Budget

Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Bowles-Simpson Commission Report

Dean Baker | Posted 05.05.2012

Read More: Alan Simpson, Erskine Bowles, Medicare, Social Security, Federal Budget Deficit, Budget, Bowles-Simpson Report, Bowles-Simpson Commission, Business News

Parents often find it useful to tell their children about non-existent creatures to instill habits of good behavior. It seems that many political leaders are going the same route.

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Fiscal Affairs: Making the United States More Like Greece

Simon Johnson | Posted 05.02.2012

Read More: Greece Debt, U.S. Economy, Fiscal Affairs, Greece, Economy, Economic Crisis, Greece Debt Crisis, Taxes, Cbo, Federal Budget Deficit, Budget Cuts, Tax, Budget, Tax Cuts, Business News

If you cut taxes, revenues will fall and deficits will increase. If you change the CBO's scoring process to hide this fact -- as is under consideration by leading Republicans -- you are engaging in exactly the same sort of deception that brought down Greece.

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Best Credit Cards for Spring Break Road Trips

Curtis Arnold | Posted 05.02.2012

Read More: Personal Finance, Credit Cards, Spring Break, Travel, Discover, Budget, Travel Rewards, Hilton, American Express, Gas, Grocery, Visa, Chase, Penfed, Airfare, Hotels, Money News

Whether you're celebrating spring break as an actual student, or you're young in spirit, we can suggest six of the best credit cards to help keep you from losing your shirt.

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The Unfathomable Cost of the United States Nuclear Program

William Rose | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Department of Defense, Nuclear Weapons, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Budget, Nuclear Power, Start Treaty, Brookings Institution, Deterrence, Poll, World News

If you're not terrified by the statistics of military error (and there are plenty of close encounters) you should be in awe of the fact that world leaders will spend $1 trillion in the next 10 years on nuclear weapons.

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Romney: Peddling the Indefensible

Robert L. Borosage | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Tax Plan, Safety Net, Budget, Michigan Primary, Mitt Romney Taxes, Social Security, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Tax Cuts, Politics News

Mitt Romney claims that he has a plan for "more jobs, less debt and smaller government." He also says that he has the "integrity" to "speak honestly with the American people." But his "plan" simply doesn't add up.

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Ask the Readers: How Much Do You Spend on Housing?

J.D. Roth | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Personal Finance, Housing Costs, Spending, Emergency Savings, Expenses, Budget, Housing Payment, Business News

Where do you live and how much do you pay on housing? What percentage of your budget does this represent? Does your housing payment cramp other parts of your life? Or have you intentionally kept it low so that you can afford to spend on other things?

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10 Things To Do In Zurich On A Backpacker's Budget

Off Track Planet | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Swiss, Travel Tips, Travel, Europe Backpacking, Switzerland, Zurich, Budget Travel, Budget, Travel News

Famous for its super secret Swiss banks and having the world's best quality of life, Zurich's beautiful nature, polished culture and utopian transportation comes with a huge price tag. Don't skip off to somewhere cheaper just yet.

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The Psychology of Budgeting

Women & Co | Posted 04.28.2012

Read More: Women, Household Budgets, Psychology, Saving Money, Money, Personal Finance, Budget, Women News

Key to successful budgeting is a good attitude, consistent communication, and an ongoing commitment.

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Mars Mission Cuts Have Scientists Seeing Red

AP | SETH BORENSTEIN and ALICIA CHANG | Posted 04.28.2012

Read More: Martian Rover, Video, Nasa, Space Exploration, Space, Budget, Mars, Mars Rover, Spaceflight, Science News

WASHINGTON — NASA said Monday it's not giving up on Mars, but it'll have to get there later and at a lower price. Earlier this month, the presi...

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Botox Costs How Much For Oscar Night?

HuffingtonPost.com | Ron Dicker | Posted 02.26.2012

Read More: Billy Crystal, The Academy Awards, Brad Pitt, Moneyball, The Help, Academy Awards, Economic Recession, Money, Budget, Ryan Gosling, Oscar Fashion, Oscars, George Clooney, Recession, Emma Stone, Video, Business News

Sunday's Academy Awards are all about celebrating art, the highfalutin will tell you. It's about the mastery of a medium that has enthralled us for ge...

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Quinn's Prison Closure Plan Must Be Supported by Comprehensive Prison Reform

John Maki | Posted 04.25.2012

Read More: Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, Quinn, Tamms Correctional Center, Prison, Budget, Illinois Department of Corrections, Chicago News

Quinn is smart to look to the state's prison system to save taxpayer money. But to have a real impact on the state's fiscal health, Illinois must look beyond closing prisons and work toward ending our over-reliance on incarceration.

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Building a Collection Without Breaking the Bank

J.D. Roth | Posted 04.25.2012

Read More: Comic Books, Debt, Hobby, Collection, Budget, Collectors, Personal Finance, Savings, Jar Collecting, Business News

No matter what you collect, there are ways to enjoy your hobby while spending less. Here are some of the ways I've learned to keep costs low after four decades of collecting.

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The First Thing the U.S. Should Do In Myanmar

Stanley Weiss | Posted 04.24.2012

Read More: Military Training Programs, Yunus Yosfiah, Myanmar, Imet, International Military Education and Training, Budget, Foreign Affairs, Burma, Obama Budget, Obama Foreign Policy, 2013 Budget, Foreign Policy, World News

President Obama's latest budget includes $27.2 million in aid for Myanmar, with a focus on "strengthening civil society." The best way to accomplish that would be to reestablish the International Military Education and Training program.

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Gingrich, Santorum Plans Could Have Disastrous Consequences

AP | ANDREW TAYLOR | Posted 04.24.2012

Read More: Romney Tax Plan, Video, Santorum, Newt Gingrich 2012, 2012 Election, Budget, Mitt Romney 2012, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Elections 2012, Rick Santorum 2012, Ron Paul 2012, Budget Deficit, Newt Gingrich, Politics News

WASHINGTON — Massive tax cuts proposed by GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum would cause the national debt to explode w...

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Now Is Not the Time to Discourage Charitable Giving

William Daroff | Posted 04.24.2012

Read More: Donating to Charity, Charitable Tax Deductions, Poverty, Charity, Jewish Federations of North America, Budget, Impact News

Although the White House has indicated that its tax reform proposals would not put charities at a disadvantage, the administration's FY2013 budget disincentivizes large charitable gifts.

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Obama vs. Obama: One Budget, Two Competing Visions of the Future

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 04.21.2012

Read More: Unemployment, Stimulus, Government, Barack Obama, Austerity, Federal Budget Deficit, Budget, Government Spending, Obama Budget, Jobs, Buffett Rule, Federal Budget, Politics News

The Western world is divided between two visions of our economic future. One is of austerity and the other is of growth. One is of hope and possibility, the other of despair and cynicism. The battle between these two visions has divided the United States and the entire Western world.

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Ask the Readers: Basic Financial Frameworks?

J.D. Roth | Posted 04.21.2012

Read More: Personal Finance, Financial Portfolio, Debt, Economy, Retirement, Budget, Insurance, Income, Money, Targeted Savings, Business News

One common request from new GRS readers is some sort of central location where they can find a list of introductory articles to guide their progress. ...

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How to Talk to Your Roommates about Finances

Women & Co | Posted 04.20.2012

Read More: Women, Finance, Money, Budget, Bad Roommates, Communication, Roommate, Women and Money, Financial Advice, Women News

While talking to your roommates about household finances can be uncomfortable -- especially if your roommates are also your friends -- making sure you're on the same page financially can help preserve domestic peace.

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Fear and Loathing In the Pentagon Budget

Ben Freeman | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Pentagon, Contractors, Deficit, Fearmongering, Government Contracting, Budget, Defense Contractors, Defense Budget, Pentagon Budget, Politics News

Since President Obama released his FY2013 budget request on Monday, proponents of Pentagon waste and inefficiency have been working overtime.

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Women in Combat: The Crow Is Cooking

Greg Jacob | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Pentagon, Women, Ann Dunwoody, Department of Defense, Budget, Combat, Appropriations, Navy, Generals, Santorum, Equal Opportunity, Women in Combat, Marines, Military, Army, Defense Contracting, Air Force, Politics News

Women in the military are being held back simply because they are women. Such an idea is not only completely at odds with military ethics, but is distinctly un-American.

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Making Healthy Choices on a Budget

Women & Co | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Women, Healthy Living, Money, Women's Health, Personal Health, Budget, Women News

As a self-proclaimed health nut, I'll admit it: I sometimes get caught up in the things I love to do -- my favorite Pilates class and enjoying an organic meal -- and forget to consider their cost.

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Middle Class Health Sacrificed in Payroll Deal

Robert Ross | Posted 04.17.2012

Read More: Prevention and Public Health Fund, Budget Cuts, Health Care, Budget, Federal Budget, Politics News

Alongside education and job growth, making disease prevention a priority in our health care system may be one of the most important investments we ca...

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Senator Toomey's Tax Plan Can't Do Everything That He Says It Does

Bob Greenstein | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Supercommittee, Deficit, Pat Toomey, Soledad O'Brien, Budget, Taxes, Tax Plan, Debt Crisis, Federal Budget Deficit, Financial Crisis, Senator Pat Toomey, Politics News

The only way that Senator Toomey's plan could avoid raising taxes on people with incomes below $200,000 would be if he designed it in such a way that it lost significant revenue overall and, thus, added significantly to the deficit.

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The President's 2013 Budget Shifts the Focus to Growing the Economy and the Middle Class

Pearl Korn | Posted 04.18.2012

Of course, Boehner and McConnell and their cronies are already crying "foul" that the budget is all election year pandering by the president without a snowball's chance of being passed, since not enough is being offered to reduce the deficit. All smoke and mirrors and accounting tricks is their numbing refrain.

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Entitlements Hysteria

Jeffrey Sachs | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Entitlements, Wall Street Journal, Health Care Spending, Federal Budget, Obama 2013 Budget, Economic Crisis, Budget, Economy, Government Spending, US Economy, Financial Crisis, Obama Budget, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Care, Healthcare, U.S. Economy, Politics News

One of the unshakable myths of the punditariat is that the federal government is going bankrupt because of entitlements spending, especially spending on Medicare and Medicaid. This is a stampede of unreason, contradicted by the facts.

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