Joining me now is one of the 13,000 air traffic controllers working without pay right now. Pete Lef Fever is a member of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and helps control the skies over Washington. First of all, Pete, thanks for your work that you do.We saw you over the week handing out pamphlets and flyers to educate travelers about what's going on right now. What do you want people to know. >> Good morning.Thank you so much for having me on. Uh 17 days ago the government shutdown was just ...

Core Insights - The 2025 Financial Literacy and Preparedness Survey indicates that pervasive economic and governmental uncertainty is significantly affecting Americans' financial well-being, leading many to feel financially stagnant despite their efforts [1][2][3]. Financial Sentiment - Approximately 53% of U.S. adults feel that no matter how hard they try to improve their financial situation, setbacks always occur [2]. - About 48% of respondents feel they are merely treading water financially, with unexpected expenses posing a significant risk [2]. - One-third of participants (33%) report they are just getting by financially [2]. Economic Concerns - A notable 63% of Americans express concern that partisanship and volatility in the U.S. government will negatively impact their personal finances in the upcoming year [4]. - Additionally, 57% believe that current economic uncertainty makes it impossible to achieve long-term financial goals, and the same percentage finds it more challenging to manage or pay off debt due to this uncertainty [4]. Consumer Confidence - While 65% of respondents rate their ability to make sound personal finance decisions as an A or B, only 56% rate their actual financial state highly, indicating that external pressures are a significant barrier to financial progress [5]. Professional Assistance Gap - Only 5% of Americans experiencing financial problems related to debt would seek help from a professional nonprofit credit counseling agency, equating to approximately 13.1 million adults [6][11]. - The survey highlights the critical need for access to trusted financial guidance amid widespread financial strain and economic uncertainty [6]. Survey Methodology - The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll from February 20 to March 17, 2025, involving 2,010 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, representative of the general population [8].