Drug abuse has a long and storied history in the United States, and we’ve been “at war” with it since 1971 under the Nixon administration. Yet despite the country’s best efforts to fight it, the problem is getting worse, and is exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. There were over 88,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020, up around 27% from the previous year. In an effort to help bring these numbers down, the government included $4 billion for substance use and mental health programs in the American Rescue Plan stimulus.

Given the uncertain future and lack of significant progress to date, it’s fair to wonder where drug abuse is most pronounced and which areas are most at risk. This report attempts to answer those questions by comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 21 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws.

Post-college debts represent one of the biggest financial burdens to Americans. In fact, student loans make up the second highest form of household debt after mortgages, totaling a record $1.7 trillion.

But how burdensome are the individual loans? The average student-loan balance in 2020 was nearly $39,000. High balances combined with a payoff timeline that lasts into middle age force many graduates to significantly delay or forego other financial goals such as saving for retirement or buying a home. Paying back student loans has also become even more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, though the government has allowed temporary forbearance on federal student loans.

Yes, you can refinance a personal loan. Refinancing a personal loan entails taking out a new personal loan and using those funds to pay off the old loan. The point of refinancing a personal loan is to save money, so the new loan should have a lower interest rate. After you refinance, you’ll hold the same amount of debt but accrue less interest each month, making the loan less expensive in the long-term. That’s assuming the new loan has no origination fee. But even loans that do charge origination fees can be worthwhile if their APRs are low enough.

Some people may also try to lower their monthly payments by switching to a longer loan payoff period. But unless the interest rate also lowers proportionally, that could result in the borrower paying more interest in the long run, since the loan will accrue additional interest during the extra months. On the other hand, switching to a shorter payoff period could bring higher monthly payments but less interest overall.

The average cost of car insurance is $720 per year, according to WalletHub data for 2021. This means the average monthly car insurance premium is $60, though drivers may have to pay higher or lower rates based on factors such as their driving record, age, car type, and credit history.

Average Car Insurance Cost by Category

• Minimum Coverage: $716 per year
• Full Coverage: $1,997 per year
• Drivers with a Violation: $903 per year
• Young Drivers: $2,415 per year
• Senior Drivers: $734 per year

The cost of the average car insurance policy can be a good indication of how much a driver should expect to pay for coverage. But each driver’s car insurance rates depend on a variety of factors such as their driving record, age, car type, and credit history. Insurance companies use these factors to determine a driver’s risk, and high-risk drivers typically pay more for coverage.

An at-fault accident is a car accident caused by a driver being negligent or careless, and it will increase premiums by 48% on average. In most states, the at-fault driver’s car insurance reimburses the other drivers for any injuries or property damage they sustained, up to the limits of the policy. It’s also possible for multiple drivers to be at fault in an accident, in which case the state’s negligence laws will determine each driver’s financial liability.

Key Things to Know About At-Fault Accidents

• Your liability insurance will cover medical and vehicle-repair expenses for other drivers and their passengers if you are at fault in an accident.
• Insurance adjusters determine fault after an accident.
• State rules for negligence and fault determine how damages are collected.
• Car insurance premiums go up by an average of 48% after an at-fault accident.

A car insurance claim is a request for financial compensation that a driver files with an insurance company after their vehicle is damaged or they are injured in a car accident. More than $170 billion in car insurance claims payments are made by U.S. insurance companies each year. While the process can vary between states and insurers, the basic steps are usually the same.

Key Things to Know About Car Insurance Claims

• When to file a claim depends on the extent and cause of the injuries or physical damage
• Which insurance company to file a claim with depends on who or what caused the damage.
• To file a claim, call the insurance company and provide them with your information and any documentation related to the accident.
• Car insurance claims raise premiums by an average of 12% to 45%, depending on the circumstances and insurance company.

Driver’s license points are demerits added to your driving record when you are convicted of a moving violation. The number of points that are assigned to your license for each violation depends on the seriousness of the infraction. For example, minor violations like speeding aren’t worth as many points as major offenses like DUI or reckless driving.

If you accumulate too many points within a certain period of time, you could have your license suspended by the state DMV. Most states have their own unique points systems, while some don’t use points at all.

Law enforcement is a career that is always in the public eye, whether for heroic reasons or scandal. Currently, our nation’s 800,000 law enforcement officers have even more of a spotlight than usual, though. That’s because they have been in charge of enforcing COVID-19 restrictions, and because of recent high-profile police brutality incidents, including the trial of Derek Chauvin, which ended with a murder conviction.

Even when the U.S. isn’t in the middle of a pandemic, being a police officer is significantly more dangerous than many other occupations. Because of such risks, law-enforcement agencies must offer enough incentives to attract and retain officers. To start, there’s a $67,290 mean annual wage and typically a generous benefits package which can include retirement-contribution matches, tuition assistance, ample leave time, a take-home vehicle, and access to health and fitness facilities.

The first step after a credit card denial is to find out what went wrong. There are a variety of reasons why a credit card application might get declined, but you should be able to easily determine what you need to work on. Credit card issuers are required to disclose the reason why they declined a credit card application in the rejection letter.

That said, the reasons a card issuer gives for a rejection might be numerous and quite technical. Try not to get caught up in the specifics – particularly since each issuer has its own underwriting standards – but rather try to find the overall takeaway for the denial, such as having too much debt or not enough credit history.

Maxing out a credit card means you have used all of your available credit and must make a payment in order to restore spending power.

Potential credit score damage is the most serious concern resulting from a maxed out credit card, as credit utilization – the ratio of your available credit and your consumed credit – accounts for a significant portion of the Amounts Owed segment of your credit score, which itself amounts to about 15% of your overall score. There are no direct costs associated with maxing out your credit card, but if doing so is a sign of overextending your finances, credit utilization is the least of your worries.