Five years ago, I wrote an article that warned not to place too much emphasis on the
ability to work longer to fund retirement. The risk was abundantly clear: just because
you want to keep toiling, does not mean that you will be able to do so. For some, there
will be physical limitations and for others, there may not be a job. That’s why nudges
like me encourage you to diligently save during your working years.
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin did not cause the recent dollar dive. His remarks
(“Obviously a weaker dollar is good for us as it relates to trade and opportunities”) at
the World Economic Forum in Davos were surprising, because government officials have
historically not been willing to acknowledge that when the value of the dollar falls, it
makes US exports cheaper. The result can be good for US manufacturers and can also
improve the trade balance.
The Dow closed above 26000 and the NASDAQ finally topped its inflation adjusted high
last week, begging the question: Why don’t investors care about a government
shutdown? The answer may be that they don’t care about lots of risks that exist, but
more specifically, previous periods when Congressional impasses have lead to Uncle
Sam shuttering some of its operations, have not spelled Armageddon for stocks.