The first quarter of 2022 whiplashed investors, with each day bringing a raft of bad news to process. War erupted, inflation soared, bonds tanked, and supply chains were further stressed as rising oil and gas prices smashed into economic recovery. Extreme volatility was the norm: Occidental Petroleum soared 95% in the quarter, while Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, racked up the biggest single-day loss in history for a US company ($232 billion). If you’re feeling unsettled about the markets, you’re not alone.

In early 2022, the economic outlook appeared to be improving despite ongoing challenges. While Covid-19 and its variants proved impossible to eradicate, new strains appeared to be less deadly. Job creation and unemployment data were encouraging. Inflation topped the list of concerns for investors as prices continued to rise amid mismatched supply and demand. But everything changed on February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, layering an urgent humanitarian and geopolitical crisis on top of a fragile world economy.

Stocks tumbled in January, posting their largest monthly loss since the beginning of the pandemic. Investors were spooked by unabated inflation, ongoing supply chain issues and semiconductor shortages, and the buildup of Russian military forces around Ukraine. Investors felt threatened on many levels, and the markets reflected that.

The year 2021 was marked by uncertainty on many fronts. It began with a shocking attempt to overturn an American election, televised live from the nation’s Capitol building. As a new administration entered the White House, investors refocused on the uncertainties of a recovering economy and a COVID-19 pandemic that refused to be quelled. Throughout the year, optimism was often followed by setbacks. Periods of volatility were sparked by new COVID variants, rising inflation, China’s real estate market, soaring government debt, and crowd-sourced investing frenzies. Still, investors who stayed the course benefited from recovery and expansion as the economy gained strength.

Investors had plenty to stew over in November. Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled he would tighten the spigot of easy money pouring into the economy. As for “transitory” inflation, maybe it’s not so transitory after all. Meanwhile, the virus first known as Covid-19 just keeps doing what viruses do, mutating in cunning new ways. Suddenly it feels as though we’re about to step backwards after nearly two years of progress. Here we consider the factors behind rising bearish sentiment and offer advice on how to stay calm during turbulent times.

October was a great month for equities. But you might have missed that while frowning at the gas pump, or expressing dismay at grocery prices or restaurant menu pricing. Inflation is on the rise, and that could spell trouble for a recovering economy.

Negative news and worrisome trends unsettled global stock markets in September. The Delta variant of the Coronavirus continued to spread, overflowing hospitals in areas with low vaccination rates. Supply chain woes and labor shortages constrained growth by forcing companies in manufacturing and services to operate below capacity. Global energy prices spiked, catching many off-guard. Evergrande, China’s second-largest property developer, wobbled under crushing debt. Meanwhile, word that the Federal Reserve may start to unwind its support of the economy in coming months weighed on investors. Bond yields rose. Inflation persisted and stagflation entered the discussion. Equity markets sank.

Covid-19 remained the top story in July, with the fast-spreading Delta variant dashing hopes that life might soon return to “normal”. Meanwhile, global warming wreaked havoc across the world. Massive wildfires in the West spewed smoke across much of the United States. Record rainfall across Western Europe caused extensive flooding, destruction and death. Unprecedented heat and drought destroyed crops of summer fruit and produce. Despite these cascading catastrophes, July was a good month for investors.

Last month, many people were surprised to learn that the FBI had tracked and retrieved a large portion of a bitcoin ransomware payment made by Colonial Pipeline. After all, bitcoin is touted as being ultra-secure and nontraceable. How did they do it? “We followed the math,” said one FBI agent. This should be a warning to those thinking about investing in cryptocurrency, of which there are now hundreds of options. No one’s got your back, and you’ll need a strong stomach for volatility. This month we share some common sense observations about crypto-investing from DFA’s Weston Wellington. First, a review of May market data.

On the heels of a global pandemic and economic shutdown, the financial press has something new to obsess about: inflation. Not much of the discussion is reassuring. Will inflation’s long-anticipated return eviscerate fixed income returns? Will it knock growth stocks out of the ring? Will it derail the market’s recovery? Will it erode the value of the dollar? How will investors be harmed? Here we offer our perspective and advice. First, a recap of last month’s numbers.