So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

**Originally aired on Jan. 31, 2018**What would you do if you woke up with $662,000 of student loan debt?Yes, you heard that right, $662,000 in just student loan debt.Well, that’s what happened to Drs. Renée and Nii Darko. After meeting in medical school and completing rigorous surgical residencies, Renée and Nii woke up to see their total debt balance had ballooned to the high six figures after years of deferment and forbearance.Stressed, confused, and not making any progress on actually paying down their principal, the Darko family decided to get serious. They cut out their pricey insurance policies, took on a significant amount of extra shifts at hospitals all over the country, and reprioritized everything. And by prioritize, I mean they only paid $200/month in groceries for 2.5 years!The result of all this hard work and adhering to that strict budget was that they paid off all their debt in only 3 years!Today, I’m talking to the couple about how they did it and the challenges they encountered along the way (like the three failed IVF rounds that they paid for in cash). You’ll also hear about how paying off their debt has given these two physicians financial independence, enabling them to pursue their passions and business pursuits, like Dr. Nii’s website and a podcast called Docs Outside the Box.To visit the couple’s blog, head to www.keepingupwiththedarkos.wordpress.com.Renée runs Pre-med Strategies, a pre-med consultation business to help students overcome the challenges of getting into medical school. You can visit the website here: www.premedstrategies.com.To learn more about Dr. Nii Darko, please visit his website, Docs Outside the Box, at www.docsOTB.com or find him on twitter @DocsOTB.Equal Access Health is their locum tenens business, which you can learn more about here: www.equalaccesshealth.net. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**Originally aired on February 7, 2018**My husband and I will be quitting our jobs later this year to travel globally for a year. Aside from savings and insurance, what should we consider?My husband and I contribute to our retirement, savings and children's 529 plans. Should we be adding to these buckets or putting our money elsewhere?What are risks to consider when renting out part of your home?Answering these questions and more with co-host and marketing consultant Erica Gellerman.To learn more about Erica visit www.ericagellerman.com or follow her on Twitter @ericagellerman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This podcast originally aired on April 25, 2018.**Did you know only 7% of film directors in the U.S. are women? That gap is hopefully narrowing soon, as women in the movie industry (and everywhere) are demanding equal pay, equal treatment, and equal opportunities. Our next guest is a rising star - named by Hollywood Reporter as one of its “Ten Directors to Watch."Today, we're welcoming Kari Skogland to the show. She's an award-winning director and producer known for her contributions to popular shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Walking Dead, The Americans AND House of Cards. Today, Season 2 of The Handmaid’s Tale premieres on Hulu.Kari is a champion for women in the movie industry. She’s a big believer in sweat equity, taking risks, re-inventing yourself, and of course, being smart with your money. How does all of that actually play out? And what is the ONE big ticket purchase Kari’s saving up for these days?You can learn more about Kari’s company, Mad Rabbit, here: https://redarrow.tv/company/mad-rabbit/ and follow Kari's Twitter:  @KariSkogland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This podcast originally aired on May 9, 2018.**Which is more important: your money or your life? Over 25 years ago, our guest asked the world this fundamental question, and her book became an international sensation. Today, I’m honored to welcome Vicki Robin to the show.Vicki is the co-author with the late Joe Dominguez  of the iconic book, Your Money or Your Life, which she recently revisited and updated for 2018 with a new forward by Mr. Money Mustache, who has been a guest on the show as well.If you haven't heard of Vicki Robin before, she really began the Financial Independence movement before it was trendy. She realized the importance of living well on less quite early in her life, and she has spent the past few decades teaching this and other principles to people all over the world.With over a million copies sold in a dozen languages, Your Money or Your Life remains one of the preeminent guides on personal finance in existence. Today, I’ll dig in and ask Vicki questions about her childhood, what made her write the book, and if she thinks our society has learned some of the lessons and the steps to financial independence that she teaches.To learn more about Vicki, visit www.vickirobin.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @Vicki_Robin. The website for her iconic book is www.yourmoneyoryourlife.com.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Ask Farnoosh, Farnoosh answers listeners' questions about the best way to "put to work" an extra $2,000 a year, deciding between two internships, and financial advice the host would give herself if she could turn back time to when she was embarking on college. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re in conversation with Justin Sinnott who is a certified financial professional and financial consultant in Charles Schwab’s Seattle branch. We’re answering your money questions that have come through on Instagram and the website. We’ve got questions about whether or not to pay down a mortgage early, how to tackle family planning and buying a home at the same time...and how much is too much to save for retirement?As many of you know, I’m working with Charles Schwab to help spread financial literacy to the masses and it’s been a really great collaboration so far. I’m a Charles Schwab customer and have been for many years. So before we get started, just want to thank Charles Schwab for helping us get this financial education content to you.To learn more about Schwab and how to work with them, visit Schwab.com/SoMoney. Schwab offers a rangeof services for people looking to invest and plan for their future, whether you want to invest on your ownwith the help of do-it-yourself tools and educational resources, get some periodic guidance from aprofessional, or work with someone in a branch. Find it all at Schwab.com/SoMoney.+++Farnoosh has been compensated by Charles Schwab. Farnoosh is not affiliated withSchwab and the views she expresses may not necessarily reflect those of The Charles Schwab Corporation orits affiliates. Farnoosh is a client of Schwab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interested in buying a home? This episode is for you! Our guest is Eric Chesin who leads strategy for Realogy, the leading provider of residential real estate services in the country.You may have heard of some of their brands, which include Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby's International Realty and many others.Eric oversees the development and execution of Realogy’s corporate strategy, as well as their projects and partnerships. The company just announced in collaboration with Amazon, the launch of TurnKey, a new home buying program that simplifies the process of finding and settling into a new home. You can check out TurnKey at Amazon.com/turnkey.With TurnKey, Realogy is matching home buyers with top agents and upon closing on their home, Amazon provides a Move In Benefit, connecting those buyers with services and experts in their area to help make their house a home. This includes a selection of Amazon Home Services like deep cleaning, a handyman who assembles furniture and mount a TV to a wall, a curated side of smart home products. All in all, the products and services are valued at 1,000 to $5,000.Now, as a self-described real estate enthusiast (that’s me,) TurnKey actually reached out to me to help them spread the word and share the campaign so very grateful for this partnership. Eric and I discuss how TurnKey can benefit buyers who often experience overwhelm, timing your purchase right and Eric's very cool travel hack that I think I’ll be implementing soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you a shameless mom? Our guest wants you to be. She believes that moms need to be a little more selfish with their time, prioritize themselves, and be shameless in their pursuit to live bigger, bolder, and braver, #everydamnday.Sara Dean is the creator and host of the Shameless Mom Academy Podcast, a top-rated podcast with nearly 2 million downloads.  She is also an entrepreneur to her core - having built and grown multiple businesses to multiple six figures. She is also among a small percentage of women who have sold a business in the US.  Sara’s biggest passion is helping women own their space.When Sara Dean became a mom, she expected life to be rainbows and unicorns every day. She had gone through two years and nine rounds of fertility treatments to have her son. But soon after her son was born, she had an identity crisis. Eventually, she was able to use her background in psychology, health, and wellness to rebuild her identity one step at a time. Now, she helps other mom’s do the same through her podcast.Learn more about Shameless Mom on Sara’s website: shamelessmom.com and on her podcast, Shameless Mom.And find her on social media in her free Shameless Mom Facebook group shamelessmom.com/facebook and follow her on Instagram instagram.com/shamelessmomacademy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Farnoosh and special co-host Annie LaCroix, founder of Brainy Boss, answer the latest questions from listeners...including how to invest in Socially Responsible Investments, how to improve one’s credit, how much is “enough” to save for retirement and what to do with millions of dollars earned through a settlement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just as I was about to publish this bonus episode, a listener messaged me on Instagram to ask, "How did you start your podcast?" Perfect timing! And as this is a top question I receive, I thought it would be helpful to air this interview I did with Jaclyn Mellone, host of the Go to Gal podcast. In this episode we talk about how So Money was born, the secrets to growing the show (and any podcast) and the truth about making money with a podcast. It is possible, but you have to be realistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.