You've probably noticed that the value of our money isn't the same anymore. In fact, the dollar has lost 95% of its purchasing power since the 70s. But recently, that decline has become even more pronounced. Today, households don't have enough money coming in, but bills are piling up. That's why debt levels are rising astronomically while people's savings accounts are running dry, which is putting thousands of U.S. banks at increased risk of failure. When the U.S. consumer isn’t in a healthy financial shape, bad things tend to happen. And now, conditions are eerily similar to what we experienced during the run up to the Great Recession. With higher living expenses and tighter access to credit, families and individuals in the U.S. are being hit from all sides.