So Money with Farnoosh Torabi Episode 1922: The Best of So Money 2025 — AI, Money, Work, and What’s Next for Your Career Release Date: December 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this year-end “Best of” special, host Farnoosh Torabi revisits four standout conversations about how Artificial Intelligence is transforming education, careers, cybersecurity, and investing. Drawing on insights from workplace expert Dan Schawbel, entrepreneur Pat Flynn, cybersecurity founder Martha Underwood, and investing educator Amanda Holden, this episode distills urgent lessons for navigating the accelerating collision of tech and the future of money, work, and financial security.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Changing Value of College in the Age of AI

Guest: Dan Schawbel, Workplace Expert
Segment Start: [02:38]

• Erosion of College Degree Value:

  • Recent research found that most employers now seriously question the value of a college degree, with some even preferring to hire AI over recent grads for entry-level jobs.
  • “Almost all recent college graduates regret their degree choice. And then 84% of those say that it’s affected their financial future.”
    — Dan Schawbel [05:14]

• Automation and Entry-level Jobs:

  • Many entry-level roles, especially those emphasizing hard skills, are on the cusp of automation:
  • “Employers are starting to prioritize more soft skills... but I would say in the future… a lot of these soft skills will be automated by AI as well.”
    — Dan Schawbel [06:17]

• The Student Debt Crisis Intensifies:

  • Rising tuition and student loans juxtapose dwindling job prospects:
  • “The cost of going to school goes up 2 to 6% a year. So if the cost keeps going up… yet it keeps getting harder to get a job… we have a huge crisis on our hands.”
    — Dan Schawbel [06:40]

• Actionable Advice for Students and Recent Grads:

  • Stay adaptable, gain practical real-world skills, seek minors or extracurricular learning in tech and AI if possible.
  • “If you can do a minor in a topic that’s more relevant now, that could be beneficial. Or … outside of work, nights and weekends, you should learn some of these new skills.”
    — Dan Schawbel [08:04]

• How AI Is Disrupting Higher Ed and the Job Market:

  • Universities must teach AI-era skills or risk falling behind in graduate placement — the new primary metric of institutional value.
  • “If colleges want their students employed… you need to equip them with the skills so they get hired so your placement rates are higher or stay the same.”
    — Dan Schawbel [09:20]

• The Non-monetary Value of College:

  • Despite the financial risks, college still offers networking, personal growth, and leadership development.

2. Lean Learning and Smart Skill Acquisition

Guest: Pat Flynn, Serial Entrepreneur & Educator
Segment Start: [15:23]

• Overcoming Information Overload & Focus:

  • In an age of endless learning options, Pat advocates for targeted, “lean” learning — focusing on one audience, one problem, and one practical solution at a time.
  • “Find one person in that space, find one problem that they have and get them one result … If you can’t find one, you can’t find more.”
    — Pat Flynn [15:23]

• The “One, One, One” Strategy:

  • Redefines “starting small” as a financial and confidence-boosting imperative.
  • “That is the biggest hurdle that most beginner entrepreneurs have, is I don’t know if what I’m doing is going to work… This one, one, one strategy helps...you actually getting out there and, in the process, empathizing with who it is you’re serving and getting to know them.”
    — Pat Flynn [15:23]

• Identifying True Passions vs. Fleeting Interests (The Inspiration Matrix):

  • Encourages auditing one’s activities to distinguish between genuine passions, “junk sparks,” and critical work.
  • “Junk sparks… give you some excitement in the beginning but don’t necessarily give you long term excitement or are just fleeting distractions… Like junk food, that’s going to weigh you down.”
    — Pat Flynn [19:15]

• Consistency, Momentum & Avoiding Burnout:

  • Focus and consistency in a few passions yields more impact and sustainable learning.
  • “If you divide yourself too much… in my business and passion pursuits I’m not going to have time and energy, but even in my recreational stuff…”
    — Pat Flynn [19:15]

3. AI’s Double-Edged Sword: The Fraud and Scam Explosion

Guest: Martha Underwood, Cybersecurity Founder, Prism
Segment Start: [27:25]

• Why Fraud Is Evolving Faster Than Consumer Awareness:

  • AI-powered scams are now routinely using voice cloning and highly realistic fake websites to target individuals, especially the elderly.
  • “Everything can be compromised because it’s code, right? So you can crack code.”
    — Martha Underwood [28:43]

• Family and Child Cybersecurity Risks:

  • Children’s online gaming habits can inadvertently expose family computers to malware and bank account risks.
  • “Kids are innocent… they’re like, oh, free, I don’t have to ask my mom for money. Going to click on this. And now your computer is compromised and they’ve downloaded keystroke software.”
    — Martha Underwood [29:28]

• Steps Everyone Should Take:

  • Rotate passwords and debit cards; use password generators.
  • Never click on unsolicited links.
  • Scrutinize every request for personal data; question why your SSN or other info is needed.
  • “Just be very diligent about the information that you share and make sure that you can protect your information and rotate it as much as possible.”
    — Martha Underwood [30:12]

• AI Voice & Spoofing Attacks:

  • AI can scrape social media to mimic family members and fool even the vigilant with hyper-realistic fake emergencies.
  • “Have a safe word. Also, be careful about what you put online… you need to be more thoughtful in how you’re going to authenticate, even family members.”
    — Martha Underwood [31:43]

• Bottom Line:

  • Assume everything—emails, texts, calls—could be a scam. Independent verification is key, even for family emergencies.

4. The AI Tech Bubble & Smart Investing for 2026

Guest: Amanda Holden, Financial Educator & Author
Segment Start: [36:25]

• Is There an AI Bubble?

  • Current investor hype around AI resembles the late-90s dot-com hysteria, with cash pouring into firms without proven profits.
  • “Most of these AI companies do not have a clear path to profit… it is feeling right now very reminiscent of the dot com bubble that we saw in 1999 and 2000.”
    — Amanda Holden [36:25]

• Understanding What Really Moves Stock Prices:

  • “Over short periods, it’s human emotion, baby. It’s drama that drives markets up and down. But the stocks that we’re still talking about 10 years from now are going to be the stocks of the companies that figured it out.”
    — Amanda Holden [37:25]

• Diversification vs. Risk of Over-concentration:

  • S&P 500 index funds are often seen as diversified, but with the top 7 tech companies now comprising ~40%, investors may be exposed to more single-stock/sector risk than intended.

  • “There is no universe in which any investment manager worth their salt would ever tell you only to invest in the US… as a total diversified strategy.”
    — Amanda Holden [39:40]

  • “If you only own an S&P 500 index fund, then 7% of your strategy is in Microsoft, probably more than that is in Nvidia, more than that is in Apple…”
    — Amanda Holden [41:44]

• Practical Investor Protections:

  • Take this as a moment to reassess your portfolio for true diversification—don’t just follow social media fads.
  • Consider including small and mid-cap funds, international equities, and bonds.
  • “Do you want to put all your eggs in that basket or do you want to spread it out across multiple different asset classes in order to diversify?”
    — Amanda Holden [41:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Schawbel: “Colleges for sure know that if they want their students employed… you need to equip them with the skills so they get hired so your placement rates are higher or stay the same.” [09:20]

• Pat Flynn: “If you can’t find one, you can’t find more. So let’s start in the beginning again: If this were easy, what would it look like?” [15:23]

• Martha Underwood: “Always assume that it might not be legit because you want to err on the side of caution… you can’t trust your eyes or your ears anymore because of AI truly.” [33:55]

• Amanda Holden: “Over short periods, it’s human emotion, baby. It’s drama that drives markets up and down. But… the stocks that we’re still talking about 10 years from now are going to be the stocks of the companies that figured it out.” [37:25]

Important Timestamps

• [02:38] – Dan Schawbel on the shifting value of degrees and skills in the AI era
• [15:23] – Pat Flynn on lean learning, the 1-1-1 strategy, and the inspiration matrix
• [27:25] – Martha Underwood on AI scams and practical steps to stay safe
• [36:25] – Amanda Holden on the AI investing bubble, diversification, and portfolio risk

Tone & Takeaways

Throughout, Farnoosh Torabi maintains her signature direct, practical, and empathetic approach—translating daunting headlines into actionable guidance for everyday consumers and investors. Each segment underlines a core message: adaptability, vigilance, and a willingness to question old assumptions are essential in the age of AI.

Whether you’re a student, a parent, an entrepreneur, or an investor, the future belongs to those who proactively build new skills, apply critical thinking, and protect themselves from new financial risks.

See full episode links in the show notes for deeper dives with each guest.