*This is a FREE preview of The United States of Debt, a Slate Academy. To learn more, visit Slate.com/debt.* How did we come to owe so much money? And what can we do about it? The United States of Debt takes an in-depth look at the reality of debt in America and follows the stories of seven diverse people who have been affected by debt. It’s a boldly reported series of conversations with leading experts and Americans all over the country, hosted by Slate’s personal finance columnist Helaine Olen, author of Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry. What’s it like to empty out your 401(k) to help a family member? How does a first-generation college student navigate student loans at a for-profit school? What works—and what doesn’t—for people struggling to get out of debt? Find out in the United States of Debt. These episodes and preview of the Academy are free to all as a sample. To join this Slate Academy, listen to other episodes, chat in our private Facebook group, and read supplementary materials, visit Slate.com/debt.