Recently, there has been a term circulating online called the "U.S. Kill Zone," which is a vivid metaphor—though this is not an official concept, but a folk way to describe a harsh phenomenon in American society.

Simply put, this is not about economic indicators or data thresholds. It refers to the idea that in the U.S., once your life falls below an invisible critical point, the government system won't save you—in fact, it might push you further down.

Using the gaming term "kill zone" as a metaphor—when your health drops to a certain level, you can be taken out with a single hit. In reality, it's similar: once an individual's or family's financial situation enters a danger zone, a chain reaction can be triggered. Medical debt, unemployment, credit bankruptcy, losing your home... each link leads to the next, eventually resulting in homelessness, or even worse.

Three core issues of this phenomenon deserve attention:

**First, the surprising fragility of the middle class.** Looks like a stable group—such as programmers, veterans, small business owners—can be wiped out instantly by an unexpected event (illness, layoffs, divorce). A programmer earning $450,000 a year unemployed for half a year ends up homeless. This is not a rare case but a systemic risk.

**Second, the system itself creates a form of strangulation.** Medical expenses, legal issues, credit scores—these interconnected systems trap individuals once they fall into trouble, leaving almost no way out. Credit scores drop, making it hard to find a job or rent a house, income becomes unstable, and credit worsens further... a vicious cycle becomes locked in.

**Third, the survival time of homeless people is alarmingly short.** After becoming homeless, the average lifespan is 3 to 5 years. Diseases, drugs, extreme weather—each can be deadly. In New York, two homeless individuals, trying to escape the cold by crawling into trash bins for warmth, were crushed by garbage trucks.

This "kill zone" phenomenon reflects a deep-rooted dilemma in a developed country. For us, it is also a warning: no matter how wealthy, one must understand risk management—asset allocation and emergency reserves are essential.