Raising the Debt Ceiling

Democrat and Republican leaders have reached a tentative deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling. But most analysts say this compromise is far from a cure-all for what ails the U.S. economy.

Whatever the ultimate debt ceiling deal, some things are certain

The nation's Gross Domestic Product stalled in the second quarter. And the recession was even worse than we thought. But don't even try to compare it to the Great Depression.

Surprisingly, mortgage bonds aren't threatened by debt ceiling worries.

U.S. growth figures out today reinforce the sluggish pace of the U.S. recovery, but it's not all bad according to economic Chris Low of FTN Financial. Weekly jobless claims, which can be used to measure layoffs, have improved since July.

Personal finance expert Jill Schlesinger helps make sense of today's depressing GDP figures.

Last night, a vote on Republican Speaker John Boehner's debt reduction plan was postponed. And some former Treasury Department officials say the debt ceiling is pointless.

Maryland, for one, faces credit rating downgrade because so much of its revenue is tied to federal spending

At some point, the U.S. government will have to decide who gets paid and who doesn't, if Congress and the president don't agree on a new debt ceiling. Some government obligations will have priority over others

Fewer people filed for unemployment benefits last week. Could that be a sign that things are turning around? Adolfo Laurenti , deputy chief economist at Mesirow Financial explains.