NGPF Podcast

Join us for a conversation with Christopher "Kit" Kauffman, NGPF Board Member and Adviser. He is a former attorney with a unique professional journey from corporate law to financial education advocacy. He will share insights on what motivates his passion for working with the NGPF Team on Mission2030 and why this is one of the top issues of concern to him in retirement. You'll gain perspective on h...

As Vice President of Education at the Tax Foundation, Zoe Callaway oversees TaxEDU, a tax literacy initiative born from a striking discovery: over half of Americans lack basic tax literacy, regardless of age, income, or education level. Even college graduates struggle to identify where the government raises most of its revenue. The consequences are real—people avoid earning more money because they...

As Vice President of Education at the Tax Foundation, Zoe Callaway oversees TaxEDU, a tax literacy initiative born from a striking discovery: over half of Americans lack basic tax literacy, regardless of age, income, or education level. Even college graduates struggle to identify where the government raises most of its revenue. The consequences are real—people avoid earning more money because they...

Ever wonder why some kids reach adulthood terrified of money while others handle it with confidence? In this episode, Yanely sits down with Steven Day, former high school teacher and author of Teach a Kid to Save: A Fun, Hands-On Approach to Building Smart Money Habits , to unpack how a simple "mini economy" at home or in the classroom can build lasting financial habits. Steven grew up inside one...

Most teens treat credit as a "someday" problem, something for their "old" future selves. A bankruptcy attorney and a credit-scoring expert see exactly where that thinking leads. In this NGPF podcast episode Yanely has a conversation with CARE Chicago volunteers Gene Volchek and Jeff Schwartz, who share what thousands of classroom visits have taught them. From the misconceptions that trip students...

In this NGPF Speaker Series episode, former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair joins Tim Ranzetta to celebrate the launch of her new book for teens, How Not to Lose a Million Dollars. Bair explains why she wrote the book, aiming to give young people practical, plain-language guidance on navigating the financial system, and shares her own story of racking up thousands in credit card interest as a young lawyer....

In this episode, Yanely Espinal sits down with veteran Bay Area economics teacher Judy Smith to explore how she integrates a mini-unit on economic inequality and solutions in personal finance within her economics course. Judy explains how, after 20 years of teaching, she shifted her focus from the "why" behind economic inequality to the "how" and the hope that empowers students to research and adv...

In this episode, Mark Salisbury tackles one of the most misunderstood concepts in post-secondary planning: return on investment. He makes the case that ROI genuinely matters, then exposes the shaky data behind popular ROI rankings, using the University of Michigan's College Scorecard numbers to show how figures like "average annual cost" and "median earnings" are drawn from a small, unrepresentati...

Higher ed finance expert, Mark Salisbury, pulls back the curtain on how the financial aid system really works and why it looks nothing like what most families expect. From the FAFSA to the CSS Profile, he explains how colleges use the data families voluntarily provide not to help them afford school, but to calculate the minimum discount needed to get them to enroll. He breaks down how institutiona...

Higher education researcher and founder of Tuition Fit and Pathways, Mark Salisbury, explains how college pricing actually works behind the scenes. He debunks four common myths: that all colleges are too expensive, that in-state public universities are always the cheapest option, that net price figures are entirely accurate, and that financial aid is a limited resource. He outlines how colleges se...

In this episode of the NGPF podcast, investment expert Patrick Geddes pulls back the curtain on the investment industry, breaking down the difference between asset managers and wealth managers and explaining how each gets paid. Geddes walks listeners through the most important questions to ask a financial advisor, including how to identify hidden fees, understand fiduciary standards, and evaluate...

In this episode of the NGPF podcast, investment professional Patrick Geddes walks listeners through the fundamentals of turning financial goals into actionable plans, covering topics like retirement planning, asset allocation, and how time horizons should shape investment decisions. He explains practical tools like the 4% withdrawal rule, walks through a concrete example of calculating how much a...

In this episode of the NGPF podcast, investment expert Patrick Geddes breaks down two of the most fundamental concepts in personal finance, asset classes and asset allocation, in a way that's clear, engaging, and immediately usable in the classroom. Patrick argues that asset allocation is the single most important decision any investor makes, and walks listeners through the trade-offs between safe...

Investment expert Patrick Geddes cuts through the intimidation and jargon of investing to reveal what truly matters, and what you can safely ignore. Patrick makes the case that good habits, not brilliance, are the real secret to building wealth, using compelling stories like Grace Groner, who turned $180 into $7.2 million simply by buying and holding. He covers why starting early, staying invested...

In this episode, Tim interviews David Gardner, co-founder of The Motley Fool, about how to make investing approachable for younger learners. David shares the scrappy origin story behind The Motley Fool, two classroom-ready stories to hook teens on stock market basics, and practical ways that you can help your own students distinguish between investing behaviors and gambling behaviors. You'll also...

Yanely talks to Chad Mallo, a former loan officer turned award-winning educator, to unpack how early money memories, and a family's bill-paying routines, can shape lifelong financial habits. Chad shares what it really took to leave a two-decade banking career for the classroom, including the mindset shifts, sacrifices, and "am I truly helping people?" moment that changed everything. Together, they...

Yanely chats with CFP and financial journalist Hanna Horvath to unpack why money struggles persist even when information is everywhere, and why the real missing piece is often psychology! Together, they explore "money scripts," financial anxiety, and the emotional triggers behind impulse spending and avoidance, offering educators a fresh lens for teaching personal finance beyond tactics and termin...

Tim welcomes Ted Daniels, whose work has helped empower thousands of students through HBCUs and peer-to-peer, student ambassador programs. Ted shares the personal moments that sparked his mission, from balancing a family checkbook in high school to advising federal coworkers who didn't understand basic investing. Together, they dig into the topics students most want: value-based budgeting, improvi...

Tom Proulx shares the story of how he co-founded Intuit and created Quicken in his Stanford dorm room in 1983 after a chance meeting with Scott Cook outside the engineering library. Proulx explains how they revolutionized personal finance software by focusing on what customers actually wanted: to save time on tedious tasks like bill paying and check register maintenance, rather than adding complex...

In this NGPF Speaker Series conversation, former New England Patriots COO Andy Wasynczuk shares how a chance connection led to a surprising career pivot into pro sports leadership. He connects early money lessons from his immigrant upbringing to real-world decisions behind running a team, from stadium financing to revenue strategy. Financial literacy educators will love the clear, classroom-ready...

In this NGPF Speaker Series episode, Tim Ranzetta interviews high school junior Sid Tripathi, founder of the Dollar Investigators, a youth-led initiative teaching elementary students foundational money skills. Sid shares how family conversations about finances and early entrepreneurship shaped his "long game" mindset around saving, investing, and avoiding get-rich-quick thinking. He explains how h...

In this episode of the NGPF Speaker Series, former teacher Kathy Cuevas shares her career journey into education and the real-life experiences that shaped her approach to teaching—especially serving students with disabilities and students from low-income communities. She offers practical, classroom-tested advice for educators who are new to teaching personal finance, including how to get creative...

This episode of the NGPF podcast features Walter Green, founder of the Say It Now movement, who shares how expressing specific, heartfelt gratitude to people who have impacted our lives can strengthen relationships and create lasting meaning. Walter describes his personal "gratitude journey," including traveling to thank 44 people in person, and explains how that experience inspired a global initi...

In this episode, Yanely sits down with Certified Financial Planner Gloria Garcia Cisneros to break down what it really means to work with a fiduciary and how teachers can protect themselves from high-fee, commission-driven products often pushed in the 403(b) space. Gloria explains the key differences between independent advisory firms and broker-dealers, why "free" advice can still come with hidde...

This episode features Yanely interviewing Lizbet (@LizbetTalksMoney) about how she teaches her two young daughters practical money skills at home through a simple, repeatable allowance system. Lizbet recently grew an audience of hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram by sharing her parental-money strategies in a relatable, highly practical way. Lizbet explains why she treats sc...