Open to Debate Generational Divides with Nick Gillespie
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Nov 14, 2025 
In this enlightening discussion, Joe Nocera, a veteran business journalist representing Baby Boomers, joins Stacey Vanek-Smith, a Gen X economics expert from Bloomberg, and Gen Z economist Kyla Scanlon. They tackle the evolving landscape of Social Security, debating its future and its impact on younger generations. The trio also explores the daunting challenge of homeownership for millennials and Gen Z, and reflect on the nostalgic allure of the 1950s, uncovering the social costs behind its economic gains.
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Social Security’s Structural Problem
- Social Security faces structural strain from demographics and limited worker growth rather than individual retirees' choices.
- Kyla Scanlon argues expanding the workforce via higher birth rates or more immigration is central to long-term solvency.
Means-Test Social Security Carefully
- Joe Nocera recommends means-testing Social Security to remove higher earners from the rolls.
- He warns that removing universality risks political backlash that could endanger benefits for the needy.
Parent-Funded Homeownership Surge
- Rising Gen Z homeownership often depends heavily on parental help rather than purely independent wealth.
- Kyla Scanlon cites an $84 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer fueling many young buyers.
