Where to invest should the US go bankrupt??

[Texarkandy]

Originally Posted by Texarkandy

The United States is "too big to fail".

Right, everybody?

Originally Posted by HFWR

Not as long as we cling to our guns and religion...

Uh, oh - I have no religion - is there something else I can cling to instead? I have a copy of the complete works of Thomas Jefferson - will that do? How about if I go out & buy twice as many guns as I have now?

[Goonie]

Originally Posted by novaman

.......my fear is that the US could cease to be able to meet its debt obligations......

Didn't this happen several trillion dollars ago?

[al_bundy]

2/3 of the national debt is for SS and between government agencies. only a small portion is public debt. when the banks and AIG repay the stock interest and the government sells the stock it owns we'll repay close to a trillion of the debt. for the rest we just cut SS and medicare costs to control it

[haha]

Originally Posted by al_bundy

for the rest we just cut SS and medicare costs to control it

Try it.

Ha

[FIRE'd@51]

If you really believe the US might default, I would suggest CDS on US Treasuries.

[clifp]

While I can imagine a situation where the US become a dead beat borrower. I think it would take the form of some creative loan restructuring rather than outright bankruptcy. For example if you owned a 30 year T bond, rather than give you money. The government would let/force you to exchange this for enhanced future social security payments. Thus partially cushioning the blow. Of course this does the Chinese government very little good

[novaman]

Still think I'm nuts?

US May Lose Its 'AAA' Rating - General * Europe * News * Story - CNBC.com

[ziggy29]

Originally Posted by novaman

Still think I'm nuts?

US May Lose Its 'AAA' Rating - General * Europe * News * Story - CNBC.com

This is just one person's opinion on the usual CNBC Scaremongering Circuit. The headline makes it sound like there's some official "bond rating service" for the federal government considering a cut in the bond rating.

Irresponsible journalism, IMO -- doubly so because it just adds more to the panic and the FUD out there, and more FUD is the last thing this economy and these markets need.

[d]

in answer to the question, i'd suggest 50% in b3av3r ch33s3 and 50% in bangladesh waterfront realestate.

[mark500]

If the USA loses it's AAA rating, then Europe and the rest of the world will too. For goodness sake, even the Swiss banks have developed some difficulties.

[freebird5825]

Originally Posted by novaman

With the continued bloating of the national debt, talk of another bailout bill/stimulus package, a new administration coming in with many promised new programs, my fear is that the US could cease to be able to meet its debt obligations and go bankrupt in the next decade.
Any thoughts on an investment portfolio designed to protect yourself in case such an event happens?

now here's a cheerful thread.
i'll go 100% hypothetical...if the US went bankrupt, then current financial instruments don't mean squat. currency becomes meaningless. banking system closes down.
so it's back to the basics...food taking priority. i would invest in some seeds, fertilizer, and a tractor + equipment so i can till my lawn and grow my own food. i would barter my crops and possessions for ammunition so i can learn to shoot and hunt the wild critters that abound here. i would teach myself some basic trade so i can barter for other people's production items.
sound screwy? maybe...but think about what people did before the market existed? they traded in basic commodities.