Blog
Welcome to our blog – The Bottom Line, where you’ll find up-to-date commentary and analysis on the most important news in the fiscal world. Below is a list of our blog posts.
How to Build a Fiscal Consolidation Package: Some Lessons from the IMF
“Virtually all advanced economies are likely to conduct fiscal consolidation at some point in the future to put their fiscal positions back on a...
A Letter in Support of Raising the Retirement Age
Nine months since the creation of the Fiscal Commission, we are now just one month away from the scheduled release of its report/recommendations. For...
Standard and Poor's Upgrades British Debt Outlook
Today, Standard and Poor’s reaffirmed their rating of the U.K.'s AAA debt instruments in response to the UK’s recently devised fiscal consolidation...
CNN Money Exclusive: Britain's Austerity: 4 Lessons for Washington
CRFB President Maya MacGuineas has another commentary on CNN Money, discussing Britain's fiscal austerity plan, setting the right place and the...
Demagoguing 101: Social Security
With the November elections just two weeks, demagoguing has reached a fever pitch. So, predictably, when the SSA sent a letter to Rep. Earl Pomeroy...
Blinder on the Fiscal Policy Paradox
In an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal, Alan Blinder discusses his frustrations with what he dubs the “fiscal policy paradox”: that the economy...
Two More Members For the Announcement Effect Club
David Chavern of the Chamber of Commerce and Christina Romer, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), both joined the Announcement...
‘Line’ Items: October Surprise Edition
Surprises We Want to See – With pivotal mid-term elections next week that will decide control of Congress, observers are awaiting this year’s “October...
Geithner Supports U.S. Medium-Term Fiscal Targets at the G-20
We at CRFB applaud Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s support of medium-term fiscal targets, in the run-up to this weekend’s meeting of G-20 finance...
MARKETWATCH: October 18 - 22
Most of the week, markets continued to reflect expectations that the Fed would increase its purchases of Treasury securities (known as quantitative...
FHFA Projects Fannie and Freddie Costs
Update: This blog has been updated to reflect additional information. A new report by the Federal Housing Finance Agency shows the agency's first look...
United Kingdom Outlines $130 Billion in Savings
Budgeteers have been closely watching the United Kingdom during the past six months, as Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Prime Minister...