Mr McCain also wants to expand education saving accounts and introduce a tax credit for donating to schools, while Mr Bush wants to make charitable giving tax-deductible.

ECONOMIST: Republican fiscal policies

One idea is to use the tax code, a favourite Clinton tool for promoting everything from education to saving.

ECONOMIST: The muddled maths of welfare-to-work

"Whether you're buying a home, paying for education, saving for retirement, investing, or growing your business, we're here for you, " the flier reads.

WSJ: Customers to Banks: It's You, Not Me