UC Berkeley Haas Alum writes “The New Money Rules” book for Gen Z

In a world of information overload, Lillian Zhang, BS 22, has written a new book that she hopes will simplify the unique personal finance challenges faced by teens and 20-somethings.

In “The New Money Rules: The Gen Z Guide to Personal Finance,” Zhang taps into what she learned during her own financial journey at Haas and beyond. Haas News recently chatted with Zhang, now a product marketing manager at Google, about what sets her generation apart financially and why she wrote a personal finance book, which will be published by Sourcebooks in November. It’s now available for preorder worldwide.

Haas News: Why does Gen Z need its own book about finance?

“The New Money Rules” lays out the “old rules” versus the “new rules” of money. Old rules are the traditional advice passed down by previous generations—like staying at one employer for decades, making home ownership the first financial goal, or avoiding conversations about money. Those don’t always fit Gen Z’s reality. The new rules are a fresh way of looking at these same topics in today’s world. 

There’s no shortage of financial advice online, but this book cuts through the noise. Instead of piecing together information from TikToks, Reddit threads, and videos, readers get a curated, trustworthy roadmap in one place. It saves time, reduces overwhelm, and gives prompts to make a clear plan, no matter if you are just starting out or if you’re already on your financial journey.

Coming from an immigrant background and hustling my way through college to build my career, I know firsthand the challenges Gen Z faces. That lived experience makes this book relatable in a way many finance books aren’t. I speak the language Gen Z uses, and my goal was to make the book both approachable and fun while giving readers the confidence to make money decisions that truly align with their values and goals.

What surprised you the most about Gen Z’s relationship with money while you were writing the book?

The first thing I learned from my community is that most people never got a real financial education, not in school and often not at home either. The second big surprise was how much outdated advice is still floating around. Our financial realities look very different today: costs are higher, wages haven’t kept up with inflation, the job market looks vastly different, and Gen Z is navigating digital tools and financial products that older generations never had to think about. Take things like “buy now, pay later” apps, sky-high credit card interest rates, or the sheer number of different cards out there that can either help you build credit or quickly trap you in debt if you’re not careful. On the flip side, opportunities like investing and starting a 401(k) early can have a massive impact, but no one really explains this in plain language. (Zhang includes a savings tool with book preorder purchases.)

Another big theme was information overload. The information is scattered, and people don’t know how to piece it together to make a plan that works for them. Finally, social media adds a whole new layer of emotional and social pressure. Instead of comparing yourself to neighbors or coworkers, Gen Z is scrolling past influencers, friends, and strangers online every day, which creates emotional and social pressure to spend in ways that earlier generations never faced.

What sparked your interest in personal finance in the first place?

When I was a freshman at Berkeley, I remember sitting next to a friend who pulled up his Robinhood stock portfolio. All I saw were red and green numbers moving across the screen, but I had no idea what they meant. I wanted to learn about more but it felt intimidating. 

That changed when I took UGBA 135 (Personal Financial Management) with professors Fred Selinger and Terrance Odean. The class broke down everything from the basics of saving, budgeting, and taxes to more advanced topics like analyzing investments or choosing the right business structure. What struck me the most was their hands-on approach, and that Haas does a good job of balancing theory with applicable knowledge. This course sparked my continued interest in the topic and showed how valuable financial literacy can be to improve your life.

How did you change your approach to personal finance after taking that class?

I realized that I had to look at where my money was going. I started writing down everything I spent in a week and checking my credit card history. Sometimes I’d think, ‘This was a good purchase because it made me feel happy’ and other times I’d wonder ‘What did I even spend that on?’ As I built a system for myself, I realized that other people could benefit from it too. Now I track my expenses weekly and my net worth monthly. It’s simple but powerful; numbers don’t lie, and at the end of the year it’s rewarding to see how your income, expenses, and savings have shifted over time. That routine is what inspired me to start promoting healthier spending habits more broadly, first with my online community on social media, and now expanding through the book to reach even more people.

Before you wrote the book, how did you use social media to talk about personal finance? 

During my senior year at Berkeley, I started making TikToks about internships, college tips, and resumes. As I got more interested in personal finance, I began watching some of the OG finance YouTubers and  I realized that I could bring my own perspective to the space. So I shifted my content toward personal finance and life skills, experimenting with different video formats and keeping up with online trends. Through constant trial and error, I found my voice and a way to connect with an audience that was looking for content and advice they could actually relate to.