Finance

U.S. Regulators Helped Set Global Banking Rules, Drawing Concerns

Three U.S. banking agencies took an active part in developing international banking standards from 2010 through 2025, according to a new report by the U.S....

Finance

Federal Debt Projected at 101% of GDP, Triple the 2001 Level

Publicly held federal debt is projected to be 101% of GDP at the end of fiscal year 2026, more than triple the 32% of GDP recorded at the end of fiscal year...

Banking and Finance

USDA Expands Rural Home Loan Eligibility to Properties With ADUs

Rural borrowers seeking to buy or build a home with a rentable accessory dwelling unit (ADU) will be eligible for a USDA guaranteed loan beginning Dec. 28,...

Commerce

Surplus Lines Home Insurance Growth Raises Oversight Concerns

As traditional insurers retreat from areas vulnerable to natural disasters and other costly risks, more homeowners are turning to an alternative insurance...

Finance

Federal Revolving Loan Funds Face Sustainability Challenges

Federal revolving loan funds can expand access to financing for underserved businesses, but their long-term viability depends on balancing economic...

Politics

Social Security Trust Fund Projected To Be Depleted by 2032

The Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2032, at which point ongoing revenues would cover only...

Housing

Trump Orders Mortgage Insurance Cuts and Refinancing Cost Relief

President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14438 on Oct. 22, directing federal housing agencies to pursue lower mortgage-insurance costs, expand...

Politics

Proposed Rule Strips Noncitizen Eligibility for Four Tax Credits

Treasury and the IRS have proposed a rule that would, for the first time, classify the refundable portions of four federal tax credits as federal public...

International Affairs

Treasury Proposes New Rules For U.S. Investors In Tech Firms

U.S. investors and companies that put money into artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, hypersonic systems, high-performance computing,...

Social Welfare

Clergy Act Opens New Window to Reverse Social Security Exemption

Clergy members who once opted out of Social Security permanently now have a time-limited chance to reverse that decision, according to a new Congressional...

Finance

IRS Cannot Track Ghost Tax Preparers as Fraud Risks Persist

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) cannot account for how many ghost tax preparers it has identified, investigated, or addressed because its case-tracking...

Finance

Student Loan Defaults Surge Past 21% as Repayment Plans Shift

The federal student loan default rate reached 21.3% in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, following a sharp jump the report calls a "default cliff" in the...

Banking and Finance

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's Debt Restructuring Stalls

The roughly $9 billion debt restructuring program for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) remains unresolved more than nine years after...

Finance

IRS Free File Reaches Only 3% of Eligible Taxpayers

The IRS Free File Program (FFP) reaches only about 3% of eligible taxpayers annually, even as e-filing has become nearly universal, according to a new...

Government Operations

Farm Credit Administration Lacks Quorum With Two Seats Vacant

The Farm Credit Administration's three-member board has only one sitting member, serving on an expired term, and two vacant seats, leaving the regulator of...

Labor and Employment

Unemployment Trust Fund Facing Almost $20B in State Loans

States are projected to carry $19.77 billion in outstanding federal loans against an unemployment trust fund account balance of $84.69 billion in fiscal...

Banking and Finance

SEC Moves to Eliminate the Shareholder Proposal Rule

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed rescinding the shareholder proposal rule, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS)...