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  1. Economy and Politics
  2. Elections

Everything You Need to Know About Clinton's and Trump’s Plans for Your Wallet

By:
Ian Salisbury
4 min read

This year, voters face an amped-up version of the customary partisan takes on taxes and spending.

The election’s towering issue: how to speed up what is now the slowest economic recovery in postwar history, with GDP rising an anemic 2% annually on average since the end of the Great Recession. Voters list the economy and jobs as the No. 1 issue, a CBS/New York Times poll shows.

In Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, you get two diametrically opposed views of the right path forward. Trump wants an epic tax cut (nearly $6 trillion over 10 years), dwarfing those of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. If you’re rich, the cut would be large. And he wants to slice most domestic spending. Clinton would raise taxes if you’re wealthy (by $1.5 trillion over 10 years), but expand government programs to help you if you are middle class or below.

Here are the candidates’ essential proposals in the key areas that most affect your finances—the economy and job market, your investments, your taxes, your health care, and your family and education—along with an analysis of the probable impact.

No chief executive can get all he or she wants done, given heightened partisanship and a balky Congress. But in this guide, you’ll learn what the nation’s 45th president plans to fight for when it comes to your wallet.


What's at Stake
Economy and Jobs
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Despite job gains, wage growth is tepid, and household income is just shy of 2007 levels. Can a slow-growing economy pick up the pace, or will it stall out? Read more


What's at Stake
Your Investments
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U.S. stocks are in the midst of the second-­longest bull market in history, and bonds have flourished as interest rates have hit historic lows. Yet year one of new presidencies often usher in challenging markets. Your retirement security is on the line. Read more


What's at Stake
Your Taxes
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The Obama years saw the Bush tax cuts made permanent for all but the wealthiest, plus new Obamacare levies. Now the question of how much of your paycheck you’ll get to keep—and who should pay more or less—is back on the table in a big way. Read more


What's at Stake
Your Healthcare
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More Americans than ever have coverage, but with insurers pulling out of the government insurance exchanges, premiums rising, and businesses chafing at the health law’s requirements, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is under the microscope. Read more


What's at Stake
Your Family and Education
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College is the gateway to higher lifetime earnings. But tuition has skyrocketed, and millions struggle with student debt. How can you handle the high price of higher ed? Also crucial for families: How do you find affordable child care that helps you balance work and a career? Read more

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