Why don’t things in the US feel like they work the way that they should? Why does life feel so much harder than it would need to be, between exorbitant costs of housing, draining healthcare expenses, and inequitable access to education? But the problems that plague us aren’t unsolvable, and in fact, other places have solved them with tactics that are within reach. So this episode, featuring the author of Another World is Possible, Natasha Hakimi Zapata, is all about solutions and hope. Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits will be available within a week at: https://moneywithkatie.com/another-world-is-possible⁠. — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode with fellow money nerd, Nick Maggiulli, author of The Wealth Ladder and writer of Of Dollars & Data: 🫐 Why you might be spending too much time agonizing over small consumption choices 🤔 How to approach a risky career shift when you’ve already built financial momentum 📈 What the largest risks and opportunities are once you’ve eclipsed the $100,000 net worth mark—and how they shift after you pass the $1 million threshold You’ll walk away with at least two handy new tricks for quickly gut-checking your spending and income opportunities. Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: http://moneywithkatie.com/wealth-ladder. — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amid the heat of recent legislative chaos, I got the opportunity to briefly sit down with the House Democratic Whip, Representative Katherine Clark, to ask what your average American can anticipate over the coming years—from the downstream effects of Medicaid cuts on rural and low-income communities, to the fourfold expansion of the ICE budget. Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/big-beautiful-bill. — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Rich Girl Roundup, my executive producer Henah and I talk through a variety platter of feedback, questions, and reflections—from being “in” but not “of” a certain group, to whether you’d make different career choices if you knew you’d be working long beyond “retirement age,” to the idea that American politicians are hamstrung by their constituents. Plus, we answer some show-agnostic audience-related questions. Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/rgr-moving-more-money. — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest, financial professional and author of The Future Poor, Jonathan Grimm, believes the post-1945 version of retirement planning (stockpiling as much cash as possible for 40 years and praying you can leave paid work) isn’t going to work for much longer. But as a financial “ethicist,” Grimm's unique approach centers the social determinants of health and begins from the belief that we should figure out what’s best for people—and work backward from there. Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/future-of-retirement. — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hedge fund founder, author, and one of the top influences in the financial world, Ray Dalio has written about how countries (or, in his parlance, “empires”) find themselves in irreversible doom spirals, covered in depth in his new book, How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle. So, I wanted to talk to him about the fiscal hot potato being passed back and forth between the House and the Senate that threatens to explode our deficit past the point of no return. His message is clear: “I don’t care who’s right or wrong, but this is what needs to happen now if we want to avoid disaster.” Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: ⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/status-power-economy⁠ — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes you encounter a person whose brain is such an effective X-ray for the world that you can’t help but spend 90 minutes working through a backlog of all the topics you’ve ever wanted to ask her about. Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom is one of America’s foremost sociologists, a 2020 MacArthur Genius, a New York Times columnist, and author of Thick: And Other Essays.  I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠ Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/status-power-economy — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with a particularly spicy Rich Girl Roundup—this time covering the absolute barrage of feedback on the last three episodes ("Student Loans, 50% Save Rates, and Being a Capitalist" with JL Collins, "How to Use Economic Uncertainty to Get Closer to Your Dream Life" with Amanda Holden, and Rich Girl Nation's Ask Me Anything conversation). Plus, a few clips from the Rich Girl Nation launch party. Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: ⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠ Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/monopolies — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of Rich Girl Nation's release, today’s episode has a Q&A featuring your questions about: 💰 The finances of writing a book with a publisher—like advance payments, proposals, and negotiating ✍🏼 The process—how long it takes, lessons learned, and the surprising prevalence of ghost writers 📇 The subject matter of Rich Girl Nation—what’s in it, who it’s for, and why it’s different from other books in the genre We wrap with an exclusive audiobook excerpt from Chapter 4, “I Thee Wed (and Spend Thy Bread)" Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation: https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation-ama — Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economic uncertainty of March 2020 inspired me to think about what I really wanted to do with my life—and Money with Katie was born. Now in the midst of another bout of uncertainty, I wanted to cover the fundamentals of financial planning and the flexibility that can unlock for you to get closer to your dream life. I invited investing educator Amanda Holden (aka Dumpster Doggy) to talk about the slow-but-necessary process of unlocking golden handcuffs and pursuing financial freedom while preserving the parts of yourself that matter most. Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: ⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/dream-life. — 📙 ⁠⁠⁠Preorder your copy⁠⁠⁠ of Rich Girl Nation (out 6/10), and receive 3 free book bonuses! Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The last time JL Collins joined me on the show (our most popular episode ever), we covered everything from millennial challenges, to his “VTSAX and Relax” approach, to lessons from his 2015 best-selling book, The Simple Path to Wealth. Now re-released a decade later with new insights, JL joins us again and we talk about: If the US Dollar still holds its reserve currency status—and what it means if it doesn't America’s student loan crisis and the myth of “good debt” The liberation of dramatically downsizing your living expenses Our culture of consumerism, and what might replace it We even had a civil dispute about capitalism (I’ll let you guess who played defense) and whether billionaires create jobs or jobs create billionaires Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: ⁠⁠http://moneywithkatie.com/jl-collins⁠. — 📙 ⁠⁠Preorder your copy⁠⁠ of Rich Girl Nation (out 6/10), and receive 3 free book bonuses! Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Rich Girl Roundup review: We’re discussing a uniquely challenging crop of feedback, critiques, and questions about… the episode that generated some rousing back-and-forth about American exceptionalism the conversation that prompted some of you to reach out and share your successes and horror stories one writer’s work that elevated my understanding of the relationship between our material conditions and family planning 📙 Preorder your copy of Rich Girl Nation (out 6/10), and receive 3 free book bonuses! — Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: ⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/radicalization-wealth. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you pay people to have kids? On one hand, countries that have beefed up social safety nets and pay people to procreate often see short-term success. But long-term results have been remarkably consistent worldwide: It’s very hard to pay people to have children. My guest, writer Meagan Day, joins me today to discuss the recent birth rate data, the growing appeal of opt-out fantasies proffered by both tradwife influencers and the manosphere alike, and what our leaders would be wise to consider—beyond a one-time baby bonus. Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: http://moneywithkatie.com/baby-bonus. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Given private equity’s reach (1 in 25 work for a business owned by a PE firm), the industry has the power to shape work culture at scale, for better or for worse. And ironically, that’s exactly why Pete Stavros, co-head of global private equity for KKR, thinks he’s in a unique position to bring employee ownership to the mainstream. Pete’s goal? To dramatically expand the number of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) that grant ownership shares to workers: “Imagine how different our economy and our country would be if workers owned a slice of every company in America.” Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/esops. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. — All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Alpha is an AI research tool powered by GPT-4. Output from Alpha is not investment advice and should be verified for accuracy.  APY as of 3/13/25,  subject to change. *Terms and Conditions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two of our most popular guests—economist Kathryn Edwards (aka Keds) and writer Grace Blakeley—return today for a timely conversation about tariffs, trade wars, and damaged trust. See how they weighed in on the big-picture ideas I couldn’t stop thinking about in this expansive roundtable. Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/tariffs. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. — All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Alpha is an AI research tool powered by GPT-4. Output from Alpha is not investment advice and should be verified for accuracy.  APY as of 3/13/25,  subject to change. *Terms and Conditions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Rich Girl Roundup review—joined by a special surprise guest—we’re discussing your feedback, critiques, and questions about… The episode which generated the most fascinating follow-up questions of this batch  Perhaps the most popular interview we’ve produced in the last year A conversation which generated a few messages about the power of design that I can’t stop thinking about Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/bailouts. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Alpha is an AI research tool powered by GPT-4. Output from Alpha is not investment advice and should be verified for accuracy.  APY as of 3/13/25,  subject to change. *Terms and Conditions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I met Véronique Hyland, author of the bestselling book Dress Code and ELLE’s fashion features director, about how fashion intersects with politics, gender, and class (and the person who coined the term ‘millennial pink’!), I wanted to talk to her about: 👊🏼 The role of aesthetics in labor movement-building and persuasion campaigns, from tradwife influencers to union leaders 🎽 Why one-size-fits-all flammable crop top brand Brandy Melville also sells literature about libertarian economic policy 💰 What current income and consumption trends—like that almost 50% of all consumption is driven by the top 10% of earners—might portend for fashion trends like “underconsumption” 🥂 And finally, how the time-honored fascination with mimicking “upper class” dress reveals the underlying assumption that the only way to have (or look like you have) a nice life, is to be rich Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/fashion. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Alpha is an AI research tool powered by GPT-4. Output from Alpha is not investment advice and should be verified for accuracy.  APY as of 3/13/25,  subject to change. *Terms and Conditions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2025’s financial news cycle feels like a broken wind-up doll, where recession indicators, unemployment numbers, inflation data, and tax cuts are #JustTheTip of an unsettling iceberg. So, this week, we’re joined by economist Kathryn Edwards (aka “Keds Economist”), and I got to ask her about: 🧠 The no-brainer policy with a huge ROI that nobody’s talking about  ✂️ The fundamental flaw with using tax policy (read: tax cuts) to stimulate growth 🇺🇸 Her honest POV on America’s economic outlook and “recession-proofing” a household 👊🏼 The limits of “empowerment” rhetoric, which often tries to use cultural or social nudging to solve problems that simply require money Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/economic-future. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to point out that wealth inequality in America is a problem. It’s much harder to identify realistic fixes. But what if there were a simple, elegant solution? In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Matt Bruenig, a former National Labor Relations Board lawyer and policy expert who’s one of the brightest minds in this space. This conversation will get you thinking differently (and bigger) about money, the economy, and wealth—and why a solidarity economy is stronger for everyone. Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/social-wealth-funds. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s hard to believe, but somehow it’s already time for another Rich Girl Roundup about our last three deep dives: The Real Cost of Being a Working Parent, to which Rich Dad Nation had a decidedly mixed response How Home Insurance and Climate Change are Upending the Real Estate Market, which introduced some good questions about the role of everything from technology to sabotage in effecting change The Truth About “Government Waste,” Privatizing Public Goods, & Turning Citizens into Customers, which generated an absolute treasure trove of stories from government workers We’ll give y’all one guess which generated the lion’s share of emails—this batch of feedback had a surprising amount of tea, so don’t miss it. (00:00) Introduction (01:44) General feedback we've heard recently (08:00) Feedback on the "Working Parents/Childcare" episode (34:45) The "Disappointed Dads" feedback (47:22) Return to office and entitlement (54:39) Feedback on the "Home Insurance & Climate Change" episode (01:08:20) Connecting our "Climate Change" and "Privatization" episodes (01:17:03) Feedback on the "Privatization" episode Transcripts, show notes, production credits, and more can be found at: https://moneywithkatie.com/rto-daycare. Money with Katie’s mission is to be the intersection where the economic, cultural, and political meet the tactical, practical, personal finance education everyone needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices