Money doesn’t make you middle class—here’s what does, according to an anthropologist, sociologist, and philosopher

About 70% of Americans consider themselves middle class, according to a 2017 study by Northwestern Mutual. But according to most economists’ definitions, that’s not possible. One of the ways the Brookings Institution defines “middle class” is those in the 20th to 80th percentiles of household income. This would make 60% of American households middle class. The…

Elon Musk’s career advice for young people: Don’t ‘try to be a leader for the sake of being a leader’

When he’s not pontificating about missions to Mars, self-driving cars and freedom of speech on Twitter, Elon Musk has some surprisingly practical career advice for young people. On a December 2021 episode of the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” hosted by MIT computer scientist Lex Fridman, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO recommended that young people should never…

Op-ed: The toughest challenges for cryptocurrency lie ahead, not in the rear-view mirror

More than a third of millennials and half of Generation Z would be happy to receive 50% of their salary in cryptocurrencies, revealed a study. Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images With more than $1 trillion in cryptocurrency value wiped out since the 2021 high-water mark, many investors may be tempted to enter the cryptocurrency…

This 33-year-old mom makes $760,000 a year in passive income—and lives on a sailboat: ‘I work just 10 hours a week’

When I created my money and lifestyle blog Making Sense of Cents in 2011, I had no idea what I was doing. I was a 22-year-old financial analyst making $40,000 a year and struggling to pay off my student loans. But my debt was actually a large part of why I started blogging — I…

The difference between ‘rich’ and ‘wealthy,’ according to New York Times ‘Wealth Matters’ columnist

When Paul Sullivan was hired to write his “Wealth Matters” column in The New York Times 13 years ago, Americans’ relationships with wealth and wealthy people were undergoing a rapid shift. “When I interviewed for the job in 2008, it was the day Bear Stearns collapsed. I was told I could create the ‘Wealth Matters’…

High schools, scrambling to prep Gen Z for the real world, are teaching students to make and manage money

When 17-year-old high school senior Rhyan Diaz started his cashiering job, he spent $3,000 in the first two months on clothes and other small items. He used to be “terrible with money,” he says. Then he began taking a personal finance class at Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California. Now he budgets meticulously to…

WWE’s Vince McMahon paid more than $12 million to settle sexual misconduct allegations, report says

In this article WWE Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on February 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Michael N. Todaro | Getty Images WWE‘s Vince McMahon paid more than $12 million to four women over the…

I think schools failed millennials on money education. Here’s how they’re prepping Gen Z for success

I got a 4.5 GPA in high school and graduated from UCLA, my dream college, in 2011. I accomplished exactly what society told me I needed to do to set myself up for success. I was on top of the world!    Then I graduated, and spent 12 of the next 24 months unemployed. The…

Theranos ex-COO Sunny Balwani found guilty on all 12 fraud charges 6 months after founder Holmes’ conviction

SAN JOSE, Calif. – In the final chapter of the Theranos saga, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, the company’s former chief operating officer and ex-boyfriend of founder Elizabeth Holmes, was found guilty of all 12 criminal fraud charges. Balwani had no reaction as the verdict was read at the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California and…

A self-made millionaire shares her top 18 ‘recession money rules’: It is ‘reasonable to be worried’

Worried about what your financial situation will look like in a year — or even in a few months — from now? With all the concerns about economic growth, it’s reasonable to be worried about a potential recession. But the key is to start preparing now so that you’re in the best position with your…

Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd on the value of rejection: ‘I personally love being underestimated … It’s a total superpower’

When it comes to business, Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd swipes right on underdogs. At the Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colorado, last week, the 33-year-old entrepreneur explained why she thinks being underappreciated is beneficial. Being overlooked or rejected can be an incentive to work harder – or find somewhere or someone who…

Supreme Court limited EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Here’s how investors can buy a carbon-conscious fund

The Supreme Court last week limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change — and that may leave eco-conscious investors wondering what they can do. Certain investment managers offer funds meant to promote values such as environmental preservation and social good, and those funds have become more popular…