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Debt ceiling countdown

July 30, 2011

I've resisted posting a debt ceiling countdown clock for several reasons.

First, it's cliche and a bit lazy.

Second, I don't want to stoop to financial fear mongering.

And third, I really, truly believed Congress and the president would have reached a debt deal by now. Silly, naive me.

Well, with the deadline for increasing the United States' borrowing authority just days away, to heck with it. I'm putting up a clock.

In searching for a debt ceiling countdown clock to use, I also ran across some other fun debt and deficit stuff.

The New York Times has charted the debt crisis via a lot of neat charts, including the one below showing how many times the debt ceiling has been increased.

Debt ceiling increase timeline

Taking your turn at dealing with the debt: I blogged previously about Marketplace Radio's online game that lets you be a budget hero by creating your own fiscal plan.

You also might want to check out these interactive budgettools:  

And you don't want to miss USDebtClock.org's comprehensive running tabs on America's debt.

The image below is just a snapshot of the humongous numbers that madly click away every second. Check out the full, constantly updating data if you dare.

Debt clock

Click on the image above or here to get the latest debt data.

Related posts:

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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