U.S. Government Shutdown Explained

The U.S. federal government officially entered a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending plan. While the headline news introduces a new layer of uncertainty for markets, historical data suggests that these events are often short-lived and have a limited long-term impact on equities. For investors, looking past the political turbulence is often key. Here are the facts you need to know.