Ep 249: We asked Gen Z about money. Their answers were a wake-up call

We spent a week talking to hundreds of high school seniors about money, and they gave us more hope than we expected. Underneath the stereotypes about “kids these days,” we found a generation that already understands more than adults give them credit for, while still being dangerously underprepared for some of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.So this week, we’re talking about what stood out after speaking to 400+ students across 5 high schools in the Chicago area and what parents, teachers, and honestly all of us should take from it. They knew saving mattered, they had opinions about frugality, and some were already working jobs. There were a few who were already gambling, and way too many were about to sign student loan paperwork without fully understanding what they were agreeing to.If you’ve got a teenager, a future college student, or a young person in your life who thinks money talk is boring, this episode might help you reach them a little differently. This conversation isn’t just about teens. It’s about what happens when financial education is too late, too shallow, or too disconnected from real life.In this episode, we get into:Why so many teenagers understand everyday saving but still don’t understand student loansThe shocking number of students already seeing gambling as a real way to make moneyHow “frugal” stopped being an insult and started sounding practicalWhy kids were more engaged than the grownups who usually sit through money talksWhat they got wrong about the biggest expenses in adult life and why that mattersThe difference between knowing stocks exist and actually understanding investingWhy buy now, pay later needs to be explained as credit, not convenienceWhat this experience taught us about Gen Z, money, and the adults responsible for filling in the gapsHow parents can use AI to make money lessons click for kids who seem uninterestedLinks: Other experts mentioned in this episode: Chris Corinthian, Berna Anat, Yanely Espinal, Dr. Paris Woods  Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life.Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

There’s a casino in everybody’s pocket now, and it’s wearing a jersey.This week’s episode is about sports gambling, why it’s exploding right now, and the data that should make you pause before you normalize it in your house, your group chat, or your relationship.We promise this isn’t an anti-fun sermon, it’s a reality check. If you’re someone who sports bets but has real limits in place…tell us what’s working. And if you’ve seen this start “small” and turn into something bigger in your life or somebody you love… drop a comment. People actually read them, and somebody needs that story.We get into:Why “it’s just entertainment” doesn’t hold up The fantasy sports gateway The uncomfortable overlap between sports bettors, crypto people, and day traders The stats that made us go: oh… this is a public health issue (debt, missed bills, payday loans, bankruptcy spikes)How this isn’t “just a men’s issue” anymore and why women’s growth in betting makes total senseThe darker stuff no one wants to talk about: mental health, domestic violence spikes, and what happens after “a devastating loss”Why we think gambling needs to be part of modern financial literacy the same way drugs/alcohol were when we grew upWhat to do if you suspect it’s becoming a problem (and why the hotline is not the solution people think it is)Links:Watch - VICE documentary: “The Sports Betting Boom” Watch - Money on the Table - Season 3, Episode 3 - Luck is not a plan Read - My Year as a Degenerate Sports Gambler  Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

Most money advice for students is either condescending or delusional, and this episode is neither. This one is for the students…and for the parents, aunties, mentors, and big cousins trying to help without lecturing. Today I’m joined by Dr. Paris Woods, bestselling author of The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom and the new Student’s Guide to Financial Freedom. We talk about what she saw growing up in St. Louis, the “education is the ticket” promise, and why getting out of poverty isn’t the same as building wealth.If you love a young person, send them this episode and then follow up with, ‘did you listen?’We cover:The debt traps waiting for you the moment you turn 18The minimum payment trap and why “on-time payments” can still keep you stuck for yearsWhy “adulting” starts with a credit limit — and how cards + BNPL get marketed like free money.Sticker price vs. net price: How to find your real college cost before you commitCreating a “gap plan” with scholarships + grants + schools that meet need + a realistic part-time job so loans aren’t the defaultDreaming as a strategy and finding the answer to “what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”The importance of building a Freedom Fund so you can take the trip, start the business, or pivot without panickingLinks:Order The Student’s Guide to Financial FreedomFollow Dr. Paris Woods: @AuthorParisWoods + ParisWoods.com Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

This week, we’re joined by Brenton Harrison, founder of New Money New Problems. Brenton is a financial advisor who works with first- and second-generation high earners. We’re talking about how to tell the difference between quality financial advice and misinformation/scammy advice, making sense of what you hear online, and why not all “good advice” is good for YOU. And because we live in the real world where creators and advisors both exist, we get into the relationship between financial influencers and financial advisors, where each one can actually help, where each one can fall short, and why it doesn’t have to be “versus”We get into:The difference between first-generation wealth and first-generation high income (and why it matters)Why first/second-gen high earners can be underserved even when they’re making good moneyThe #1 thing Brenton wishes high earners knew soonerWhy financial literacy doesn’t automatically fix the emotional + social reality of moneyThe disclaimer we wish more financial creators would useWhy “tax hack” content is so seductive and why it can be flat-out dangerousWhy market-timing myths surviveWhat a strong advisor relationship should produce in the first 60–90 days, and what you should look forWhy a bad experience with one advisor doesn’t mean you should quit the entire lane foreverBrenton’s take on robo-advisors, AI, and how tech can help without replacing real planning Links: Visit Brenton’s website and book an initial meetingConnect with him on Instagram or LinkedIn Subscribe to his YouTube channelListen to the New Money, New Problems podcast  Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

There are two sentences that can ruin a perfectly normal evening – “We need to talk”, and its evil twin, “We need to talk about money.” Even if your relationship is good, that phrasing makes it feel like somebody’s about to get graded. Even when things are fine, nobody wants to be the person who turns a decent Tuesday night into a full relationship audit. So this week, we’re introducing a better way: small doors. These are quick, low-stakes, real-life openings that normalize money talk without turning it into a whole thing.And the best part is, they’re not just for couples. Small doors can be used with parents, siblings, friends, or any relationship where money differences create distanceWe get into:Why “we need to talk about money” is basically a panic alarm for most people, even if they’re in good relationshipsThe difference between avoiding conflict and avoiding judgment, weirdness, and role shiftsWhy money conversations work better as appetizers than a full-day “financial summit”What “small doors” actually look like in real life (aka: our kid’s expensive cherry habit 😭)How tiny, specific moments create safer openings than “we need a budget”The 3 rules for small doorsHow to treat your partner’s first reaction as data, not a personal attackWhat to do when the issue isn’t the money, it’s the pattern of how you talk about moneyWhy tone is basically the WiFi of the conversationWhy you should practice the repair as much as the conversationLinks to helpful past episodes: Episode 222 - Why we don't share everything (and what we do instead)Episode 207 - 3 practical tips for couples living on one income Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

This week we’re talking to Rahkim Sabree, author, financial trauma educator, and the person who basically put “financial trauma” on the map for a lot of the internet. His work connects money behaviors to nervous system responses, family systems, and broader cultural and structural realities. His book, Overcoming Financial Trauma, and his whole approach are research-heavy, emotionally honest, and built to last.Julien starts this conversation by admitting something most people don’t say out loud. He shares that he delayed inviting Rahkim on the podcast because the conversation would’ve forced him to confront his own financial trauma, and he wasn’t ready to "perform" his way through it.From there, this episode goes deeper than “money mindset” and way past generic financial literacy. If you’ve ever felt anxious about money without a clear reason… or noticed your stress spikes around the 1st and the 15th… this one will feel uncomfortably specific, in a good way.We talk about:Why “financial trauma” is everywhere right now and how the term gets misusedThe awkward truth about why healing your money story can feel like disrespecting your parentsThe money anxiety you normalize until somebody else hears itRahkim’s house fire and how the “tools” we rely on (education, planning, discipline) don’t always deploy when life is on fireWhy money often represents power, freedom, and safety - and how safety shows up after lossVicarious financial trauma and how you can “catch” money anxiety from what you grew up aroundHow we’re socialized to treat “have-nots” and how that drives status, spending, and fearPhysical tells of financial trauma and why the better question is: where do you feel money in your body?Links: Get Rahkim’s book, Overcoming Financial Trauma Learn more about his work on Rahkim’s website, Instagram, and LinkedIn pageSubscribe to Rahkim’s newsletter on Substack Follow Rahkim’s writing on Forbes Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

Life is life-ing. Prices are up, surprise expenses are regular, and your “simple” money goal keeps turning into a weekly argument with yourself (or your partner).In this episode, we talk about why so many people are either going full finance drill sergeant in 2026, or avoiding goals completely. We break down what financial discipline actually looks like when your life changes mid-month, and how to build goals that bend instead of break so you can keep moving forward without the mental drama of “I have to be extra strict this week” every week.We cover: Why discipline doesn’t transfer cleanly from one area of life to another and why that’s normalWhy SMART goals make perfect sense at work, but don’t always work for moneyThe difference between ambitious/hard goals and brittle goalsWhy “catch-up energy” erases progress even when you’re technically doing “better”When discipline turns into stubbornness (hey, crypto friends)The hidden cost of “perfect” goal frameworks (hello, 75 Hard friends)Why the happiest wealthy people aren’t obsessing over the minutiaeThe real purpose of goals: options, freedom, and a better life  Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

There’s nothing like a surprise utility bill to humble your whole household. If you’ve ever stared at a bill wondering ‘how?!’ well, let’s talk about it. This week on the rich & REGULAR podcast, we're breaking down emotional manipulation, confusing rate plans, and overlooked hacks that are costing you real money on your gas, electric, and water bills.This isn’t about living in the dark or taking cold showers. It’s about paying attention, asking better questions, and taking back control. Whether you're a homeowner or renter, there's something in here for you.In this episode:How utility companies nudge you toward the wrong planThe fixed vs. variable rate trapWhy you should talk about your bills with your friends and neighbors Why “peace of mind” plans cost more than you thinkWhat to check on your water bill that most people ignoreA free calendar hack that can save you $100s a year Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

When life feels loud, getting rid of stuff can feel like relief. But if the stuff keeps coming back, the real issue is usually what the purchases were trying to solve in the first place. ​​So this is an  episode about what to ask yourself before you fill the donation bags.We’re talking about materialism as a pattern and what happens when your things stop just being “things”. Kiersten gets personal about why decluttering has always worked for her and why she finally realized it was only half the story.We get into: Why decluttering can feel like regulation and why that doesn’t mean it fixes the real issueThe difference between materialism, consumerism, and decluttering so you can name what’s actually happeningHow “reset energy” turns into a cycle where you purge, feel lighter, reward yourself, and rebuild the messWhat it looks like when you buy things to feel prepared even when the situation never comesThe water bottle problem and why upgrades become a substitute for behaviorThe planner and journal trap and how marketing sells “this will change your life” in book formWhy organizing products can be emotional purchases disguised as practical onesA simple solution that works: move items out of sight and see what you miss versus what you just like having availableHow attachment creates decision fatigue because every item turns into a guilt conversationThe shift that actually helps Future YouOur perspective on freedom and why being too attached to stuff can quietly trap your options Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow

Today’s episode is brought to you by Nutre Meals, a practical solution for eating better at home when you don’t have time, energy, or interest in cooking every night.The meals come fully prepared, fresh, and ready to heat in minutes. We tried them and were honestly impressed by the flavor, portions, and how easy it was to work them into a real week.If dinner feels like one more thing on your list, Nutre Meals can take it off. Get 40% off your first order with code RICH40. 👉 Start here: https://www.gonutre.com/--------------Cooking at home has become one of those topics everyone tiptoes around because the second you say the honest thing, it sounds like judgment. But in 2026, we’re not tiptoeing. 😌You know those “things I’d say if I wasn’t afraid to hurt your feelings” videos on IG or TikTok? Well, that’s the energy today. In this episode, we’re talking about why dinner feels hard, why your kitchen turns into chaos, and why “just cook more” is lazy advice when the real issue is how most people are cooking.We explain: How the real win is control: portions, ingredients, and what your future self pays in healthcareInnovation in the food space between fast-casual, meal kits, and the new wave of prepared meals that actually taste good. If your only two options are “cook from scratch” or “DoorDash,” your food playbook is outdatedWhy too bland or too salty both lead to boredom (and that’s why you keep quitting).How to stop overseasoning and start building flavor with smarter toolsHow temperature affects flavor And yes… we’re already planning a Part 2: what we’d tell you about your grill, freezer and pantry if we really weren’t afraid to hurt your feelings. Connect with Julien and Kiersten on our website, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.Join our email list to get updates from us, opportunities for discounts, freebies and a quick rundown on the relevant financial and career news impacting your life. Get our book Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away, named 2023 best overall book about investing by Business Insider and one of the best personal finance books by ForbesIf you would like to learn more about investing, check out our newest class, Making Money Grow