By Sarah Brady, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Updated: September 8, 2026 Main Facts: The Reality of Personal Bankruptcy in America Every year, more than 500,000 Americans take the legal step of filing for bankruptcy. For individuals drowning in a sea of escalating credit card bills, mounting medical debt, and sudden job loss, bankruptcy…
As traditional cigarette consumption steadily declines across the United States—marking a historic achievement for public health—state governments are facing an unprecedented fiscal dilemma. For decades, lucrative cigarette tax revenues formed a reliable bedrock for state budgets, funding everything from infrastructure to healthcare initiatives. Today, that tax base is shrinking rapidly. In response, states are scrambling…
Insurance is often viewed as a necessary financial nuisance—a recurring premium paid for a promise that most consumers hope never to redeem. From quirky policies guarding celebrity sommeliers’ noses to eccentric alien abduction riders, the global insurance market offers protection against virtually every conceivable misfortune. However, beneath the noise of hyper-specific marketing lies a fundamental…
As traditional cigarette consumption continues a decades-long, public-health-driven decline, state budgets face an impending fiscal reckoning. For generations, tobacco excise taxes served as a reliable, highly lucrative stream of revenue for local governments. But as smokers successfully stub out traditional cigarettes in favor of non-combustible alternatives, states are experiencing a profound revenue crater. Enter oral…
