Ben Stiller

So yeah, I'm definitely not a financial advisor. And I'm definitely not in a position to tell anybody specifically what to do. But look, I think you're right that that is underlying a lot of these questions. And it's interesting to me, right, a lot of those questions sounded like they were coming from people in their 30s, even younger than that.

If you're in your 20s, if you're in your 30s, you've mostly experienced a stock market that has been rising. You've had some dips along the way, but it bounces back relatively quickly. And, you know, we hear buy the dip, right? Stocks fall like, great, they're on sale. Let's buy them up and profit from it. That's worked out pretty well over the last few years.

If you're in your 20s, if you're in your 30s, you've mostly experienced a stock market that has been rising. You've had some dips along the way, but it bounces back relatively quickly. And, you know, we hear buy the dip, right? Stocks fall like, great, they're on sale. Let's buy them up and profit from it. That's worked out pretty well over the last few years.

It doesn't always work that way, right? Stocks historically have gone up over time, but over time is a really important caveat there. Mm-hmm. The standard financial advice is don't put money into the stock market that you need in the next couple of years and put money in that you can afford to risk and don't try to time the market. If you're sitting here saying like, should I start my 401k?

It doesn't always work that way, right? Stocks historically have gone up over time, but over time is a really important caveat there. Mm-hmm. The standard financial advice is don't put money into the stock market that you need in the next couple of years and put money in that you can afford to risk and don't try to time the market. If you're sitting here saying like, should I start my 401k?

Start your 401k.

Start your 401k.

Well, first of all, it's a tough situation. And I think it's a reminder, you know, we sometimes say the stock market isn't the economy. It mostly affects rich people. You know, most of us have money in retirement savings, in college savings, right? There are real consequences to what happens in the stock market, not only for rich people.

Well, first of all, it's a tough situation. And I think it's a reminder, you know, we sometimes say the stock market isn't the economy. It mostly affects rich people. You know, most of us have money in retirement savings, in college savings, right? There are real consequences to what happens in the stock market, not only for rich people.

I will say, I don't know when Tracy looked at her 529 account, but there was a moment when the market was way, way down.

I will say, I don't know when Tracy looked at her 529 account, but there was a moment when the market was way, way down.

Yeah, it was, you know, brutal. It has come back up since that sum. I make no prediction about where it goes, but it may be worth Tracy's while to take a look and see where things are now because you don't necessarily have to keep all that money in the stock market, right?

Yeah, it was, you know, brutal. It has come back up since that sum. I make no prediction about where it goes, but it may be worth Tracy's while to take a look and see where things are now because you don't necessarily have to keep all that money in the stock market, right?

You can keep it within that 529 plan and put it into something a little bit safer, which if she needs the money soon could be a safer bet.

You can keep it within that 529 plan and put it into something a little bit safer, which if she needs the money soon could be a safer bet.

But I think that the larger point here is this is painful. These are real consequences. And not everybody has the luxury of just saying, oh, if we wait a while, things will get better. We've heard a lot from the president about, oh, short-term pain is going to yield some sort of long-term gain.

But I think that the larger point here is this is painful. These are real consequences. And not everybody has the luxury of just saying, oh, if we wait a while, things will get better. We've heard a lot from the president about, oh, short-term pain is going to yield some sort of long-term gain.

But if your kid's going to college today, if your baby is due in a few months, right, you can't necessarily plan your life for the long term. And that's a real pain point that a lot of people are going to be experiencing. Right.

But if your kid's going to college today, if your baby is due in a few months, right, you can't necessarily plan your life for the long term. And that's a real pain point that a lot of people are going to be experiencing. Right.

Yeah, so I would go further. I don't think it's just that mainstream economists have doubts. I would say virtually all economists are concerned beyond skeptical to the point of sort of dismissing the possibility that tariffs, at least as they're being imposed here, could have that effect.