The Debt

Rates on US Bonds Now Higher Than for Other Developed Countries

By The Fiscal Times Staff

Rising interest rates in the U.S. have pushed the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds higher than the yields for similar government bonds from seven major developed countries for the first times since...
3 Big Risks the US Faces as Debt Levels Soar

By Yuval Rosenberg and Michael Rainey

In a new note to clients, Goldman Sachs economists say that U.S. fiscal outlook “is not good.” If you’re reading this you likely already knew that the picture isn’t pretty — but the new Goldman Sachs...
How Rising Deficits Could Cause Interest Rates to Jump

By Yuval Rosenberg

In a note to clients on Saturday, Goldman Sachs economists say that the larger deficits resulting from Congress’ recent tax cuts and spending increases could drive interest rates higher in at least a...
Japan Hasn’t Had a Debt Crisis. Why Should the U.S. Worry About One?

By Yuval Rosenberg

In a research note published Friday, Goldman Sachs economists asked a key question about the rising U.S. deficit — one that deficit doves have raised repeatedly: Why should we worry about deficits if...
Demand at Treasury Auction Is ‘Lame’

By Michael Rainey

The U.S. Treasury’s latest auction saw relatively weak demand Tuesday, with prices edging lower and interest rates moving higher. “Overall bidding at the $31 billion U.S. Treasury three-year note...

Record Budget Surplus in April

By Michael Rainey

It may seem a bit odd to talk about a budget surplus at a time of soaring deficits, but tax receipts are coming in stronger than expected in April and the Congressional Budget Office is now...
Why $21 Trillion in Debt Doesn't Bother the Credit Agencies

By The Fiscal Times Staff

The U.S national debt has surpassed $21 trillion, up 2.8 percent since the start of the year, but two of the leading credit agencies aren’t worried about the country’s ability to keep up with its...
Why the Deficit Outlook Could Be Even Worse Than It Seems

By The Fiscal Times Staff

The Congressional Budget Office warned earlier this month that the U.S. will start running $1 trillion deficits in 2020, and that the national debt will be nearly as large as the economy in a decade...
Here's Why You Shouldn't Panic as 10-Year Treasury Yield Tops 3%

By Yuval Rosenberg

Yields on 10-year Treasuries hit the widely watched and psychologically significant 3 percent level Tuesday for the first time since January 2014, continuing a months-long climb that has been driven...
Deficit Owls Say You Shouldn’t Give a Hoot About $1 Trillion Budget Shortfall

By Yuval Rosenberg

As warnings rise about the Congressional Budget Office’s projection that the federal budget deficit is on pace to top $1 trillion in 2020, The Washington Post’s Jeff Stein on Friday highlighted a...

US Could Spend More on Interest Than Defense by 2024, Budget Watchdog Warns

By Yuval Rosenberg

The U.S. government could spend more paying interest on its debt than it does on Medicaid by 2021 and the cost of debt service could surpass defense spending by 2024, according to a newly published...
Tax Cuts, Part 2: Trump Wants Another Crack at the Code

By Michael Rainey

The tax overhaul may not be generating the kind of political momentum Republicans were hoping for, but that’s not stopping them from talking about another round of tax cuts. President Trump has been...
New Budget Projections Show a Rising Tide of Red Ink Ahead

By Michael Rainey

The Congressional Budget Office won’t release new budget projections that include the effects of the President Trump’s tax overhaul until April, but on Friday the deficit hawks at the Committee for a...
Why the GOP Tax Cuts Could Cost Even More Than Expected

By Yuval Rosenberg

The Republican tax overhaul will decrease government revenue and increase the deficit by nearly $1.5 trillion over 10 years before accounting for any offsetting growth effects, according to estimates...
Are We Turning the Dials the Wrong Way?

By Yuval Rosenberg

“Federal fiscal policy is entering uncharted territory,” Goldman Sachs economists Alec Phillips and Blake Taylor warned Sunday in a research note. Their title: “What’s Wrong with Fiscal Policy?” You...