Government Shutdown Sparks Market Jitters -- Should Investors Turn to Gold and Other Alternatives?

The media headlines are screaming that "the government is shut down!" But that's not entirely true. Essential services are still being provided, and there's no expectation that they will stop even if the shutdown drags on.Here's why the shutdown isn't a great reason to dump your long-term investment plan and buy gold or other alternative investments, like crypto. However, owning some of those investments might not be such a bad idea if you think long term.Prior to the shutdown, the Social Security Administration (SSA) created a contingency plan. The SSA employs 51,825 people. In the event of a shutdown, the SSA intended to furlough just 6,197, leaving it with 45,628 employees still working on making sure Social Security checks get mailed each month. That is far from being completely shut down.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool