at (410)-764-3731 or at https://plcfo.com/contact/ for questions or to book an appointment.