The Indicator from Planet Money · Monday, July 13, 2026
A 21-year-old caller, Alex, is contemplating buying a car as he finishes college and looks for a full-time job, concerned about the rising costs impacting his current lifestyle. Sheila Bair advises him to secure a job and understand his commuting needs before committing to a car purchase.
“As I finish up my senior year of college, I'm starting to realize that I might need to get a car to be able to drive around and like, get a, a full-time job. And I'm worried that that price is going to kind of price me out of the current lifestyle I have.”
“And I would certainly advise to get that settled first before you really start thinking about seriously buying a car.”