Many financial observers anticipate further write-offs by U.S. banks, as they have not been forced to mark to market their entire loan portfolios, but have instead kept them on the books at their original prices or levels far higher than the current market.

FORBES: New Bank Capital Demands Will Drastically Reduce Bank Lending

Credit indicators, management explained, remain at all-time lows, with the write-off rate for the U.S. lending portfolio was 2% for the quarter.

FORBES: American Express Axes 5,400 Jobs To Adapt To The 'Digital Revolution'

As we write this essay, longer-term U.S. Treasures are getting a bit of a safety bid on the economic impact of a possible nuclear meltdown in Japan.

FORBES: America, poised for a hyperinflationary event? ...the Roadmap

It recorded a large write-down as a result of uncertainty over the U.S. defense budget and spending cuts known as the sequester.

WSJ: U.S. Stock Futures Turn Up

Seven of those are regular absentee ballots, and three are what are known as federal absentee write-in ballots -- generic ballots that citizens can pick up at a U.S. military base or Embassy overseas.

CNN: Florida counties expect about 2,000 absentee ballots

It still won't pay U.S. federal income taxes for many years due to the write-offs.

NPR: General Motors Posts $898M 4Q Net Profit

U.ed drove Spratt and, to a lesser extent, Conrad to write watered-down resolutions that included as little detail as necessary.

NEWYORKER: Money Talks

The average U.S. corporate tax rate is 35%, not counting discounts and write-offs, with many in Congress calling for it to be reduced to 25%.

FORBES: In US, Corp Tax Rate Higher Than Big Emerging Mkts, But CEO Pay Even Higher

The lack of agreement between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO means that senators attempting to write an immigration bill will have to find a compromise on their own on the flow of foreign workers into the country.

WSJ: Business, Labor Groups Find Little Accord on Immigration

As a consequence, a write-down of 30% of that debt could lead to a European financial crisis not unlike that which struck the U.S. banks from sub-prime mortgages.

FORBES: Governments Are The Primary Creators Of Systemic Risk