Financial educator and bestselling author Vivian Tu (Your Rich BFF) sits down with Ned to share the devastating rock bottom moment that changed everything: discovering her New York City apartment was infested with thousands of German cockroaches. Breaking her lease cost $8,000—wiping out every dollar she'd saved from her grueling 70-80 hour weeks as an equity trader on Wall Street. After a year and a half of work, she had less money than when she'd arrived in the city.

This financial catastrophe came on the heels of workplace harassment from a new manager who made racist comments and belittled her daily, ultimately pushing her to leave Wall Street entirely for a career pivot to BuzzFeed. What seemed like total failure became the launching pad for building one of the most influential personal finance platforms in the world, with millions of followers learning accessible money management from someone who truly understands struggle.

Vivian breaks down why financial literacy education has failed so many people—it's not the message that's wrong, it's the messenger. For decades, money advice has come from "tall, handsome white men in Patagonia vests" or judgmental figures who treat debt as moral failure. She offers a radically different approach: practical, shame-free guidance that recognizes money as a tool, not a measure of your worth as a human being.

This episode covers essential money topics everyone needs to hear: why prenups are actually romantic (the government writes one for you whether you like it or not), the "Is It Worth It?" equation that helps you understand purchases in terms of hours worked instead of dollars, why budgeting actually increases joy rather than restricting it, and the uncomfortable financial conversations couples must have at every stage—from the first date through marriage, kids, aging parents, and estate planning.

Vivian also tackles the myth that small luxuries like lattes are keeping people poor (spoiler: $1,800 a year won't buy you a house), explains why 50% of Americans have credit card debt and shouldn't feel ashamed, and shares why asking for help from actual humans—not corporations and apps—is the missing ingredient in both financial health and mental wellbeing.

Her new book Well Endowed hits shelves February 3rd and offers a comprehensive guide to building a life where your finances support your actual goals and values—not someone else's definition of success.

Kristen Collier discovered $200,000 of fraudulent student loans taken out in her name by her own mother—money that had been funneled into a gambling addiction. This devastating family betrayal launched Kristen into a years-long battle with predatory lenders, crushing debt, and the impossible choice between pressing criminal charges against her mother or carrying the burden herself.

In this gripping episode, Kristen shares her harrowing journey through her 20s managing unpayable debt, navigating the labyrinthine student loan system, and ultimately finding an unexpected legal pathway to freedom through bankruptcy court. Her new book What Debt Demands: Family Betrayal and Precarity in a Broken System exposes the predatory nature of private student lenders and makes a powerful case for systemic change.

Beyond her personal story, Kristen breaks down the mechanics of student debt in America—why these loans can't be discharged through normal bankruptcy, how the system protects creditors over students, and the devastating physical and emotional toll that unpayable debt takes on millions of borrowers. She offers practical advice for anyone struggling with student loans, explains the difference between federal and private loans, and outlines what needs to change: free public college and comprehensive debt cancellation.

This is also a nuanced exploration of forgiveness—what it means to maintain a relationship with someone who has profoundly betrayed you, how to hold space for both anger and empathy, and whether true forgiveness requires forgetting or simply learning to live alongside the pain.

If you or someone you know is dealing with student debt, this episode is essential listening.

Why do people cheat? Ned Fulmer interviews Lauren Larusso, LPC, LMHC about affairs. How is the experience of a betrayed spouse vs. a cheating spouse vs. an affair partner different? How can the lessons of psychology and physiology help us transcend our most devastating moments into a future of honesty and clarity? Season 2 of Rock Bottom starts today, thank you for being a part of this community.

Jonathan Walton shows you the 12 Red Flags to watch for so you can spot Con Artists before they scam you.

Gen X Icon, model, actress, and author IONE SKYE discusses the secret stories from her memoir “Say Everything” including her tumultuous relationship with Anthony Kiedis, her marriage (and divorce) from Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys, and healing her inner child, finding herself and becoming the best version of herself today at age 55.

Ask me anything!

Author and investigative journalist Elizabeth Greenwood discusses her fascinating work about faking your own death, falling in love in prison, and trusting your gut. She not only writes about these subjects but throws herself into the action and in this case actually generated her own death certificate. It’s an interesting discussion about the lengths people might go to avoid facing the consequences of rock bottom, as well as a conversation about the power of intuition and what you can do to strengthen your own gut reactions.

Let us know in the comments who you’d like to see next!

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Rock Bottom is a show that explores the lowest, most embarrassing, and challenging moments in people's lives in order to find unexpected resilience, transformation, and growth within.

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