US going further into debt — and why it matters

The past month has seen updated forecasts published on the Irish economy by the ESRI, Central Bank and Department of Finance.

How much debt can the US government afford? Nobody knows for sure, but it’s pushing the envelope like never before — or at least more than it has since the Second World War, writes Mark Whitehouse.

In its latest Global Fiscal Monitor report, the IMF offers an admonishment for the world’s developed nations: Use this period of economic growth to pay down some of your debt.