Ep. 046 - Food Stamps, Grants, Loans, and Behavioral Economics with Michael Lewis

For the second time this year we have a repeat guest on Better Off. When you have a chance to grab Michael Lewis, you grab him, and that's what we did! In early June, Michael was on the pod to discuss his latest book, The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds.

For the second time this year we have a repeat guest on Better Off.

When you have a chance to grab Michael Lewis, you grab him, and that’s what we did!

In early June, Michael was on the pod to discuss his latest book, The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. (He’s a prolific writer and chances are you’ve picked up at least one of his books, including Moneyball, The Big Short or Flash Boys.)

Since the Undoing Project is now out in paperback, and Richard Thaler was just awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, it made for a perfect opportunity to revisit the topic of behavioral economics.

But that was only part of this interview.

The bulk of it was spent talking to Michael about his current work, which is penning articles for Vanity Fair.

His latest piece, Inside Trump’s Cruel Campaign Against the U.S.D.A.’s Scientists, is a wild tale about various Department of Agriculture programs that are under siege.

From food stamps to meat inspection, to grants and loans for rural development, to school lunches, these programs impact millions of Americans, though most of us have no idea what exactly the agency does.

Some of the things you hear in this interview will surprise you...and maybe scare you. Stay tuned for more of Michael’s excellent work...he is unstoppable!

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Ep. 024 - Cybersecurity and Hacking with Kevin Mitnick

It seems everyday there's a story in the news that involves hacking. Whether it's a big box retailer, the IRS or Russians hacking the DNC, cyber warfare has become one of the biggest threats in the 21st century and we are all vulnerable.

It seems everyday there’s a story in the news that involves hacking.  Whether it’s a big box retailer, the IRS or Russians hacking the DNC, cyber warfare has become one of the biggest threats in the 21st century and we are all vulnerable.

To help you understand the current environment and to learn some of the simple steps we should take to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim, we had to find an expert…a professional hacker. I’m not talking about some random hack…I’m talking about the hacker of all hackers, Kevin Mitnick.  This guy is the real deal.  So real that after a well publicized pursuit back in the 1990s, he was arrested by the FBI and spent five years in prison, including eight months in solitary confinement.

Now a free man, he does consulting work for Fortune 500 companies and the government. Though I should point out that for business cards he uses metal lock pick sets with his name and number on them. Really. In his latest book, The Art of Invisibility, Kevin uses true-life stories to show exactly what is happening without your knowledge, teaching you online and real-world tactics to protect you and your family, with step-by-step instructions. After reading this book you will learn everything from password protection and smart Wi-Fi usage to advanced techniques designed to maximize your anonymity.

Despite what we’d all like to believe, our passwords really can be stolen, our data sold and our personal emails read.  After listening to this interview, check out the book and learn the simple steps to help prevent it from happening to you.  

A big-time presence in the social media world, you call follow Kevin on Twitter for updates and tips from the cybersecurity world.  

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

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"Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Ep. 023 - Behavioral Economics with Michael Lewis

Sometimes a host has to do what a host has to do to land the interview. You could say that was the case with the one and only Michael Lewis, our guest this week on Better Off.

Sometimes a host has to do what a host has to do to land the interview.  You could say that was the case with the one and only Michael Lewis, our guest this week on Better Off.  

It was a few months back that I ran into Michael in the CBS This Morning Green Room and immediately started working my mojo to get him on the podcast.  Although it took weeks and weeks of emails to finally make it happen, it was worth the wait.

Lewis is such a prolific writer that you’ve probably picked up at least one of his books, including Moneyball, The Blind Side, The Big Short or Flash Boys. In this interview, we discuss his latest work, The Undoing Project.  

The Undoing Project explores the roots of behavioral economics, a topic that has always fascinated me. I love trying to understand why people make the decisions they do.  Trying to figure out how the human mind works.  And that’s what this book is all about.  

It’s starts with the partnership between Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky.  Forty years ago, the pair wrote a series of original studies questioning our assumptions about the decision-making process. Their papers showed the ways in which the human mind systematically erred, when forced to make judgments in uncertain situations. Their work created the field of behavioral economics, revolutionized Big Data studies, advanced evidence-based medicine and led to a new approach to government regulation.

We also touched on many other topics including the financial industry, the current political climate and what he plans to work on next. Which means you’ll likely hear Michael again on this podcast sometime down the road…hopefully I won’t have to tackle him again in the Green Room!

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

Have a finance related question? Email us here or call 855-411-JILL.

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"Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.