Yellen warns Congress of nearing US default

US could default in October

clock • 1 min read

US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen has urged Congress to raise the debt ceiling to avoid US default, warning the Treasury could run out of cash as early as October.

In a letter to the House, Yellen said that while it was difficult to give a specific estimate, the Treasury's cash supplies would "most likely" be exhausted at some point in October. This would result in a US default.  "A delay that calls into question the federal government's ability to meet all its obligations would likely cause irreparable damage to the US economy and global financial markets," Yellen said in the letter. "We have learned from past debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and c...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Investment

Watch Professional Adviser's Working Lunch with Baillie Gifford - Emerging Future: Rethinking the World's Growth Engine

Watch Professional Adviser's Working Lunch with Baillie Gifford - Emerging Future: Rethinking the World's Growth Engine

Catch up on the discussion

Professional Adviser
clock 13 October 2026 • 1 min read
Fifty years after 'Bogle's Folly', what comes next for financial advice?

Fifty years after 'Bogle's Folly', what comes next for financial advice?

'Indexing will continue to grow, but the wrapper through which investors access it will change'

Gillian Hepburn
clock 12 October 2026 • 4 min read
Chris Justham: Why the industry must 'entertain and engage' investors

Chris Justham: Why the industry must 'entertain and engage' investors

‘We can’t just offer them a dry cracker and ask them to chew it down’

Chris Justham
clock 07 October 2026 • 3 min read