HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Happy New Year HerMoney! Goodbye 2018 and goodbye investing confidence gap. After decades of focusing on why women weren’t investing, the broader conversation is shifting to why — and how — women are growing their wealth. We’re kicking off another fantastic year of important conversations with HerMoney’s champion from day one, Kathy Murphy. She’s the president of personal investing at Fidelity, which is out with new research on women and investing. A finding we’re thrilled to hear: Over 70% of women say it’s time to demand more from their money and that they’re going to take action in the next six months. Let’s join them! Kathy tells us how. In Mailbag, Kelly and I answer your questions on Social Security, opening up a Roth IRA and buying a house in the current market. Plus: We know women are more likely to take career breaks for childcare — and now we have an idea of how much it can cost them. We discuss in Thrive.

Too many of us can relate to the fact that personal finance wasn’t something we were taught growing up. It’s a big reason why this show exists and it’s also why Dina Shoman founded inherQuests, a company that creates financial education products for kids. She’s on a mission to increase financial literacy for our future generations, starting with little girls. She shares what’s working, what isn’t and how we can start talking to our kids about money in a way that sticks. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on getting out of debt, getting money in foreign countries and combining finances for newlyweds. Finally, you know we love highlighting gratitude practices, especially the simple ones, like writing thank-you notes. But it turns out if you’re writing one to a hiring manager, you might want to put away the pen and paper. Why in Thrive.

This week, we’re tackling the subject of aging, which, according to new research, more women are looking forward to. Excuse us? Yep, financial challenges aside, more women are excited about aging, particularly about what their lives will look like as they age. It’s rooted in the idea of, “The best is yet to come.” But the best will only come if you’re feeling your best, and that means taking care of yourself. Enter: The always-wonderful Jillian Michaels. Just days after losing her home in the California Camp Fire, Jillian spent time with us to discuss her latest book, “The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health, and Beauty.” We run through all six and how you can apply them today, because “Aging gracefully doesn’t have to mean giving up and accepting decay,” writes Jillian. “It means keeping yourself in fantastic health, inside and out, for a hell of a long time …” In Mailbag, we answer your questions on union memberships, rebalancing 401(k)s and prioritizing HSAs. Then, if you’re like us — and many other rewards-points junkies — the allure of getting a new credit card with a big, fat rewards bonus sends your heart fluttering: 50,000 points, 70,000, 100,000, oh my! But, what then? How to maximize them in Thrive.

We’ve got the O.G. B.F.F. (best financial friend) on the show this week. Shannon McLay is the founder and CEO of The Financial Gym, a financial services company that’s disrupting the industry’s approach with women (and some men) on how they overhaul their relationships with money and work towards financial success. We discuss why women want (and need) different financial advice, what's working, what isn't and how Shannon is successfully raising capital for her company from men who can't relate. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on finding a job in the financial services industry, balancing wants vs. needs and understanding an annuity alongside other retirement accounts. Finally, because there’s so much going on in our world that’s blazing a light on our differences rather than our similarities, we thought it would be nice to focus on something we all want: happiness. Join us in Thrive.

Earlier this year, America's student debt hit 1.5 trillion dollars — and guess who holds most of it? Yep, us ladies. We hold nearly two-thirds of all student loan debt in the United States. To bring it closer to home, the average graduate walked off campus with around $39,400 last year, which is up six percent from 2016. It's trending up, so what can we do for ourselves and our loved ones to lower the cost? One (big) option: 529 college savings plans. We have Abby Chao, co-founder and COO of CollegeBacker, to talk us through what they are, how they work and how you can easily get your loved ones on board. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on retirement planning for when you're out of work, credit cards for new adults and how to go from joint accounts to yours, mine and ours. In Thrive, HerMoney reporter Kathryn shares her coverage on the increase in workplace demotions. We discuss what to do and how to handle them.

If you texted, emailed, Slacked and DM'd with people more than you talked to them face-to-face today, then this week's episode is for you. Erica Keswin, author of the new book, "Bring Your Human to Work: 10 Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That Is Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World," is all about learning how to speak in a human voice, finding the sweet spot between tech and connect and meetings that won't waste your time. She's our new girl crush. And we cover it all. In Mailbag, we answer your questions on selling stock, rolling over retirement accounts and dealing with medical collections. And, in Thrive, some great news: There are more 401(k) and IRA millionaires than ever before, according to a new report from Fidelity — woo-hoo! You can be one, too. Keep listening!

Finding roommates and funding businesses are no easy feats. Ask Elien Becque. She's the founder and CEO of RoomZoom, a roommate matching web app designed to take the stress, financial risk and guesswork out of finding a roommate. We’ve covered the trend of more couples cohabitating before marriage to save money, but we haven’t discussed a similar trend of more Americans — in non-romantic relationships — choosing to room together for the same reason. Elien is our new guide for how to find the perfect match. She also gets real on the highs and lows of running an early-stage company — her entrepreneurial story is both refreshing and relatable. In Mailbag, Kelly and I talk Venmo and answer your questions on retirement: saving strategies with a pension, saving strategies without a pension and whether or not it's OK to use them for paying off the mortgage. Plus: It's Open Enrollment time. Are you set for next year? We discuss health care in Thrive. Something easier than choosing a health care plan? Subscribing to our free weekly newsletters! Just text "HERMONEY" to 888-111 to subscribe.

TGIF! To celebrate, we're taking you back to our live show at the PRX Podcast Garage in Boston. After our interview with Harvard’s Brigitte Madrian and our Mailbag (listen to both in Episode 134), we hosted a HerMoney Happy Hour. Grab your favorite beverage and enjoy 30+ minutes of women getting real about their relationships with money.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, a wantrepreneur (our favorite new word) or neither, the ability to market yourself is crucial. We all need to be able to create strong brands — personal and professional — and this week we get advice on how from the best. Tina Wells, CEO and founder of Buzz Marketing Group, an agency that creates marketing strategies for clients within the beauty, entertainment, fashion, financial, and lifestyle sectors, gives us a private consultation. In Mailbag, Kelly and I answer your questions on using life insurance plans for college savings, trusts, and credit card balance transfers. In Thrive, Fair Isaac Corp. — the creator of FICO credit score — is introducing a new scoring system called the UltraFICO in 2019. Learn how it could impact you.

HerMoney recently went on a road trip to Boston for a live show with Harvard’s Brigitte Madrian at the PRX Podcast Garage. We discuss her extensive research on 401(k)s — savings rates, leakages and the possible relationship they have with credit card debt — if you were auto-enrolled into yours, then you definitely want to tune in. We also explore the idea of sidecar plans. Have you heard of them? In our live Mailbag, we answer attendees' questions on how to get more of our girlfriends talking about money, how to approach the current real estate market, how to ride the stock market (rollercoaster) and more. In fact, so much more, including a taste of a HerMoney Happy Hour (!), that we're making this a two-part special. Stay tuned for more!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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