The financial strength of the U.S. is a big plus for investors

Article Excerpt

The cost to stabilize the U.S. economy during the COVID-19 pandemic is going to be enormous. The current fiscal package signed by President Donald Trump carries a price tag of $2.2 trillion but there is already talk of follow-up programs. Estimates now indicate that the U.S. federal government will have a budget deficit of $2.4 trillion in the current fiscal year, or 11% of the gross domestic product. This will be the largest fiscal deficit as a share of the economy since the Second World War when it reached 25% to 30% of GDP. The federal government had outstanding debt of $23 trillion at the end of February 2020. Expected shortfalls in revenue increase that debt; estimates for 2020 point to a $2.8 trillion increase, or 12% from the current debt level. The U.S. government debt relative to the size of its economy is about 110%, although this is sure to increase as the debt balloons and the GDP shrinks in 2020. This compares to…