Is the American Dream still alive? Think about the American Dream as a hundred-year-old ideal.

And the phrase used to describe upward mobility and the promise of success through hard work.

And for decades, the idea of the American Dream has often gone hand in hand with homeownership.

Is that still the case today? That's what we're going to talk about on today's show. So a new poll just came out.

It says that the majority of Americans, 78%, to be exact, don't feel financially secure today.

This percentage has risen gradually over the past years showing rising tensions across the economy.

What's especially interesting is that although 70% of survey participants said they believe they have made smart financial decisions,

it's not enough right now to result in comfortable or secure lifestyle.

That's right. Despite doing everything right, working hard,

most Americans are still living paycheck to paycheck. They're unable to save money. And their

incomes are not just keeping up with their expenses. So what's behind this increasing phenomenon

right now of Americans feeling less financially secure with each passing year. Two simple answers. The cost of living

and the state of the economy. Basically, incomes have not been able to keep up with the cost of living,

especially given the inflationary environment of the last several years. So when everything becomes

more expensive, but your income stays stagnant or the same, it's a

recipe for disaster. The result is really sad, actually. Forty-three percent of Americans surveyed

said they'll never have enough money to achieve the American dream, which was defined as achieving

financial success, owning a home, supporting a family.

A lot of these families are saying, I just can't even afford to have kids.

I mean, these are major life milestones that were once the cornerstones of American life.

But today, they're simply out of reach for nearly half the population.

The biggest issues cited contributing to this were

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