Me and my wife both worked everyday thru the pandemic and make a pretty good living (she's a nurse and I own a small business) but we fell just below the threshold, so we got the stimulus and will receive these checks for our 4 young children but I think it's ridiculous. We are planning on putting it in a money marketing account for the kids when they get older. ScottW I think you are right to some degree, I believe they raised the child tax credit from $2,000 up to $3,000-$3,600 depending on kids age. And they are dispersing it this way instead of on your tax return but I could be wrong.

In Japan they pay people per month to have and raise children. Too many childless couples results in not enough workers in the future to support retirees and the disabled.

Jim

Japan is going to go broke too

Only if they can't find enough future workers to support their taxes and retirement system.

Jim

japan has been broke since at least 2016 when the bank of japan introduced negative interest rates.

The japs owe me two uncles, we should have nuked the whole island.

Yep!

Now the Chinese need it

You don’t have to tell me, however if you paid in $1400 or $2000 or whatever it was and got back the same, then they didn’t use our money to pay them.

That is what happens when governments make unfunded promises.

we used to do it a different way...

the tax rates were low enough that it only took ONE income (usually Dad's) to support a family; and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

You have the option to opt out which my wife and I will do so we don't get caught in a mess at tax time next year. If we qualify for a tax credit then, we will take it, but with the seemingly random ways the tax laws change I am not taking any early credits that can change without warning and have us owing more at the end.