BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
       B alance of payments  is the measure of money inflows and outflows between the United States and the Rest of the World (ROW). Inflows  are credits  and outflows  are debits . The balance of payments is divided into three accounts: current account , capital/financial account , and official reserves account .    Current Account    b alance of trade or net exports   exports of goods/services - import of goods/services  exports  create a credit  to the balance of payments  imports  create a debit  to the balance of payments   n et foreign income   income earned by U.S. owned foreign assets - income paid to foreign-held U.S. assets  ex: interest payments on U.S. owned Brazilian bonds - interest payments on German-owned U.S. Treasury bonds   n et transfers     foreign aid -> a debit to the current account  ex: immigrant migrant workers sending money to family back home     Capital/Financial Account     balance of capital ownership  includes the purchase of both real and fi...