Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Governments and employers both provide incentives to help people save — and it’s important to take advantage of them.
Keep these principles in mind:
- Use tax-advantaged accounts to help your savings grow more efficiently.
- When employers offer a match in retirement plans, it can significantly boost your savings.
- Over time, compounding can make these incentives even more powerful.
Governments and employers both provide incentives to help people save — and it’s important to take advantage of them.
Keep these principles in mind:
- Use tax-advantaged accounts to help your savings grow more efficiently.
- When employers offer a match in retirement plans, it can significantly boost your savings.
- Over time, compounding can make these incentives even more powerful.




![Unconventional Wisdom
“I don’t see things like anybody else,” says Jonathan Berk, a professor of finance at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “And so I can see things people dont see.”
On this episode, Berk explores recent research that pushes against conventional wisdom, from questioning the utility of the debt-to-GDP ratio to asking whether regulation is actually in the best interests of the consumer.
“If you disagree with me… You have to write down a convincing theoretical model and analyze [it].”
Berk admits his unique lens doesn’t always make life easy. But on the other hand, “it confers an enormous advantage” — and he believes that organizations which are able to harness the power of unconventional thinking can gain a competitive edge.
“It’s allowed me to solve problems that other people couldnt solve,” he says.
Has seeing the world differently helped you resolve a conundrum? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.
Related Content:
- Jonathan Berk faculty profile: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/jonathan-b-berk
- What If We’re Looking at the National Debt All Wrong? https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/what-if-were-looking-national-debt-all-wrong Unconventional Wisdom](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mhwpMFiIzg0/mqdefault.jpg)





