Student Loans, Holiday Debt, $2.7B Crypto Hack & EV Reality

Money is getting TIGHT everywhere. Student loan wage garnishments start in January, Americans racked up $1,223 in holiday debt, hackers stole $2.7 billion in crypto, and the EV industry just hit a wall. We break down all four stories and what they mean for your money.QUICK UPDATE: Our flight to Michigan got cancelled so we filmed this before leaving Tuesday Dec 23rd. This is our second couples episode - we're still figuring out the format but these stories were too important to wait.STUDENT LOAN WAGE GARNISHMENT RETURNSStarting January 7th, the government will begin garnishing up to 15% of borrowers' wages if they're in default on student loans. This hasn't happened since the pandemic started almost five years ago. Right now 5.3 million borrowers are in default, with another 3.7 million delinquent and 2.7 million in early stages - that's 12 million total borrowers at risk. We explain who's affected, how much they'll lose from their paychecks, what options are available, and why the timing is brutal for people already struggling financially.HOLIDAY DEBT HITS RECORD LEVELSAbout 36% of holiday shoppers went into debt this season, racking up an average of $1,223 on credit cards. Total holiday spending is on track to hit $1 trillion for the first time ever, even though consumer sentiment is terrible. The average credit card balance per person in the US is now $6,523, up 2.2% from last year. With interest rates around 20%, people who only make minimum payments could spend 9-10 months paying off holiday debt - just in time to start the cycle again next year. We discuss why people are spending despite being worried about money and what this debt spiral means.CRYPTO HACKERS STEAL $2.7 BILLION IN 2025Hackers stole $2.7 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, making it the worst year on record. North Korean state-sponsored hackers were responsible for at least $2 billion of that total. The biggest single theft was $1.4 billion from the Bybit exchange - one of the largest financial heists in human history. We explain how North Korean hackers infiltrate crypto companies by posing as remote IT workers, how they target executives with fake job offers on LinkedIn, how they launder stolen crypto through Chinese money laundering networks, and why North Korea has now stolen $6.75 billion total since 2017 to fund their nuclear weapons program.EV INDUSTRY ENTERS "COOLING-OFF PERIOD"The rapid innovation phase in the EV industry is over. BYD's second-generation blade battery only improved energy density by 12% over five years, compared to nearly doubling it in the previous decade. The average technology iteration cycle for EVs worldwide increased from 1.8 years in 2021 to 3.2 years now. Annual battery energy density growth dropped from 15% to 7%. China's EV penetration is approaching 60%, which means stricter safety regulations starting July 2026. The new standard requires batteries to never catch fire or explode during thermal runaway - a massive engineering challenge. We break down why innovation is slowing, what "technological debt" means, how this changes competition from "who's more advanced" to "who's more solid," and which companies will survive the industry's maturation phase.THE BIG PICTUREAll four stories point to the same reality: the easy money era is ending. Student loan payment pauses are over. Credit is tightening. Crypto isn't as safe as people thought. EV companies can't rely on rapid innovation anymore. Whether you're an individual managing personal finances or watching the EV/crypto industries, things are getting harder and more competitive. This is what happens when temporary support systems end and industries mature.#StudentLoans #CreditCardDebt #CryptoHack #EVIndustry #NorthKorea #HolidayDebt #WageGarnishment #Bitcoin #BYD #Tesla #PersonalFinance #TechNews

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