Nicole Lapin

You're essentially investing in every creator brand that passes through that same pipeline, not just one.

That is Chime.com slash MNN.

I'm Nicole Lapin, the only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.

It's time for some money rehab.

Oil prices have gone crazy.

And yes, of course, this is going to affect gas prices.

But the impact could spread way beyond what you pay at the pump.

It could create a ripple effect across the global economy.

You're about to hear a conversation I had with Lauren Simmons.

She's a former trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange about where markets are, what's driving this volatility and what you as an investor should actually be doing about it.

But first, a quick primer, because I just want to lay the foundation of what's really at stake before we dive in.

As you know, the conflict in Iran is driving up oil prices.

When economists talk about the price of oil, you're almost always hearing about Brent crude.

There is more than one type of oil, but Brent crude really sets the price for roughly 80 percent of globally traded oil on the planet.

Right now, Brent is high, driven largely by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

How high?

Well, Lauren and I talk about that later.

But I want to clear up some confusion.

You've probably heard that the U.S.

exports more oil than it actually uses.