Make a difference in our non-profit newsroom... and help Marketplace meet our year-end goal! Donate Today 💙

From This Collection

What will new welfare work requirements mean for recipients?

New work requirements on welfare were part of the debt ceiling deal. How might they affect benefit recipients?
The new work requirements in the debt ceiling deal may negatively impact older people's access to food aid and other benefits, says "The Uncertain Hour" host Krissy Clark.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What the debt ceiling deal means for your student loans

Jun 2, 2023
A debt ceiling deal has been made, and student loan borrowers will have to start making payments again later this summer.
President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is awaiting a decision by the Supreme Court.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images

We have a debt ceiling deal. So what happens next?

Jun 2, 2023
Now, agencies and Congress need to figure out how to implement the thing.
Congress will soon have to turn broad spending limits into actual appropriations bills for the next fiscal year.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

What will happen once the debt ceiling deal is passed?

Jun 1, 2023
How will the Treasury act to make up for lost time?
After hitting the debt ceiling and taking extraordinary measures, "the Treasury Department has to replenish their checking account, basically," said George Mateyo Key Private Bank.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

The debt limit deal would reduce government spending by about $1.5 trillion

May 31, 2023
Reduced government spending can have an impact on the broader economy. But economists say the effects will likely be limited.
"It does slow the economy, but not in a particularly meaningful way," said economics professor Justin Wolfers of the debit limit deal reached by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Who does the U.S. owe $31.4 trillion?

May 26, 2023
Our creditors range from private investors to foreign governments. Some seek to align the debt limit with the budgeting process.
The debt limit is the amount of money the Treasury can borrow to meet its obligations. The deadline for Congress to lift the limit, lest the U.S. default, is quickly approaching.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

How the debt ceiling fight puts the indispensable U.S. Treasurys market at risk

May 26, 2023
The $24 trillion Treasury bond market plays an important role in the global financial system. Is there any viable alternative?
"U.S. Treasurys are the safest asset anywhere, even in the case of default," says Yesha Yadav from Vanderbilt. This is why essentially the entire global financial system buys U.S. government debt whenever there's a panic.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images