Positive macroeconomic indicators mask the reality that over half of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck. This "economic precarity" should be the central problem to solve. Instead, it's often a vulnerability that FinTech companies are designed to exploit for profit.

Students often fail to grasp the importance of concepts like credit scores. Highlighting severe, tangible outcomes—such as an employer legally rejecting a job application due to poor credit—makes abstract financial lessons feel urgent and memorable.

While risky, the act of trading meme stocks compels young investors to learn about market mechanics and economic indicators. They grasp the real-world application of financial concepts because their own money is on the line, teaching them in a way schools cannot.

Understanding money, inflation, and assets is a critical skill. Without it, you become a passive participant—an NPC—in the economic game, where inflation erodes your earnings despite your hard work. Asset ownership is the primary mechanism to escape this trap and actively play the game.

The anti-capitalist narrative offers a simple but incorrect villain for a complex problem. The true cause of widespread economic pain is a debt-based system that punishes savers with inflation, forcing citizens into a stock market they do not understand.

The inherent complexity of economics serves as a shield, preventing the public from understanding that government debt and money printing directly devalue their savings. This functions as a hidden, non-legislated tax on anyone holding the currency.

The financial industry uses jargon and complexity to obscure its actions. A "trillion-dollar coin" is easily understood and mocked, while "premium bonds" achieve the same outcome but are too opaque for public debate. This shows how financial instruments are naturally selected for their ability to confuse.

Affirm's CEO argues the core flaw of credit cards is not high APRs, but a business model that profits from consumer mistakes. Lenders are incentivized by compounding interest and late fees, meaning they benefit when customers take longer to pay and stumble.

Financial institutions generate significant revenue from customer errors like overdrafts and late fees. This income allows them to offer rewards and lower rates to more sophisticated, affluent customers, creating a system that exacerbates wealth inequality.