Billionaire Ray Dalio says he expects Bitcoin to "do relatively well" as rising global debt, fiscal deficits, and monetary expansion put pressure on major economies. While gold remains his top hedge, Dalio has included "a bit of Bitcoin" in his outlook.

In theory, governments should offset deficits during economic downturns with surpluses in prosperous periods. In practice, the U.S. federal government has run a deficit in almost every year for decades. This interactive opinion piece from the Washington Post Editorial Board traces the path that brought the national debt close to $40 trillion by examining federal spending and revenue trends starting in 1962, the year the Office of Management and Budget began categorizing budget data in detail. In the 1960s, most federal spending was discretionary, while entitlement programs such as Social Security remained relatively modest. The introduction of Medicare and Medicaid in 1966 marked the beginning of significant growth in mandatory spending. A recession from 1973 to 1975 drove deficits higher. In the 1980s, a defense buildup combined with lower tax rates further widened the gap between revenue and outlays. Defense spending declined after the Cold War ended in the early 1990s, and by 1998 the government achieved several years of surplus thanks to strong economic growth, robust tax receipts, and spending restraint. Deficits returned after 2002 amid a recession, tax cuts, and the costs of wars following the September 11 attacks. The Great Recession of 2009-2011 produced soaring deficits, though the gap narrowed by 2015 as the economy recovered and discretionary spending was held in check. The COVID-19 pandemic and large emergency stimulus packages in 2020 created record shortfalls. By 2026, deficits remain elevated primarily because of rising entitlement obligations and growing interest payments on the accumulated debt. The debt is projected to reach 101 percent of GDP that year. The piece illustrates how the composition of federal spending shifted over time from mostly discretionary programs toward mandatory entitlements and interest, setting the stage for steeper fiscal challenges expected in the 2030s.

El nuevo ministro de Hacienda, Miguel Gómez Martínez, reveló que el gobierno de Gustavo Petro dejó un déficit fiscal de 40.000 millones de pesos y una red de 523.000 contratos públicos sin control. La investigación mostró que el anterior mandato acumuló gastos innecesarios, incluyendo adjudicaciones a última hora y licitaciones aceleradas durante la transición. El ministro criticó la falta de transparencia y llamó a auditorías para investigar irregularidades. Además, anunció medidas para congelar el gasto público y revisar los contratos vigentes. La Procuraduría, Contraloría y Fiscalía fueron exhortadas a analizar las prácticas de última hora en las instituciones. El informe destaca la necesidad de reformas en la gestión pública y la transparencia en los procesos de contratación estatal.

India's rupee and bonds weakened before the US-Iran crisis, signalling investor concern over debt, state deficits and RBI support, not oil alone. by Dr Apoorva Javadekar , BasisPointInsight.com

Remember those days when the Fed seemed to be dropping hints about rate cuts like breadcrumbs? Well, if you've been following the latest FOMC meeting, you'll know those days are long gone. It feels li...

Pakistan’s FBR faces a Rs 684 billion revenue shortfall, raising concerns over economic instability, weak tax collection, and structural fiscal challenges.

In the Union Budget, GoI had projected a fiscal deficit of 4.3% for FY27, marginally lower than the revised estimate of 4.4% for FY2025-26.

Pakistan faces recurring IMF bailouts with rising debt and weak reforms, highlighting ongoing economic challenges and fiscal pressures.

India aims for a ~4.5% FY27 fiscal deficit (sources) and is weighing spending trims; 10Y G-sec ≈7.3% on Apr 7, 2026 as markets watch monthly GST and tax receipts.

India warned on Mar 28, 2026 that the Iran conflict could shave 0.1–0.3 ppt off 2026 growth and widen the fiscal deficit by up to 0.5 ppt, Bloomberg reports.