Most of the increase in loans outstanding reflects more borrowing by those companies that always had strong credit quality.

FORBES: Connect

If the spending exceeds the revenue, there is no alternative to borrowing the difference, thus increasing outstanding debt.

FORBES: The Debt Ceiling Debate: My Two Cents Worth

In plans that allow borrowing, about 21% of participants had outstanding loans in 2011, up from 18% in 2008, according to a December report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

WSJ: Getting Going: When It's OK to Plunder Your 401(k)

They can still roll over debt, covering any debt that becomes due with new borrowing, which would not require increasing the total outstanding national debt.

FORBES: Addressing The Various Debt-Limit Delusions

Coincidently, on April 15th, Correa announced that Ecuador had paid off its entire outstanding debt to the International Monetary Fund, which he has long criticized for imposing harsh conditions on borrowing nations, the same day Venezuela finished paying its debt with the mentioned organization.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Ecuador's democracy at risk

Spain on Tuesday paid a higher borrowing rate on 2.6bn euros of six-month debt and the fact that yields on its outstanding debt have trickled higher has worried European officials.

BBC: OECD urges eurozone rescue fund boost to 1tn euros

Since the launch of the euro, moreover, Italy's debt managers have managed to extend the average term of its borrowing to almost seven years, locking in then-prevailing interest rates and ensuring that less of the outstanding debt is subject to abrupt rate increases.

ECONOMIST: Fretful markets fear the worst