I recently came across some data that was quite eye-opening. According to observations from the American banking sector, the current financial situation in the United States is more strained than imagined—67% of people are using almost their entire monthly income just to get by, leaving little to no savings. Even more startling, a quarter of households have no savings at all, with wages being spent almost immediately after receipt.

Meanwhile, the number of homeless people on the streets is surging. In 2024, the nationwide homeless population increased by 18.1% year-over-year, reaching the highest level since the 2007 financial crisis. Surprisingly, the proportion of middle class within this wave is rising, meaning that the once relatively stable middle class is also beginning to fall into poverty.

On a personal level, some heartbreaking cases stand out. Former child star Taylor Chase ended up homeless due to mental health issues; there’s also Silicon Valley programmer David Cazares, who faced constant rejection in job searches after failing in his startup and being listed as "without fixed address."

The underlying mechanisms are even more worth examining. Healthcare costs in the U.S. are outrageously high—an ambulance call can cost over $5,000. Once medical debt is incurred due to an emergency, credit scores collapse, affecting subsequent loans, housing, and employment opportunities, creating a difficult "falling cycle." This system makes poverty almost irreversible; a single medical incident can push a family from middle class back to poverty.