Our thoughts on Congress’s well-publicized standoff and the U.S.’s imminent collision with the debt ceiling.

Conventional wisdom suggests investors should favor high-growth economies like China and India in their investment portfolios. But is GDP growth really a precursor to stock market returns?

Q: With the recent news that one of the world’s highest-profile bond managers eliminated his fund’s exposure to U.S. Treasury bonds, should we be selling our Treasuries, too? Do other types of bonds now offer better return opportunities?

Q: The price of gold has recently topped $1,400 an ounce, providing eye-popping returns to investors. It seems we’ve missed out; should we reconsider whether gold belongs in my portfolio?

Q: Does indexing only work in efficient markets?