Tapping into the G Fund

[galveston1]

The Treasury Department will have to take extraordinary steps, including tapping into the Thrift Savings Plan’s G Fund, to keep the government from defaulting on its debt on or about March 16.

Read more...

http://federalnewsradio.com/budget/2017 ... mit-nears/

[Scorpio70]

I think this has happened before. It is an accounting trick.

[Irene]

I think this has happened before. It is an accounting trick.

People can sugarcoat it all they want. It still amounts to a scam and people go to prison for doing it. That is, unless your name is "Uncle Sam".

[ArrieS]

People can sugarcoat it all they want. It still amounts to a scam and people go to prison for doing it. That is, unless your name is "Uncle Sam".

How is it a scam again? They only do this with the G fund. What does the G fund do, buy government debt? So... Your complaint is you invest the money in a fund that has the sole purpose of funding the government and the government goes ahead and uses that money to fund itself?

[cswift01]

People can sugarcoat it all they want. It still amounts to a scam and people go to prison for doing it. That is, unless your name is "Uncle Sam".

How is it a scam again? They only do this with the G fund. What does the G fund do, buy government debt? So... Your complaint is you invest the money in a fund that has the sole purpose of funding the government and the government goes ahead and uses that money to fund itself?

I can understand your anger, Irene. I guess I would look at it differently. If the government were to borrow from the G Fund and not repay, then it would have much larger repercussions. It would (a) undermine the Dollar and credibility of the government and (b) cause other people to distrust the government. This distrust means that the government would have to borrow at higher costs. Most people in the government know this and would therefore not dare tread in this area.

Now, I do state "most." A couple of years ago there was one politician willing to default on America's debt. How that guy is still allowed to be in politics is a question I won't ever be able to answer.

Best,

Me

[evilanne]

I have to agree with ArrieS on this one. See also viewtopic.php?f=14&t=13507

[crondanet5]

I think it's more fun we are watching the Republicans trying to pass raising the debt ceiling rather than the Democrats. Do you suppose they will use the same rhetoric and feel fully justified doing it? Like this month's employment figures are real, but last month's were not? Are Trump's "20 million people" still unemployed but because this is now a Republican report they are still missing off the unemployed chart? Maybe they are hiding in the closet in Trump Tower where Obama set up his wiretap. Seems to me we are somewhere between The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Emperor's New Clothes with this Administration. And have you heard the rumor the Republicans want to lose the overhaul of the Healthcare Bill so they can move on to tax reform? Why worry about the G Fund? There are so many TSPers who never look at their account and just put it in the G Fund anyway. They won't miss it.

[cswift01]

I think it's more fun we are watching the Republicans trying to pass raising the debt ceiling rather than the Democrats. Do you suppose they will use the same rhetoric and feel fully justified doing it? Like this month's employment figures are real, but last month's were not? Are Trump's "20 million people" still unemployed but because this is now a Republican report they are still missing off the unemployed chart? Maybe they are hiding in the closet in Trump Tower where Obama set up his wiretap. Seems to me we are somewhere between The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Emperor's New Clothes with this Administration. And have you heard the rumor the Republicans want to lose the overhaul of the Healthcare Bill so they can move on to tax reform? Why worry about the G Fund? There are so many TSPers who never look at their account and just put it in the G Fund anyway. They won't miss it.

I'm expecting lots of twists and turns this coming 4 years. I think eventually the markets will figure that out and the outlook will be more of fear than the present euphoria. I would really like to be wrong.

Me