Five Charts about the Future of Social Security and Medicare
The Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports, which show that these vital programs are on an unsustainable path.
Read MoreWhy Did the Federal Government Get Involved in Student Loans?
Skyrocketing student debt has generated significant discussion about ways to improve the financing of higher education in the United States.
Read MoreDo Higher Interest Rates Make a Debt Crisis More Likely?
The likelihood of a return to higher interest rates is “both reasonably likely at some point and potentially calamitous for the federal government and broader economy.”
Read MoreHow Do Federal Student Loans Affect the National Debt?
Student debt held has been steadily increasing ever since the federal government switched to direct lending.
Read MoreHow Have Prescription Drug Prices Changed Over Time?
In the coming years, it will be important for policymakers to look for ways to ensure that life-saving and life-improving medications are affordable and available for Americans, and at the same time, ease pressure on our unsustainable fiscal outlook.
Read MoreWho Benefits More from Tax Breaks — High or Low-Income Earners?
The benefits from tax breaks do not flow equally to households of different income levels.
Read MorePresident Biden’s Budget Reduces Deficits, but Debt Would Remain High
In an important acknowledgement of our nation’s unsustainable fiscal outlook, the President’s budget for fiscal year 2023 proposes to reduce deficits by $1 trillion over the next decade relative to current law.
Read MoreWhat Is the Difference Between the Statutory and Effective Tax Rate?
The statutory tax rate is the percentage imposed by law. The effective tax rate is the percentage of income actually paid.
Read MoreThe Fed Hikes Interest Rates to Curb High Inflation, But with Implications for the National Debt
The Federal Reserve announced an increase in the target for the federal funds rate, the interest rate at which commercial banks lend to each other overnight.
Read MoreHow Are We Paying for the Federal Response to the Coronavirus?
The federal government has enacted legislation to provide relief from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Treasury has ramped up borrowing to pay for it.
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