HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

In this Mailbag, Jean is joined by financial planner and author of My Mother's Money, Beth Pinsker, to answer your real-life questions about caregiving, estate planning, and financial decision-making for aging parents. Whether you’re currently managing someone else’s money or prepping your own, this episode is packed with compassionate, practical advice to help you protect your finances and your peace of mind. Mailbag Questions: 1:05: “Should we loan money to a parent for home repairs?”  7:15 “Who pays the medical bills after someone dies?”  13:05: “How do I put my RMDs to work in the market?”  Have a question for us? Write to us (or send us a voice note!) at mailbag@hermoney.com.  While you’re at it, join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you're suddenly put in charge of an aging parent’s finances, the emotional toll is heavy, and the financial fallout can be even heavier. In this episode, Jean Chatzky is joined by certified financial planner and MarketWatch columnist Beth Pinsker, author of My Mother’s Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving. Together, they unpack Beth’s personal journey of managing her mother’s finances through illness, surgery, and estate settlement. Even with decades of experience writing about money, Beth found herself caught off-guard by just how complicated — and expensive — caregiving can be without the right documents and conversations in place. What You’ll Learn: The most overlooked (and affordable) legal documents everyone needs The difference between joint accounts, POA, and transfer-on-death How to prep for financial caregiving before a medical emergency The unexpected costs of not planning ahead — and how to avoid them How to be “the person who gets called” in a crisis — and what to ask in advance 💡 P.S. Need help getting your own financial life in order before you take on someone else’s? Check out our FinanceFixx program, our signature coaching experience that helps you get organized, take control of your spending, and build a plan that actually works.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the fascinating financial life of a clinical researcher in Atlanta who earns over $150K and often travels for work. Discover why she bought her home at 31, navigates a HELOC payoff, and balances personal and work expenses on her travels. Hear about her favorite splurges, values-based spending, and intentional charitable contributions. Learn how she reflects on a week of spending, including a yard sale that funded a music festival experience. Kristen shares valuable insights on aligning spending with personal joy and community support.

Catherine Fisher, a LinkedIn career expert, joins to discuss the evolving job market shaped by AI. She emphasizes that while AI changes tasks, human skills like leadership remain in high demand. Networking is highlighted as crucial for career success, with tips on keeping connections alive authentically. Catherine suggests using AI for drafting resumes and cover letters, but stresses the importance of personal touch. She also shares essential LinkedIn profile tweaks to stand out and encourages women to showcase their growth mindset and skills effectively.

Kaitlyn shares her journey of managing a bustling household with a toddler and four pets on a $200K income. She discusses the benefits of a monthly cleaning service to prioritize family time over chores. Budgeting strategies like 'funding pots' help allocate funds for travel, gifts, and daycare. Kaitlyn's thrift store adventures lead to an emotional vinyl record player find. She highlights the importance of spending on experiences, like swim classes, over material items, creating intentional family memories.

This week, Jean sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin, bestselling author of Too Big to Fail and the brand-new 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—And How It Shattered a Nation. Andrew shares why the patterns of 1929 are repeating themselves, from the rise of new technology and market euphoria to record consumer debt and risky new financial products entering retirement accounts. Jean and Andrew break down what’s happening in the markets, what’s fueling the AI-driven investing mania, and what you should be doing now to protect your financial future. Plus, don’t miss our Insurance Mailbag! Jean and Kathryn tackle your real-life insurance questions, whether you’re downsizing your home, passing down family valuables, or just making sure your coverage fits your next chapter. You’ll learn: Why history says optimism can be dangerous (but useful) How today’s “buy now, pay later” mindset mirrors 1929’s credit explosion What risks may be hiding in your 401(k) Whether crypto and private equity belong in retirement portfolios And how to build a portfolio that can actually weather a crash Empty nest resources from our partners at Nationwide. 👉 Join the HerMoney Investing Club 📰 Subscribe to the free HerMoney Newsletter: https://hermoney.com/subscribe  💬 Got feedback? We love hearing from you. Leave us a review and tell us what you want more of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With healthcare premiums expected to spike and enhanced ACA subsidies set to expire, millions of Americans may be facing a serious coverage crunch. In this timely episode of Your Money Map, Jean Chatzky is joined by retirement experts Marcia Mantell and Jae Oh to break down what’s really happening with the ACA, Medicare, and employer-sponsored insurance, and how you can protect your wallet. We dig into: How the government shutdown could impact Affordable Care Act subsidies The true cost of healthcare in 2026 Why open enrollment this year will be more complex than ever How to budget for Medicare premiums and unexpected expenses Strategies for using guaranteed income (like Social Security or annuities) to cover rising healthcare costs Tips to avoid scams, navigate robocalls, and make smart insurance choices The power of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible plans 🔗 For more resources and tools from the Alliance for Lifetime Income, visit ProtectedIncome.org 📬 Sign up for their newsletter: protectedincome.org/subscribe 💬 Like what you hear? Leave us a 5-star review and share the episode with a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re giving you a first look inside our brand-new Patreon-exclusive Mailbag series — and this one’s powerful. A listener, a single mom of a toddler, just received a cancer diagnosis. She reached out with urgent questions about how to manage her finances during treatment: Are cancer insurance payouts taxable? Should she prioritize paying off IRS debt or building savings? How can she prepare for unpaid leave while focusing on recovery? Jean and Kathryn dig into it all,  from the tax treatment of cancer insurance to how to protect your money when life takes an unexpected turn. This episode is a preview of what’s waiting for you when you subscribe to our new HerMoney Patreon, where you’ll find: ✨ Deep-dive mailbags with Jean and Kathryn 📞 Call-in AMA mailbags with real listeners 🎧 Ad-free listening 🌙 “After Hours with HerMoney” — more daring, personal money conversations 👉 Join us at patreon.com/hermoney to unlock the full episodes and help shape the future of the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens to everything you've worked so hard for — your home, your savings, your family memories — after you're gone? If your answer is “I’m not sure,” the time to start planning is now. In this empowering episode, Jean sits down with Heather Winston, Certified Financial PlannerTM professional of Principal Advised Services, LLC and Assistant Vice President at Principal Financial Group®, to talk all things estate planning; what it can really mean, why it matters, and how to get started, no matter your income level or family structure. Together, they unpack: Four key documents every adult should have (and when to update them) Why estate planning is a form of kindness to the people you love How to make tough conversations with aging parents, or your own kids, a little easier The often-overlooked importance of your digital estate How to leave a legacy of values, not just valuables Want help organizing your financial life or finding an estate planning attorney? Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe for resources, checklists, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever felt intimidated walking into a meeting with a financial advisor or unsure if you’re even asking the right questions, this episode is for you. Jean sits down with Pam Krueger, investor advocate and founder of Wealthramp, to walk through actual word-for-word scripts that you can use when meeting with an advisor for the first time, reassessing a current relationship, or navigating retirement planning. Together, Jean and Pam role-play a variety of real-life money conversations: from figuring out if an advisor is a good fit, to asking about fees, to deciding whether you’re better off managing your own money. You’ll learn how to confidently evaluate the value your advisor brings, how to compare professionals during the interview process, and how to stress-test your financial plan for retirement. You’ll Learn: What to say (and ask!) in your very first advisor meeting How to know if it’s time to break up with your advisor The real value a good advisor should bring to your life The crucial questions to ask if retirement is on the horizon How to compare multiple advisors — without the overwhelm 👉 Visit HerMoney.com/FindAnAdvisor to connect with a vetted, fee-only fiduciary advisor through Wealthramp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices