Today, Explained – "You Need a Prenup"

Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Noel King, Sean Rameswaram
Guest: Jennifer Wilson (Staff writer, The New Yorker)
Episode Theme: The rise of prenuptial agreements among millennials and Gen Z—what’s driving it, how it’s changing, and what it means for marriage, money, and romance.

Episode Overview

This episode explores the growing trend of prenups among younger couples—many of whom aren’t rich nor entering marriage with significant asset imbalances. Through candid interviews and expert insight, it investigates the shifting perceptions, motivations, and consequences of prenups in 21st-century relationships.

1. Real Couples and the Modern Prenup

Sharing Experiences: Kara and Gregory (Florida)

• Background: Kara (36, supply chain logistics) and Gregory (35, software engineering) share their personal motivations and experiences with prenuptial agreements.
• Why a Prenup?
  • Kara initiated the prenup out of pragmatism and empathy, knowing Gregory's first marriage ended in a costly divorce.
    • Kara: “I wanted to give him some assurances that…he wouldn't be left in a lurch because I was angry and bitter at him.” (03:08)
  • Gregory, after his divorce, was determined not to go through the same financial ordeal again.
    • Gregory: “There’s a huge, very large financial hit…I don't want to go through this again.” (05:29)
• Assets & Balance: Both have careers and modest assets; Gregory is the higher earner, but not dramatically.
• What’s in the Prenup?
  • Keeps pre-marriage assets separate.
  • Specifies joint ownership for a business they hope to start.
• Perception and Stigma:
  • Unmarried friends expressed surprise; married friends all had prenups.
    • Kara: “My married friends…do actually have prenups. They were the ones that I got the idea from.” (08:01)

Notable Quotes:

• Noel King: “The classic prenup situation is somebody in this relationship is coming into it with a ton of money and somebody else is coming into it with much less. Is there any imbalance here?” (06:19)
• Kara: “I’ve been saving into my 401k since I was working part time jobs at grocery stores.” (07:06)
• Gregory: “There’s a certain romantic part about it...being able to talk to your partner and decide on how things will be split up in the future.” (09:12)
• Kara: “I wanted to let him know that I’m in it. I’m not here for the money. I want to…plan a future with you. So I’ll lay it all out here. Here’s all the finances, and let’s sign this paperwork together.” (09:27)

2. The Cultural Shift: Why Are Prenups on the Rise?

Pop Culture & Social Media Influence

• Jennifer Wilson (13:03):
  • “You see prenups on TV shows like Sex and the City, reality shows like Real Housewives—but now they’re on Love is Blind, where neither party has much money. It’s become part of the cultural conversation.”
  • Social media (especially TikTok) has normalized talks of financial responsibility and prenups.
    • Jennifer Wilson: “All over TikTok, there were these personal finance influencers...and she got a lot of support...saying, yes, every woman should push for a prenup.” (14:48)

Generational Attitudes & Financial ‘Hygiene’

• Millennials and Gen Z are children of divorce and often see prenups as just “financial hygiene.”
• According to a 2023 Harris Poll, 40% of millennials and Gen Zers say they have signed prenups—a figure experts dispute but agree reflects a clear uptick in interest.
  • Jennifer Wilson: “Younger couples are used to thinking about divorce and separation…There’s a certain amount of trauma.” (17:26)

3. What’s Actually in Modern Prenups?

Beyond the Rich-Guy Stereotype

• Motives have shifted—women are just as likely to push for prenups, especially as more achieve financial independence.

New & Surprising Clauses

• Social Media Images Clause: Parties agree to pay a set penalty for any disparaging posts about their ex.
  • Jennifer Wilson: “You can set that financial penalty, and it’s like per post…It’s not irrational; we’ve seen people’s careers be affected.” (18:40)
• Embryo Clause: Specifies how to deal with embryos and storage fees after divorce.
• Infidelity Clause: Now needs precise definitions, due to evolving concepts of fidelity, including “relationships” with AI chatbots.
• BMI Clauses or other motivational (but largely unenforceable) terms.

Influence of Technology & Startups

• Digital prenup platforms (e.g., Hello Prenup, First) are making the process more accessible; many are founded by women and market prenups as empowering.
  • Jennifer Wilson: “Now…you should renegotiate your marriage contract.” (16:53)

Parental Pressure and the Wealth Transfer

• Many parents, anticipating the “great wealth transfer,” are pushing prenups to protect future inheritances.
  • Jennifer Wilson: “In a lot of cases, it’s the parents who are pushing them to get prenups.” (21:47)

4. Arguments For and Against

For Prenups

• Pragmatic protection from financial entanglements.
• Tool for honest, serious conversations about money and expectations.
• Provides certainty in uncertain times.

Against Prenups

• Risk that people don’t fully understand or negotiate terms, especially with digital contracts.
• Can reflect “privatization” of relationship risks, rather than pushing for broader social/legal reform.
• Might encourage partners to sign unfavorable terms due to optimism bias or to appear loving.
  • Jennifer Wilson: “I do wonder…what does it mean to go into the messiness of marriage thinking so much about what’s mine, what’s yours?” (24:25)

5. Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Kara (on old attitudes): “My mother was surprised that we were getting a prenup...it wasn’t something that people like us got.” (00:02)
• Noel King (to Gregory): “Are you guys rich?...Is there any imbalance here?” (06:19)
• Gregory (on divorce): “...had to end up getting a loan for half the equity of the house...there was alimony...a huge, very large financial hit.” (05:29)
• Jennifer Wilson (on cultural depictions): “You see prenups on TV shows like Sex and the City...now they’re on Love is Blind.” (13:03)
• Jennifer Wilson (on tech): “Companies like Hello Prenup...offering all sorts of new clauses...even a social media image clause.” (18:40)
• Jennifer Wilson (on optimism bias): “Prenup signers suffer from this...you might agree to less favorable terms because you want to show your partner you’re not in it for the money.” (24:25)

6. Key Timestamps

• [00:02 – 10:23]: Kara and Gregory discuss their decision for a prenup, the specifics, and the reactions of friends/family.
• [12:32 – 25:26]: Interview with Jennifer Wilson, discussion of prenups in culture, generational trends, surprising clauses, inherited wealth, arguments for/against.
• [18:40]: Social media clause explained.
• [21:47]: Parental involvement in prenup decisions.
• [24:25]: Discussion on optimism bias and the psychological impacts of prenups.

7. Tone and Closing Thoughts

The episode maintains an inquisitive, slightly playful but sympathetic tone, tackling both the humor and seriousness around prenups. It punctures stereotypes and offers nuanced reasons for the rise of prenups—pragmatic, even emotionally supportive in their own way, yet not free from unintended consequences.

Summary

“You Need a Prenup” reveals that the prenup is no longer just for billionaires—it's an expected part of financial planning for many young couples today. Influenced by pop culture, trauma from previous generations’ divorces, social media, and looming inheritances, millennials and Gen Zers view prenups as practical, even loving tools, rather than cold or cynical documents. Yet, the episode cautions that with new norms come new complexities, including unexpected clauses, legal pitfalls, and perhaps an excessive focus on self-protection. In the end, prenups are as much about hope and realism as they are about love and money.