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How does one even begin to quantify what a trillion is? How many zeros is in a trillion? Read below for the latest on the US Bailout and its effect on the Dow.

However many zeros a trillion has, that was what the Dow Jones plunged by today after the US700 billion US bail out was rejected.

U.S. lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Monday voted against the biggest proposed government intervention in the U.S. economy since the Great Depression of 1929.

Preliminary tallies had the Dow losing 777 points — the worst single-day point loss ever, topping even the loss following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Monday’s plummet knocked out approximately $1.2 trillion in market value, the first post-$1 trillion day ever, according to a drop in the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000, the broadest measure of the stock market. (source)

Needless to say, this will have a devastating impact on the already weakening global economy. Locally, our KLSE bourse opened below 1,000 points and our Ringgit weakened against the USD, just on the eve of the Hari Raya holidays.

On a brighter side, gold investors benefitted as gold prices jumped as investors worldwide scrambled to place their funds into safe and stable assets such as gold. Hence, despite the high prices, gold may still seem to be a safe investment haven for now.

So, do have a moderate Hari Raya celebrations, take advantage of the sales on and remember to set aside some of that duit raya as thunderstorms seem to be looming on the economy horizon already.