Money Snatchers

The Government is investigating using debt collectors to recover more from student loan borrowers living overseas.

The cost to insure debt payments from Hungary jumped the most in six weeks and the forint tumbled after the International Monetary Fund and European Union ended talks with the government without endorsing Prime Minister Viktor Orbans plans to control the budget deficit.

Of course debt is a serious issue for the future. But that’s why politicians see no gain in finding solutions in the present.

THE Government’s debt management programme received a significant confidence booster last week when the online edition of the influential Times of London held it up as a model for the Greek authorities, even as the newspaper acknowledged that, compared to Jamaica, much more of Greece’s sovereign debt is owed by foreigners.

Ireland’s government-backed “bad bank” is taking on 16 billion euros in debt from five troubled Irish banks — a first step toward buying 81 billion euros in bad loans, the government announced.

Greece’s economy shrank more than feared last quarter and the government on Friday sharply revised down its figures for the previous three quarters as well, increasing doubts about its ability to resolve its debt crisis.

The scale of new spending could renew investor jitters about the government’s burgeoning debt.

Greece revealed a public debt colossus of 300 billion euros Thursday as the government called a crisis meeting on its financial woes and the European Union met amid disagreement on how to help a eurozone member.

WASHINGTON — The idea that the government of a major advanced country would default on its debt — that is, tell lenders that it won’t repay them all they’re owed — was, until recently, a preposterous proposition. …

Sept.