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The Missing Curriculum: Our Children Need Math Intuition
“Math language is incredibly important. Without it, unmoored uncertainty may cause people to check out and become increasingly disconnected.” “This math dance requires 2 partners; math mechanics grooving with math intuition.” “Today, math jobs are found in industries where “neuro-manipulation” has become the norm, such as social media or sports betting.” “Most people need math more as a consumer shield.” “The math mechanics dance partner needs to slow its role and let the ma
Jeff Hulett
3 days ago6 min read


On the college tour! Resources for students and their college tour counselors
Now that you have completed the Personal Finance Reimagined (PFR) college decision readiness program, it is time to put your new skills into action on the road. To help students and counselors maximize upcoming campus visits, we have created a set of Companion Guides and Checklists powered by the College Xoice app. These resources work together to build a consistent, repeatable decision system, ensuring students make the best possible financial and life choices for their futu
Jeff Hulett
Jul 71 min read


The Algorithmic Void: Why Early Career Job Applicants Face Big Headwinds
"Screaming into the abyss" is that frustrating feeling you get when no one gets back to you. It is like ghosting on steroids. This is how my university students describe the modern job hunt. They submit dozens of applications through Handshake and LinkedIn, only to be met with total, deafening silence. If your students or mentees feel this way, tell them they aren't imagining it. They are completely right. The latest data from Stanford University confirms what we’ve suspect
Jeff Hulett
Jun 65 min read


The Parent Culture Transition: Why Preparing Children for Automation Involves Changing the Home Strategy First
For decades, we’ve hyper-focused on preparing children for the climate-controlled predictability of the office. But the automation age has flipped the script, and those sanitized roles are now the easiest to replace. True career resilience lies in the chaotic, high-stakes intersection of human empathy and material world complexity—what we’ve dismissively called "messy jobs." If your value is defined by following a script, your job is already obsolete. The new narrative is cle
Jeff Hulett
Jun 67 min read


The $100,000 Gamble: Why We’re Reimagining the College Decision with Dave Urso
For most families, the "college decision" is the single largest financial gamble they will ever take. We hand a 17-year-old a pen and ask them to sign off on a high-stakes, high-risk investment before they’ve even had their first full-time job. At Personal Finance Reimagined (PFR), we believe it’s time to move past the "degree-at-any-cost" mentality and start talking about ROI. I recently sat down with Dave Urso, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Blue Ridge Community Coll
Jeff Hulett
Apr 11 min read


Building your BATNA and the art and science of negotiation
Some people feel uncomfortable with negotiating. This is unfortunate. Good negotiation leads to better outcomes for all. A good negotiation is a form of good communication, where all parties express their key preferences. This creates a better platform for productive, long-term relationships. Focusing on your BATNA is the foundation of good negotiation and a productive, long-term relationship. About the author: Jeff Hulett leads Personal Finance Reimagined , a decision-ma
Jeff Hulett
Apr 11 min read


Confident job changes and a premortem!
I show you how to make your work performance review a 2-way street — that benefits you as much as your employer. Most importantly, it helps you make a confident job decision - whether you commit to stay or move into job change mode. About the author: Jeff Hulett leads Personal Finance Reimagined , a decision-making and financial education platform. He teaches personal finance at James Madison University and provides personal finance seminars. Check out his book -- Making
Jeff Hulett
Apr 12 min read


The Resilient Recruit: Why the “2+2” Path is the Secret Weapon of Modern Hiring
In the high-pressure hallways of many high schools, a persistent myth refuses to die. It is the idea that community college is effectively “13th grade”—a consolation prize for those who couldn’t get into a “selective” school, or a social dead end that looks “uncool” on a LinkedIn profile. While students stress over which prestige sticker to slap on their parents' SUV, and parents worry about the social optics of the local junior college, the corporate world is looking at a co
Jeff Hulett
Mar 166 min read


Higher Ground: How to Stay Valuable When Cognition Becomes a Commodity
Admittedly, I am an AI Enthusiast. But I also know that in the labor market, there will be winners and losers. This article describes how to win. In my previous work on The Great AI Pivot , I discuss how the AI disruption creates more, but different kinds of jobs. I argued that our biggest hurdle isn't technical—it’s emotional. We are biologically wired to fixate on the "Red Bar" (jobs lost) while ignoring the significantly larger "Green Bar" (jobs gained). We fear the "s
Jeff Hulett
Mar 134 min read


College Success – Parents and students preparing to say goodbye
This is our 3rd Vidcast for college decision month. Today – we discuss college success for parents and students as they prepare to say goodbye for the first day at college. This vidcast is very personal. I will discuss many tips and tricks that made my family's college separation healthy. These success ideas were the final launch pad for their amazing college experience. About the Author: Jeff Hulett leads Personal Finance Reimagined, a decision-making and financial educat
Jeff Hulett
Mar 31 min read


Community College is a great choice!
Blue Ridge Community College's Student Recreation Center is shown as the lead image for the VidCast. This is our second Vidcast for college decision month. Today – we will discuss why community college is a great choice and should be in every high school student’s college choice set. College decision-making is surprisingly complex, College decision-making has many criteria and deciding what is important to you. Plus, since the decision is new to most students, it creates even
Jeff Hulett
Mar 31 min read


College decision tools: Using College Xoice to make a great college decision.
This is our first vidcast for college decision month. This is the time of year when high school juniors and seniors are getting serious about college decision-making. In this first talk – we will discuss the college decision tool called College Xoice. I helped research and develop this technology, so I am very happy to share some of its amazing capabilities. Mostly, my hope is the students, and their families make use of this app to make great college decisions. About the Aut
Jeff Hulett
Mar 32 min read


How to achieve MASSIVE SUCCESS and COLLEGE ROI! A community college journey…
I am PASSIONATE about achieving College ROI! College ROI is achieved when the value you get out of college - the income and/or happiness opportunities achieved - is worth MORE than the costs of college. The one thing we know for sure is that traditional residential colleges can be VERY expensive and there are other ways to achieve college benefits without spending a ton. One approach to achieving the optimal college ROI is to leverage the United States' incredible Community
Jeff Hulett
Mar 32 min read


The Great AI Pivot: Why Your Leap of Faith is the Key to a Brighter Future
History is not merely a collection of dates and names; it is a series of "pivots." These are the moments when the tectonic plates of human productivity shift, forever changing how we live, work, and relate to one another. From the steam engine to the internet, every great economic leap has required something deeply human, yet frequently resisted: a leap of faith. Today, as Artificial Intelligence weaves its way into the fabric of our professional lives, we stand at the thresh
Jeff Hulett
Jan 75 min read


Hidden in Plain Sight: Building the Bedrock for First-Generation Financial Agency
In the American cultural narrative, the term "first-generation" is often regarded as a niche category or a specific demographic box. At PFR, we see it differently. The challenges facing these students often remain hidden in plain sight. These obstacles rarely stem from a lack of talent or ambition; instead, they reflect a lack of exposure to the "family business" of higher education and the complex financial systems supporting it. According to U.S. Census Bureau data released
Jeff Hulett
Dec 20, 20255 min read


Stop Overpaying for College: Mike Munger on Transaction Costs, ROI & The Triple T Framework
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with one of my favorite thinkers, Duke Economist and Political Science Professor Mike Munger , to dissect the "super complex" challenge of college decision-making. As President of Personal Finance Reimagined (PFR), I know this choice is massive. College is more expensive than ever, yet there are more lower-cost alternatives—from community colleges to taking a gap year—that deserve serious consideration. The question isn't just where
Jeff Hulett
Dec 4, 20251 min read


College ROI: The Time Traveler's Guide to Outsmarting the System in the Age of GenAI.
In times of uncertainty -- great opportunity exists. This article is the opportunity bridge. The year 2025 brings a chilling dose of reality to American higher education. Between proposed government shutdowns forcing layoffs at the Department of Education and political leaders questioning the tax-exempt status of massive university endowments, there is profound uncertainty. For most families without significant savings—without a "money tree" planted in the backyard—the centr
Jeff Hulett
Oct 13, 20258 min read


The Big Disruption - Navigating NIL, The Transfer Portal, and NCAA Rules
Jeff Hulett interviews Justin Chezem, Head Coach, CNU Men’s Soccer and Scot Cooper, Founder, Matchplay Recruit. We focus on 2 questions:...
Jeff Hulett
Oct 3, 20251 min read


Mastering the College Journey: Expert Insights with Lee Norwood of Annapolis College Consulting
Today, I’m excited to interview Lee Norwood, founder of Annapolis College Consulting and a leader in college advising. Lee has worked...
Jeff Hulett
Oct 3, 20251 min read


The Regrettable Door: The untold story of college risk, regret, and success!
Today – we are going to get real! I’m going to share Bob’s college story. I’ll introduce Bob in a moment. To give you a little...
Jeff Hulett
Oct 3, 20251 min read
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