#339 Why Wall Street Matters with William Cohan

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Yes, this is still here, and it will be for a while longer to serve as a reminder that there's a new place for Jill on Money content - YouTube!  Seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes it takes a little outside help (h/t to JOM friend, Joe A!) to recognize the obvious.  So don't freak out.  Going forward, we're going to put all our radio and podcast content on YouTube! It'll be easier for you to navigate and listen to past shows, because everything will be in one place.  Just click any of the links below and you'll be able to listen to this week's show as well as anything else you see that might interest you, including all the Better Off podcast content if you haven't been listening. Let us know what you think by emailing us at askjill@jillonmoney.com.

CLICK HERE FOR LATEST SHOW ON YOUTUBE

Sept 2 Download Hour One Here

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we started the show with a quick reminder about flood insurance--and why most standard homeowners' insurance policies are not likely to cover thousands of victims of the storm.

We then spoke with Donna in New York, who had some questions about using a Roth IRA and whether or not it makes sense in her situation.  Next up may have been a first...in all the years we've been doing this I don't think we've ever had a call about a prenup.  Thanks to Stacy from Philadelphia there's a first for everything. Stacy is about to get married and she's wondering if she and her soon to be hubby need a prenup.  The interesting thing is that they're both on board with the idea.

CLICK HERE FOR LATEST SHOW ON YOUTUBE

Sept 2 Download Hour Two Here

Hour two this week is devoted to defending Wall Street.  Yes, you read that correctly.

Imagine a world without companies like Apple, or media outlets such as CBS or NBC, without all of the cars and trucks crisscrossing the country, without food provided by the farmer...that’s what would happen if Wall Street did not exist...it would all go away, according to this week’s hour two guest, writer William “Bill” Cohan.

If you’ve read some of his previous books, like "House of Cards," or “Money and Power”, you know Bill is usually not one to shy away from going after Wall Street and its shortcomings. But in an interesting twist, Bill’s recent book, "Why Wall Street Matters," is a defense of the industry that he has previously pilloried.

In our interview, Bill describes a poor decision by Elizabeth Warren as the catalyst that propelled him to write this latest book. He tells us what Wall Street has done well, like providing the necessary capital to help grow companies. The money investors provide, allows companies to invest, expand and hire, thus propelling the economy.

Don’t be mistaken: Bill knows that Wall Street and the institutions that occupy the space in Lower Manhattan are imperfect, but he believes that there is far more good than bad -- and more importantly, the consequences would be dire if the essential role the industry plays were carelessly curtailed.

Bill had one goal when writing this book: for Wall Street to become understandable to the average American. In this easy to read book, Bill succeeded. I highly recommend you pick it up.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

  • Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE