Raising the Debt Ceiling

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is on Capitol Hill this morning trying to convince lawmakers to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.

Shutdown. Looming default. Change at the Federal Reserve. These are anxious times as global financial leaders gather in Washington.

If the U.S. fails to raise the debt ceiling in time, we'll default on loans from a whole bunch of lenders. Our two top foreign creditors -- China and Japan -- have both warned the U.S. government to be careful. What’s at stake for them?

A cadre of so-called "debt-limit deniers" says it’s no big deal if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit.

How is Wall Street reacting to the debt ceiling debacle?

On a day of dueling press conferences over the federal shutdown, private observers say the date we may exhaust our borrowing authority may be later than expected.

As we head towards the debt ceiling deadline, stocks are looking wobbly, and Congress wobblier still. But the debt market looks weirdly zen.

Many are talking about "prioritization," the idea that the government can pick-and-choose who it will pay. But when you take a look at how many payments the government processes each day -- and how -- you see it is far from easy.

Economists are predicting about 180,000 jobs were added last month, but no way to know if it's accurate due to the government shutdown.

The impact of the shutdown pales compared to a fight over the debt ceiling, and a possible government default.