Q: I’m troubled by the discord and lack of trust that seems to be part of everything I see and hear. Should I worry about my investments in light of all this?

A: As usual, our first thought is for your specific goals and objectives. If there has been no change to your personal situation and what you want to accomplish, the best idea is almost always to stick with the strategy. Politics pervades every part of our media experience, social and otherwise, but it does not rule our economy (not entirely).

A new administration means new initiatives and the slim majority in Congress will limit how expansive those can be.
Although trust in many public institutions is low (see our earlier item) our most important institutions continue to play their important roles. Despite many disruptive events in the past year, our ability to access what we need and want remains. It is easier to communicate with distant loved ones and friends because technology has become more widely-used. It is easier to have food delivered if we are unable or unwilling to go out. Work-from-home is an option for many, and even though school-from-home is nobody’s favorite, access to educational resources has increased. Even blockbuster movies are being delivered to our homes via streaming services.

All is not well, but society responds to need and disruptive periods often lead to innovations we would not have predicted.