If you are a working American, congratulations. As a result of a compromise between the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, you will be getting a small tax break for two months.
If you are planning to buy a home this year, you may not feel very good about the deal. You will be paying a substantial part of the cost of it.
Conservatives of both parties in the Senate and House had serious reservations about President Barack Obama's proposal to extend into the new year a 2-percent payroll tax cut.
As matters stand, it has been approved for only two months - and that after an enormous amount of rancorous, often purely political controversy.
A major concern thoughtful Republicans and Democrats have about the tax cut is it would, in effect, put more money in Americans' wallets for a few months while costing the already beleaguered Social Security program dearly in the long run.
But there were many other concerns about the plan.
The deal has several components in addition to the two-month tax cut. The total cost of the package is estimated at $33 billion. How will that be funded? By increasing the fees federally owned mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge lending institutions to insure home loans.
That cost will be passed on to homebuyers in one way or another. That is something those who approved it would prefer you didn't consider.
