Oops, something went wrong With the Trump administration’s political and economic policies shocking many around the world, some strategists are pondering if American exceptionalism is at risk. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Americans with upside-down car loans owe more money than ever before — and drivers can’t keep up. Here are 3 ways to cut your monthly costs ASAP U.S. exceptionalism is the belief among investors and businesses that the country is unique and superior to others. This idea bolsters its economy. Predictability and the rule of law have given the U.S. this “edge,” according to Mohamed El-Erian, president of Queens’ College in Cambridge and chief economic advisor at Allianz, but he worries that it is being “eroded.” “The more these two things are questioned, the more that people are going to start questioning U.S. exceptionalism,” he told Bloomberg. He stopped short of announcing the death of U.S. exceptionalism, but said it is currently “under enormous pressure." When President Donald Trump was elected in November, investors were betting on his policies like tax cuts to spur economic growth and boost U.S. stocks. But an on-again-off-again trade war, along with an “aggressive posture toward Ukraine and a wave of Elon Musk-driven government cuts,” are instead undermining sentiment, according to BNN Bloomberg, which notes that the “Trump bump is now the Trump slump.” The dollar isn’t outperforming; instead, it’s headed for its worst month since 2023. The U.S. stock market dropped into correction territory and is also lagging behind the rest of the world this year. Meanwhile, U.S.-listed international stock ETFs saw inflows of nearly $13 billion in February after a much quieter January, according to Morningstar. “There’s been an enormous upending of all the consensus trades that were in place at the beginning of the year,” El-Erian told Bloomberg. “All those trades have been turned on their heads.” Back in November, Oxford Economics remained optimistic that U.S. exceptionalism would continue in 2025, noting that it’s not the first time the economy “has dealt with elevated uncertainty” and that businesses would be able to “quickly adapt.” With “the prospects for expansionary fiscal policy on top of an already solid backdrop for U.S. consumer spending and investment, the U.S. economy will likely further distance itself from the rest of the pack,” it noted. Fast-forward a couple of months, and a lot has changed. U.S. CEO confidence plummeted in March, according to one survey, and the Trump administration’s gyrating tariff threats was the most commonly cited reason for declining optimism. U.S. consumer confidence has also tumbled. The Federal Reserve has lowered its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for this year to 1.7% from 2.1%. Citi strategists are saying U.S. exceptionalism has “paused” under the Trump administration. Not only has the bank downgraded U.S. stocks to “neutral,” it has upgraded Chinese stocks to “overweight,” and recommends taking profits in U.S. stocks to invest in Chinese companies. J.P Morgan’s chief economist Bruce Kasman told Reuters the country's standing as an investment destination and its “exorbitant privilege” are at risk of lasting damage if the administration undermines trust in U.S. governance. Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among America’s wealthiest — plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio Strategists at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs downgraded GDP growth forecasts for the U.S. in 2025 over tariff concerns. They also raised their outlook for Chinese stocks, with Goldman Sachs strategists Kinger Lau and Timothy Moe noting that “China is back on the radar, at least in terms of investor interest.” El-Erian also told Bloomberg that there’s hope for a “Sputnik moment” in Germany, as the country shifts fiscal policy to support a surge of spending on defense and infrastructure. This may be a good time to make sure your portfolio is diversified geographically. Vanguard, for example, recommends having 20% of your portfolio invested in international stocks and bonds, but “to get the full diversification benefits, consider investing about 40% of your stock allocation in international stocks and about 30% of your bond allocation in international bonds.” One of the easier ways to gain broad exposure to international assets is ETFs. You have a choice of investing in developed markets (which would include the U.K., France and Japan) or emerging markets, like China, India and Mexico. Since emerging markets tend to be more volatile, Vanguard recommends “that you don’t overweight your allocation to emerging markets.” When it comes to buying foreign stocks, ETFs are often a better choice than mutual funds, according to Forbes, since “ETFs are very portable from one brokerage account to another” and they’re “better at tax time.” You’ll want to do your research or talk to your adviser about the potential risks involved such as market risk and liquidity, as well as costs, fees and tax issues. There are a number of ETF providers to choose from, including iShares by BlackRock, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, Invesco, WisdomTree and VanEck, among many others. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Protect your retirement savings with these 5 essential money moves — most of which you can complete in just minutes This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Sign in to access your portfolio