Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice? (Update)

Jan 2, 2026 · 1h 00m

One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better? We find out, in this update of a 2022 episode. SOURCES: James Choi , professor of finance at the Yale School of Management. Morgan Housel , personal finance author and partner at the Collaborative Fund. RESOURCES: The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life , by Morgan Housel (2025). “ Popular Personal Financial Advice versus the Professors ,” by James J. Choi ( Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2022). “ Media Persuasion and Consumption: Evidence from the Dave Ramsey Show ,” by Felix Chopra ( SSRN, 2021). The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness , by Morgan Housel (2020). “ In Bogle Family, It’s Either Passive or Aggressive ,” by Liam Pleven ( Wall Street Journal, 2013). EXTRAS: “ Harold Pollack on Why Managing Your Money Is as Easy as Taking Out the Garbage ,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). “ People Aren’t Dumb. The World Is Hard ,” by Freakonomics Radio (2018). “ Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Money (But Were Afraid to Ask) ,” by Freakonomics Radio (2017). “ The Stupidest Thing You Can Do With Your Money ,” by Freakonomics Ra…

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