Financial State of the States 2024

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Our fifteenth annual Financial State of the States (FSOS) report provides a comprehensive analysis of the fiscal health of all 50 states.

Sharf: Collective bargaining ballot measure a bad deal for Denver

JULY 29, 2024 | COMPLETE COLORADO | by Joshua Sharf

According to Truth In Accounting’s annual Financial State of the Cities report, Denver is already a sinkhole city, with not enough money to cover its obligations, to the tune of about $6400 per taxpayer.   And according to the latest PODS report, Denver is now the #12 city in the country for people to leave.

Adding the burden of a unionized city workforce will only make things more expensive.  Those taxpayers who are able to leave will do so, and those who are worse off will be left behind with the bill.

Financial Transparency Score 2024

APRIL 23, 2024

Truth in Accounting has once again created a transparency score for the financial reporting by state governments to encourage the publication of transparent and accurate government financial information.

Hot off the Press! The State Report is Out: How Did Your State Do???

DECEMBER 10, 2023

Now Available

Our annual report on state fiscal health. Debt among the states improved slightly. Going from $1.2 trillion down to $938.6 billion. 

What happened? 

How did your state do? Read the full report below. 

https://www.truthinaccounting.org/news/detail/financial-state-of-the-states-2023

Accounting is a methodology for measuring value. It's the process of identifying, measuring, and communicating economic information to enable well-informed assessments and choices for those who rely on the informationgood accounting matters!  

 

Financial State of the States 2022

OCTOBER 24, 2022

This year's report found that 31 states did not have enough money to pay all of their bills.

Fully fund state’s public worker retirement offer

JANUARY 19, 2022 | COLORADO POLITICS | by Shannon Bird

By Shannon Bird, includes “…. Unfortunately, however, in the wake of the pandemic’s damage to our economy, and because our state constitution requires a balanced budget, the legislature was forced to make the difficult decision to suspend the state’s required payment. Since that time, however, our economy has rebounded and economic activity in Colorado is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels. ”

New study measures financial transparency among state governments

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

Financial Transparency Score 2021

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

To encourage the publication of transparent and accurate government financial information, Truth in Accounting has created a transparency score for financial reporting by the states. 

Majority of state finances worsened during beginning of pandemic

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Financial State of the States 2021

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

Truth in Accounting's twelfth annual Financial State of the States report, a nationwide analysis of the most recent state government financial information.

Public pension plans need to put a year of good investment returns in perspective

JULY 6, 2021 | REASON FOUNDATION | by Truong Bui, Jordan Campbell

By Truong Bui and Jordan Campbell, includes “… A single year, or even several years, of above-average investment returns would be welcome news for public pension plans. But, a year or two of great returns will not resuscitate the public pension plans at risk of financial insolvency. … For the last 20 years, state and local pension plans’ assumed rates of return have been far too optimistic.”
 

PERA’s investments generated billions in 2020. But the Colorado pension’s financial condition worsened

JUNE 21, 2021 | THE COLORADO SUN | by Brian Eason

By Brian Eason, includes “The deteriorating funding means public workers and the government agencies that employ them will have to contribute more, and retirees will receive less starting in July 2022. These changes are the latest ripple effect of the 2018 pension overhaul that automatically adjusts contributions and benefits whenever the pension’s funding veers off course."

Why is PERA in high-fee, high-risk investments?

MAY 14, 2021 | WESTWORD (COLORADO) | by David Sirota

By David Sirota, includes “Are taxpayers and retirees willing to give billions of dollars to financial firms in exchange for the potentially false perception of financial stability? ”

‘We have never seen so much money’ – Federal cash pours into Colorado’s cities and counties

APRIL 6, 2021 | CANON CITY DAILY RECORD (COLORADO) | by Justin Wingerter

By Justin Wingerter, includes “For Colorado’s local governments, the money represents an opportunity they have never had and may not get again soon. It’s a chance to fill holes in budgets and bridges, to address decades-long addictions and afflictions, to build up and better their towns.”

An accounting of Denver’s $127 million in federal COVID relief funding – and the challenges of keeping it straight

MARCH 8, 2021 | THE DENVER POST | by Conrad Swanson

By Conrad Swanson, includes “In the COVID-19 pandemic, the very definition of a public health crisis, Denver spent less than 5% of federal stimulus money on public health itself. …”

Is Polis admin telling the press and public to butt out?

OCTOBER 14, 2020 | COLORADO POLITICS | by Kelly Sloan

Some fifty years ago Sen. Paul Douglas of Illinois, who had been an economics professor in his pre-congressional life, stood up in the Senate chamber to announce that he had devoted the entire month of December to perusing the federal budget. 

Thirty-nine states ill-prepared for coronavirus pandemic

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

The 2020 Financial State of the States report surveys the fiscal health of the 50 states prior to the coronavirus pandemic. This data is released today by Truth in Accounting (TIA), a think tank that analyzes government financial reporting.

States pull back on pension payments as virus ravages revenue

AUGUST 4, 2020 | ADVISOR PERSPECTIVES | by Martin Braun

Colorado and South Carolina have pulled back from making additional payments to their underfunded pensions, moves that may play out in other states that are struggling to balance budgets as the coronavirus ravages tax revenue.

Battered by COVID-19, states face cuts to key services

JULY 7, 2020 | US NEWS & WORLD REPORT | by Elliott Davis

As many states enter new fiscal years amid the coronavirus pandemic, budgets already crushed by the crisis could see services slashed without additional federal support, according to recent reports.

State general revenue shortfall projections

JUNE 1, 2020 | by Bill Bergman, Sheila Weinberg

How large could the shortfall in state government general revenues be, amidst the coronavirus and related crises? 

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