Personal-finance superstar Priceless Tay says just two money decisions can nail retirement success

Taylor Price, known online as @PricelessTay, is a Gen Z financial educator on a mission to close the financial literacy gap for young adults.

In early 2019, Price, who has a graduate degree in finance and management, launched a personal finance blog. It’s now become a multi-platform brand, with more than a million TikTok followers and support from active communities on Instagram and YouTube.

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Price, 25, is also the founder of Fifecta, an online platform designed to help Gen Zers automate savings, understand investing and build confidence in managing their money.

Through her content, Price emphasizes that financial literacy isn’t just a resource to help build wealth, but a tool for personal empowerment: “Once you know your worth, you stop settling in jobs, in relationships and in money,” she said.

In this recent interview, edited for length and clarity, Price discusses retirement, financial independence and how Gen Z is changing the conversation about money.

MarketWatch: What first made you realize there was a gap between studying finance and understanding personal finance?

Price: When I switched to finance as a major in college, I was expecting to learn the basics — how to file taxes, what a credit score means and why any of it matters in my own life. Instead, I was thrown straight into discounted cash flows, financial modeling and complex statement analysis. I could value billion-dollar companies, but I had no idea how to manage my own paycheck.

When I asked my academic counselor if there were any courses on personal finance, the answer stunned me: “Nope, we don’t have anything.” A respected university, a finance degree — and not a single required class on managing personal money. You could graduate knowing how to price an IPO but not how to build a budget. The absurdity of that hit hard.

MarketWatch: How did you bridge that knowledge gap for yourself and others?

Price: I did what any young person would do: I talked about it online. I started a blog that documented my journey. I’d write things like, “Hey, I’m in college as a finance major, but I’m starting my own financial path now. My mom told me about this thing called the Roth IRA. I’m opening it up at 18 years old. Here’s why maybe you should check this out too.” Or, “I’m applying for my first credit card. This is what it means.”

MarketWatch: What’s the most important financial concept you try to teach?

Price: Compound interest, hands down. Einstein supposedly called it the eighth wonder of the world, and once you see it in action, you understand why. It’s not just about saving money. It’s about time being your greatest asset.

Here’s the example I show everyone: Invest $500 a month starting at age 25, and with an average return of 8%, you’ll have approximately $1.7 million by age 65. Wait just 10 years and start at 35 with that same $500 monthly investment? You’ll end up with around $745,000. Same effort, same discipline, same monthly contribution, but that decade of delay costs you nearly a million dollars.

That’s not a penalty for doing something wrong. That’s the cost of simply waiting. Time is the secret ingredient, and you can’t buy it back.

MarketWatch: What’s your advice for young people just starting out with investing?

Price: Start now. Not next year, not when you get a “real job,” not when you’re making more money, but now. Even investing $50 a month at age 18 will outperform $500 a month starting at 30. You can’t make up for lost time in investing, no matter how much money you throw at it later.

My No. 1 tool for young people? The Roth IRA. For 2026, you can contribute up to $7,500 a year, and here’s the magic: Every dollar of growth is completely tax-free. You’re investing with after-tax money now while you’re likely in a lower tax bracket, and when you withdraw it in retirement, the IRS gets nothing. Not a penny.

Think about it: 40 or 50 years of compound growth and you never pay taxes on any of those gains. That could easily be hundreds of thousands of dollars staying in your pocket instead of going to the government. That’s generational wealth-building power.

MarketWatch: How do you think Gen Z’s definition of financial success differs from previous generations?

Price: Our parents’ generation was laser-focused on homeownership. It was the pinnacle of success, the American Dream. Gen Z? We’ve watched housing prices skyrocket while wages stagnated. We saw our parents lose homes in 2008. We’re redefining what success looks like.

Gen Z doesn’t want to be house-poor. They want financial freedom, the ability to work because they want to, not because they have to. They want flexibility, experiences, and autonomy. They’d rather invest in index funds and travel the world than tie themselves to a 30-year mortgage and a picket fence. That’s not irresponsibility. That’s a fundamental shift in priorities, and my content reflects that reality.

MarketWatch: What does financial freedom mean to Gen Z?

Price: For Gen Z, financial freedom isn’t about owning a house. It’s about owning your time. That’s where “Coast FI” comes in. It means investing enough early that compound growth alone can carry you to your retirement goal. If your target is $2 million and you’ve built around $400,000 in your early 30s, you could stop contributing and let time do the rest. The money you were saving each month becomes freedom to take a lower-paying job you love, start a business or travel.

The goal isn’t to stop working; it’s to stop being trapped by work. Most people work until they can afford to quit. Coast FI flips that: Your future is secured, so you work because you want to, not because you have to. That’s true financial freedom.

MarketWatch: Speaking of retirement, what are your thoughts on the concept?

Price: I don’t believe in traditional retirement, and the data backs that up. In places like Okinawa, Sardinia and Loma Linda, the so-called Blue Zones where people often live past 100, no one really retires. They stay engaged, purposeful, and connected to their communities well into old age.

Compare that with the typical American story: Someone retires at 65, plays golf for six months, and then their health declines. I’ve seen it happen. It’s not work that kills people — it’s the loss of meaning.

I’m not saying you should grind forever. Design a life you don’t need to escape from. Financial independence isn’t about quitting. It’s about having the freedom to pursue work that matters, paid or not. The goal isn’t to retire from something. It’s to retire to something better.

MarketWatch: What’s your long-term vision for financial education and the role you want to play in it?

Price: Financial literacy shouldn’t be a privilege for those lucky enough to have parents who know this stuff or live in the right state. It should be universal. Every young person deserves to understand how money works before they’re drowning in student loans or credit card debt.

is the author of several books, including,” “ and “

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