From Wall Street to Main Street: What the Government Shutdown Means for Investors

The U.S. government officially shut down on Oct. 1, as Republicans and Democrats remain at a stalemate.

With neither Democrats nor Republicans willing to budge, the U.S. government officially shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, marking the first shutdown since 2018 to 2019, when the government closed for 35 days.

A shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass necessary legislation that would keep funding certain federal agencies. A shutdown does not stop everything. Mandatory government funding for Social Security , Medicare, and Medicaid benefits will continue, although the agencies that oversee these programs could face furloughs, meaning workers will be forced to take a temporary unpaid leave of absence from their jobs. Once the government is reopened, Congress can pass legislation to