Some of you recently shared articles about the so-called “birth rate panic,” pointing out that the intersection of economic policy with people’s decision to have children felt a little…off. So, I decided to dig into the coverage, some of the gaps I see, the cultural scapegoats, and of course, the bigger issue of treating our economy like a global MLM.
Transc ... Show More
Dec 2025
Curtain Call: All Stars Return to Talk Financial Independence, Fear, and Growth
Well, here we are—for the last time, for now. A couple weeks ago, I wrote an end-of-year letter that functioned like a little “status update” on how I’m feeling moving into 2026. In this episode, I invite back five of my favorite guests for their own check-ins. We talk about: Wha ... Show More
1h 52m
Dec 2025
Why We Judge Women’s Spending, What We Hide, & What We’re Afraid to Admit
Today’s guest won’t surprise you if you read the introduction to Rich Girl Nation, which recollected the 2018 event that made me think personal finance might not be solely for people with brown bananas and pocket protectors. Lindsey Stanberry, founding editor of Refinery29’s Mone ... Show More
56m 3s
Oct 2024
Why Paying People to Have Babies is a Billion-Dollar Mistake
Overpopulation has been our biggest fear for decades, but now, shrinking populations are the real crisis. From aging societies to dwindling birth rates, countries worldwide are grappling with the risks of a declining population and struggling with radical measures to reverse it. ... Show More
15m 45s
Mar 2024
Let’s fix child care together
America is in the midst of a child care crisis. The cost of child care has skyrocketed to the point where, in some states, caring for kids in pre-k is more expensive than college tuition or a home mortgage. According to economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, it’s a market failure. So ho ... Show More
43m 54s
Oct 2025
Confused By The U.S. Economy? You're Not Alone
How are changing tariffs, the AI boom, immigration policies and uncertainty in employment and the stock market impacting the economy? Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist, explains.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data ... Show More
46m 23s
Jul 2022
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later (Ep. 479 Replay)
<p>In one of the earliest <i>Freakonomics Radio</i> episodes, we asked a bunch of economists with young kids how they approached child-rearing. Now the kids are old enough to talk — and they have a lot to say. We hear about nature vs. nurture, capitalism vs. Marxism, and why you ... Show More
51m 23s
Oct 2021
479. The Economist’s Guide to Parenting: 10 Years Later
<p> In one of the earliest <i>Freakonomics Radio</i> episodes (No. 39!), we asked a bunch of economists with young kids how they approached child-rearing. Now the kids are old enough to talk — and they have a lot to say. We hear about nature vs. nurture, capitalism vs. Marxism, a ... Show More
51m 2s
May 2024
We Need to Talk About Birthrates - Stephen Shaw | Maiden Mother Matriarch 77
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.louiseperry.co.ukStephen Shaw is the writer, director & producer of the documentary 'Birthgap - Childless World.' We spoke about why falling birth rates are (almost) an international phenomenon, why most childlessn ... Show More
46m 52s
<p>For decades, the great fear was overpopulation. Now it’s the opposite. How did this happen — and what’s being done about it? (Part one of a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast-tag/cradle-to-grave/">three-part series</a>, “Cradle to Grave.”)</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOU ... Show More
