Why sharemarkets are melting down and what should you do?

The value of US shares has gone down around 14 per cent this year, amid concerns its central bank will have to effectively push the world’s largest economy into a recession to control surging prices and inflation.

Aussie shares have been somewhat protected, thanks to rising commodity prices and the heavy concentration of energy companies on our stock exchange.

But US shares continue to teeter on the edge of an official ‘bear market’ – defined as a 20 per cent or more fall in share values while our local S&P/ASX All Technology Index is down by about 30 per cent.

Younger investors who piled into the sharemarket during the pandemic are getting a bumpy ride indeed.

Today on Please Explain, personal finance editor John Collett joins Jess Irvine to discuss what's happening, how long it'll last and what approach younger investors should take to the current market turbulence.

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