Why do people with similar incomes and education levels end up with vastly different financial outcomes?

In this episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with Stanford economist Annamaria Lusardi to explore what people actually understand about money, and why financial literacy has become an essential skill in today’s increasingly complex economy. A pioneer in the field, Lusardi explains how gaps in financial knowledge shape everything from day-to-day decisions to long-term wealth and how early exposure, education and regulation make a difference. Along the way, we explore several key themes, including:

• (01:27) Why financial literacy is a must-have in today’s economy
• (04:09) Education vs. regulation: who is responsible for protecting consumers
• (08:45) Why personal finance is deeply personal
• (12:04) A 7-step financial health checkup
• (21:13) Where consumers are most at risk

Econ To Go brings Stanford economics into your everyday life — served with a side of coffee. Hosted by economist and Director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Neale Mahoney, the show takes you on a walk across campus with leading thinkers as they unpack the ideas shaping our economy, public policy, and daily lives. Smart, curious, and conversational — it’s Stanford economics, to go.

The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research is a nonpartisan research center that brings together scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders to solve pressing economic challenges and inform better public policy.

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Today’s guest, Annamaria Lusardi, is a leading expert on financial literacy. She is the Director of the Initiative for Financial Decision-Making at Stanford and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Her work — in both the academic and global policy arena — focuses on how financial education can improve economic outcomes. To learn more about Lusardi and her research, visit the IFDM website or explore these links:

• Financial health checkup
• PISA 2012 Results: Students and Money | OECD
• Dollars and sense: The case for teaching personal finance
• The economic importance of financial literacy: Theory and evidence

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What should — and shouldn’t — be for sale?

In this episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with Stanford economist and Nobel laureate Alvin Roth to explore “moral economics,” the subject of his new book and the idea that markets are not just driven by prices, but shaped by human values. From debates over “repugnant transactions” like surrogacy and prostitution to the real-world design of kidney exchange systems, Roth unpacks how markets evolve, where they break down, and why thoughtful design and social support are essential to making them work. Along the way, we cover several key topics, including:

• (01:33) Markets as human artifacts
• (03:25) The moral boundaries of markets and trade
• (08:14) The economics of kidney exchange
• (19:03) Why markets need social support (and thoughtful regulation)
• (22:40) Designing markets — from prostitution to Uber

Econ To Go brings Stanford economics into your everyday life — served with a side of coffee. Hosted by economist and director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Neale Mahoney, the show takes you on a walk across campus with leading thinkers as they unpack the ideas shaping our economy, public policy, and daily lives. Smart, curious, and conversational — it’s Stanford economics, to go.

The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research is a nonpartisan research center that brings together scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders to solve pressing economic challenges and inform better public policy.

Never miss an episode. Subscribe to Econ To Go on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus follow SIEPR on LinkedIn or X/Twitter for episode updates and research highlights, or explore more at siepr.stanford.edu.

Today’s guest, Alvin Roth, a Nobel laureate, is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). A pioneer in market design, his work has helped shape systems like kidney exchange, improving how scarce resources are allocated in practice. His research focuses on how markets can be designed to function more effectively, especially in areas where traditional markets fall short. To learn more about his work and these ideas, explore the following:

• Book: Moral Economics (available for purchase)
• Sex, drugs & surrogacy: When morality and markets clash
• The Visible Hand

What’s the untold story of immigration in the United States? Are our beliefs misconceptions or truths?

In this episode of Econ To Go, Neale Mahoney sits down with Stanford economist Ran Abramitzky to unpack some of the most persistent myths about immigration — and what the evidence shows instead. Drawing on decades of data, Abramitzky breaks down how immigrants and their children fare over time, how assimilation works in practice, and why common narratives about crime and economic impact often miss the mark. Along the way, we explore several key themes, including:

• (01:28) Debunking common myths about immigration
• (03:11) Upward mobility and the children of immigrants
• (08:11) What cultural assimilation looks like
• (11:16) Immigration rhetoric and the facts on crime
• (17:07) Rethinking immigration policy
• (22:44) The joy of teaching immigration

Econ To Go brings Stanford economics into your everyday life — served with a side of coffee. Hosted by economist and director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), Neale Mahoney, the show takes you on a walk across campus with leading thinkers as they unpack the ideas shaping our economy, public policy, and daily lives. Smart, curious, and conversational — it’s Stanford economics, to go.

The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research is a nonpartisan research center that brings together scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders to solve pressing economic challenges and inform better public policy.

Never miss an episode. Subscribe to Econ To Go on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Plus follow SIEPR on LinkedIn or X/Twitter for episode updates and research highlights, or explore more at siepr.stanford.edu.

Today’s guest, Ran Abramitzky, is the Stanford Federal Credit Union Professor of Economics and senior associate dean of social sciences at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. His research focuses on immigration, economic mobility, and economic history. To learn more about his work, visit his Stanford profile or explore these links:

• Book: Streets of Gold: America's Untold Story of Immigrant Success
• Economics and the Modern Economic Historian
• The mythical tie between immigration and crime