Why Americans Earning $500K a Year Still Feel Broke

Why Americans Earning $500K a Year Still Feel Broke

May 6, 2026 · 37 min

About this episode

The episode discusses why a significant portion of high-income Americans feel financially insecure, exploring themes of financial anxiety and lifestyle inflation.

Ed Elson brings on Ramit Sethi and Ben Carlson to dig into a striking Goldman Sachs finding: 40% of households earning over $500K say they're living paycheck to paycheck. They debate what the stat reveals about American financial anxiety and lifestyle inflation, why housing is the real crisis, and what it actually takes to feel financially secure. Ramit Sethi is the Host of Netflix’s “How to Get Rich,” bestselling author, & host of the Money For Couples podcast. Ben Carlson is the Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth and author of the forthcoming book, “Risk & Reward”. Get your tickets to the Prof G Markets tour Subscribe to the Prof G Markets Youtube Channel Check out our latest Prof G Markets newsletter Follow Prof G Markets on Instagram Follow Ed on Instagram, X and Substack Follow Scott on Instagram Send us your questions or comments by emailing Markets@profgmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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