So money is brought to you by CNET, the site that shows how to navigate change all around us.

So money episode 1447, the true cost of living for middle and lower income families today,

with Jean Ludwig, chairman of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity.

You're listening to So Money, with award-winning money guru,

for our new Skorapi. Each day, in a 30-minute dose of financial inspiration from the world's top

business minds, authors, influencers, and from Farnoos yourself.

Looking for ways to save on gas or double your double coupons? Sorry, you're in the wrong place.

Seeking profound ways to live a richer, happier life. Welcome to So Money.

When I go around the United States and I talk to people, what they most want is that living wage

job, basically, live a full life. Welcome to So Money, everybody. I'm Farnoos Chorapi,

Happy Monday. Our cost of living series continues and we actually have tons of new features for you

to pour through on CNET.com right now. I'll put the link in our show notes, but our team has been

working tirelessly for many months now, putting together important stories on the cost of health

care and childcare, the unemployment rate, all of these stories that illuminate the reality of

living in America today and trying to make ends meet. If you ever wonder, like, how are people

affording anything these days? We have some important stories that we're telling right now on CNET

and on this podcast, we're having critical conversations about the state of the economy.

Today, we're exploring the true cost of living. Jean Ludwig is here. He's an American

business leader and expert on banking regulation, risk management, and fiscal policy. He's a former

controller of the currency and today he's chairman of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic

Prosperity. There, he and his team are looking at the economic reality for families through the

creation of a cost of living metric called TLC or true living cost. It takes into account housing,

...