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A Different Degree of Wealth

Unshakable Greenback: The US Dollar’s Unrivaled Reign as the Global Reserve Currency

Introduction

A reserve currency is a foreign currency held in significant quantities by governments and institutions as part of their foreign exchange reserves. It plays a critical role in international trade and finance. In this article, we will explore the concept of a reserve currency, the characteristics required for a currency to attain this status, and the current position of the US Dollar in the global economy. We will also discuss potential contenders for replacing the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency and analyze whether the US Dollar is at risk of losing its status.

What Does It Mean to be a Reserve Currency?

Being a reserve currency means that a currency is widely accepted and used by governments, institutions, and individuals for international transactions. It is held in significant quantities by central banks and other financial institutions as a means of protecting their economies from potential shocks and maintaining stability. Reserve currencies are essential in facilitating global trade and promoting confidence in the international financial system.

Characteristics Needed to be a Reserve Currency

There are several key characteristics that a currency must possess to be considered a viable reserve currency:

  1. Economic and Political Stability: A reserve currency must be backed by a strong, stable economy and a reliable political system. This creates confidence among governments and institutions, encouraging them to hold and use the currency for international transactions.
  2. Liquidity: A reserve currency must be easily convertible and readily available for use in global markets. High liquidity ensures that the currency can be exchanged quickly and efficiently, making it an attractive option for international transactions.
  3. Wide Acceptance: For a currency to function as a reserve currency, it must be widely accepted and used in international trade and financial markets. The more countries that use and accept the currency, the stronger its position as a reserve currency.
  4. Low Inflation: A reserve currency should have low inflation rates, ensuring that its value remains relatively stable over time. This makes it an attractive option for holding foreign exchange reserves, as it minimizes the risk of the currency losing value.

 

The US Dollar as the Preferred Reserve Currency

The US Dollar has long been the world’s preferred reserve currency, thanks to the strength and stability of the US economy, its political system, and its financial markets. The US Dollar’s wide acceptance in global markets, high liquidity, and low inflation rates have made it the go-to currency for international transactions and reserve holdings.

Potential Contenders for Replacing the US Dollar

While the US Dollar currently enjoys its status as the world’s primary reserve currency, several other currencies could potentially challenge its position in the future. Some of these include:

  1. The Euro: The Euro is the official currency of the European Union and has the backing of the region’s strong economic and political framework. It is widely used in international transactions and is the second most held reserve currency after the US Dollar.
  2. The Chinese Yuan: China’s rapid economic growth and increasing global influence have led to a growing interest in the Chinese Yuan as a potential reserve currency. While it is not yet as widely accepted or liquid as the US Dollar or the Euro, the Chinese Yuan’s importance in international trade is expected to increase in the coming years.
  3. The Japanese Yen: The Japanese Yen is another significant currency in the global economy, backed by Japan’s strong economy and financial markets. It is widely held in foreign exchange reserves and is an important player in international trade.

 

Is the US Dollar at Risk of Losing Its Status as Reserve Currency?

Despite potential challenges from other currencies, the US Dollar remains the dominant reserve currency, thanks to its strong economic and political foundation and its widespread acceptance in global markets. While it is essential to monitor the development of other currencies, such as the Euro, Chinese Yuan, and Japanese Yen, the US Dollar’s position as the world’s leading reserve currency is unlikely to be threatened in the near future.

There are several reasons why the US Dollar is not at immediate risk of losing its status as a reserve currency:

  1. Network Effects: The US Dollar’s widespread use in international trade and finance has created a network effect, where it’s value and utility increase as more countries and institutions adopt it. This makes it difficult for other currencies to displace the US Dollar as the primary reserve currency.
  2. The US Economy: The United States boasts the world’s largest economy, with a significant influence on global financial markets. This economic strength underpins the US Dollar’s position as the preferred reserve currency, as countries and institutions want to hold assets backed by a strong and stable economy.
  3. The US Dollar’s Role in Commodity Markets: The US Dollar is the primary currency used for pricing and trading commodities, such as oil and gold. This reinforces its importance in global markets and further solidifies its position as the world’s leading reserve currency.
  4. Central Bank Policy: Central banks around the world hold a significant portion of their foreign exchange reserves in US Dollars. This creates a demand for the currency and supports its value. As long as central banks continue to favor the US Dollar for their reserve holdings, it is unlikely to be replaced as the world’s primary reserve currency.

 

Conclusion

In summary, a reserve currency plays a vital role in facilitating international trade and promoting confidence in the global financial system.

The US Dollar is the world’s preferred reserve currency due to the strength of the US economy, its political system, and its financial markets. While potential contenders exist, the US Dollar’s position as the dominant reserve currency is unlikely to be threatened in the near future. If you have questions about the US dollar, please give us a call.

Have a great weekend!




Source: Ballentine Capital Advisors 


Golf Tip of the Week

It Looks Strange. But Could This Research-Based Technique Cure Your Yips?

Korn Ferry Tour player Danny Guise qualified for the Wells Fargo Championship this past Monday, and his unconventional putting stroke has had many fans talking.

A few weeks ago, Guise qualified for the Valspar Championship, and the video of his winning putt brought in a lot of comments about his ‘heads up’ putting stroke.

Looking anywhere but the ball while putting might seem unnatural or crazy.

Guise didn’t always putt looking at the hole. He says he made the switch because it felt more athletic and eliminated a lot of the overthinking that can bog down the stroke.

“Golf is one of the only sports where you don’t look at your target when shooting.” Guise says, “When I shifted from looking at the ball to looking at my target, I noticed that it freed up my stroke.”

Guise isn’t the first tour pro to find success using this method. Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, and Louis Oosthuizen are just a few tour pros that have tried ‘heads up putting’.

There was even a study published by Sasho J. MacKenzie and Neil R. MacInnis that evaluated visual focus strategies for breaking putts. They found that inside 14 feet, experienced golfers who normally look at the ball, or use a Near Target (NT) strategy, improved their putting performance by 5 percent simply by shifting to a Far Target (FT) strategy.

The study also revealed that players were leaving their misses closer to the hole. MacKenzie attributes the closer misses to better speed control and breaking putts being more sensitive to variability in speed.

While it might seem like there are no downsides to ‘heads up putting’, the study does recognize that there should be further research done to determine other factors it didn’t take into account like distance, skill level, and a player’s predisposition to a certain visual focus strategy.

However, if you are thinking about trying FT, or heads-up, putting, there are a few things we think you should know first…

It’s easier than you think

A lot of golfers think that they’ll miss the ball if they are looking up when putting, or at least make contact outside the sweet spot. In reality, you’re only moving the putter a few inches back and a few inches through. If you want to try it, trust it and go for it.

Your target won’t be the hole

Unless your putt is straight and uphill, the chances of your target being the hole are slim. When using a FT approach, MacKenzie says “The far target should be a point on a line that extends out from the intended initial launch direction of the ball—the target line.”

For example, if you know that the putt is going to break a foot to the right, find a point to focus on that’s a foot to the left of the hole.

You don’t have to commit completely to start seeing benefits

In the study done by MacKenzie and MacInnis, they reference a book called Instinct Putting written by Eric Alpenfels, Dr. Bob Christina, and Dr. Cary Heath. This book was one of the early studies done to highlight the benefits of target vision putting. In their research, Alpenfels and Christina found that golfers who implemented FT putting, even as a drill, noticed an improvement when they went back to their conventional approach.




Tip adapted from golf digest.comi


Recipe of the Week

Mother’s Day Spritz

1 Drink

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces of Champagne or white wine
  • 2 ounces Campari
  • Splash sweet vermouth
  • 1 orange wheel, for garnish

Instructions

  • Fill a glass with ice. Pour over the Champagne, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Stir and garnish with an orange wheel.




Recipe adapted from Foodnetwork.comii


Health Tip of the Week

5 Effective Ways to Deal With Your High-Stress Job

Hello, I’m Dr. John Whyte, the Chief Medical Officer at WebMD. We all deal with stress in our lives. Some can be good, but too much can cause problems. For many people, work is a major source of stress. An overbearing boss, unrealistic timelines, heavy workloads, and constant fire drills affect not just your productivity, but also, your health, increasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, headaches, and even the common cold.

Often, you feel helpless to do anything about the stress, thinking it’ll eventually get better, but you can control more than you may think in reducing the amount of stress with your job. I’ve got five tips for you to deal with your high-stress job. Number one, deep breathing exercises. This can take place over a few seconds, and research has shown that deep breathing exercises reduce physical and mental stress in the moment.

There are different types. I like box breathing. It’s four simple steps. Step one, you breathe in, counting to four slowly. You feel the air enter your lungs.

Step two is you hold your breath for four seconds. You try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for four seconds. In step three, you slowly exhale through your mouth for four seconds, and in step four, you repeat steps one to three, until you feel centered. You can repeat this exercise a couple of times during the day. 30 seconds, just 30 seconds of deep breathing will help you feel more relaxed and in control.

Number two, enjoy some tunes. Music can play an important role in reducing stress. Now, I’m not suggesting you blast the music from your office or cubicle, but rather, listen to your favorite song during your lunch break or listen to a tune on the way to and from the bathroom. Even just a few minutes of music can reduce the level of stress hormones in your body. For me, I found listening to music, rather than the news, on my commute helps reset my mood.

Number three, set boundaries. The hybrid work environment has created challenges in terms of when the workday starts and when it ends. Many people are working longer hours, and the dividing line between personal life and work life has blurred.

We’re doing calls early in the morning, emails late at night. There’s no time off for your brain to recharge. Well, it’s time to re-establish those boundaries. You don’t have to be checking your work email first thing in the morning. You also don’t need to be doing calls at 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 at night. That goes for sending and receiving emails, at 10:00, 11:00 at night, 5:00, and 6:00 in the morning.

Of course, there will be some days that are exceptions, but for many people, the exception has become the norm. You need to stop blending the work in a home environment. Use tools to help you set those boundaries on your schedule. Software exists that prevents emails from going out late at night or early in the morning or using that out-of-office notation more frequently. Let people know when you aren’t available.

Number four, stop taking on extra responsibility. This might require learning how to say no. Sure, I can do that. Hey, if you want something done, ask a busy person. I want you to avoid that attitude, and self-awareness is critical in reducing stress. Know your limits and what you can realistically accomplish in a time frame.

You don’t need to be a superhero. Learning how and when to delegate is an important strategy to reduce stress in your job. Although we may think multitasking increases productivity, recent research suggests that having too many tasks to accomplish reduces efficiency and causes errors, leading to more stress. Work with your manager to do a realistic assessment of your workload and see what areas you can pare down and which you can take on additional tasks.

Number five, use all your vacation and personal time off days. Recent data shows 55% of employees don’t use all their paid days off annually. Too often, it’s the end of the year, and you’re trying to get them all in. Instead, be proactive in scheduling some days off, perhaps, every quarter, even if it’s just a mental health day that you take to recharge. Now, of course, there will be periods when there is high stress, but it can’t be all the time or even most of the time. Your health is your wealth and taking time now to address your high-stress job will pay off health dividends for quite some time.

 



Tip adapted from WebMD.comiii 


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Ballentine Capital Advisors is a registered investment adviser. The advisory services of Ballentine Capital Advisors are not made available in any jurisdiction in which Ballentine Capital Advisors is not registered or is otherwise exempt from registration.

Please review Ballentine Capital Advisors Disclosure Brochure for a complete explanation of fees. Investing involves risks. Investments are not guaranteed and may lose value.

This material is prepared by Ballentine Capital Advisors for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation or any particular security, strategy, or investment product.

No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve future profits or losses similar to those shown. You should not assume that investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable or equal the investment performance of the past. Past performance does not indicate future results.

Advisory services through Ballentine Capital Advisors, Inc.

i https://www.golfdigest.com/story/this-tour-pro-s-funny-looking-putting-stroke-could-fix-your-yips
ii https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/mothers-day-spritz-3315868
iii https://www.webmd.com/coronavirus-in-context/video/high-stress-job-tips

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