Ep 422: Media, Money, and Messy Women

Money touches everything in our lives. And for women, who have long been documented to earn less than men, save less than men, and invest less than men, the stereotype is often that we’re doing money “wrong.” 

But it’s getting old. We know that statistically, women are better investors than men are, we fare better during times of recession, and we’re often more thoughtful about our budgets. Yet the stereotypes persist: the “girl math” trend of recent years tried to insinuate that we’re messy and unreliable with numbers, and countless female characters in pop culture (those in Fleabag, Sex and the City, and Girls, to name a few) just can’t seem to get their finances together, no matter how hard they try. 

We say enough is enough. And we aren’t the only ones. Jo Piazza feels the same way — which is exactly why she flipped the script for the main character in her new novel The Sicilian Inheritance. Listen in to hear her story. 

In Mailbag, we hear from a listener whose 18-year-old son is looking for the best ways to start to build credit, and we hear from a woman who is about to have her first baby and is being pressured by friends to make big (and expensive!) life changes. 

Chapters: 

00:00:00: Introduction 

00:06:32: Portrayal of women in finance and media

00:10:03: Strategies for managing work and family life

00:21:22: Managing the impact of social media

00:25:40: Transition to mailbag segment

00:26:01: Financial advice for young adults and credit cards

00:30:20: Lifestyle changes after having a baby

Takeaways: 

• Women are often portrayed as messy and unreliable in finance and media, perpetuating stereotypes that can be damaging and untrue.
• The influencer culture on social media can create an expectation gap between real life and the curated images and lifestyles portrayed online.
• Financial influencers should be approached with caution, as not all advice and recommendations may be reliable or suitable for individual situations.
• There is a need for better regulation and transparency in the influencer industry to protect consumers and ensure ethical practices.

More money news when you need it! Get the latest and greatest updates on all things investing, budgeting, and making money. Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe!

The HerMoney with Jean Chatzky podcast is sponsored by Edelman Financial Engines. The podcast team and its host are neither employees nor clients of EFE, however, the show does receive fixed compensation and is a paid endorser and therefore has an incentive to endorse EFE and its planners. To learn more about the sponsorship, please visit PlanEFE.com/HerMoney.

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