I write about everything under the sun that hits you in the wallet. (Some people call this personal finance, but I find the term bland and off-putting.) I have a special affection for topics that involve large sums of money, opaque pricing and decisions where our emotions can lead us astray. If you’ve noticed me writing a lot about paying for college in recent years, that’s why.
I’ve never written about the stock market or the economy as isolated topics. I look at what those topics mean for everyday people. I’m a proxy for readers who are plenty smart and perhaps numbers-averse — and live in a world where nonexpert individuals are increasingly forced to make big-dollar decisions in arenas that are complex either by design or neglect.
I’m the author of “The Price You Pay for College” and “The Opposite of Spoiled.” I helped launch the Personal Journal section of The Wall Street Journal in 2002 and wrote the Green Thumb column when the Saturday edition of the newspaper began in 2005. I joined The Times in 2008 and have won the Gerald Loeb award — business journalism’s highest honor — three times for my work since then.
I live in Brooklyn with my family, including my wife and colleague Jodi Kantor.
Back when Twitter was more useful, I practiced a public form of self-advocacy in an effort to lead by example, calling out corporate bad actors that I had found wanting in my own life as a consumer because of their dumb rules or obtuse systems. But I never use my platform or position for personal gain — and if I sense that a company or its representatives have figured out what I do for a living, I don’t accept compensation or refunds from them. Instead, I ask that they use my exchange with them to improve their processes for others. My reporting did lead to The Times firing Equifax; that was super fun. You can learn more about The Times’s ethics policy here.
Email: [email protected]
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LinkedIn: Ron Lieber
Readers worried after Mr. Musk and his team were given access to federal payment systems. Here’s how to back up all your data and documents.
By Ron Lieber, Tara Siegel Bernard and J. D. Biersdorfer
Here’s how the central bank’s interest rate stance influences car loans, credit cards, mortgages, savings and student loans.
By Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber
The Trump administration sought to pause federal dollars to some grantees as it tries to uproot policies like diversity, equity and inclusion. Schools and universities worried important programs could be halted.
By Anemona Hartocollis, Alan Blinder, Sharon Otterman, Troy Closson, Stephanie Saul, Dana Goldstein, Zach Montague and Ron Lieber
Students and parents panicked after news of the order, but the Education Department said the guidance would not stop the flow of money to students and schools.
By Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard
“Too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption,” he said in his 1979 “Crisis of Confidence” speech. If only we had listened.
By Ron Lieber
Readers have concerns that President-elect Trump’s policy agenda will unsettle stocks. If you’re tempted to make big portfolio moves, revisit 2020.
By Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber
A billionaire gave $1,000 to University of Massachusetts Dartmouth graduates in May. The catch? You had to be there.
By Ron Lieber
Here’s how the central bank’s interest rate moves influence car loans, credit cards, mortgages, savings and student loans.
By Tara Siegel Bernard and Ron Lieber
The rollout of the new student aid form last year was a debacle. This year’s beta testing has gone better. Next up: millions of users and a new administration.
By Ron Lieber
Readers had questions about individual retirement accounts, distributions and access to brokerage accounts if they moved away from the U.S. Here are some answers.
By Ron Lieber