Chicago's financial health gets 'F' grade

An analysis of the top 75 most populous U.S. cities and their financial health ranked Chicago next to last and gave the city a grade of "F", the Illinois News Network reported. Truth in Accounting's Financial State of the Cities 2018 report applied to the city's 2016 financial report filings. The report said Chicago's debt burden was $40.5 billion, which would equate to about $45,000 for every Chicago taxpayer. The report also said Chicago would need more than $20,000 from each of its taxpayers to pay all of its outstanding bills, which also contributed to the "F" grade. The analysis said there are two key categories driving Chicago's financial problems: pensions and retiree health benefits. The city has $35.8 billion in unfunded pension promises and $715.5 million in unfunded retiree health care benefits, the study said.