HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Remember our recent listener survey? (Thank you to everyone who weighed in!) One major finding: You want more Mailbag. Message received. In this bonus show, we discuss: the tax differences between Traditional and Roth IRAs, the best places to save and grow money for short-term goals, the pros and cons of reverse mortgages, the considerations for one listener who might get a home equity loan to help her daughter pay down debt and why freezing your credit is still a must. Have a question for the show? Email them to us at mailbag@hermoney.com.

For many of the female founders we’ve featured on the show, either personal problems or macro pain points served as inspiration for their companies. For Heidi Zak, ThirdLove, was no different. Nearly seven years ago, the co-founder and co-CEO set out to change the dismal relationship she, and—as it turns out—millions of other women (including the HerMoney team) have with their bras. “Every woman has a bra story,” she says, and this week we hear hers, discuss ours, and learn the best practices for buying, maintaining and even donating bras. (If you’re like us, you're doing it wrong!) Plus: Heidi gets honest about her experience in building and scaling a company that’s unapologetically for women. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on consolidating 401(k)s, picking a retirement plan when your company doesn’t offer one and using company stock for making a down payment on a first home. We end the show with some important news on finding love in the digital age: “Romance scams” are costing people more money than any other form of fraud, according to the FTC. Looking to donate your bras? Here are two options: -https://isupportthegirls.org/ -https://brarecyclingagency.com/ And if you know of any others, please email us at contact@hermoney.com!

We’re at HerMoney headquarters this week, because when Carl Richards flies nearly 9,000 miles from New Zealand to New York City, has time to record and your studio is temporarily unavailable, you make it work. Carl is a CFP, an author, The Sketch Guy for The New York Times and the creator of a new workshop geared towards helping couples talk about money called “Talking About Money”—and that’s exactly what we do this week. Carl teaches us why talking about money with our partners and spouses can be tricky and how we can become better communicators. We lose the shame, we lose the blame and we learn to take “time outs.” It’s a must-listen. In Mailbag, we discuss closing credit cards without lowering your credit score, and why you might want to consider investing in a Roth IRA over a Traditional IRA after contributing the max to your employer’s plan. And, inspired by our conversation with Carl, in Thrive, we talk about first impressions and why your nonverbal expressions matter when making connections.

Building off of last week’s “Women With Money” episode that focused on how and why more of us should be investing in addition to our retirement accounts, we’re with investing expert Manisha Thakor. She’s VP of financial wellbeing at Brighton Jones and host of the "true WELLth podcast." We discuss the psychology of investing, the difference between active versus passive investing styles and best practices for working with financial advisors. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on closing credit cards without hurting your credit, whether it's a smart move to help a boyfriend's family with student loan debt and the complications that can ensue come tax time. Plus: Our Thrive segment is courtesy of one of our amazing listeners, Pam, who emailed us a few weeks back after Episode 149, in which we talked about the new rules of resume writing. Her advice will help your resume get seen! P.S. Jean’s new book, “Women With Money,” hits stands this week! Order yours today at WomenWithMoneyBook.com.

The tables are turning for women and money—and the roles are reversing in this week’s episode. To celebrate the upcoming launch of Jean’s new book, “Women with Money: The Judgment-Free Guide to Creating the Joyful, Less Stressed, Purposeful (and, Yes, Rich) Life You Deserve,” Kelly interviews Jean for the very first time. Women have more money and more power than ever before and there’s more coming our way. We talk about the important ways in which we can use our money and our power to make life better for us, for the people we love and for the world. Above all, learn more about Jean—and why this book is more personal for her than any other book she’s written before. We close the show by answering your questions (of course) on paying off mortgages in the FIRE movement, FAFSA considerations for students who take breaks between school, the pros of tax-deductible IRAs and more. Women With Money is available for preorder now on WomenWithMoneyBook.com.

When it comes to saving more money, you’re tired of hearing to pack your lunch and make your own coffee, right? We get it. Because we’re tired of it, too. Trouble is, many of us do spend the majority of our disposable income on food. We literally eat our money. If we could get ourselves to cook even a little bit more, we could seriously save. Which is why we were so thrilled to hear cookbook author and New York Times food columnist, Melissa Clark, tell us she cooks, because she's lazy. Seriously. She argues that it's a lot less work than eating out. And she has a point. Which you'll see as she takes us through cost-effective recipes, some common excuses for not cooking and which ingredients and kitchen supplies you can cut corners on. (If it sounds like we're geeking out, it's because we are. Just a little bit.) In Mailbag, we answer your questions on renovating a house, paying off five-figure credit card debt and setting up 529s for nieces and nephews. Plus: Did you know over 90% of recruiters are using LinkedIn to check you out? We discuss what to have on your profile.

When it comes to being happy at work, guess which factor matters the most? The nature of our work? No. The money? Nope. OK, it's the people we work with. And, if you’re lucky, you have a work wife. This week we’re with Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur, work wives and founders of the popular fashion and design website, Of a Kind. They’re out with the new book, inspired by their relationship, “Work Wife: The Power of Female Friendship to Drive Successful Businesses.” We discuss why these relationships are valuable (in more ways than one), how to take a friendship to the next level (i.e., starting a business together) and how to talk money with your besties, in general. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on the concept of gender-neutral investing and where to invest and save for the short-term. And since we’re on the subject of relationships, would you break up with someone because of their credit card debt? Interesting research in Thrive.

We’re sitting down with Emmy award-winning journalist and producer, Laura Ling. (Yes, the Laura Ling who was was arrested and held captive in North Korea for 140 days after reporting on the trafficking of North Korean women.) She’s now the host of the Everyday Bravery podcast, which documents people overcoming hardships. We discuss how to build your resiliency muscle, the power of mentorship and her personal caregiving story (a reminder that if you’re taking care of kids and your parents simultaneously, a) you’re not alone and b) you’re nothing short of amazing!). In Mailbag, we answer your questions on negotiating benefits packages and investing in real estate. Plus: Another friendly reminder to just say NO to store credit cards. Why in Thrive. The HerMoney Listener Survey: http://hermoney.com/survey

How about Xer? Boomer? Having a multigenerational team at work can be a wonderful thing. The diversity of ages brings different experiences, different lenses—all of which can strengthen your company’s culture and increase your chances of success. But communication across the generations? That can be trying. Enter our guest, executive coach Lisa Lord. After today’s session — i.e. episode — you’ll have a new framework for figuring out what you want out of your job, how to interact effectively with all of your colleagues and even how to score a promotion you’re not qualified for (yet). In Mailbag, we answer your questions on where to save or invest money for a first home and financial considerations for first-time parents. Stick around for Thrive to hear the new rules of résumés. Have you taken our listener survey yet: http://hermoney.com/survey? To improve the show, we’re conducting a survey to learn more about you, what you think and what you want more (or less) of moving forward. It should take five minutes of your time. As a thank you—upon completion—we’ll enter you into our giveaway of $100 Amazon gift cards and signed copies of Jean’s new book, "Women With Money."

With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, we decided to romance you with an entire show dedicated to your taxes. We shouldn’t have, right? But we did and we should, because this will be the first filing season that taxpayers see the full effects of the tax reform that was passed in 2017. And given that this was one of the biggest overhauls of the tax code in over 30 years, there will be tons of changes. Will they affect you? Let’s find out. Our date and tax expert this week is Maggie Klokkenga, senior advisor at Clayton Financial Group. Maggie is both a CPA and CFP®, and, best of all, she’s a longtime HerMoney community member, which is how we met. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on backdoor Roth IRAs, 529 savings plans, tax software and filing jointly. Plus: If you’re one of the many people who didn’t adjust their tax withholding last year—or you can’t remember the last time you did—then it’s time to do that. We tell you how. As always, thank you for listening. To improve the show, we’re conducting a survey to learn more about you, what you think and what you want more (or less) of moving forward. The survey should take five minutes of your time. As a thank you—upon completion—we’ll enter you into our giveaway of $100 Amazon gift cards and signed copies of Jean’s new book, "Women With Money." Please share your opinion here: http://hermoney.com/survey Resources mentioned in the show: IRS Withholding Calculator: https://bit.ly/2aLxK0A NerdWallet Withholding Calculator: https://bit.ly/2X0zcCk

“Becoming a millionaire is not a private country club—it’s a result of many many years of hard work.” This week we’re back with retirement expert and Ramsey Personality, Chris Hogan, who’s out with his new book, “Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth—and How You Can Too.” Chris and the Ramsey research team surveyed over 10,000 U.S. millionaires to discover how they reached seven-figure status. Not surprisingly, it starts with getting in the right headspace. Oh, and Andy Puddicombe, consider Chris your competition. (If you listened to Episode 49, then you know what we’re talking about!) In Mailbag, we answer your questions on being more hands-on with your retirement investments, budgeting for childcare and retirement planning with a pension. Then, should you share your salary with your colleague—your male colleagues? We discuss in Thrive.

Building on last week’s episode on the FIRE movement, this week we sit down with Jamila Souffrant, creator of the blog and podcast, Journey To Launch, in which she chronicles her and her family’s experience towards financial independence. “For most people who hear about FIRE movement it seems overwhelming,” says Jamila. “I like to modify it and say it [financial independence] can mean anything you want it to mean. In my case, it meant I wanted to retire from my corporate job to do work I love.” Jamila is candid on how she and her husband increased their savings rate, modified their investments and managed their accounts together to make this happen. In fact, we all might want to take a lesson in financial togetherness (and respect) from this couple. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on maxing out 401(k)s without compromising your short-term goals, protecting your finances when buying property with a future spouse and funding HSAs. And Jamila’s story has us wondering: Do you feel engaged in what you're doing at work? If not, we discuss new research that can help in Thrive.

Only you can prevent running out of money in retirement. OK, we’ll cool it with the fire and Smokey The Bear puns. This savings crisis is one we’ve covered before, but this week we’re discussing what thousands of people are calling the solution: The FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) Movement. Our two experts, Jonathan Mendonsa and Brad Barrett, co-hosts of the ChooseFi podcast, explain what it is, its “simple math” and why it’s so popular: “You know, I think all of us kind of understand the golden years are the years that you're allowed to do everything that you've really wanted,” says Jonathan. “Now society has given you the permission to go do that...I don't just want my golden years right—I want my best years.” Then, in Mailbag, we answer your questions on how college students can start investing and building credit when they have none. Plus, there’s another gap—not in our favor—we can add to the list: the stress gap. Sigh, and talk solutions with us in Thrive.

Double lives. Deception. Shame. Nope, it’s not an episode of “Dirty John” (though it could be)—it’s this week’s podcast. Abby Ellin, an award-winning journalist and author of the new book: “Duped: Double Lives, False Identities, and the Con Man I Almost Married,” is in the studio and does she have a story to tell! She also equips us with advice for how to be smarter even when we’re confronted with some of the most-skilled liars. Then, in Mailbag, we discuss how you can ask for more financial responsibility at home without implying you don’t trust your partner—and we answer your questions on long-term care policies for singles (plus other insurances singles should strongly consider) and the 4% retirement rule. In Thrive, staying on the theme of couples and money: Who do you think should pick up the check on a date? We discuss.

We’re in the second week of 2019 — and with our New Year’s resolutions fresh in our minds — we thought it’d be an opportune time to talk about abundance. Or rather, the art of abundance with Leisa Peterson. Leisa is a wealth coach, business strategist, podcaster and author, who is known for her ability to quickly identify the exact issues that are holding us back from achieving our goals. She’s helped thousands of people (including us) develop practical skills for attracting greater wealth, freedom and peace of mind. In Mailbag, we cover your questions on refinancing student debt, aligning your budget with your ethics and exploring career opportunities in the financial services industry. Finally, have you heard of the FIRE movement? We’ve mentioned it on the show before and we have a podcast dedicated to it coming up soon. In the meantime, a FIRE 101 in Thrive.