NAFA member Mike Smith, President of Scope Aircraft Finance, shares his latest article in The Plane Truth.
Well, that was a wild start to 2026, wasn’t it? To call these times interesting would be an understatement. What have we learned so far?
- Interest rates haven’t materially fallen. There was an expectation going into the year that we’d see a 0.5% or higher drop in interest rates from the Federal Reserve; as of now, they’ve held rates steady.
- Inflation remains sticky. The Iranian War’s impact on energy prices has increased the annualized inflation rate, which isn’t showing signs of reversing anytime soon.
- Geopolitical dynamics are as obscure as ever. There’s not much point in even commenting here, the news changes by the minute. As with everything, clarity helps, and until we have it, uncertainty remains.
This article was originally published on April 23, 2026 in Issue 19 of The Plane Truth.