Money, College, and Kids: Thoughts from from Best Selling Author Ron Lieber
- Brian Page
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 9
Ron Lieber is the author of New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. I highly recommend both of his books to parents:
Mr. Lieber has been the "Your Money" columnist for The New York Times since 2008; before that, he was with The Wall Street Journal.
The Emotional Struggle Parents Face
Ron recognizes that supporting your children's college ambitions can be agonizing. It's an ongoing balancing act between rational and irrational thinking. Should we allow our kids to suffocate in student loans to afford the college of their dreams? Do we? And who's to say that higher prices mean better outcomes, or even better experiences?
Take for example Ron's thoughts from the podcast episode:
"Where is the big data that explains to me why Northwest is $125,000 better than Denison and $225,000 better than The Ohio State University?
In the absence of data and straightforward thinking, people make decisions based on emotions. It becomes very easy when you're attempting to create a super steep exit velocity for your child from your household to the world to persuade yourself that Northwestern is going to look like this and Ohio State's going to look like that because how could it not with the price tag that big.
I realized that for all the ink that I'd spilled in various New York Times columns about how to pay for college or how not to pay for college, I'd missed the most important question of all, which is what to pay for college and that wasn't just a question about value it was a question about value." - Ron Lieber
Podcast Episode and Show Notes
0:00-0:58 Introduction
0:59-10:00 About Ron Lieber’s books: “The Opposite Of Spoiled” and “The Price You Pay For College”
10:01-17:33 Ron’s research process when writing both books
17:34-31:06 Lessons people can take away from his book “The Price You Pay For College”
31:07-39:24 Some of Ron’s favorite stories from his book “The Opposite Of Spoiled” and the lessons they create
39:28-47:54 Ron’s involvement with the film “She Said”
47:54-48:47 Conclusion
I encourage you to listen to or watch the podcast: A Conversation with NY Times Your Money Columnist Ron Lieber about money and kids.
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How I Can Help
"Brian Page is not only very knowledgeable on financial matters, he is also a great coach. He has excellent communications skills which he demonstrates by really listening to your concerns. He asks questions and clearly communicates targeted information and suggestions.
When my son was considering his college offers and financial packages, I spoke with Brian to make sure I had a clear grasp of which options were good options. Brian provided examples and sources to make sure that my concerns were addressed and my questions were answered.
He gave me confidence in which choices were financially sound and we discussed multiple things that could influence the decision. He even made recommendations for further reading, if I was so inclined. Very helpful and super nice!"
-Scarlet Paolicchi, Family Focus Blog Owner and Author
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