Fiscal uncertainty back to the top of the agenda

This week it will be uncertainty over fiscal policy and a possible Federal government shutdown that dominates the headlines. Congress needs to pass a continuing spending resolution by the end of September to keep the Federal government open beyond this Wednesday and, if the debt ceiling isn’t raised soon, another crisis over a potential debt default will occur in either November or December. The shock announcement late last week that Republican House Speaker John Boehner will retire in October has increased the odds of a shutdown, if not this week then in early December.