The Disconnect

It's a loaded question, we know. But as Technology advances and we question more and more about the reality we live in, scientists are nearing the conclusion that the results are about 50/50 that we are living in some sort of simulation. And if we are actually able to create our own simulation with consciousness, the odds that we're living in base reality drastically drop.

I think therefore I am, right? Not so fast...

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Well, its the morning after the 2020 Election and we have no official word on who the next President of the United States will be. So we'll do what we do best and speculate as to what will happen in the coming days, weeks, and months that follow.

With a race that's closer than anyone could have anticipated, we can all agree on one thing...you can't count on polling.

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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As you head to the polls to cast your ballot (or maybe you already sent that ballot in weeks ago), it can feel like Americans are divided on every topic. Its either Right or Left, Republican or Democrat with no middle ground. In this week's episode of Pure Speculation, we'll break down this article from the New York Times that points out that we might not be as divided as we think we are. There might still be hope after all...

We'll be back in your feed in two days on Wednesday for our reaction to the results of the 2020 Election. Here at StruggleState.com, we don't care who you vote for, just as long as you do!

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Did she or didn't she? Of course she did.

In late July 2016, Hillary Clinton, in an effort to divert attention from the email scandal that was haunting her presidential bid, directed her campaign to peddle a political narrative that Russia’s suspected hacking and leaking of Democratic Party emails was in furtherance of a conspiracy between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to swing the election to Trump.

Why does it matter now? Because the current Democratic Candidate Joe Biden wants your vote for President this November and the Obama Administration, where he served as Vice President during this time, made a calculated effort to shelter the Clinton Campaign from any wrong doing in an effort for the Democrats to remain in control of the White House.

FBI director James Comey held his infamous “exoneration” press conference, which illustrated that there was damning evidence of Clinton’s mishandling of classified information and destruction of government records, and of her promotion of a culture of national-security recklessness at the State Department; but, nevertheless, that the Obama administration would not charge her, even though her conduct violated the literal terms of the espionage statute.

Do we want more of the same back door deals and blatant disregard for the rules as we've seen in the past?

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Many people with student loans aren't carrying the burden of their debt alone. The mountain of debt weighs down their families, too.

"Student loan repayment is really a family affair," says Fiona Greig, director of consumer research at the JPMorgan Chase Institute.

The number of people 60 and older with student loan debt has been increasing, with many of those loans taken out by parents and grandparents to help younger family members pay for college.

Now a new study by the JPMorgan Chase Institute says nearly 40% of student loan payers are helping someone else pay off their student loans. And 27% of these helpers hold no student loan debt themselves.

But it goes beyond Student Loan Debt. This practice applies to a younger generation looking to purchase their first home. 1 in 5 U.S. Homeowners received an average of $39,000 in assistance from parents for down payments on Real Estate. And in 2018 Family/Friends assisted in the purchase of $317 Billion worth of property.

While getting assistance like this seems ok on paper, its starting to delay the ability for an older generation to retire. And you have to wonder, will this younger generation be able to do the same for their kids? Or are we raising a generation that has clue how to manage their finances, keeping them deeper in what we call the Struggle State?

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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While everyone else was talking COVID and Civil Unrest, the U.S. Government was quietly laying the ground work for what will be known as your Government issued Digital Wallet. In an effort to stay competitive with Foreign Nations as well as the mysterious Cryptocurrency that is Bitcoin and Libra, your Social Security number would be tied to a Digital Wallet whether you want it to our not. Is this a way for the Government to gain more control over its citizens or a move to keep the U.S. Dollar as a player on a Global stage? And is it really that different than the digital banking system we already have?

In addition, Zack Hayes and new voice to Pure Speculation Mike Stabley will go down a rabbit hole of what happens if President Trump decides not to give up his seat after a closely contested election, voter fraud, and the divide that is currently affecting our nation. Cheers!

Host Zack Hayes is joined by Special Guest and Mike Stabley to break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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We know that Saving and Investing is good for the long term, but we don't receive the same pleasure from putting our money behind these practices. Instead, we seek instant gratification in the form of purchases big and small that only temporarily fulfill the void we're trying to fill. Self Control is one key aspect of getting out of the Struggle State. Is your mindset strong enough to delay the instant gratification in exchange for financial stability?

The ancient idea that what we desire isn’t necessarily what we enjoy has received support from modern neuroscience, which indicates that the two processes involve distinct circuits in the brain; dopamine, the so-called “pleasure chemical”, is probably better understood as a desire chemical, which can be triggered in huge quantities in the near-total absence of pleasure.

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Jobs continue to be the topic of conversation in the Struggle State. Are you hiring? Firing? Job Hunting? Still struggling to work from home? The concept of work and jobs has changed as we know it. The real question is...will it ever go back to being the same?

Host Zack Hayes is joined by Special Guest and Talkin' Cash Alum Ryan Kersten to break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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As most US states head in the wrong direction with coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has retracted key information about how the virus spreads.

The US is on the brink of 200,000 coronavirus deaths, with the number of new cases rising in 28 states, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

But do you trust the data? Information on the CDC's website vanish as fast as it pops up and the data doesn't always paint the full picture. There is much doubt as to whether things will shake up on the brink of a Presidential Election.

Hosts Zack Hayes and Phil Hayes break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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Money is cheap to borrow and the Housing Market continues to be a Seller's Paradise. With more and more people working from home, some families see this as the perfect opportunity to upgrade into something bigger and better when it comes to our homesteads. But with uncertainty around every corner, an upcoming election, and job casualties created by the pandemic that have yet to come to fruition, are we rushing into something that is unsustainable for the long haul? We'll discuss these variables and more on this week's episode of Pure Speculation.

Host Zack Hayes is joined by Special Guest and Talkin' Cash Alum Ryan Kersten to break it all down in this week's episode of Pure Speculation. Follow us on Twitter @strugglestate

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