But our debt is easier to handle
But our debt is easier to handle
Thanks to falling interest rates, the amount the government pays out every year to bondholders is down.

Trouble is, a third of privately held debt matures within a year, so the government could suffer payment shock as rates rise.


By Susie Poppick @Money - Last updated May 14 2012: 12:24 PM ET
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The budget: Is Uncle Sam just an insurance company?

Democrats and Republicans are arguing fiercely over the proper size of the government. Money magazine looks at the facts -- how much we're spending and what we're spending it on.

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