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Viewed through the lens of traditional data in early 2026, the U.S. consumer economy appears deceptively bright. Household net worths are near record highs, and average FICO scores have stabilized at historically healthy levels. But beneath this oddly “sunny” macro narrative, a shadow is emerging. Consider Aubrey, a 30-year-old married father of two living in a suburban home outside Chicago. Aubrey maintains a 760-credit score, pays his Chase Sapphire card in full every month

On September 19th, President Donald Trump signed another one of his 217 executive orders in his new presidential term (“2025 Donald J. Trump Executive Orders”). But unlike his typical focus on security and illegal immigration, this order took aim at something different: legal immigration, specifically with the H-1B visa program. The order introduced a $100,000 fee for every new H-1B visa petition, an increase from the previous average of approximately $3,500, and signified on