This Day in History...

On September 30th, 1399, Henry Bolingbroke, of the house of Lancaster usurps his lawful Yorkist king, becoming Henry IV. This splits the royal Plantagenet family into warring factions, Lancastrian and York, in what becomes known as the War of the Roses, raging off and on until King Richard III’s death in 1485. If a brutal intergenerational battle waged for ultimate power on an island sounds familiar to modern Game of Thrones fans, it should. George RR Martin uses many historical events as muse while writing the fantasy series, but the War of the Roses was his primary source when Lancaster became Lannister and York became Stark.

An economist I follow once said “loving, or hating the government, is a terrible investment strategy.” And he is right, mostly. In a two-party system, this is bound to be a winter of discontent for many regardless of the outcome. In normal years the difference to investment markets in who wins our quadrennial game of thrones is less than most partisans would have you believe. But this year isn’t exactly normal. And sensible precautions are in order given the precarious economic situation and the potential for this game to go into overtime. Winter is coming...be prepared, no matter if you are a Stark or a Lannister.