HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

We (and by we, we mean the entire personal finance community) talk a lot about saving for retirement, but not enough about how to make our money last as long as we're going to. So we're going to change that. One possible solution for better guaranteeing income in retirement: annuities. One woman who's making annuities sound much sexier than they are: Elaine Larsen. At speeds of over 280 mph, Elaine has made a career out of going as fast as possible for five seconds down a straight and narrow quarter-mile track as hot-rod race car driver. However, after a major wreck in 2011, she realized she wasn’t invincible and that it was time to start planning for retirement. She shares her story and how an annuity was right for her and her family. In Mailbag — after retirement is taken care of, how should you invest an extra $10,000? We offer ideas and answer your other questions on freezing credit for toddlers and buying into CDs at credit unions. Plus: Venmo is about to get more expensive. Hear why in Thrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With giving season upon us, we started asking ourselves how we can make bigger impacts — not just at the end of the year — but perhaps year round? We all have causes we care about, but when does it make sense to take donating money, time or resources a step further? When does it make sense to start a charity or not-for-profit organization of your own? To help us answer these questions, we’re sitting down with Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of the non-profit organization charity: water, which focuses on the global water crisis and the world’s 663 million people without clean water to drink. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on healthcare plans for people in their 50s and 60s, forgotten stocks and freezing and unfreezing your credit — which you can now do for free. No more excuses — and more details in Thrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The loss of an identity. The loss of a paycheck. Sometimes they're one in the same. This week we're discussing how to navigate major life changes with two of my favorite women, Lisa Oz and Jill Herzig, great friends and hosts of the new podcast, "You Turns by HowStuffWorks." We love the name — and the concept. We sit down with both to discuss the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly when making personal and professional transitions (e.g. sending a kid off to college or losing your job). In Mailbag, Kelly and I answer your questions on earning extra income while on Social Security Disability Income SSDI, and how to (nicely) ask your credit card company for lower interest rates. (Yes, it's possible.) In Thrive, we discuss the new and troubling research that shows many women are opting for “intentional invisibility” in the office. P.S. If you're in Boston, come see us LIVE on 10/27: https://bit.ly/2CS1Z5o. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many of us, the tables eventually turn, the roles reverse and it becomes time to take care of the people who took care of us for so many years. Becoming caregivers for our parents is often uncomfortable, emotional and comes at a time when many of us are still revving up at work (and, yes, women are more likely to leave the workforce for this, too). Stories like this week's guest, award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien's, remind us that we're not alone in this. Soledad gets candid about her caregiving experience, her evolving relationship with money and what she's hearing from other women leading up to this year's midterm elections. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on warming up to Venmo (as a parent), accessing your free credit reports and investing $10,000 just because. And, whether you're a parent of a college student or a college student yourself, building your credit while in school is not just smart, but doable. We tell you how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, oh my! This week we're getting hormonal with my good friend, Randi Hutter Epstein, author of the new book: "Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything" — which, by the way, includes our finances. We talk emotions (and money), birth control (and money), egg freezing (and money) and how to save, yes, money, on shopping for medical care. In Mailbag, Kelly and I answer your questions on selling stocks, protecting your newborn's identity and HELOCs. And a question for all of us: Could our friendships be holding us back at work? We discuss in Thrive. If you haven't already, please check out the *NEW* HerMoney.com — and please subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2DNigd4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fear that you'll run out of money in retirement is big and real and daunting. Which is why we're always excited to hear about it when someone — somewhere — has a new idea to help us conquer the challenges of making our money last. This week's hero: Morningstar's Head of Behavioral Science, Dr. Stephen Wendel. He outlines how a handful of modest (and specific!) changes, when made simultaneously, can amount to much bigger nest eggs. So, calm your retirement anxieties — and geek out on the research — with us. Then, in Mailbag, we’re discussing 401(k) rollovers, the 5-year rule on Roth IRAs and having a dedicated savings account for healthcare. And in Thrive, how to budget with a cash-only diet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re speaking with a woman who’s on a mission to make other women, "really f***ing rich." And who doesn't like the sound of that? Cindy Eckert, founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals is leading this charge, while simultaneously supercharging our sex lives. Her company — which she sold for $1 billion and bought back for practically nothing — created Addyi, the first ever FDA-approved drug for low sexual desire in women. We talk hormones, big pharma, negotiations and how to handle sexism. Her strategy: "Kill them with competence." It's a must-listen. In Mailbag, we dive into credit cards, student loans and other financial trade-offs. And, in Thrive, we discuss troubling research on the big little lies we tell when women outearn their husbands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s college application season for thousands of high school seniors across the country — and the ones who love them. Whether you're up against the deadline this year — or see it coming around the corner — it's never too early to start strategizing. We sat down with independent university admissions counselor and founder and CEO of IvyWise, Dr. Kat Cohen, to talk not just about reigning in the cost of college, but the cost of applying itself. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on wealth strategies for singles, bankruptcy scores and credit cards for young adults. Then, in Thrive, meet HerMoney reporter Kathryn Tuggle! She shares her reporting on how — and why — pet insurance can be a smart move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Questions on retirement for investing options, the perks of making additional mortgage payments, 529 alternatives, why someone might put her home in a trust, and how to build an emergency fund and pay down debt at the same time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're getting up close and personal about our spending habits with Lindsey Stanberry, author of the book "Refinery29 Money Diaries: Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Your Finances... And Everyone Else's." She offers an inside look into the spending habits of women across the country. In Mailbag, credit card loyalty, balance transfers and health insurance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices