<p><img style="width: 500px; height:220px;" src="https://media.caxtonfx.com/img/1100363/north-korea-currency-travel-money.jpg?width=500&height=220" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f28b0d11e63946229aa0f8d39ebe2e22" /></p> <p>This week we saw the markets upset by North Korea’s missile tests.<span> </span><em>But why is this affecting our holiday money so much?</em><br /><br />Markets do not like the unexpected, so when it happens, investors turn to "safe havens". For the currency market these are currently: Japanese yen, Swiss franc and the euro. These countries have strong economic growth, strong country finances, liquidity (especially for the Japanese yen), and a stable political system (though France did worry us earlier this year). All three have rallied ahead of past major elections due to political uncertainty, especially with Brexit and the US elections.</p> <p><strong>Why not the US dollar?</strong></p> <p>The pound has strengthened against the US dollar, with many investors not considering the currency reliable right now. Although Trump has made tackling North Korea one of his main foreign policies, he has so far failed to make any progress.<span> </span><br /><br />Also weighing on the value of the US dollar is the recent deadly flooding in Texas and beyond. Estimated to cost billions in damages, with Hurricane Harvey shutting down more than 16 per cent of US oil refineries – one of the country’s largest exports. Oil prices have spiked amid fears of a fuel shortage, so we can anticipate an increase in petrol prices globally.</p> <p><strong>Should we be worried?</strong></p> <p>With both natural and man-made events creating volatility this week the market has been fluctuating, but we are already beginning to see the pound regain some strength against the euro. Mainly due to that initial “panic” in the markets now easing off.</p> <p><strong>Can this kind of volatility be avoided?</strong></p> <p>Not completely - we can only prepare for the unexpected. If you are going away soon, and want to keep an eye on the FX market so you can lock in a more favourable rate using your Caxton Card, we’ve got a few helps for you.</p> <p>Sign up to our analyst’s morning briefing, currency reports straight to your inbox including an overview of the latest<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://campaigns.caxtonfx.com/international-payments/currency-reports" target="_blank">interbank rates</a>. </p> <p>To specifically watch our euro and US dollar card rates, you can sign up to our<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://events.caxtonfx.com/rates/rate-watch" target="_blank">daily or weekly updates</a>. </p> <p>Our Buy Back Guarantee gives you the option to sell back any unused currency left on your Caxton Card at the same rate your purchased it for, meaning if the rates drop, you won’t miss out. Simply purchase for an additional £4.99 when you go to load your card.<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://myaccount.caxtonfx.com/account/login" target="_blank">Log in to your Account</a>. </p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="/the-best-prepaid-currency-card-and-account/" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height:122.5px;" src="https://az695284.vo.msecnd.net/img/1099043/cardbannerblog-grey.png?width=500&height=122.5" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/072557bc0e014b42b266e1b6f6544c57" /></a></p>