Finding Opportunities When the Economy Slows: Where Investors Should Look Now

August 21, 2025

Economic slowdowns can feel unsettling. You see headlines about markets pulling back, unemployment creeping higher, and consumer confidence falling. If you’re retired or preparing for retirement, the thought of protecting your nest egg might weigh heavily. And if you’re a high-net-worth investor, you may be searching for strategies that don’t just preserve wealth but position you for growth when the economy eventually rebounds.

The reality is that slowdowns aren’t the end of opportunity. They’re simply different seasons in the economic cycle. Your challenge isn’t to avoid them but to recognize where the potential lies. From reliable dividend stocks to farmland, private credit, and Florida-specific opportunities, there are strategies worth exploring.

That perspective was echoed by Michael Landsberg, CIO of Landsberg Bennett Private Wealth Management, during his April 2025 CNBC appearance. He pointed out that while tariffs dominate the headlines, the underlying economy is slowing. GDP growth, in his view, may cool from roughly two and a half percent to just above zero. Earnings could split sharply between strong and weak names, depending on how companies navigate softer consumer confidence.

Landsberg also stressed caution on mega-cap stocks. A handful of companies have been responsible for an outsized share of market gains, which he sees as unsustainable. His team trimmed positions in January, preferring a broader balance across sectors. He remains cautious on small-caps as well, noting their underperformance since 2021 and questioning whether the risk is worth the return right now.

Where does he see opportunity? Landsberg highlighted utilities, insurance, and mid-cap companies tied to long-term demand. These sectors represent businesses with durable cash flow that are less tied to the ups and downs of consumer sentiment, offering investors a steadier path during periods of slower economic growth.

He also mentioned global diversification. While some investors dismiss Europe, he noted that many European companies trade at lower multiples with less volatility than U.S. peers. As Europe emerges from recession, the combination of cheaper valuations and global reach makes select names worth watching.

That mix of caution and opportunity is a reminder that even when the U.S. economy slows, there are places to put capital to work. The key is being selective, balancing income stability with growth potential, and keeping an eye on opportunities both at home and abroad.

In this article, we’ll break down where you should be looking for opportunity during an economic slowdown. From defensive equities and fixed income to private credit, real assets, and state-specific strategies, you’ll see how different asset classes can help protect your wealth while positioning you for growth when conditions improve.

United States Economic Forecast

The latest outlook (as of June 2025) sees U.S. growth slowing through 2025. In Deloitte’s baseline scenario, tighter tariffs give way to easing trade tensions, and the Fed begins a modest easing phase—leading to a gradual rebound in growth, business investment, and inflation cooling over time. But Deloitte also cautions: if tariffs rise significantly, the economy could edge into a technical recession by the end of 2025—even if the full-year GDP stays slightly positive.

In short, the picture is mixed: momentum may persist in the short term, but top-down risks—from tariffs to labor softness—are growing. It’s a reminder that flexibility and forward-looking positioning matter.

What’s in It for Investors?

That forecast matters because it sets the backdrop for every opportunity we’re about to discuss. If growth is slowing or stalling, your choices need to shift from “fastest-growing” to “steady income,” “inflation protection,” or “real-asset diversification.”

• It means defensive equities—like dividend payers in essential sectors—get more attention.
  
  
• It puts a premium on bonds and inflation-adjusted fixed income, particularly if rate cuts come through more slowly than expected.
  
  
• It raises the appeal of alternatives like private credit, farmland, or private real estate—areas less tied to headline GDP or market sentiment.
  
  
• For Florida residents, each of these perspectives takes on a local flavor: whether it’s muni bonds tied to infrastructure or farmland in central Florida, the state’s resilience helps anchor your strategy.

The forecast isn’t just background color—it influences where income and growth can still be found if the economic tide recedes.

Where Investors Should Look When the Economy Slows?

Economic slowdowns force you to think differently about how your money works for you. Growth-driven strategies that shine in strong markets don’t always hold up when consumer spending cools, interest rates shift, or volatility rises. That doesn’t mean you should step aside. It means you need to adjust where you focus.

Here are 10 specific areas where you can find opportunity when growth slows:

1. Defensive Equity Plays
   
   
2. Fixed Income Opportunities
   
   
3. Alternative Credit Strategies
   
   
4. Real Assets and Farmland
   
   
5. Real Estate Strategies
   
   
6. Commodities and Precious Metals
   
   
7. Private Markets & Alternatives Beyond the Basics
   
   
8. Cash Management and Liquidity
   
   
9. Investor Psychology and Behavioral Finance
   
   
10. Portfolio Strategy Integration
    
    

Each one offers a different way to help strengthen your portfolio, protect income, and position yourself for the rebound that follows every slowdown.

Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

1. Defensive Equity Plays

What It Means

Defensive equity plays are stocks that hold their ground during weaker economic cycles. Instead of relying on rapid growth, they provide stability through consistent earnings, dividends, and products or services that people keep buying no matter what the economy is doing.

Think of them as the “core” in your equity allocation. They don’t rely on booming consumer spending. Instead, they thrive on predictable demand for essentials such as electricity, healthcare, and household goods.

Why They Matter in Slowdowns

• Stable Income: Dividend-paying stocks supply cash flow even when prices fluctuate.
  
  
• Lower Volatility: Defensive sectors are less sensitive to consumer mood swings.
  
  
• Portfolio Balance: They provide ballast against more cyclical or growth-heavy holdings.
  
  

For retirees, this means you can continue drawing income from your portfolio without needing to sell shares at depressed prices. For high-net-worth investors, it’s about steady exposure that helps offset risk in more aggressive strategies.

Where You Often Find Them

• Healthcare: Medicines, hospital care, and long-term treatments are non-negotiable expenses.
  
  
• Utilities: Power and water bills continue regardless of market swings.
  
  
• Consumer Staples: Food, household supplies, and personal care items remain essential purchases.

Imagine you hold two companies:

• Company A sells luxury vacation packages.
  
  
• Company B provides electricity to homes and hospitals.

When the economy slows, Company A’s bookings may fall sharply as families cut discretionary spending. Company B, however, keeps billing households and hospitals every month, producing steady revenue. That consistency is what makes Company B a defensive equity play.

Key takeaway: Defensive equity plays don’t remove all risk, but they focus your portfolio on businesses that can generate reliable income and maintain stability when the economy slows.

2. Fixed Income Opportunities

Bonds make a comeback every time growth slows. But the real question is: which bonds?

Treasuries and TIPS

• U.S. Treasuries are backed by the federal government, making them the cornerstone of fixed income.
• Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are especially valuable when inflation is sticky, since their principal adjusts with the Consumer Price Index.
  
  

Municipal Bonds

• Munis offer tax advantages, which can be meaningful for high-income investors.
• In Florida, the absence of state income tax enhances their appeal, particularly for retirees relying on steady after-tax income.
• With counties funding infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and public services to accommodate rapid population growth, local munis often connect directly to long-term community demand.
  
  

Short-Duration Bonds

• Bonds with shorter maturities reduce exposure to interest rate swings.
  
  
• They provide a balance between yield and stability, especially important if you’re planning withdrawals for living expenses in the near term.
  
  

Corporate Bonds

• Investment-grade corporate bonds from financially stable companies can provide higher yields than Treasuries without excessive credit risk.
• In a slowdown, focusing on balance sheet strength is key — you want companies with consistent earnings and low leverage.

Agency Bonds

• Issued by government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, these carry strong credit backing.
• While not as widely discussed as Treasuries, they can provide an additional layer of diversification in fixed income.

Imagine you hold two bonds:

• Bond A is a 10-year corporate bond with a fixed 4 percent coupon.
  
  
• Bond B is a 2-year Treasury paying 3.5 percent.

If rates rise unexpectedly, Bond A’s price may drop significantly because of its longer maturity. Bond B, on the other hand, matures quickly, allowing you to reinvest at higher rates. That shorter duration provides flexibility in uncertain conditions.

When you focus on fixed income, the key is matching maturities and structures to your spending needs. If you’re looking for stability during uncertain times, bonds can play the role of steady income generator while freeing up other parts of your portfolio for growth.

Key takeaway: Fixed income opportunities during slowdowns aren’t about grabbing the highest yield. They’re about structuring maturities, diversifying credit quality, and using tools like munis and TIPS to secure steady income while protecting against inflation and volatility.

3. Alternative Credit Strategies

When banks pull back on lending, private markets often step in. That’s where private credit comes in as an attractive option for high-net-worth investors.

Private credit funds lend directly to businesses, often at higher rates than you’d find in public markets. During a slowdown, credit spreads tend to widen, which means you can capture more yield. Many of these structures include floating-rate loans, so if interest rates shift, the income adjusts upward.

Key Strategies in Alternative Credit

Direct Lending: Private funds provide loans directly to companies, particularly middle-market borrowers that may not have access to traditional financing. These loans are often senior secured, meaning they take priority in repayment.

Mezzanine Financing: A hybrid between debt and equity, mezzanine financing sits below senior loans but above equity in the capital structure. It usually carries higher interest rates and may include equity features such as warrants.

Specialty Finance: Covers niche activities such as equipment leasing, litigation finance, and lending backed by intellectual property. These segments can provide stable returns tied to specific assets or industries.

Structured Credit: This strategy involves pooling income-producing loans, mortgages, or receivables and issuing securities backed by those pools. It allows investors to gain exposure to credit markets while tailoring risk across different tranches.

Trade Finance: Provides short-term financing for domestic and international trade. This can include letters of credit or supply chain financing, helping businesses manage cash flow across borders and industries.

Private Debt: A broad category that includes senior loans, subordinated debt, and other tailored debt instruments. Terms can be customized to meet both borrower and investor needs, covering everything from real estate to consumer lending.

Venture Debt: Targeted at startups and high-growth companies, venture debt supplements equity financing. These loans are often secured by warrants or options, giving lenders a potential equity upside along with interest income.

Advantages of Alternative Credit

• Diversification: Provides exposure to return sources less correlated with public equities or bonds.
  
  
• Higher Yields: Investors often capture stronger income than traditional fixed income securities, especially when credit spreads widen during downturns.
  
  
• Lower Rate Sensitivity: Floating-rate structures can adjust upward when interest rates rise, making them more resilient than fixed coupon bonds.
  
  
• Access to Specialized Markets: Opens doors to industries and transactions not available through public markets.
  
  
• Flexibility for Borrowers: Custom loan terms create opportunities for investors while giving borrowers tailored financing solutions.

Risks to Consider

• Illiquidity: Many alternative credit investments require long-term commitments and cannot be sold quickly.
  
  
• Complexity: Structures can be intricate, requiring clear understanding of collateral, covenants, and repayment order.
  
  
• Credit Risk: Borrowers may default, leading to potential investor losses.
  
  
• Manager Dependence: Results often hinge on how well the investment manager sources and manages deals.
  
  
• Operational Risk: Weaknesses in systems or controls can affect performance, particularly in specialized or cross-border lending.

Key takeaway: Alternative credit strategies expand your toolkit beyond stocks and bonds, offering higher yield potential and diversification. But they come with complexity and illiquidity, making due diligence critical. For investors in retirement or high-net-worth households, carefully selecting strategies that match risk tolerance and income needs can help stabilize portfolios during economic slowdowns.

4. Real Assets and Farmland

What It Means

Real assets are investments backed by physical, tangible resources such as farmland, infrastructure, or timberland. Unlike equities that rely heavily on market sentiment, real assets are tied to underlying use and demand. This makes them particularly appealing during slowdowns, when income stability and inflation protection matter more than rapid growth.

Farmland as an Inflation Hedge

Farmland continues to stand out because food demand does not fall when the economy slows. Agricultural land benefits from predictable consumption and limited supply. Historically, farmland values and lease income rise alongside inflation, helping investors preserve purchasing power.

In central Florida, farmland has delivered steady cash flows through crop production and leasing arrangements. With the state’s agricultural base covering citrus, vegetables, and livestock, farmland can provide resilience and diversification within a broader portfolio.

Infrastructure Funds

The U.S. government has allocated billions toward upgrading roads, bridges, ports, and broadband. Florida, with its fast-growing population and expanding retirement communities, is positioned as a direct beneficiary of these projects. By investing in infrastructure funds, you can participate in long-term development while earning income from tolls, leases, or service fees.

Timberland and Agricultural Partnerships

Timberland offers two income streams: the sale of timber and land appreciation over time. Because timber harvesting schedules can be adjusted, it provides flexibility in managing cash flows. Agricultural partnerships, meanwhile, pool investor capital into farming operations or food production businesses, producing income streams that tend to be less correlated with stock market swings.

Why Real Assets Matter in Slowdowns

• Inflation Protection: Many real assets adjust with price levels, helping shield you from rising costs.
  
  
• Diversification: Returns are less tied to traditional equity or bond markets.
  
  
• Tangible Value: These investments are backed by physical resources with ongoing demand.
  
  
• Income Potential: Leases, service contracts, or crop production provide consistent revenue.
  
  

Key takeaway: Real assets such as farmland, infrastructure, and timberland offer resilience, steady income, and inflation protection during economic slowdowns. They provide investors with tangible value and diversification at a time when traditional equity markets can feel unpredictable.

5. Real Estate Strategies

You may hear mixed opinions about real estate in a slowdown. Rising interest rates can make borrowing harder, but not all sectors are equally affected.

REIT subsectors worth watching include:

• Healthcare Facilities and Senior Housing: Florida’s aging demographics make this sector critical. As retirees move to the state, demand for hospitals, clinics, and assisted living centers continues to climb. These facilities often sign long-term leases, providing a steady income stream for investors.
• Industrial and Logistics Real Estate: E-commerce continues to expand even in slowdowns, which supports warehouses, distribution hubs, and logistics centers. These assets benefit from long-term tenant agreements and rising demand for efficient supply chain infrastructure.
• Storage Facilities: Storage tends to hold up well in downturns. Whether people are downsizing, relocating, or businesses are adjusting inventories, storage units remain in use. This consistent demand can keep occupancy rates stable.

For more sophisticated investors, private real estate funds offer exposure without the day-to-day volatility of public REITs. These funds may focus on sectors like multifamily housing or medical offices, which have historically shown stability.

Key Considerations for Investors

• Income Stability: Look for sectors with long leases and predictable demand.
  
  
• Interest Rate Sensitivity: Monitor financing costs, as higher borrowing rates can reduce margins.
  
  
• Tenant Quality: Focus on properties with reliable tenants to minimize vacancy risk.
  
  
• Liquidity Trade-Off: Public REITs offer easier entry and exit, while private funds provide longer-term exposure with less volatility.

Key takeaway: Real estate during a slowdown is about being selective. Healthcare, logistics, and storage often hold up well, and Florida’s demographic tailwinds add another layer of support. By balancing public REITs with private real estate exposure, you can capture income stability while positioning for future growth.

6. Commodities and Precious Metals

When equity markets stumble and uncertainty builds, commodities often play the role of portfolio stabilizer. Gold and silver are classic safe havens. They don’t generate dividends, but they’ve preserved value across centuries of downturns. Their strength lies in the fact that they are not tied to the earnings cycle of companies.

Energy commodities, such as oil and natural gas, bring a different kind of exposure. They tend to be more volatile, yet they serve as effective hedges when inflation pressures rise. Agricultural commodities also deserve attention. Global supply chain challenges and steady food demand often keep prices supported even in recessions.

For investors who don’t want the responsibility of managing physical metals or commodity storage, ETFs and mutual funds provide liquid access to gold, silver, oil, and agriculture baskets.

Insights from Michael Landsberg

During his July 2025 CNBC World Street Signs appearance, Michael Landsberg emphasized the importance of owning inflation-sensitive assets. “Our belief is inflation hasn’t gone any lower in a year and could even accelerate slightly,” he said. “That’s why you want to own things like commodities. We’ve seen oil resurge, we’ve liked copper, and gold as well.”

He explained that commodities give investors exposure to pricing power when other sectors may struggle. By participating in markets where supply and demand imbalances drive prices, you can hedge against the drag of slower GDP growth or weaker consumer confidence.

Key Takeaways for Investors

• Gold and Silver: Stores of value during volatility.
  
  
• Energy Commodities: Oil and natural gas can benefit when inflation lingers.
  
  
• Agricultural Commodities: Global food demand supports pricing, even in recessions.
  
  
• ETFs and Funds: Offer simple access without the complexity of physical storage.
  
  
• Inflation Hedge: Commodities can rise when traditional assets face pressure from higher costs.

7. Private Markets and Alternatives Beyond the Basics

Why Private Markets Matter in a Slowdown

When public markets are volatile, private markets can offer different sources of return. These investments are less tied to daily trading and can provide access to strategies designed to perform in varying economic conditions. They often require longer commitments and higher entry points, but for investors with capacity, they can open doors beyond traditional equities and bonds.

Key Strategies in Private Markets

Private Equity Secondaries: During downturns, some investors sell their private equity holdings at discounts to gain liquidity. This creates opportunities for buyers to access funds backed by established companies at more favorable pricing.

Venture Capital: While early-stage investing carries risk, certain sectors such as healthcare technology and efficiency-driven services continue to see growth even in slowdowns. Venture capital can deliver long-term exposure to companies positioned to solve structural problems.

Hedge Funds: Hedge funds often employ strategies that thrive in volatility. Market-neutral funds seek to capture relative value rather than broad market growth, while distressed debt funds purchase the obligations of struggling companies and profit when conditions stabilize.

Insurance-Linked Securities: These securities are tied to risks such as natural disasters rather than equity markets. Because their performance is based on insurance outcomes, they provide low correlation to traditional asset classes, which can strengthen diversification.

Private Real Estate and Infrastructure Funds: Beyond public REITs, private vehicles allow investors to target sectors such as multifamily housing, healthcare facilities, or toll infrastructure. They are less liquid but can deliver consistent income over long periods.

Benefits of Private Market Strategies

• Diversification: Access to return sources that are not tied directly to equity or bond markets.
  
  
• Income Potential: Certain strategies, such as private credit or real estate funds, generate steady distributions.
  
  
• Market Inefficiency: Less public exposure can create opportunities where pricing is less efficient.
  
  
• Long-Term Growth: Many private investments are designed with multi-year horizons, which can align with generational wealth planning.

Risks to Consider

• Illiquidity: Capital may be tied up for years without the ability to sell quickly.
  
  
• Complexity: Structures can be intricate, requiring careful evaluation of terms, fees, and governance.
  
  
• Manager Dependence: Outcomes often hinge on how well the manager sources, underwrites, and exits investments.
  
  
• Valuation Transparency: Private assets may not be priced as frequently or as clearly as public securities.

Key Takeaway: Private markets broaden your investment toolkit when the economy slows. They are not about chasing rapid gains, but about adding strategies with different return drivers, whether through private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, or insurance-linked securities. For investors with higher capacity and patience, these assets can strengthen portfolio resilience while providing exposure that public markets cannot.

8. Cash Management and Liquidity

Cash plays a different role when the economy slows. It isn’t about chasing growth, it’s about creating stability and flexibility. Having accessible funds means you can handle daily expenses, meet unexpected needs, and position yourself to invest when opportunities appear. The real challenge is holding the right amount — enough to protect yourself but not so much that your portfolio sits idle.

Cash Management Tools to Consider

High-Yield Savings Accounts: These accounts preserve capital while paying more interest than traditional savings. They are useful for short-term needs or an emergency reserve.

Money Market Funds: Money markets pool short-term securities like Treasury bills and commercial paper. They are designed to provide liquidity and modest yield, making them useful as a holding place for cash you might need within months.

Certificates of Deposit (CDs): CDs allow you to lock in a fixed interest rate for a set term. While they reduce flexibility, they can provide higher yields compared to a savings account. A CD ladder — staggering maturities over time — can give you both yield and access to cash at regular intervals.

Treasury Bills: Short-term government securities that can be bought directly from the U.S. Treasury. They are low risk and can be timed to mature when you expect to need cash.

Striking the Right Balance

• Too Little Liquidity: You may be forced to sell long-term investments during a downturn to cover expenses.
  
  
• Too Much Liquidity: You risk missing market opportunities when assets are trading at discounted prices.
  
  
• Right-Sized Liquidity: Enough to cover living expenses and emergencies, while keeping the rest of your portfolio working in income-generating or growth-focused assets.

Example

Consider two retirees with $1 million in investments:

• Retiree A keeps $700,000 in cash accounts. They feel safe but earn very little and miss chances to invest when markets recover.
  
  
• Retiree B holds $100,000 in liquid accounts and invests the rest in a balanced portfolio. They have flexibility for short-term needs but also participate in the rebound when equities and bonds rise again.

Key takeaway: Cash management is not about sitting on the sidelines. It is about using savings accounts, CDs, money markets, and Treasury bills to preserve liquidity while keeping enough invested to benefit from recovery.

9. Investor Psychology and Behavioral Finance

Markets are not driven only by earnings reports or economic forecasts. They are also shaped by fear, optimism, and herd behavior. During slowdowns, investors often react emotionally instead of rationally. Selling in panic or holding too much cash feels safe in the moment, but those decisions can harm long-term results.

Common Behavioral Traps

Panic Selling: Sharp drops in account values create anxiety, pushing investors to sell at the worst time. Once out of the market, many struggle to get back in, often missing the early stages of recovery.

Overconcentration in Cash: Holding a large portion of wealth in cash may feel comfortable, especially for retirees, but it leaves portfolios exposed to inflation. Over time, purchasing power erodes.

Recency Bias: Investors often assume that what just happened will continue. A recent downturn makes some believe that markets will keep falling indefinitely, even though cycles eventually turn.

Herd Mentality: When markets fall, people take cues from peers or headlines, selling simply because others are selling. This amplifies volatility and reinforces poor timing decisions.

Practical Strategies to Stay Disciplined

• Dollar-Cost Averaging: Investing a set amount at regular intervals helps you avoid emotional timing decisions. You buy more shares when prices are lower and fewer when prices are higher, smoothing out volatility.
  
  
• Rebalancing: Periodically adjusting your portfolio back to target weights forces you to trim assets that outperformed and add to those that fell, keeping discipline in check.
  
  
• Setting Rules in Advance: Deciding ahead of time how much cash to hold, or when to rebalance, prevents rash choices driven by fear.
  
  
• Long-Term Perspective: Viewing downturns as part of a cycle helps shift focus away from short-term losses and toward the potential for recovery.

Key takeaway: Recognizing your own emotional patterns is as important as picking stocks or bonds. If you stay disciplined with strategies like dollar-cost averaging and rebalancing, you give yourself a better chance to capture the recovery that follows every slowdown.

10. Portfolio Strategy Integration

How do you tie all of this together? By thinking in terms of balance.

The challenge during an economic slowdown is not choosing one asset class over another, but weaving different pieces together into a balanced plan. A barbell approach is one way to do this. On one side, you hold ultra-safe fixed income such as Treasuries, T-bills, or high-quality short-term bonds. On the other side, you place capital into higher-return opportunities like equities, private credit, or real assets. This blend creates stability through predictable income while leaving room for growth when markets recover.

Tactical Adjustments

Slowdowns are also a time to consider tactical shifts within your allocation. That might mean reducing exposure to consumer discretionary names that depend heavily on spending strength and increasing allocations to healthcare, utilities, or dividend-paying stocks. On the fixed income side, shifting toward shorter-duration bonds can help reduce rate sensitivity while keeping yield potential.

Diversification Across Structures

Balance also comes from mixing public and private investments. Public equities and bonds provide liquidity, while private credit, real assets, and private equity secondaries offer diversification and long-term exposure. By blending liquid and less liquid strategies, you avoid overconcentration in any single part of the market.

Risk Management

Risk isn’t only about volatility. It includes liquidity risk, inflation risk, and the risk of failing to meet long-term income needs. Managing these requires intentional allocation. Keeping enough in cash equivalents covers near-term expenses, while income-producing bonds and equities handle medium-term needs. Growth-oriented alternatives then cover the long-term horizon.

Key takeaway: Portfolio integration during an economic slowdown is about structure. By combining safety, income, and growth across both public and private markets, you protect yourself from short-term shocks while keeping your portfolio positioned for long-term opportunity.

FAQs

1. Where should I invest during a recession?
   Dividend stocks, bonds, and select alternatives like private credit and farmland are common opportunities.

2. Is real estate a good investment in Florida during a slowdown?
   Yes. Migration trends continue to support housing and senior living demand in Florida even when growth slows nationally.

3. What are the potentially safest investments in a downturn
   Treasuries, TIPS, municipal bonds, and high-quality dividend stocks are often viewed as safe.

4. Should retirees buy dividend stocks in recessions?
   Yes, because they provide consistent income and tend to be less volatile than growth-focused stocks.
   
   
5. How do alternative investments perform in economic slowdowns?
   Many, like private credit or farmland, can outperform traditional markets because they’re less correlated.
   
   
6. What role do commodities like gold play during downturns?
   They act as hedges, preserving value when equities fall.
   
   
7. Should I hold more cash or invest during a slowdown?
   Hold enough cash for liquidity, but avoid overconcentration. Opportunities often emerge when markets pull back.
   
   
8. Are municipal bonds safe in a recession?
   They generally hold up well, especially those tied to essential services or infrastructure in growing states like Florida.
   
   
9. What strategies can high-net-worth investors use in downturns?
   Alternatives such as private equity secondaries, hedge funds, and private credit may provide opportunities.
   
   
10. Is farmland a good hedge against inflation?
    Yes. Farmland has historically provided stable returns and protects against inflation.

Conclusion

Slowdowns may feel uncomfortable, but they’re not just obstacles. They’re times when discipline and strategy matter most.

If you’re willing to look beyond the headlines, you’ll find opportunities in dividend stocks, bonds, real assets, private credit, farmland, commodities, and alternatives. Some are defensive, some are forward-looking, but together they help you protect and grow wealth.

Think of a slowdown as a reminder: opportunity doesn’t disappear, it shifts. For you, the path forward is to stay engaged, stay diversified, and stay open to new strategies. And if you want to tailor these opportunities to your specific goals, working with a trusted advisor can help align your portfolio to the realities of today’s economy.