So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

A major reinvention is coming, with a new focus on money and midlife. Farnoosh explores how rising Federal Reserve rates could affect credit cards, HELOCs, mortgages, savings and jobs. She also tackles the best order for paying down debt, building savings and investing, plus practical ways to teach teenagers about money and investing.

Mike Allen, journalist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Axios and Politico, shares the “hell yeah” test for deciding what deserves your time. They explore toxic complexity, using AI to subtract rather than add, declaring meeting bankruptcy, curating news, defining enough, and simplifying financial choices. Farnoosh also rethinks her own business and publishing plans in real time.

Dr. Marisa G. Franco, psychologist, TED speaker, professor, and bestselling author of Worth and Platonic, explores how attachment shapes relationships, money habits, and ambition. They discuss why success can feel uncomfortable, how unrealistic affirmations backfire, and how insecurity can be met with dignity. A fascinating look at self-worth, authentic goals, and the courage to pursue opportunity.

You’ve been asking for this episode, and today I’m finally pulling back the curtain on my own financial plan.Consider this a very special edition of Ask Farnoosh — except this time, you’re asking the questions about my money.For roughly 15 years, much of my financial life was on cruise control: automate the investing, save for retirement, fund the kids’ accounts, maintain the emergency fund, repeat. But midlife has me asking a different set of questions. Am I still saving the right amount? Could I invest a little less and spend more on my life today? How much do we actually need for retirement? And, gulp…should I consider an annuity?My financial planner Maggie Johndrow of Johndrow Wealth Management joins me to reveal what we discovered after putting my entire financial picture under the microscope — including where I may have been over-saving, why we’re rethinking my SEP IRA strategy, and how we’re balancing retirement security with enjoying life now.Then Maggie’s colleague Colette Ward joins us for an annuities crash course: what they are, why their reputation has changed and when they may—or may not—make sense.It’s my Midlife Money Checkup. And hopefully, it inspires yours.Reach Maggie at [email protected] Colette at [email protected] more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taught our whole working lives to save. Nobody teaches us how to stop.That's the blind spot my guest today has spent the last several years staring down. Jean Chatzky has been one of the most trusted voices in personal finance for as long as I've been in this business, and she just published what she says is the best of her fourteen books, because it's solving a problem she's actually living through herself.Her new book is called The Forever Paycheck, and it's about the moment nobody plans for: the day the direct deposits stop and you're left staring at a lump sum that has to somehow last the rest of your life. Turns out most of us are terrible at this. Even people who did everything right, who saved diligently for forty years, freeze up when it's time to actually spend the money. Jean found that people with guaranteed income streams spend nearly twice as much as people sitting on identical savings, and that confidence to spend is tied to better health and longer life.We get into why our brains treat a shrinking balance like a loss even when it's working exactly as intended, what she's doing with her own money at 61, and the uncomfortable math behind long-term care that almost nobody wants to run. Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 What does it mean to build wealth when you don't come from money and when getting ahead financially isn't just about you? My guest today is Maria Melchor, founder of FirstGenLiving and author of the new book Always Have Enough: How to Build Wealth When You Don't Come From Money. Maria grew up in a Mexican immigrant family, at one point undocumented in the United States, watching her parents piece together everything from paychecks and government benefits to food bank boxes to make ends meet. As a kid, she saw classmates get cars when they got their driver's licenses while she was waiting for the legal status that would eventually allow her to work, and fully participate in the financial system. Maria would go on to attend Yale, and after graduation found herself earning more at 22 years old than her parents had after decades of incredibly hard work. Which brings to the forefront a complicated question: What do you do when you're the one in the family who suddenly has access to opportunity? ? How much do you owe yourself? How much do you owe the people who helped you get there? And when can you finally say, "I have enough"? Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big changes are coming to So Money in 2027. Farnoosh opens the episode with an early preview of what’s ahead, including a more video-forward format and a sharper focus on the intersection of midlife and money — the season when careers, kids, aging parents, health, relationships and financial priorities are all shifting at once.She also reflects on the life and legacy of Gloria Steinem, who died this week at 92, and shares a personal story about once finding herself just a few seats away from Steinem on an Amtrak train — and regretting that she never worked up the courage to say hello.Then, Farnoosh looks at the latest jobs report and weighs in on a debate sparked by Armchair Expert: If one adult child becomes wealthy while another struggles financially, should parents leave them different amounts in their will? Farnoosh shares why she leans toward equal inheritances, with thoughtful exceptions for significant needs.In the Ask Farnoosh mailbag: Jay in Denver recently got married and wants to know how he should rethink his life insurance as he plans for children. Tamara in Los Angeles inherited her mother’s 401(k) and wants to understand her options for transferring, investing and eventually withdrawing the money. And a listener who was recently laid off asks whether COBRA is worth the cost or if shopping for coverage on the health insurance marketplace could be a better move.Plus, Farnoosh shares resources on Trump Accounts and explains why major life changes are often the right time to revisit your entire financial plan.Gloria Steinem — NYT never-before-seen 2008 interview: Watch the New York Times video. The Times released the previously unseen interview on September 3. Trump Accounts — July 10, Episode 2007: Ask Farnoosh: Should I Open a Trump Account? Trump Accounts — August 14, Episode 2022: Trump Account Updates, Money-Maxxing and Stay-at-Home BoyfriendsRobin Wigglesworth — Episode 2029: The Bond Market Explained: What It Means For Your MoneyJoseph Moore — Episode 2030: How to Get Rich: 300 Years of Money LessonsLearn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today owns land on the moon.And somehow, that is not even the most interesting thing about his approach to money.Joseph Moore is a historian and professor who spent years studying how Americans have tried to get rich over the last 300 years — from land speculation and market bubbles to stocks, crypto and today’s biggest investment trends.And after all that research, he came to a pretty provocative conclusion: a lot of the financial advice we hear over and over again may not actually be the best way to build wealth.So Joseph decided to test history for himself. He created a cryptocurrency. He systematically shorted Jim Cramer’s stock picks. He studied how investors behaved through centuries of booms and busts — and used some of those lessons in his own portfolio.Along the way, he became a millionaire.His new book is How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked (and Didn’t).Today, we’re talking about what 300 years of history can teach us about getting rich, why he says diversification alone won’t make you wealthy, how to recognize hype before it’s too late, and the money advice he thinks far too many of us blindly follow.Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin Wigglesworth, Financial Times journalist and author of A Fabulous Debt, makes the bond market surprisingly riveting. He traces bonds from 12th-century Venice to Alexander Hamilton, explains why Treasury yields influence mortgages and government borrowing, and explores how bonds financed transformative technologies, public infrastructure, AI and climate projects. Plus, the bizarre Poyais bond fraud.

On this week's Ask Farnoosh Friday, we're tackling five thoughtful listener questions that touch on everything from career transitions and combining finances as a couple to insurance, retirement accounts, and planning for the future.Before we dive into the mailbag, I also share a few headlines that caught my attention this week—including a fascinating new trend in prenups designed to protect stay-at-home parents, California's latest move to make personal finance a graduation requirement, and a New York Times article about the money frustrations that seem uniquely American (plus a few of my own!). And yes...So Money is officially on YouTube.In this episode:•Why you shouldn't feel guilty quietly job hunting before you have an offer•The best way to leave an employer professionally while protecting your own career•How couples can combine finances without sacrificing independence•Why "fair" doesn't always mean splitting expenses 50/50•My favorite three-account system for couples•The insurance policies every young professional should prioritize—and which ones can probably wait•Why your ability to earn an income may be your greatest financial asset•When to start thinking seriously about long-term care insurance•How to prepare for future caregiving conversations with your parents•What to do with an old, empty 401(k) account after your employer changes retirement providers•Why cybersecurity deserves a place in every annual financial checkupAlso in the news:•A new prenup trend: More couples are adding "leave the workforce" clauses to protect spouses who pause their careers to raise children or provide care, recognizing the real financial cost of unpaid caregiving.•Money annoyances in America: Inspired by a New York Times article from Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard, I share my own biggest financial pet peeves—from managing kids' allowance to credit card surcharges and New Jersey property taxes.•Financial literacy gains momentum: California becomes the 26th state to require a standalone personal finance course for high school graduation, signaling a major shift in how we prepare young people for adulthood.Resources & Mentions•So Money is now on YouTube•Columbia Journalism Review's feature on The Montclair Pod•Wall Street Journal reporting on caregiving clauses in prenups•New York Times article: "6 Things That Drive Us Crazy About Money in America" by Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel BernardHave a question for the show?Send your question for a future Ask Farnoosh Friday! If it's on your mind, chances are thousands of other listeners are wondering the same thing. You can email me, leave a voicemail, or connect with me on Instagram.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. It helps more people discover the show—and build richer, more confident financial lives.Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open!This episode aired originally on July 17.Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.