Tag: Pew Research

You’re probably broke if you always say ‘yes’ to these 5 things, no matter how much money you make

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People rarely go broke overnight. Instead, it usually happens gradually as a series of poor financial decisions add up. Few of us can afford to make many financial mistakes. That includes relatively high earners.

According to YouGov, 36% of U.S. adults earning more than $100,000 a year are struggling to make ends meet on their current income. (1)

Meanwhile, a Harris Poll found that more than half of six-figure earners would only feel financially secure if their income doubled, and three-quarters had used a credit card because they ran out of cash recently. (2)

In other words, you can’t outearn bad spending habits. And if you’re saying “yes” to any of the crucial things listed below, you’re probably on a path to financial insecurity as well.

Helping friends and family with their financial struggles feels noble, but it can quickly derail your own finances. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say “no” to your loved ones.

Nearly six in 10 parents admit to providing some financial assistance to their adult children, according to Pew Research. (3)

Moreover, according to a 2025 survey by JG Wentworth, 53% of adults say they have lent money to either a friend or family member at least once, and 48.3% would ask a family member for money with no expectation to pay it back. (4)

Put simply, lending money to your loved ones is nearly on par with tossing cash into a black hole. That’s not to say you should refuse all requests for financial help. However, if you’re saying “yes” too often, you’re putting yourself in a financially vulnerable position.

The costs of dining out, attending concerts and going on vacation have increased rapidly in recent years. U.S. adults currently spend $2,841 per year on restaurant and takeout meals, according to CNET (5), while the average household annual entertainment budget is $3,636, according to Ramsey Solutions. (6) Add in occasional expenses like birthdays and anniversaries, and you can see why an active social life is an expensive luxury.

You don’t need to abandon all opportunities to socialize and live like a recluse, but occasionally saying “no” could help you accumulate meaningful savings over time.

High-income individuals have greater access to credit, and many of them take full advantage of this.

According to a 2025 survey by PYMNTS, high-earning shoppers are 40% more likely to rely on buy-now-pay-later programs than their lower-earning peers. (7) And, according to BHG, 62% of individuals earning more than $300,000 a year are struggling with credit card debt. (8)

If you’re in this cohort, resist the temptation to max out all the credit available to you. Accumulating multiple monthly interest payments can quickly drain even a high six-figure salary.

Read More: This is the quiet portfolio shift many wealthy investors are making in 2026. Should you consider it too?

The average consumer spends $282 a month on impulse purchases, according to Capital One. (9)

Most impulse purchases are relatively small items, like shoes, gadgets or accessories. If you’re making big-ticket impulse purchases, that’s a red flag.

Buying a new appliance or renovating the kitchen on a whim might not seem like a big deal, but it can have far-reaching consequences for your financial future.

A practical way to limit impulse spending is to establish a personal spending cap. For example, you could impose a mandatory seven-day pause before proceeding with any purchase over $1,000.

During that week, you could research prices, compare alternatives and confirm you actually need the article you planned to buy.

Buying a home, especially if it’s your first, is an emotionally-charged decision. And because emotions are running high, it’s easy to buy a home that is either too big or too expensive for your budget.

Nearly three-quarters of first-time home buyers and 65% of overall home buyers had some regrets about their purchase, claims Clever Real Estate. (10)

According to the St. Louis-based real estate technology company, more than half of first-time homebuyers felt financially over their head, while 38% of overall buyers said they exceeded their initial budget for the home.

Housing costs are usually the biggest line item on a typical household’s budget, and overspending on them can have long-term implications for your financial security. Avoid regret by sticking to a strict budget and some financial guardrails.

For instance, you could limit your home search to properties that are less than four times your annual income and monthly payments that are less than a third of your monthly paycheck.

Buying a home you can easily afford could be the ultimate game-changer for your financial future.

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

YouGov (1); The Harris Poll (2); Pew Research Center (3); JG Wentworth (4); CNET (5); Ramsey Solutions (6); Pymnts (7); BHG Financial (8); Capital One (9); PR Newswire (10).

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

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December 27, 2025
Cannabis Industry Startled By Adminstration’s Pardon
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Cannabis industry startled by administration’s pardon as major drug kingpins are freed while small businesses struggle for legitimacy.

The contradictions are stark: on one hand, millions of Americans — roughly 88% — now believe cannabis should be legal for medical or recreational use. On the other, the federal government under Donald J. Trump is granting pardons to major drug-kingpins, effectively undercutting the very legitimacy of drug enforcement — and prolonging the regulatory limbo for the legitimate cannabis industry. The cannabis industry startled by administration’s pardon, and has serious concerns.

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Recent polling from Pew Research Center (January 2024) shows 88% of U.S. adults believe marijuana should be legal for “medical or recreational use.” 57% support full legalization (medical + recreational).
- 32% favor medical use only.
These numbers reflect broad, cross-demographic support: across age groups, political affiliations, and social backgrounds. Yet despite this widespread public backing, federal law continues to treat cannabis as a Schedule I prohibited substance. Meanwhile, many small businesses — the backbone of the legal cannabis economy — remain stuck navigating a patchwork of state laws, banking restrictions, and regulatory uncertainty.

Photo by Anton Petrus/Getty Images

The legal cannabis industry in the United States is far from the caricature of drug-lords and illicit syndicates. In many states, it is built on “mom-and-pop,” small-business owners — growers, retailers, and delivery services — operating under state licensing regimes, paying taxes, and striving to meet compliance, safety, and community standards.

These businesses often invest heavily in compliance: tracking seed-to-sale, adhering to local zoning laws, paying licensing fees, and ensuring product safety. They strive to be transparent and legitimate. Yet they continue to suffer — unable to access traditional banking, facing high regulatory costs, and vulnerable to federal enforcement risk.

For these entrepreneurs, the inaction at the federal level — combined with aggressive pardons for large-scale traffickers — feels like a double injustice. While “real cannabis” operators play by the rules, the government’s clemency choices tacitly reward those who broke them.

RELATED: Can Cannabis Or Alcohol Help With Colds

In 2025, the Trump administration commuted or pardoned several high-profile drug offenders — individuals whose enterprises profited from illicit narcotics trafficking.

Notably:
- Juan Orlando Hernández — convicted in 2024 on federal drug-trafficking and weapons charges for enabling the shipment of hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States — received a full and unconditional presidential pardon on December 2, 2025. He had been sentenced to 45 years in prison before his release.
- Ross Ulbricht — founder of the darknet marketplace Silk Road — received a full and unconditional pardon.
- Larry Hoover and other convicted dealers were also granted clemency even as the administration publicly reiterated its commitment to a “drug war.”
This paradox — pardoning convicted traffickers while claiming to crack down on drugs — has drawn sharp criticism. Observers argue it undermines not only the moral basis of drug enforcement, but also public trust in which operations deserve clemency and which don’t.

The legal cannabis industry is caught in a confusing and often frustrating limbo. Federal policy sends mixed signals: the administration has pardoned high-profile drug kingpins — including international traffickers — while marijuana remains federally illegal. The message is stark: massive illegal dealers are forgiven, while small, law-abiding cannabis businesses continue to face obstacles.

RELATED: Study Reinforces Marijuana’s Power To Treat PTSD

Regulatory burdens remain heavy. Even as states embrace legalization, small cannabis operators contend with a maze of state laws, limited access to banking, and steep compliance costs. Without federal support, these businesses must navigate an uncertain legal landscape which limits growth and threatens survival.

The pardons of major traffickers amplify the sense of hypocrisy. When convicted drug lords are freed while compliant cannabis businesses remain constrained, the government’s commitment to fairness and justice comes into question. The contrast highlights the uneven enforcement continuing to frustrate entrepreneurs who have worked hard to stay on the right side of the law.

Looking Ahead: Steps to Align Policy and Reality

For the industry to thrive, federal policy must finally catch up with public opinion:
- Reclassify or reschedule cannabis so legal operators can run businesses with clarity and confidence under a consistent national framework.
- Banking reform to provide access to financial services, loans, and basic banking infrastructure for compliant cannabis businesses.
- Rational clemency and sentencing policies that distinguish between violent traffickers and nonviolent cannabis entrepreneurs, recognizing the huge difference in scale and harm.
- Congressional action reflecting decades of rising public support and sets a clear path toward legalization.
Until federal law aligns with the will of the people, the legal cannabis industry — largely composed of small “mom-and-pop” operations — will continue to face unnecessary barriers, even as the administration grants leniency to major traffickers. The result is a system that rewards the wrong actors while holding law-abiding entrepreneurs back.
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Terry Hacienda

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December 2, 2025
DC-area immigrants face challenges under Trump administration – WTOP News

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WTOP spoke with members of the D.C. region’s immigrant community for their feedback on President Donald Trump’s moves against immigrants and how the community has responded.

President Donald Trump’s return to the White House brought along a sweeping immigration crackdown when he said he would deport “the worst of the worst.”

That pledge has led to raids and arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, including many people currently detained with no criminal convictions. According to a Department of Homeland Security report in September, over 2 million people have been deported or willingly left the United States since Trump’s inauguration.

A Pew Research Center analysis found that as of June 2025, 19% of the U.S. labor force were immigrants, down from 20%, with Trump’s anti-immigrant actions becoming a main factor for the drop.

Those actions have brought fear and anxiety to the immigrant communities throughout the nation.

WTOP spoke with members of the D.C. region’s immigrant community for their feedback on Trump’s moves against immigrants and how the community has responded.

Finding work

José arrived in the United States from Mexico in 1995. He’s been living in the D.C. region for over a year, working either for companies in plumbing-related jobs or for the Workers Co-op Without Borders through CASA, one of the largest immigration rights organizations in the country.

While he has been able to find work, José told WTOP he knows many of his friends and co-workers are struggling to make ends meet.

“I have heard that for many people, jobs are scarce because of what’s happening,” José said in Spanish.

Yet, the recent government shutdown is affecting José and others as work has dried up.

“A lot of the work the companies got was from government workers,” José said. “And now, they don’t want to spend.”

‘Risks of being profiled’

Cesar Garzon, a naturalized citizen from Venezuela, works for a worker-owned landscaping company, the Swamp Rose Co-op, based out of Silver Spring, Maryland. He said while the economic outlook led to some cancellations, he and his team have remained busy with steady work for the last eight months.

However, Garzon admitted it has been harder to find people who can help provide an additional hand.

“There has been a reducing workforce,” Garzon said. “A lot of people have kind of decided to either leave or they’re just not working.”

With the current political climate, Garzon said he and his co-workers established some strategies in case they are wrongly identified during a possible interaction with an ICE agent, including setting up a contact person.

“We face the risks of being profiled, and of course, that’s not fun,” Garzon said.

New skills to find new jobs

Lindolfo Carballo, senior director of the community economic development department for CASA, told WTOP that he has seen an uptick in immigrants applying for jobs at the organization’s job centers. However, he has also seen an increase in immigrants attempting to learn skills for different types of work.

But there is still some fear in the community. Carballo said the Trump administration’s continued actions are making it difficult for employers to hire workers and for workers to find jobs.

“The truth of the matter is that there is a need for workers,” he said. “It’s a very large need of workers.”

Carballo encourages those immigrants who are still in the U.S. to continue fighting for their rights.

“We need to fight back,” Carballo said. “We need to be resilient. We need to stand up for our rights and, of course, right now, it’s very difficult. But we know that we will overcome.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Jose Umana

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October 18, 2025
Does Marijuana Have Any Sway In The Election

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Since 2016 cannabis has began slowly legalizing across Canada and the US. Recent research says almost 90% believe it should be legalized. Additionally, California Sober has become a thing, beer sales have flattened and even AARP has joined esteemed medical organizations saying cannabis should be recognized for the health benefits. States are reaping huge tax revenue, but the industry is still struggling without some type of federal recognization. But does marijuana have any sway in the election?

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Top concerns of voters include the economy, healthcare, the Supreme Court and abortion, with over 60% of voters considering them very important. And although cannabis consumers use is generally seen more of a democrat habit than republicans, a number of repubicans are fans. Some larger influencers in the industry have been staunch supporter of the GOP nominee. A recent poll found 42% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independent favor legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical compared with 72% of Democrats. Florida governor Ron DeSantis is struggling to prevent an expanded cannabis ballot initiative passing in Florida. But do voters really consider marijuana when choosing?

Photo by Lingbeek/Getty Images

While the industry is full of bros who believe they have influence over the election and congress, the numbers don’t add up. It isn’t a make or break issue for most voters. Biden delayed any action on marijuana, despite his promise in 2020, until the last part of this term. Because of this, even if he manages to push things through with the Drug Enforcement Administration, it will be 2025 before any help comes. The GOP nominee’s has come out in support of the Florida initiative against his old foe DeSantis, but leaders in his party are against any legal form of marijuana. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has made it very clear cannabis is a no go.

A recent YouGov poll revealed , voters trust the Democratic nominee to handle cannabis laws (27 percent), compared to the GOP candidate (20 percent). But more Trump supporters say marijuana issues are important them (17 percent) than Harris supporters (11 percent). It could mean older conservative believe the GOP will reverse marijuana trends.

RELATED: Musk Supports DeSantis Blocking Marijuana Legalization

The good news is alcohol is a major partner of cannabis having invested over $13 billion in the industry, and they have a longer term relationship with Congress. Constellation, one of the largest players of spirits, wine and beer, made $22 billion in revenue last year compared to the $33 billon the entire marijuana raked in.

Does the industry have a say in the election, absolutely via support, donation and campaigns. But on average, marijuana is not a major issue for most voters.

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Terry Hacienda

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October 28, 2024