As one year nears its end and another approaches, business owners and managers everywhere find themselves wondering what comes next. From curiosity about the next big financial forecast to what — if any — changes their individual company should make, this time of year calls for reflection, education and action.

Central Bank’s business banking experts are here to make things easier. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through major trends and financial forecast predictions which could impact operations in 2024, and ways to ensure you have a clear understanding of where your business stands now — and what’s needed to remain successful moving forward.

Financial and Economic Trends Expected in 2024
News stories filled with economic trends and industry outlooks fill newsfeeds at this time of year. And, while that can be overwhelming, such insights offer important guidance for business owners and managers. Here are a few banking and economic trends experts say we’re likely to see as we step into 2024.

• The Chances of an Economic Recession Are Slim: Goldman Sachs analysts believe the likelihood of the U.S. entering a recession sits at just 15%. Their reasons for the optimistic outlook include a recovering manufacturing industry, the fact that the bulk of major rate hikes are already behind us and the belief that the nation’s real income growth can support consumption and GDP growth. In addition, they believe central banks (referring to institutions that manage currency for one or more countries — not Houston’s Central Bank) have a strong desire to do what is needed to avoid a recession.

• Mortgage Interest Rates Will See a Slight Decrease: Although analysts aren’t entirely clear about what the world of home loans looks like for 2024, many agree rates will drop somewhat toward the year’s end. Specific rate increases or decreases will depend on factors such as inflation, the state of the job market and actions taken by the Federal Reserve.

• Inflation Will Continue to Fall: Inflation has already begun to cool across the U.S. and elsewhere in the world — and Goldman Sachs believes that trajectory will continue. Supply and demand concerns have come into better balance, they say, something which is now bringing disinflation on core goods. Unemployment levels are also stabilizing.
  Central Bank Tip: For more insights into inflation’s causes and impacts, visit our inflation explanation blog post!

• An Election Year Will Introduce Ups and Downs: Regardless of the political party in power or candidates running, presidential elections create uncertainty and upheaval in the markets. This comes for a number of reasons, such as platforms candidates present to the public and a desire for companies to hold off on large business decisions until they know who will come out on top — and what legislation might come into play.

Setting Yourself Up for Financial Success in the Coming Year
Simply understanding an projected forecasts isn’t enough to ensure your business is on the smartest path forward. A proactive approach that gets to the roots of who your organization is, what it hopes to achieve — and how it hopes to get there — is key. Here are some tips to get you started.

• Conduct a Comprehensive Financial Review
  The surest way to pinpoint areas where a business might be overspending, or where operations might lack efficiency, is to understand where things currently sit. Gather company leadership and department heads together to put business finances under the microscope.
  
  Assess cash flow, scrutinize expenses, evaluate investment performance and get an overall feel for financial standings. Take things a step further by evaluating operations on the whole — everything from determining whether you have the right people in the right positions, to whether there are faster ways to approach your work and whether your office space suits your needs.

• Set Realistic, Achievable Financial Goals
  Once you have a clear picture of your company’s current financial standings, it’s time to pinpoint particular issues you’d like to address, determine what you hope to achieve in the coming months — and lay out a plan of action to bring those goals to reality. Whether your goal is to increase revenue, reduce expenses, expand your market reach or improve efficiency, establishing clear objectives will serve as a roadmap for your business in 2024.
  
  That same team that helped evaluate your company’s current standings can play a key role in determining next steps. Set aside a block of time devoted specifically to company improvements, and take the meeting off-site to help avoid interruptions. Don’t forget to include your local banker in these conversations. Whether you’d like assistance determining specific objectives or laying out the best path forward, they’ll be able to help you craft a one-of-a-kind financial plan that suits your operations.

• Understand the Environment Outside Your Business
  Market shifts, changing interest rates and even international conflicts can all have substantial impacts on a company’s financial decisions. Going in informed is the best way to ensure decisions made today help get your business to where you’d like it to be tomorrow.
  
  Subscribe to local newsletters, keep up with local and national news, and watch for correspondence from partner companies. At Central Bank, for instance, we send out regular emails filled with updates on market changes that could impact customers, tips for effective use of your banking products and other insights to keep companies headed down the path to success.

Your local bank is here to help you determine your logical steps forward into the new year — and throughout the months that follow, too. If you have questions about financial forecast headlines you see or any of the above information, or if you’re interested in learning how we can help you craft a unique financial plan, contact your Central Bank branch today. We’re here, and we’re ready to help.