Personal Finance Why U.S. policies like baby bonds and child tax credits can’t convince Americans to have kids

https://www.cnbc.com ^ | May 30 20259 | Charlotte Morabito

[RomanSoldier19]

America’s fertility rate is hovering around historic lows, with approximately 1.6 births per woman over her lifetime. This is below the level needed to sustain the population, which is 2.1 births per woman.

[RomanSoldier19]

[Migraine]

Meanwhile, the wrong people are just squirtin’ ‘em out.

[Leaning Right]

There are many reasons for this unfortunate trend. Permit me to submit one.

Back in the old days (1950s and 1960s) taxes were relatively low for the average Joe. And that average Joe had a well-paying factory job. He made enough such that his wife could have kids, and stay at home to raise them.

(That was my story growing up.)

Where are those factories now? Well, they’re mostly gone. And higher taxes are everywhere. So that average Joe’s wife needs to go to work, too.

Trump is trying to bring industry back to America. That sure would help. But it remains to be seen if Congress will cooperate.

[HonorInPa]

And when the wife does go back to work, the cost of day care consumes most of her pay.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

It seems daycare would make a good tax deduction.

[SoConPubbie]

Wow!

I know the very first place I turn to for wisdom on a subject is CNBC!

[T.B. Yoits]

Meanwhile, the wrong people are just squirtin' 'em out.

"Been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding
The cretins cloning and feeding
And I don't even own a TV"

-Harvey Danger "Flagpole Sitta"

[dragnet2]

Meanwhile, the wrong people are just squirtin’ ‘em out.

Blame the government. They left the borders open for 50+ years, aided and abetted this epic invasion, offered them gifts, prizes, housing, medical, then the corrupt SOBs in Congress created never ending chain immigration inviting every 3rd world crap hole on the planet.

Can you imagine what it costs for a working young white guy to get married, have babies, mortgages, insurance, hospitals, taxes, housing and food prices through the roof...On and on...

[oldplayer]

Leftist take from our most reliable source; CNBC! They cast everything in a leftist economic light.

To basically ignore the tremendous cultural shift caused by the demise of traditional Christian values, and the effect of the omnipresence of hormonal birth control is basic journalistic malpractice (or propaganda, if you so choose).

[Karoo]

stop abortion

[Valpal1]

The public schools have been teaching overpopulation and global warming for decades now. They also teach that children are a burden, financially and emotionally in multiple ways, health class, family finance classes, home economics if they still have them.

The propraganda just goes on and on and on from K-12. More propaganda in college.

Tax incentives don’t have a chance when young people are propagandized for 20 years from age 5-25.

Don’t even get me started on the social media doom scrolling these kids do on their phones. Or how porn has broken them and given them unreal expectations of the opposite sex.

This problem is so big and deep, only God can fix it.

[A_Former_Democrat]

There is a credit for daycare

[Svartalfiar]

It seems daycare would make a good tax deduction.

Daycare makes an ok tax credit. You can take 20-35% of up to $3000 in expenses ($6000 if 2+ kids), up to your total tax liability (non-refundable).

What screws you is if you use a DCA (pay for daycare using a pre-tax payroll deduction) you only reduce taxes by your tax rate on that amount, like a tax deduction. BUT, if you use post-tax dollars, you get a tax CREDIT, which is a much bigger reduction as the credit is 20-35%, while your overall tax rate is probably 0-15% for poor to middle class taxpayers.

[Vaduz]

Charlotte Morabito hasn’t noted what all the illegals do they breed like rabbits.