After spending about ten minutes looking over the US Debt Clock, eyes glaze, the mind wanders and it's lost in the panoply of those amazing web pages that we resolve to visit when we have time. (maybe)
After a few hours of learning how to read the statistics, a different point of view. More of a global overview of the US economy, and a look ahead to the future, and what we may expect to see in the coming years. The comparisons to other nations in terms of debt, GDP, and a historical purview of the past 38 years, points up the good and bad of where we've been as a country, and, more important, the direction to, and speed of, where we are headed.
Some of the sidelights to be considered are gold, homes (mortgages), energy and interest rates.
Individual statistics like the numbers of retirees, the number living in poverty, veterans, the disabled, number of students, the number receiving federal aid, and a host of other numbers that are eye opening... all put together to provide a perspective of who we are and where we are headed.
For me, the time spent in putting the numbers together, has resulted in a more centered understanding of not just who we are, but how these statistics may influence our future. Yes... for the present and the neartime, but more importantly next year and perhaps 10 years out.
I think the staring point may be a comparison of nations, followed by an historic review of national debt, interest rates, and especially the total dollars in unfunded liabilities, especially Social Security and Medicare.
My personal interest has grown to include looks into GSE's and the relationship of government by department:
https://thebalance.com/current-u-s-federal-government-spending-3305763
Admitting my own financial ignorance, putting all of this together, has become an interesting project, as I now see many of the daily headlines in a different light. Tariffs, trade, debt ownership and international relations have taken on a much different light. Knowing what the real dollars are behind intra-national interests gives a more measured view of what the headlines mean to our economy.
Consider a bookmark for the clock.
U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time
After a few hours of learning how to read the statistics, a different point of view. More of a global overview of the US economy, and a look ahead to the future, and what we may expect to see in the coming years. The comparisons to other nations in terms of debt, GDP, and a historical purview of the past 38 years, points up the good and bad of where we've been as a country, and, more important, the direction to, and speed of, where we are headed.
Some of the sidelights to be considered are gold, homes (mortgages), energy and interest rates.
Individual statistics like the numbers of retirees, the number living in poverty, veterans, the disabled, number of students, the number receiving federal aid, and a host of other numbers that are eye opening... all put together to provide a perspective of who we are and where we are headed.
For me, the time spent in putting the numbers together, has resulted in a more centered understanding of not just who we are, but how these statistics may influence our future. Yes... for the present and the neartime, but more importantly next year and perhaps 10 years out.
I think the staring point may be a comparison of nations, followed by an historic review of national debt, interest rates, and especially the total dollars in unfunded liabilities, especially Social Security and Medicare.
My personal interest has grown to include looks into GSE's and the relationship of government by department:
https://thebalance.com/current-u-s-federal-government-spending-3305763
Admitting my own financial ignorance, putting all of this together, has become an interesting project, as I now see many of the daily headlines in a different light. Tariffs, trade, debt ownership and international relations have taken on a much different light. Knowing what the real dollars are behind intra-national interests gives a more measured view of what the headlines mean to our economy.
Consider a bookmark for the clock.
U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time