Storage Facilities Where to keep your cash during periods of infl ation or high interest rates depends on your priorities U nless you've been living in a hut in the Andes since the start of the pandemic, you know that infl ation is sky-high. You've seen it in your supply prices. You've felt it at the pump. You may have even audibly gasped a few times at the grocery store checkout. As of August 2022, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is up 5.3% from the same time last year. That means Americans have roughly 5.3% less available spending money, give or take, than a year ago. Couple that with a jittery stock market that's spooked by every interest rate hike and earnings report, plus war in Ukraine causing even more uncertainty, and it can feel really diffi cult to fi nd a safe place to park your cash savings that will return anything more than pocket change. Do you risk your hard-saved cash in this roller coaster market? Do you lock it up in bonds or certifi cate of deposits (CDs) now that rates should be climbing? Do you keep it safely tucked away in a money market piggy bank that's earning next to zero interest? I get questions like these from my clients all the time. My answer? Investing your cash in times like these is less about where you put your money. It's more about where you put your priorities. orthotown.com \\ OCTOBER 2022 59http://www.orthotown.com