Super unrealistic but i’ll roll with it.
They should have just went with “Sam is broke because he turned fugitive and had his assets frozen plus the five year blip” that makes MUCH more sense plus actually would spell out the real world consequences of doing the “right” thing and standing against the Sovia Accords. It could even tie into his issues with his sister. While Sam was out saving the world on some “Big Picture” shyt his sister was struggling to make ends meet and instead of thinking of her and the business he abdicated his good standing and pay in the name of what was morally right. shyt writes itself.
But ain’t NOBODY running around facing death defying odds day in and day out making NO real paper just for the purposes of calling themselves “Earth’s Finest”

fukk outta here. Tony & Thor are rich and can handle it. But Black Widow? Rhodey? Sam? Clint? Wanda? Nah fukk you PAY ME