Top 5 Biggest Financial Controversies of 2025
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Gary Dudak
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Between looming global trade wars, actual wars and just the general sense of financial ennui spreading throughout the country, it’s no wonder there have been some large-scale economic blunders. The year 2025 has been a whirlwind of scandals and controversies, shaking investor confidence and prompting calls for stricter regulations.
With all of that in mind, here are the top five financial controversies of 2025 that dominated headlines and disrupted markets.
No. 5: The Economy Isn’t Scared, It’s Tariff-ied
This year, tariffs have felt like a fun prank on global trade as they have added a much-unneeded tax on essentially our own stuff. They have fluctuated depending on the mood of the man at The White House, but currently land around 30% or more for imported goods from China, 35% on Canadian imports and 15% on stuff from the EU.
This hits your wallet on a variety of expenses, including — but not limited to — cars, steel, furniture and basically any food you buy at the grocery store.
No. 4: That Robot Stole Your Identity
Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized industries, but in 2025, it not only became a weapon of mass distraction, but also a new playground for fraudsters. Criminals leveraged deepfake technology to impersonate CEOs and financial executives during video calls, tricking companies into transferring millions of dollars. Oopsie.
These scams underscore the urgent need for advanced cybersecurity measures and AI fraud detection tools. It turns out that every sci-fi movie you’ve ever seen has accurately depicted how easily humans will be overpowered by technology.
No. 3: One Big Beautiful Budget Crisis
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act had several financial fallouts thanks to the wide-ranging social, tax and economic consequences of all its not-so-subtle nuances. Not only are there now higher costs for lower-income households, but also a ripple effect of job losses in some sectors and shifts in investment strategies.
The impact on healthcare and assistance programs is not insignificant, either, and neither are the cuts. For example, SNAP and Medicaid now come with stricter work requirements and reduced funding, expected to cause millions to lose benefits. Several U.S. states, particularly California, Maryland and Washington, have also faced multi-billion-dollar budget shortfalls in 2025, compounded by the end of pandemic-era federal aid and the fiscal impact of tax cuts in various states.
No. 2: Rising Rates of 7-Day Weekends for Workers
Job loss wasn’t on anyone’s Christmas list, but unfortunately, workers are facing it more and more. In fact, there has been an alarming upward trend recently, as the unemployment rate hit 4.6% in November 2025, its highest in over four years.
So maybe robots aren’t just stealing your identity, but your career as well?
No. 1: Changing the Definition of ‘Affordability’
And now, the No. 1 financial flop of 2025 is … the government telling you things are affordable when your bank account strongly disagrees. The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to flip the script on the definition of “affordability” in what the president has dubbed a “Democrat scam.”
President Trump has consistently pushed back against the criticism of rising prices, cost of living and an arguably lethargic economy. However, though he maintains that everything is going according to plan, some economists — and the general public — have started to strongly disagree by just taking a look around.
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