The average save rate in the United States is around 4% this year, and for that reason, this week’s episode might feel a little out of pocket. The thesis of our episode is simple: Most of us on the path to financial independence aren’t factoring in Social Security.

But Social Security is the subject of a lot of pessimism and finger-pointing—it’s going to run out by 2035! they say, leaving those of us with 30 years to go before retirement feeling utterly hosed. And it’s true that things are in worse shape now: In the 1950s, there were eight workers paying into Social Security for every one beneficiary. Today, there are fewer than three.

The problem with this “imminently running out” sentiment, I learned, is that it’s entirely misleading. Big surprise. What’s more realistic? That benefits will continue to be paid out—at around 75% of their current rate—until the year 2100. Zoomers rejoice.

So what are the implications for your future, and more importantly, your financial independence number? By my estimation, we’re probably shooting for something that’s around 30% too high. That’s the cliffhanger I’ll leave you with, because talking to myself about Social Security for *checks notes* 31 minutes straight requires a bit of suspense.

This solo deep dive into the future of Social Security, how it works, and whether you’d be better off taking home those wages and investing them yourself will probably leave you feeling really good about your own progress.

If you’d like to hear Henah and me fumble our way through a nonpartisan political conversation about how much the president impacts your finances, boy, do I have the Rich Girl Roundup segment for you, ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Ever since growing up watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Real Housewives of [insert literally any franchise here] with my almost pathologically unmaterialistic mom, I wondered if these shows affected people’s consumer habits. She could watch an episode that featured multiple closet scenes and full faces of makeup and be titillated by the drama alone, while I’d retreat to my room afterward to watch eyeshadow tutorials and stare longingly at the Saks website. This article doesn’t quite study this phenomenon, as much as it suggests the reality housewife boom of the early 2000s foretold the popularity of social media as a personal branding exercise and democratizer of “1%” sh*t: “When we are seeing everyone from these very aspirational Bravo figures to more ‘relatable’ influencers indulging in [extreme excess], it in turn starts to normalize that level of grotesque consumption for the rest of us.”

If you know of a job opening that was made for #RichGirlNation, submit it for consideration here.

• Photo Coordinator — Chase Travel: Up to $115k, based in NYC (2+ years’ experience)
• Senior Creative Project Manager — Braze: Up to $98k including bonus with potential for equity, based in NYC and remote-friendly (5+ years’ experience)
• ‍ Community Manager, LA — Chief: Starting at $110k plus equity and 4.5 day workweek, based in LA
• Assistant PR Manager — Saatva: Up to $85k, remote across US with preference for NY, Austin, or LA (3+ years’ experience)
• Director, Strategic Finance and Operations — Quilted Health: Up to $180k, remote (5+ years’ experience)