Tax & Macroeconomics Credit & Debt
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Topic Credit & Debt

Credit and debt play a critical role in U.S. economic fluctuations, and changes in inequality drive changes in both the demand and supply of credit in the economy. Equitable Growth examines the role of credit and debt in the economy and seeks to understand these intersections and understand how best to ensure that the financial sector serves the public interest.

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Risks escalate for U.S. retirement plans due to unregulated private credit funds and new rules opening them up to retirement savings accounts

By Lenore Palladino,

October 29, 2025

October 29, 2025

Lenore Palladino,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 1
Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Credit & Debt
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Americans informed about the distributional effects of Republicans’ tax and budget bill overwhelmingly oppose it

By Jacob Hacker, Patrick Sullivan,

July 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

Jacob Hacker, Patrick Sullivan,
Inequality & MobilityFamiliesTax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 5
Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing, Fiscal Policy, Health, Taxes, Inequality & Growth
TOPICS: Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing, Fiscal Policy, Health, Taxes, Inequality & Growth
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Testimony by Michael Linden on “The Big Beautiful Betrayal—Working Folks Pay While The Mega Rich Profit”

By Michael Linden,

June 17, 2025

June 17, 2025

Michael Linden,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 5
Business Taxation, Credit & Debt, Fiscal Policy, Individual Taxation, Taxes, Inequality & Growth
TOPICS: Business Taxation, Credit & Debt, Fiscal Policy, Individual Taxation, Taxes, Inequality & Growth
working paper

A Goldilocks Theory of Fiscal Deficits

By Atif Mian, Ludwig Straub, Amir Sufi,

June 30, 2022

June 30, 2022

Atif Mian, Ludwig Straub, Amir Sufi,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 3
Credit & Debt, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy
TOPICS: Credit & Debt, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy
Vision 2020

Promote economic and racial justice: Eliminate student loan debt and establish a right to higher education across the United States

By Darrick Hamilton, Naomi Zewde,

February 18, 2020

February 18, 2020

Darrick Hamilton, Naomi Zewde,
Inequality & MobilityFamiliesLabor
TOPICS: 10
Economic Inequality, Economic Mobility, Economic Wellbeing, Economics of Place, Gender, Job Mobility, Post-secondary Education, Poverty, Race & Ethnicity, Wage Stagnation
TOPICS: Economic Inequality, Economic Mobility, Economic Wellbeing, Economics of Place, Gender, Job Mobility, Post-secondary Education, Poverty, Race & Ethnicity, Wage Stagnation
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Issue Brief: Household insecurity matters for U.S. macroeconomic stability

By Nisha Chikhale,

May 16, 2018

May 16, 2018

Nisha Chikhale,
Tax & MacroeconomicsInequality & MobilityFamilies
TOPICS: 3
Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing
TOPICS: Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing

Explore Content in Credit & Debt162

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Equitable Growth releases 2019 Request for Proposals

By Korin Davis,

November 8, 2018

November 8, 2018

Korin Davis,
CompetitionTax & MacroeconomicsInequality & MobilityFamiliesLabor
TOPICS: 14
Anticompetitive Conduct, Antitrust Enforcement, Business Taxation, Concentration, Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Mobility, Economics of Place, Gender, Income & Earnings Volatility, Individual Taxation, Monetary Policy, Race & Ethnicity, Taxes, Inequality & Growth
TOPICS: Anticompetitive Conduct, Antitrust Enforcement, Business Taxation, Concentration, Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Mobility, Economics of Place, Gender, Income & Earnings Volatility, Individual Taxation, Monetary Policy, Race & Ethnicity, Taxes, Inequality & Growth
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How not to help distressed mortgage borrowers: Evidence from the Great Recession in the United States

By Corey Husak,

October 4, 2018

October 4, 2018

Corey Husak,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 1
Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Credit & Debt
working paper

Liquidity vs. wealth in household debt obligations: Evidence from housing policy in the Great Recession

By Peter Ganong, Pascal Noel,

September 4, 2018

September 4, 2018

Peter Ganong, Pascal Noel,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 1
Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Credit & Debt
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Supreme Court decision on credit cards undermines competition, celebrates price increases, and will contribute to economic inequality

By Michael Kades,

June 28, 2018

June 28, 2018

Michael Kades,
CompetitionTax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 3
Anticompetitive Conduct, Antitrust Enforcement, Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Anticompetitive Conduct, Antitrust Enforcement, Credit & Debt
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The surprisingly constant “housing wealth effect” in the United States

By Equitable Growth,

June 20, 2018

June 20, 2018

Equitable Growth,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 1
Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Credit & Debt
working paper

Housing wealth effects: The long view

By Adam M. Guren, Alisdair McKay, Emi Nakamura, Jon Steinsson,

June 19, 2018

June 19, 2018

Adam M. Guren, Alisdair McKay, Emi Nakamura, Jon Steinsson,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 1
Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Credit & Debt
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What are the macroeconomic policy tools to counter secular stagnation in the United States?

By Nick Bunker,

June 12, 2018

June 12, 2018

Nick Bunker,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 2
Credit & Debt, Monetary Policy
TOPICS: Credit & Debt, Monetary Policy
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Why macroeconomics should further embrace distributional economics

By Nick Bunker,

June 11, 2018

June 11, 2018

Nick Bunker,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 2
Credit & Debt, Monetary Policy
TOPICS: Credit & Debt, Monetary Policy
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Issue Brief: Household insecurity matters for U.S. macroeconomic stability

By Nisha Chikhale,

May 16, 2018

May 16, 2018

Nisha Chikhale,
Tax & MacroeconomicsInequality & MobilityFamilies
TOPICS: 3
Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing
TOPICS: Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing
report

Household insecurity matters for U.S. macroeconomic stability

By Nisha Chikhale,

May 16, 2018

May 16, 2018

Nisha Chikhale,
Tax & MacroeconomicsInequality & MobilityFamilies
TOPICS: 3
Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing
TOPICS: Credit & Debt, Economic Inequality, Economic Wellbeing
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Understanding the importance of household credit in high-income economies

By Nick Bunker,

February 28, 2018

February 28, 2018

Nick Bunker,
Tax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 1
Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Credit & Debt
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Credit card competition case before U.S. Supreme Court leaves consumers and competition in the balance

By Michael Kades,

February 22, 2018

February 22, 2018

Michael Kades,
CompetitionTax & Macroeconomics
TOPICS: 2
Anticompetitive Conduct, Credit & Debt
TOPICS: Anticompetitive Conduct, Credit & Debt
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