March 20, 2025

PERSONAL FINANCE

This Recession Scare Feels Different. Here’s What to Do About It. Five steps to prepare for a financial disaster when the usual safeguards won’t cut it.

By Charlotte Cowles

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images

I wish we’d been wrong about how bad things would get when some very powerful men started ignoring the Constitution in order to decimate the federal government and enrich themselves. But as it turns out, it’s even worse than anticipated! And this is only the beginning.

Sure, we’ve heard warnings of a recession for years. But this moment is different. “I don’t think the atmosphere has felt this bad since 2008, 2009,” says Mary Clements Evans, a certified financial planner and the author of Emotionally Invested: Outsmart Your Anxiety for Fearless Retirement Planning. “We’re not in a recession yet, but there’s a lot of confusion and uncertainty. Job loss seems to be happening at random, without notice or appropriate safety nets.” So, how are we supposed to prepare for a downturn when the usual guardrails are gone? Here, financial experts share what they’re telling their clients, and doing themselves.

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Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images

ASTROLOGY

Your Daily Horoscope by Madame Clairevoyant: March 20, 2025 The start of a new astrological year begins with Aries today — but Mercury and Venus retrograde are still ongoing, so hold off on big plans for now.

By Madame Clairevoyant

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This Recession Scare Feels Different. Here’s What to Do About It.

This Recession Scare Feels Different. Here’s What to Do About It. Five steps to prepare for a financial disaster when the usual safeguards won’t cut it.

Today's Top Stories

“The length of our journey and everything — I feel like all the emotions are tripled.” The mom who went through IVF in three different countries tells her story.

Emily Gould talks to author Torrey Peters about history, the TV adaptation of Detransition, Baby, and her meeting with Taylor Swift’s manager.

According to a coroner’s report, Audrey Plaza and her husband had reportedly separated before his death.

The sign of the ram charges forward to meet the world head-on. This Aries season, use that fiery energy to assert yourself and make a bold change in your life.

Dive into all our stories on style, self, culture, and power.

Your Daily Horoscope by Madame Clairevoyant: March 20, 2025 The start of a new astrological year begins with Aries today — but Mercury and Venus retrograde are still ongoing, so hold off on big plans for now.

The Mini Cut Shop

Where a Writer Gets Her Vintage Chanel

Lily Sullivan shares her favorite layering pieces and her dinner-party essentials.

Three Ways to Make Your Dinner Party Cool

Once-dull cookware and pantry staples are now display-worthy status symbols.

25 Best Bras for Large Breasts

They’re cute, they’re supportive, and they come in cup sizes other than B.

Sign up for Brooding

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