Your Money: Dealing with ‘learned financial helplessness’
This week, we’re speaking with Haley Sacks, better known as Mrs. Dow Jones.
Your Money
April 6, 2026

Welcome back.

This week, we’re speaking with Haley Sacks, the financial influencer better known as Mrs. Dow Jones. You may have come across her on social media, where she dispenses financial tips geared for 20- to 40-somethings who are trying to find their financial footing, or are beginning to reach life’s big milestones.

In one of her recent Instagram posts, as the camera panned across the scene at an outdoor wedding ceremony, she did some math: “If you invest $50K instead of spending it on a wedding, by your 30th anniversary it will be worth $872,470 assuming a 10 percent return rate,” she said. “Which are you choosing?”

Mrs. Dow Jones has a new book coming out next month called “Future Rich Person,” which provides practical advice on things like which accounts to open, getting out of debt and negotiating rent, but she also explores the psychological underpinnings that often drive our financial behavior.

We asked her, as we do all authors we cover, about the single piece of original thinking in her book — related to money — that she’s most proud of.

Here’s what she told us:

“The concept I’m most proud of is what I call ‘learned financial helplessness.’ It’s the psychological state where repeated setbacks, shame, and a broken economic system convince you that nothing you do will change your situation, so you stop trying.

For Gen Z and millennials, the hopelessness isn’t irrational. We inherited record debt, a housing market that feels rigged, and a job market now competing with A.I. Nihilism can feel like the only honest response. But it’s often just learned financial helplessness in a cooler outfit. It feels self-aware, but it is another excuse to give up. Once you name the pattern, you can interrupt it. Because yes — the system is flawed. But you still have more agency than you think.”

Her book hits shelves on May 12.

Last week, we wrote about financial planner Blair duQuesnay’s ode to her old Honda. Here’s her full post if you’d like to check it out. It’s a fun read.

And as always, here’s our collection of money-related stories from across The New York Times.

How High Are Gas Prices Where You Live?

Here is a county-level look at where drivers are facing the highest costs.

By Matthew Bloch, Steven Rich and Emmett Lindner

Oil Seesaws After Trump’s Latest Threats on Iran

President Trump taunted Iranian leaders on Sunday, threatening to escalate attacks if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened.

By Joe Rennison and Emmett Lindner

Two rows of Costco gas pumps at night, with cars viewed from the rear lined up at each.

Average Gasoline Price Hits $4 in U.S., a ‘Headache’ for Drivers and Trump

A month since the first U.S.-Israeli attacks and Iran’s response effectively shut off Persian Gulf oil, drivers are paying significantly more to fill up.

By Emmett Lindner

Why Is the Labor Market Stuck?

Our chief economics correspondent, Ben Casselman, describes how a “low-hire, low-fire” labor market has left American job-seekers in a bind.

By Ben Casselman, Sutton Raphael, June Kim, Nour Idriss and Christina Djossa

‘I Got Back Every Penny’: Inside Trump’s Supercharged Tax Season

The law Republicans passed last year has so far been largely imperceptible to most Americans. That’s changing as tens of millions file their taxes this spring.

By Andrew Duehren

A woman with long, dark hair and blonde highlights stands leaning against a wooden park bench. She is wearing a yellow and blue flannel shirt, dark jeans, yellow sneakers, and black-rimmed glasses.

Student Debt Burdened Them, So They Moved Abroad and Stopped Paying

A record number of student loan borrowers are in delinquency and default. Some are making the drastic decision to leave the country and abandon their loans.

By Laura O’Connor

Economists Once Dismissed the A.I. Job Threat, but Not Anymore

Artificial intelligence hasn’t disrupted the labor market, economists say, but they are increasingly convinced that it will — and that policymakers are unprepared.

By Ben Casselman

Mortgage Rates Climb for 5th Week as Iran War Weighs on U.S. Housing Market

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the United States jumped to 6.46 percent, making it harder for buyers to afford homes.

By Gregory Schmidt

An illustration of red and blue chart lines coming out of the rear of a plane as it flies through a blue sky.

Strategies

Bad, Very Bad and Much Worse: Pick a Forecast for the War and Economy

A merely bad outlook might be good enough for the markets, our columnist says.

By Jeff Sommer

Uber and Lyft Offer Gas Price Relief, but Drivers Say It’s Not Enough

As fuel costs go up, making a living as a gig driver is harder than ever.

By Natallie Rocha and Ricardo Nagaoka

At a security checkpoint, a person in a blue shirt processes documents for a traveler. Other people wait in line, and a scanner with blue and red lights is visible in the background.

T.S.A. Lines Are Getting Shorter, for Now

The hourslong waits appeared to be easing as Transportation Security Administration officers received their first pay in weeks. But with no funding deal, the lines could return.

By Christine Chung

An illustration shows two people handing papers marked “confidential” to another person.

Ask Real Estate

Can I Trust a Landlord to Protect My Financial Information?

Without pay stubs, retirees must share detailed private data with landlords. But will they keep the information safe?

By Jill Terreri Ramos

A photo illustration shows a cello and a music stand, with bills scattered on the floor and on the music stand, obscuring sheet music.

work Friend

My Husband Can’t Get a Job. Should I Divorce Him?

Plus, whether to use A.I. to get ahead at work — if you think the technology is evil.

By Max Read

Times Insider

How New Yorkers Spend, Splurge and Scrimp to Live in the City

Eliza Shapiro, who reports on New York City’s affordability crisis, asked hundreds of residents to get candid about their finances.

By Sarah Bahr

I an illustration, a woman sits on an airplane looking out window. She is surrounded by flowers, butterflies and peacocks rendered in gold and orange.

No Lines, No ‘Regular’ People: Flying Ultra-Luxury From Paris

A writer reports from inside the premium bubble, where there’s no such thing as too much, petty annoyances are nonexistent and the real world never intrudes.

By Sarah Lyall

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