NGPF Podcast

Is trying to beat the market actually holding your investments back? In this episode, investing educator Paul Merriman breaks down the case for index funds and explores how fees, taxes, and frequent trading can quietly chip away at your investment returns. He challenges common investing myths, explains why not all index funds are alike, and introduces approaches that look beyond the S&P 500. Plus, you'll hear what he learned during a memorable meeting with Vanguard's founder John Bogle, and why their retirement goals differed. Tune in to learn more about how a simpler investing approach could help you keep more of your money and stay focused on your financial future.

Could starting just five years earlier or keeping a little more of your investment returns for yourself really change your financial future by millions? In this episode, investing educator Paul Merriman explores the math and history behind small decisions with potentially life-changing results. He explains why fees matter, how diversification helps investors avoid chasing yesterday's winners, and why a market downturn can offer opportunities for someone just getting started. Whether you're investing yourself or teaching students, tune in for compelling examples that make long-term investing feel more approachable and reveal why you don't need to start big to think big!

Linda is the founder of Good For You Money, and she grew up translating bills for her immigrant parents in a two-bedroom apartment shared with strangers. She retired from corporate life at age 36! In this episode, Linda shares how she went from graduating into the Great Recession with five figures of student debt to achieving financial independence, and what a decade of managing nine-figure marketing budgets taught her about the tricks companies use to get into your wallet.

Her hot take? Social media is NOT social! It's a marketplace, and if you're not buying or selling, you're the product. Tune in for practical ways teachers can help students spot the ads hiding in plain sight, overcome "money isn't for people like me" beliefs, and start building wealth from any starting point!

Students are growing up in a 21st century global economy where money moves faster and farther than ever before. This session with the Wise Team will explore how modern financial technology is reshaping the way individuals, businesses, and nations interact economically. Dive into the latest innovations in fintech and digital banking, as well as the movement to have "money without borders" become a reality. You'll gain insights on how to bring global finance concepts into personal finance lessons and help your students connect their local financial literacy lessons to the global stage.

Sahirenys Pierce is a financial educator, content creator, and author of The High-5 Banking Method. She will share why so many people struggle with money management despite having access to more financial advice than ever before. She breaks down her refreshingly simple "2 Checking, 3 Savings" system, built from her own experience navigating nearly $100K in debt and her son's open heart surgery. We explore how educators can use this framework to meet people where they are, why banking structure matters just as much as budgeting, and how to make financial literacy feel accessible for first-generation families and underbanked communities. Whether you're teaching in a classroom, leading a workshop, or mentoring one-on-one, this conversation will give you a practical tool your audience can actually stick with.

Fred Miller is a university professor and author of Earlier Than You Think: How Money, Time, and Simple Decisions Shape Your Future, a student-friendly personal finance book born from his two decades of teaching wellness courses. Drawing from his own experience of never having taken a personal finance course in high school, Fred explores how early financial knowledge—or its absence—quietly shapes our futures in ways we often don't recognize until much later.

What if the person calling themselves your "financial advisor" is really just a salesperson in disguise? In this episode, Yanely sits down with Pam, an award-winning finance journalist, founder and CEO of WealthRamp, and 30-year champion of fee-only fiduciary advice, who shares how witnessing brokers target vulnerable elderly clients made her walk away from a lucrative Wall Street career. Pam pulls back the curtain on the industry's biggest secret: "fiduciary" isn't a credential or an exam, it's simply a choice that most advisors refuse to make. Teachers especially will want to hear her warning about the "helpful" reps who show up in the teachers' lounge with bagels and a benefits pitch, plus the one question you should ask before taking anyone's financial advice. And don't miss Pam's never-before-heard stories from her time with index fund legend John Bogle, including how his own company punished him for putting everyday investors first.

Jonathan Morales, Head of Community Banking at JPMorgan Chase, unpacks viral money trends reshaping how younger generations think about finances. Join the session to explore how transparency, accountability, and digital culture are redefining how families talk about, save, and spend money. Jonathan has extensive experience at JPMorgan Chase and will discuss both the promise and pitfalls of new trends. Also, he shares how they can inspire financial confidence and community connection, but also risk spreading oversimplified or performative advice. He goes beyond the hashtags to understand what these shifts mean for the future of personal finance and how families can adapt with purpose and confidence.

Tune into this live panel discussion of leading financial journalists for an engaging conversation on investing, money management, and the financial knowledge students need to build confident futures. This was live during the NYC FinCamp in August 2026! The panel features Gunjan Banerji of The Wall Street Journal, Oyin Adedoyin of The Wall Street Journal, Jacob Sonenshine of Barron's, and Genna Contino of MarketWatch, and the rich discussion explores how young people can make sense of markets, develop smart spending and saving habits, and approach investing with clarity rather than hype. You'll hear directly from journalists who cover personal finance and the economy every day in their work, with practical insights on the questions that matter most to students and what trends to look out for in our modern economic landscape.

Financial education isn't just something that happens to students—many are actively driving the movement forward. In this panel discussion, you'll hear directly from students who are passionate about making financial literacy accessible to their generation. They'll share what sparked their interest in personal finance, which topics matter most to them and their peers, and the creative ways they're taking action—whether through advocacy, teaching others, or building their own initiatives. You'll hear about the gaps they see between what adults think students need and what actually resonates, and why they believe their generation can't afford to graduate without these skills.