Thirty years ago a cashless society was predicted for the near future; paper currency and checks would be an antiquated symbol of the past. Consumers would embrace a new alternative for making payments: electronic money. But currency is still used for 87% of payments, mainly for "nickel and dime" purchases. And checks are the payment…

In 1981, the United States reached a dubious economic milestone--the federal debt surpassed one trillion dollars for the first time. It took more than 200 years to build up that much debt. The federal debt doubled to two trillion by 1986, hit the three trillion level in 1990, and stands at an estimated five-and-a-half trillion for 1998. Just as…

Many generalizations sound simple enough--for example, "strong is good, weak is bad"--but they can be confusing when talking about money. This booklet explores how the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies affect each other and how their interaction affects the individual and the economy. The booklet contains the following sections:…