Mike Carruthers

So why does money seem to flow more easily to some people than others?

And how much control do you really have over your money?

My guest has spent years uncovering the hidden forces that influence your wallet and your bank account.

Alex Maiassi is a reporter for the podcast Planet Money, which I've recommended many times.

And he's the author of a book called Planet Money, a guide to the economic forces that shape your life.

Hey Alex, welcome to Something You Should Know.

Well, I have so many questions.

There's so many things to talk about.

I want to jump right in.

And let's start with the superstar effect.

Can you explain what that is and why it's important and how it affects money?

He is Ricky Ricardo.

And so how does that affect me?

So what's the lesson that I should learn from that?

Let's talk about tariffs, because you hear that word a lot in the news.

But I'm not sure I understand completely all the little details of how tariffs work, and they clearly affect prices.

So how do they work?

One factor that seems to be affecting people's money and the economy in a big way is AI, because people are concerned that it's going to or that it is replacing jobs, putting people out of work.

So I'm curious what you have to say about it.

Well, I guess the scary thing about AI is, you know, the ATM affected jobs for bank tellers, but not many other people.