KQ 14: What's so bad about a government shutdown?

The government shut down on October 1, 2025. Why do shutdowns happen? How long do they last? How bad are they? Take the quiz and find out. Ten questions. Go!

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The Congressional Research has a 2018 report and a 2023 report that will tell you more than you want to know about government shutdowns.

I wrote about the effects of polls on how long a shutdown lasts in The Rick Report.

Stock-market guru Sam Stovall of CFRA provided the details on stock-market returns during shutdown periods.

KQ13: What's so great about the US dollar?

The dollar is the world's most important currency, but some analysts worry it might not stay that way. How much do you know about the greenback? Take the quiz and find out. Nine questions. Go!

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Here's a nice history of US currency.

Investopedia talks about discontinued currencies such as the $10,000 bill.

There really are some people who think the government should mint a $1 trillion coin.

It costs nearly four cents to make every penny.

KQ12: Why are cars so expensive?

Cars are one of the things that got more expensive during the last few years--and stayed that way. Why did car prices rise so much? Take the quiz and find out. Eleven questions. Go!

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Car price info comes from Cox Automotive, parent of Kelley Blue Book, one of the go-to-sources for automotive data.

Price-change data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which anybody can use (unless Trump shuts it down).

I've analyzed the components of car inflation in several Yahoo Finance stories, including this recent one. I grudgingly admit I'm biased against expensive cars. My Yahoo Finance pal Pras Subramanian might have a different perspective. We argue all the time about the virtues of fancy stitching and knurled shifter knobs.