Until the U.S. gets a handle on its deficit and debt, the dollar will struggle to strengthen for any prolonged period of time. A democratic win in November could bring us closer to that becoming a reality (moreso than the Republicans for sure), but I haven’t heard either candidate talk about balancing the budget on the campaign trail, so it might not even be important to them, unfortunately.

As for the international markets, I like them though you are right that I am primarily a U.S. investor. I would stress, however, that investors need to focus on valuation, not just hype and growth potential. The way to combine limited downside and upside potential is to not overpay for international markets with solid growth. Too many times people just buy what is hot and in the news, which can often be quite expensive and thus due for a large fall. You can find growth at a reasonable price in the foreign markets. Singapore is an example, for instance.