What will happen to you if we default?

[Cleita]

For myself, both my sources of income will be gone. In an are of high unemployment, I have been unable to find even a minimum wage job in a big box store so I don't think I will get lucky there. My only recourse would be panhandling and dumpster diving.

How will you do?

[grantcart]

1. Disastrous, possibly a complete loss of my business.

[tillikum]

2. morph into my calling as a tribal warlord.

ah the wages of youth and commitment.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. I'll right beside you in the dumpster, Cleita.

[Little Star]

4. I will not get my SS check. :(

[DJ13]

10. Same here I guess

I still think I remembered from 2011 it was reported that because SS was a completely separate fund from the federal budget it wouldnt be impacted by a shut down.

[Buns_of_Fire]

16. I think the SSA is required to purchase Super Duper Special Government Bonds.

You know, backed by the "Full Faith and Credit" of the government?

Anyway, when there's a temporary shortfall, they get redeemed. No big deal. But if the issuing authority (the government) defaults, the SSA can't redeem those Super Duper Special Government Bonds. Result: We're boned, along with everyone else, and there isn't a damned thing we can do about it.

Hence, Al Gore's "lock box."

This is my understanding of the situation. If I'm wrong (and I may well be), I welcome anyone who has a better grasp of it all to correct me (Thanks In Advance, and all that ).

[el_bryanto]

27. It depends on how they decide to handle it

Thjey can pay something like 70 cents on the dollar for a while? But two caveats

A) it's not clear they are able to prioritize payment - mechanically I mean.

B) they may prioritize foreign debt over internal debt.

Bryant

[RebelOne]

23. Ditto. I am worried about my SS check, as it is my only source of income. n/t

[dkf]

52. In a budget shutdown it won't be affected because it doesn't need an appropriations bill.

In a debt ceiling shutdown, there is no $ to pay all obligations. Then it all becomes iffy.

[RC]

80. There is the little problem of SSA employees being furloughed.

That alone will stop the payments.

[underthematrix]

28. same here.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

5. My income would be cut in half

and would not be able to afford to pay my fucking debts that I have been arranging with the settlement company for 3 years to settle my old debts (now down to 8 creditors left, one is negotiating to prevent a lawsuit - I started with 24 creditors!)

And I wouldn't be able to afford to send my son to private school. At least until I get my business up and running...

[closeupready]

88. Hang in there - there's light at the end of the tunnel!

[oldhippie]

6. Nothing ....

We'll muddle through. My retirement pension payment and SS checks may stop, but we have other assets. I have sort of planned for this.

[KharmaTrain]

84. Unless...

...you have those assets hidden in a mattress they're sure to take some kind of a hit if the market tanks and interest rates rise. One would hope that the dip would be shortlived as the markets would turn around the moment some kind of deal was worked out, but in the meantime those who aren't fortunate to have other assets will suffer the most. In short, no one would be unaffected if the economy craters.

[oldhippie]

86. My assets are diversified .......

Yes, some are likely to be hit in a long term crisis. I also have some assets in physical gold as a hedge against some of those scenarios. Some are in other countries. I have a Plan C.
This isn't a surprise to me. I have been thinking about and planning contingencies for such scenarios for decades. It's almost a hobby. I even went back to school and got an MBA in Financial Planning just to better manage my own portfolio.

I know other people do not have such assets and have not done such planning. They will be hurt.

[KharmaTrain]

87. Many Will Panic...

...as they did in '07-'08 and liquidate as much as they can. Those are the real losers...getting pennies on the dollar. Much of the damage will be done in the early days of a default...especially as the overall recovery is still fragile. We could see a rash of foreclosures and associated defaults that could set off another wave of bankruptcies.

No doubt the price of gold and other precious metals will sore, but who do you sell to? And other countries are interdependent upon one another...as stated yesterday by the head of the IMF. A crash of the dollar would take all other currencies with it...especially countries holding US treasuries. The ripples will be widespread...I don't see how a default and subsequent drops in the markets will benefit anyone other than short sellers and hedge funds.

I've diversified over the years and play a long game. It paid off when the economy turned around in '09 and I see it happening again if we go off this cliff. In the meantime here's hoping your Plan A, B and C are sound. I'm hanging on for dear life...

Cheers...

[oldhippie]

90. It sounds like you also have put more thought into this .....

.... than the average citizen. All of what you say is true. If there is a prolonged default all will be affected. I have plans for all the way to a total global financial collapse. Some of those plans are not very pretty, but I have to plan to survive (although it may be somewhere in Asia.)

But I don't think a prolonged default is likely. I'm sitting here waiting for the Repubs to speak now. I think there will be some kind of a deal before too long, as it doesn't really help anyone to put the whole country in crisis. I hope we don't need Plan C or beyond. We'll soon find out.

[Warpy]

7. My net worth would crater as the market crashed

but I'd keep my income in the short term.

However, since default = no credit = no overseas trade, I'd have trouble finding much to buy and gas for the car to go buy it. Local buses run on natural gas, so the transit system would be running because we're a major producer state. However, everything else would be chancy.

ETA: I'd be keeping the soup going for hungry people who are starting to stop by even now for as long as I could find things to put into it.

[susanr516]

8. No SS check for my husband

That's almost half our monthly income.

[Robbins]

9. Disaster

I live on SSI,Food stamps,and medicaid for my health insurance.

The damned tea party don't realize their antics can hurt real people.

[DonCoquixote]

14. oh yes they do

and when people die, they will cheer as the ayn rand types say that this is just desserts for getting in the way of the rich.

[NoOneMan]

11. Nothing

But the default probably wont happen. I think they've scared everyone into accepting the mystery austerity "deal".

[kestrel91316]

12. My clients will lose their incomes or savings or both. Unemployment will go over 50%, I assume,

due to the domino effect from the literal end of the aerospace industry and loss of university funding and hospital funding and everything else that depends on a functioning federal government.

My practice will die. No one will have a dime to spend on pet care.

Crime will skyrocket. Robbery, theft especially.

When the SS checks stop coming, the housing market will crash as it is flooded with far more foreclosures than the last time it crashed.

[Hekate]

13. We watched the stockmarket dive with (mostly) equanimity because of our T-Bill retirement accounts

Savings bonds, T-Bills, and so on are a low-yield investment with 100% security because the US Government is 100% solid in that regard. What could possibly go wrong?

One of our accounts is with Fidelity. Hysterical laughter -->

Christ on a trailer hitch.

I don't know, Cleita. At 66 it's a little late to start over, but we are used to a frugal lifestyle.

The GOP has been taken over by really evil bastards. People like Michelle Bachmann are massively ignorant, and evil. People like Ted Cruz are brilliant, educated, and evil. They all are pretty much puppets of the oligarchs, some with delusions of being oligarchs themselves, and some with delusions of getting a pat on the back from Jesus for throwing the poor and sick under the church bus.

[Still Waters]

37. Decimating

A life time of work and saving to be undone by the whim of these monumental fools. I am furious with these tp idiots! It is like they are bound and determined to shred any stability that we have left. Between them and corporate America pulling each and every rug out from under us I live in fear of what is to come. How did we get to this pass? Why have we been so powerless to stop these maniacs? There are millions like us--who is looking out for us?

[Buns_of_Fire]

15. SS is 100% of my income. But initially, I'd be okay.

Things line up for me so that this month's deposit usually pays most of next month's critical bills, so I could probably stagger through mid-November. Small comfort though, since instead of having everything turned off in late fall, it'd probably wind up being turned off in early winter, when all the good dumpsters are already taken.

[charmay]

17. It would be disastrous for my mother who relies on SS.

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. I hope it works out, for her sake.

With any luck at all, the only bad effects will be an extremely bad taste in everyone's mouth.

[virgogal]

54. She could live with you. I'm also on SS and I'd have

to live with one of my kids.

That's what families are for.

[Ruby the Liberal]

19. I am still working but my Mom is on SS with a very small widow's pension

I've been warning her about this for the last week, and she thinks she will be able to get by for a few weeks since her house is paid off.

Not sure how I will be impacted (other than MIGHTILY jaw-grindingly pissed off at the Nutbag Wingnut element of this nation). I work for a private employer who does not deal in federal contracts - but our customers likely do.

[Cleita]

20. It seems the next month SS checks will go out, but

after that it's uncertain if they don't quit this nonsense. As far as other pensions, most are invested in funds and if the market crashes....

[Skidmore]

21. We're in a similar boat as you.

Immediately we will lose one third of our income and the other source could possibly disappear in a few months if not sooner. Because lots of people would be affected, I would imagine we would have to try to sell our house in a market where people cannot afford to buy or would be extended credit for purchase.

We have some savings but who knows what would happen with the banks. Undoubtedly our modest retirement funds would be swallowed in tanking stock and bond markets.

[Cleita]

26. It will be very bad for seniors.

I suppose we will still have cars we could live in if we don't own paid in full property and perhaps food banks and churches would feed us, but it would be a traumatic thing for seniors, more so than for younger people, who don't have health and other old age issues seniors have. Also is there a gas bank for those cars we will have to live in and go to the charities in?

[Skidmore]

29. Ugh. Reminded me.

There is the issue of the annual visit to the oncologist without which I cannot get a prescription for the one medicine that I will slowly and painfully die without. Medical care would probably go too.

[Cleita]

32. I think Medicare could be suspended too, but I hope not.

How many seniors have life threatening medical conditions that need treatment and medication? If my husband were still alive, he would be on dialysis and would die within weeks without it. How many people will die unnecessarily because of this?

[femmocrat]

22. I can't think of anything.

But I worry for those who would be affected.

[Throd]

24. Probably not much.

[bluestate10]

35. Your net worth will decrease. There is no way around this if republicans are stupid enough to

force a default. A lot of people are going to get hurt if republicans keep up their ignorance and stupidity.

[Generic Brad]

25. My wife would lose her job

That would be our worst case scenario. We are debt free, so we would be able to survive.

[Decoy of Fenris]

30. Nothing to my knowledge.

Might be able to make a quick buck or two on the stock market, but otherwise, no financial impact on me.

[bluestate10]

36. What will you do, Short stocks and Debt instruments? That is the only way that I see making

money during a default. Now, after a default money can be made by buying depressed stocks of profitable companies near the end period of the default. But making money is an empty victory given the damage that average people will suffer.

[Decoy of Fenris]

62. Mostly day trading.

The stocks I currently have are generally more profitable in times of national financial crisis, and I was lucky enough to flip quite a few pre-Shutdown for a solid chunk of change. I've never really been one for "high risk" or "long term" investments, preferring to make a quick buck on the day. I make ten times more money juggling stocks for five minutes than I do in two weeks worth of work, and I may or may not get in on depressed stocks before this is over, I don't know.

In regards to suffering, I agree that people will suffer damage. I'm one of them, although a victim of the ACA rather than the shutdown. My company just cut all insurance for about 90% of our employees with the excuse being (and I'm copying from the letter verbatim) "With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, (business name) has decided to revoke our company insurance policy."

Considering at the moment that the max out of pocket expenses I qualify for are about 12k, I'm fine with making a bit of money from the market just in case something happens.

[SheilaT]

31. I'll be fine. I'm not yet collecting social security and I'm still working at age 65.

I also currently have what Kansas quaintly calls "maintenance" coming in as it will be for the next three years. Meanwhile I have a reasonable cushion of savings.

[Skidmore]

34. Any consideration to what might happen to the banks when they are taken over by creditors?

[Hekate]

39. I'm slowly moving some of my personal savings to the local Teachers' Federal Credit Union, but...

... with all things federal in doubt, oh shit.

[SheilaT]

43. And why exactly would the banks be taken over by creditors?

[oldhippie]

46. Not sure why I would care ....

I don't have more than the FDIC limit in any of them.

[Ghost in the Machine]

76. I would be more concerned about what would happen to the banks in "Small Town America", when they

are overtaken by scared, angry customers, before the creditors could get to them. I live in such a small town, and the way it's laid out (the *whole County, with its 8 County cops and ONE city cop, is 35 miles long. Both banks, within a mile of each other, are in the middle of town, which is "Down Town&quot . One or two "major distractions" at each far end of the County, leaves Down Town pretty much easy pickings, wouldn't you say??

I'm just presenting a scenario here, not a "How To" instruction pamphlet, so I'll leave it to your imaginations as to what could be done.

As for me, I live on 15 acres, mostly wooded, and live paycheck to paycheck on disability. I could grow crops, and have plenty of deer, turkey, squirrels, rabbits, dove and quail to sustain us for a while. I have well water, a generator to run the well, and a generator to power the house. Of course, there would come a time when I would have to barter things for generator fuel, but I see no problem there. We could survive a while....

Thanks for letting me rant!

Ghost

[mnhtnbb]

33. We get two SS checks for hubby and me--and hubby also gets a govt pension from the VA.

All of them have been deposited--automatic--this month.

Next month? Won't be good if we don't get them.

[doc03]

38. I would lose my SS I suppose. I get a pension from the PGBC, it is already underfunded so I would

lose that. I get a pension from my employer's pension fund, it isn't that well funded, so being that the PBGC would be broke I would lose that.
I have a substantial IRA so I suppose I would lose a good portion of that. So I would be screwn, I guess.

[SheilaT]

44. Oh. I do get a teensy pension from PBGC.

Although I actually put that very small amount into savings, so if it doesn't show up, I'll need to change the automatic transfer from my checking account to savings to reflect that.

Added on edit: the PBGC site says they are staying open, although it does not specifically address the issue if the pension checks will be mailed. Or as in my case, deposited to my checking account. But I've already gotten this month's, and I honestly don't think this won't be resolved before the next checks are due, especially the social security checks.

[yuiyoshida]

40. I put away a little money...

But by December it will be gone.. I may have to go to a food bank, and I will have no internet or telephone service. I am sure this will be fixed soon, high hopes anyway.

[Art_from_Ark]

61. Taihen desu ne

特に物価が高いところに住むと貯金がすぐなくなる。

貯金がなくならないように。。。

[yuiyoshida]

63. Gonna just hope for the best...

There is no one to bail me out ... if this continues.

[Art_from_Ark]

65. Yikes!

I certainly hope a crisis can be averted.

[yuiyoshida]

66. I do have a girlfriend in Los Angeles who told me

She could come up and collect me, and bring me to her house, if push came to shove. I would gladly do that..because its better than being homeless on the streets. Once the Government is up and running, I will probably get a pay check, and if I am in LA, I may have a better chance of finding work there.

[Art_from_Ark]

67. I tried to find work in Los Angeles once

It's got a lot of scams and non-existent jobs. I went to an interview in Compton once and the interviewer told me I should probably look for work elsewhere if I valued my safety. I had an interview in Hollywood for a telephone answering service and they made up some BS reason why they didn't want to hire me ("You didn't fill out Line 49 of your application". Yah, right). I had a couple of other "interviews" one at a hotel in Los Angeles proper, and one at a valet parking service in Beverly Hills, and they both gave me the runaround ("We don't have any openings right now, but we'll keep your application on file&quot . I applied for a desk job in West Hollywood and was told I had to have a California driver's license (for a desk job???). So I took the written test, passed it with flying colors (only missed one question, about the penalty for drunk driving), and went back, only to be told that the position was not available. Pfffft. I finally found a minimum wage job in Santa Monica, but bus fare, meals, and housing ate up my entire income.

[yuiyoshida]

68. My friend has a job in

Little Korea, and I have another friend who works in Little Tokyo. Even if I have to wait tables in a Sushi Restaurant, I would do it. I have been there before. The shop in Little Korea is a market selling Korean food goods and they always need help.. so I could do that.

And guess what? They don't pay like MacDonalds, their employees are treated like family, and family takes care of each other.

[Art_from_Ark]

75. So it sounds like if you HAD to move to LA,

at least you wouldn't have the kinds of problems I had there.

LA can be a cold, heartless place if one has no support.

[yuiyoshida]

92. yup...

The hard part would be getting a moving truck and packin stuff up by myself.

[Hekate]

41. In my town, Plan B is always to rent out a room in your house and/or convert the garage

Our renter to rooms available ratio is always that bad (for renters).

Looking back to the Great Depression, both sets of my grandparents kept rooming houses during at least part of those years. You do what you have to do.

[SheilaT]

45. This, while a pretty decent idea, is not one that can be put into play

very quickly. It would take time, years perhaps before enough people lose their homes so that your renting out a room or two becomes feasible, both for you and the potential renters.

[Samantha]

47. Unless you live by a university or perhaps a hospital

I made my basement into an apartment and rent it out for $930 a month. I live near the UMD and try to get graduate students who have fellowships or grants. That way, I am assured of getting my rent. I have been wondering if we do default how that would impact those fellowships or grants. If I lose my social security and that rent, I will be down to only the rent I get from my bungalow-type house in West Virginia. At issue there would be whether the two can keep their jobs. I can easily see how individuals could end up in a free-fall, the term used in the last few days to describe what would happen to the U.S. economy should the debt-ceiling not be lifted.

Sam

[oldhippie]

48. You charge some poor student $930 a month to live in your basement?

Jesus. It must be one hell of a nice basement.

My 2100 sq ft house on an acre on top of a hill would rent for about that.

[Samantha]

50. It is one hell of a nice basement - it took me 4 years to complete it

I paid over $6,000 for the egress window alone. It lets in a lot of light and makes for an easy, quick exit in case of fire or other emergency. In fact, so much light comes into the living area and sleeping area, one forgets it is a basement. But only $850 of that is actual rent. The rest is utilities. And I have the apartment priced really low for this area; most start around $1,200 monthly. I put the rent low so as not to exclude the graduate students. They are great renters who really can't afford $1,200 monthly and the need a lot of quiet to do their work. This is a very peaceful, quiet house.

The walls have beautiful paintings and other artwork on them.

I also rent it furnished and the furniture is really nice. I supply all the dishes, pots and pans, microwave, washer and dryer, towels, the works. When a person moves to this area and lives in my apartment, they only need to bring their wardrobe and the personal stuff they want. They get high-speed internet and cable television included.

Living in the Washington, DC metro area is extremely expensive. So I live upstairs, the tenant lives downstairs, but what the tenant pays is not even close to half of the house payment and utilities. And he does have half a house four blocks from a metro stations, which is very desirable in this truly badly congested area.

Sam

[pnwmom]

73. I think some people just don't realize how much prices vary

depending on the city.

[Hekate]

77. That's why I didn't mention what "the going rate" is here. No one would believe it...

... at first glance. I have a lady friend who is pushing 70 who lives in a single room for $700+/month. It's a nice place, but still. I'm not the only one who's tried to convince her to get on the long, long list for affordable senior housing, but she's got her life structured her way and isn't ready to try that.

On the other hand, you can live in Las Vegas extremely cheaply. The summer temp gets above 110 degrees and there's nothing but casinos, but housing's cheap compared to coastal California.

[oldhippie]

85. I must say, that sounds pretty nice ......

In fact it sure sounds a lot nicer than any place I ever rented! I guess with the furniture, utilities, internet, etc. that's not such a bad deal. My initial reaction was based on what my basement looked like back in NY in the 60's. It sure didn't have much light.

I have never lived in a high cost urban area, so that price for a basement just kinda struck me, but as you describe it sounds pretty nice. Thanks for the info.

[Hekate]

49. We live between a major university and a community college; also have a large number of ...

... just regular people who don't own a home or have enough income for an apartment.

My son and his wife are in their 30s and have their own home; they share their home with a chef, a married couple, and a young journalist. No wait, the journalist moved out. They need to defray the cost of the mortgage and cost of rehabilitating the house (it was a wreck), and all those other people need a place to live. My son has been doing this for many years. He chooses people with steady jobs; my brother used to choose graduate students.

It doesn't take much to prepare a bedroom for a renter, at the very most basic. You just have to be willing to share your space, set boundaries, and know how to screen people so you are safe. It wouldn't be my first choice -- but as I say, it's Plan B.

[Samantha]

59. That is great

My basement has a separate entrance, and he uses that. I use the front entrance. So our paths do not cross until we choose to talk or borrow an egg! He is quiet, I am quiet so it is pretty easy. I do all my homework on renters' applications; I am extremely careful about who I let move in. I am sure your son and his wife are as well.

Sam

[Hekate]

70. One of my friends is widowed and divided her house like that, making a very nice apartment...

There are very few basements here, the houses are mostly on cement slabs, but she divided off the master bedroom with its bathroom, added a little kitchenette, made a wee patio outside the door, and charges the going rate for it. She says her pension and SS pay for the bare essentials, and the rental income pays for all of the extras that make life fun. And of course this means she gets to stay in her own home and neighborhood.

There are a lot of "bonus rooms" and "garage conversions" here as well. They range from something I'd hesitate to put a dog into all the way up to as nice as what my friend and you have done -- and every one of them gets rented by someone.

[pnwmom]

74. My goddaughter and her husband have shared a home with another couple

for the five years of grad school. Now they're moving out because of new jobs out of state and they're really going to miss the other couple.

[SheilaT]

53. But you've already got the basement apartment

and live where you can easily rent to students. The suggestion that oh, well, if the default occurs I'll just rent out a room, is quite different.

What I honestly don't get is how so many people seem to think that in 24 or 48 hours everything will be in default and we will all suddenly be economically in 1932. Or whatever the very worst year of the depression was.

Even the Great Depression took time to build and get bad.

[Samantha]

55. True, but others don't do all the work I did to their basements

They just stick a microwave oven and coffee pot in a makeshift cooking area. They already have a bathroom downstairs.

I think if we default it will be really, really bad. One economist said it would be worse than the Great Depression, and I believe if the default turned into a continuing thing, it could be just that.

Sam

[pnwmom]

71. Not necessarily. I know two women in different states and different decades

who did this after their divorces till they got back on their feet.

One of them rented out three bedrooms to grad students, and the other rented out her basement to a single person.

[eqfan592]

42. I've only just recently had money to start putting into a retirement fund.

Around 20k right now. That'd be gone. And given that I'm working without pay, our regular savings will dry up in a couple of months. And here I thought there would be a bit more stability working for the government.....silly me.

[napi21]

51. For rightt now, I think I've taked the right steps to prevent disaster.

We're retired and living on SS. Still have some in our 401k's, and I had the broker move it all into a money market fund. AI know we won't make any money, but we won't lose any either. I don't want to thin k about what's going to happen to many others who will lost jobs, businesses, their homes, their cars, etc.

[treestar]

56. Not sure at all

Business not being as good due to people thinking they must hang onto what money they have and do it themselves.

[davidpdx]

57. No financial aid for school if it goes a long time

While it's not near as bad as an impact as others, it would force me (and many others) to wait it out until it's resolved. I'd probably have to take a leave of absence. Thankfully I'm in the middle of a class and don't start my next class for six weeks so I highly doubt it would affect me.

[dickensknitter]

58. Not a good outlook...

I had finally graduated from college at forty just before the recession hit. Watched jobs disappear off the map while I was looking . It took me a year and a half to get my current job, minimum wage, ive been working at two years now, after an 80 yr old retired and a 75 yr old put in a good word for me. Small town, slim pickings even in better times.
Two weeks ago I finally found a buyer for my home. If the govmt defaults, The buyers' funding would not come through and, after finally getting everything packed up in a home I built and lived in for twenty years... I'd probably be stuck here scraping by. My partner has already gotten a job elsewhere. His job might end, jobs would be scarce for either of us, our separation of already several months readying for this big move might be prolonged for far longer, which might mean our marriage might not survive. Who knows. I'm full of worry and sour bile, but I try to whistle and smile.

[madville]

60. It depends on how the Administration handles it

They will have to figure out what 30% of the government to not pay for. Nobody really knows at this point for sure, but it won't be pretty. I would expect that they will pay the interest on the debt first which in turn will fund Social Security since payroll contributions and the interest on the trust fund investments just about cover what SS pays out.

After that, the bulk of the government is Medicare, Unemployment and Military, like I said it won't be pretty.

[abelenkpe]

64. Nothing much at first

My 401k would take another hit. Just like in 2000 and 2008. My generation has been screwed and it would just be more of the same screwing. Nothing new really. Perfect excuse for further screwing of course. And as the effects ripple out into the economy the misery would undoubtably touch us all eventually.

Default would be disastrous for my tea party/birther parents though. Their only income in SS. They'd probably lose their home and then wail about how it's all Obama's fault.

Funny that I hope we avoid default while my parents are salivating at the thought. More proof that tea party folks aren't the brightest bunch.

[politicat]

69. My project will probably die or be forced to 100% private funding.

We've got 51% public funding (VA, NIMH and NIH grants) and 49% though a pharm. We lost some of the cash with the sequester, but we're churning through with shorter hours and fewer lab assistants and more self-funded or uni-funded grad students. I assume that our renewals will be at lowest priority.

The project could revert to 100% pharm funded. I'd probably keep my job since I am the PI, and my lab (this has serious potential as a profitable treatment protocol for major disorders) but we'd lose our graduate students and thus the ability to do the work. Or be asked to move to the pharm's development center, which is several states away. My normal telecommute might not fly.

Mr. Me's current project is funded and 100% private money, and with a not-US company. That's probably safe-ish for a while, but he can't telecommute much either. So a long-distance marriage for a while and stash every penny in the mattress. We don't 401k -- the ROI doesn't even keep up with inflation. The IRAs are probably safe enough, or not there at all. (Schroedinger's investment, you know?)

One sib is on VA disability, in a contracting town; there go all three of their income streams and their wealth is in their house. Other sib was sitting her foreign service exams. That's on hold. Her partner is an essential DoD contractor, but that won't last. At least they have savings and their house. Gran relies on SS, Medicare and farm income; I expect her futures will be piddly at best, so she and my mother will have to learn to live on the same block. Mom's probably okay -- she works for the semi-super wealthy who will probably make bank and want to keep their accounting straight.

My father is screwed -- a civil engineer who just took his retirement. No jobs likely, pension probably gone.

Cliff ahead. Every night in my dreams, some permutation of keeping everyone fed while driving over the edge....

[dkf]

72. My investments will decline.

But I am years away from retirement.

I will be pissed at an idiotic bunch of do nothings who may kick the can down the road so we can do this all again in a few months.

[lonestarnot]

78. Interest sky-rocketing will affect everything anyone does financially.

[Laelth]

79. I am advising clients to get some liquidity immediately.

If they have market assets, I am advising them to sell a chunk, say 10% per day, over the next few days and to re-evaluate, each day, depending on signs from the government, how much, if any, to sell the next day.

That's what I'm doing now. If the unthinkable happens, at least my clients will have some cash.

-Laelth

[nolabels]

81. The republicans will no longer be able to claim they are fiscally responsible?

A taxpayer revolt and petitions demanding representation for taxation occurring

[kydo]

82. Not really other then we lose my husbands disability/va and who knows on

The retirement from US Navy. He still works for DoD, just now idea how or when he will get paid in nov. But we are still recovering from the shutdown.

Other than that I'm sure inflation and unemployment with go through the roof.

I'm scared, and not just my family, we will be ok for a few more weeks. I'm scared for those that are already suffering. They will take the biggest brunt of all this.

And none of this needed to happen.

[Raine]

83. Nothing, it will make me really mad but financially won't effect me. nt

[magical thyme]

89. I'm perpetually either preparing for a blizzard or hunkered down surviving one

So for the short term, it won't impact me. I have a tank full of oil, 2 years worth of hay in my barn, 4 months of dog and bird food, and a freezer and pantry nearly full of people food, with one more mega-shopping trip this week to stock up on the survival stuff. Other than summer when I pick my veggies right before eating them, I'm always working off a backlog. That has been my goal in life since I got caught short first in '08 and again last year when the hospital cut my hours by 2/3s without notice.

Long term would depend on my ability to stay employed at one or both of my part time jobs.

[datasuspect]

91. i still have to go to work

pay lawyer, accountant, IRS, all the bills, etc etc.

insalllah i pray that i just die in my office.