On a side note, I also experienced just the opposite. I had a vastly positive cashflow, however, I had basically no money to spend. Whenever I got some cash in, the AI (with some things on automatic of course) immediately spent it. Most likely on troops or starbase/ship retrofits. However, there was ...

Maybe they could add a second 'corrected by bonus income' cash flow figure that is basically what your effective cash flow would be if your included the avarage bonus income over the last x month/years. The figures are there in the economics screen, you just have to calculate it yourself. However ...

I am stuck with basic armor, normal tractor beams and the normal research labs. The latter is especially punishing since without structured research and the buildings it is harder to get to the reaseach bonus thresholds. I only noticed when I got the notifcations that the other empire build the lab ...