Financial State of the States 2025

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

Financial Transparency Score Report

Our new report analyzes how transparent state governments are with their finances.

Petition: Ensure Comprehensive Financial Reporting of Federal Spending

Sign our petition to bring full transparency to federal financial management. Let’s make sure our government is accountable to the people it serves.

US Published National Debt

$

The Truth

$

Each Taxpayer's Share: $920,000

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  • Financial State of the States 2025

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

     
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  • Financial State of the Union 2025

    According to the most recent audited Financial Report of the U.S. Government, our nation’s true debt has climbed to $158.6 trillion, burdening each federal taxpayer with $974,000.

     
  • Financial State of the Cities 2025

    The Financial State of the Cities report found that 54 cities did not have enough money to pay their bills. Each city has some form of a balanced budget requirement, but this new report shows that cities have not met the intent of their requirement and have pushed costs onto future taxpayers.

     
  • Data-Z (database for state and city data)

    Create your own chart with more than 700 data variables at the federal, state, and city levels.

     
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  • It's Time to Amend ERISA

    October 15, 2025

    The retirement benefits landscape is complex, but one federal law stands out for its role in regulating private-sector pensions: the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Enacted in 1974, ERISA introduced accountability, transparency, and worker protections. 
     

  • Pandemic Programs Expire, Leaving States with Major Funding Gaps

    October 14, 2025

    States face a significant loss of federal dollars as temporary pandemic-related programs that were initiated in 2020 come to an end and national fiscal pressures rise.

  • A Love Letter to Our Unsung Heroes

    October 2, 2025

    Dear teachers who light the spark of curiosity in young minds, firefighters who charge into the inferno to save strangers, police officers who stand as sentinels in the night, and all you public sector warriors who stitch the fabric of our communities together – this is for you.

  • Statement from Truth in Accounting on the Federal Government Shutdown

    October 1, 2025

    As the federal government grinds to a halt today, it’s not just a temporary inconvenience; it's a stark reminder of the chronic fiscal irresponsibility that elected officials on both sides of the aisle have perpetuated for decades, hiding the true cost of government behind opaque accounting practices.

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