President Obama signed a debt-limit compromise bill last Monday—the very day the administration predicted the U.S. would default—averting the financial Armageddon.

Crisis was averted, but where are we a week later?

The agreement allows the debt limit to be increased by a total of $2.4 trillion; but the limit will increase by only $400 billion immediately. President Obama has the power to request a $500 billion increase—although Congress can veto any such increase by a 2/3 majority. The remaining $1.2 to $1.5 trillion is accessible only if matching spending cuts are made.

The agreement also includes $900 billion in cuts, to be made over the next 10 years.

The President’s signature on the bill last Monday was only stage one in a two part process: Congress and the President are going to have to agree on another $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction by the end of the year.

Read this complete analysis of the impact at AdvisorFX (sign up for a free trial subscription with full access to all of the planning libraries and client presentations if you are not already a subscriber).

For previous coverage of the debt talks in Advisor’s Journal, see Democrats Call Debt Limit Unconstitutional (CC 11-134), Debt Limit Standoff Boils Over (CC 11-115) and Storm Clouds over U.S. Debt (CC 11-85).

Tags: Barack Obama, Debt, Orders of magnitude (numbers), President, President Obama, Republicans, United States, United States Congress

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