She’s Researched Money for 30 Years—and Never Seen It This Bad for Young People, with Beth Kobliner

#737: Beth Kobliner has covered personal finance for people in their 20s and 30s for over three decades — and she says this is the hardest she's ever seen it. One in four young people now believe that betting on gambling sites and prediction markets counts as investing.

Beth Kobliner is a personal finance journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Get a Financial Life, who served on President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why unemployment for college grads is now worse than the general population
• Why the average first-time homebuyer is now 40 instead of 28
• How tap-to-pay and neobank apps quietly drive up spending without you noticing
• Why so many young people believe gambling sites count as investing — and what the real odds say
• Whether AI is making it harder or easier for young workers to break in
• Why index funds still beat both active management and a lucky bet, long-term
• Whether college is still worth the cost in today's job market

Whether you're just starting out or already feel behind, this episode makes the case for the boring, unglamorous plan over the tempting quick one — and explains why that plan still works.

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED

👉 A free 10-day workbook to work through your money mindset and your next move: https://affordanything.com/fiire

👉 Get Beth Kobliner’s book Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties

👉 A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel, the index-fund classic Beth and Paula both referenced:

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