Jill on Money with Jill Schlesinger

I love when we get calls from young people, and that's the case on the latest BONUS call with Ruth from Cleveland. Ruth, just 24 years old, is already a great saver but she's wondering if there's a better alternative to a plain old savings account? Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How many of you rode an elevator today? Or Googled something? Or use index funds in your financial lives? I’m going to guess all of you did at least one of those things.  I’m also going to guess that you probably didn’t realize that those three things are among the 50 inventions that shaped the modern economy. That’s according to the list compiled by BBC and Financial Times journalist Tim Harford, our guest this week on Better Off and author of the new book, Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy. The book paints a picture of change by telling fascinating and compelling stories of the tools, people, and ideas that had far-reaching consequences for the global economy. From the plough to air conditioning, from Gillette’s disposable razor to IKEA’s Billy bookcase, Tim is able to recount each invention’s own curious, surprising, and memorable journey. We also touched on Tim’s previous book, Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives, which comes out in paperback this October. As someone who could be described as a bit compulsive, especially when it comes to my email inbox, I loved this book because it celebrates the benefits of messiness in our lives: why it’s important, why we resist it, and why we should embrace it.   Little did I know that a bit of mess lies at the core of how we innovate, how we achieve, how we reach each other – in short, how we succeed. I enjoyed this interview so much that, yep, you guessed it, no call this week! I don’t think you’ll mind...this was a fun one. I highly recommend following Tim on Twitter and checking out the 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy podcast. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the BONUS call we've got Samantha from North Carolina. Samantha, who is currently in grad school at Duke University, will be entering the real world in May of 2018 and wants to know what steps she should take to immediately pay off her student loans. The good news is that Samantha had some soccer scholarships along the way so the damage isn't too severe. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As you’ll recall, we did our fair share of explaining why Wall Street matters, on the episode featuring Bill Cohan. Today we’re doing a 180 with financial journalist and author Rana Foroohar.  Rana’s book, Maker and Takers: How Wall Street Destroyed Main Street, doesn’t exactly paint our economic system in the best light.   The book, just released in paperback, explores how the misguided financial practices and philosophies that nearly toppled the global financial system have infiltrated many US businesses.   Rana shows how the “financialization of America,” the trend by which finance and its way of thinking have come to reign supreme, is perpetuating Wall Street’s reign over Main Street, widening the gap between rich and poor, and threatening the future of the American Dream. And since it’s not everyday that we have a Financial Times columnist in the studio, we also talked a good bit about the global economy, including Germany, Brexit, and China. Rana is a great storyteller, and it’s through stories of both “Takers,” those stifling job creation while lining their own pockets, and “Makers,” businesses serving the real economy, that she shows how we can reverse these trends for a better path forward. If you’re like me and an avid consumer of financial journalism, follow Rana on Twitter for some of the best reporting around. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we have our longest BONUS call yet from Chris in Minnesota. Why was it on the longer side? Because Chris had some questions about the tricky world of life insurance products. Chris is currently using a product to save for college education and wanted to know if he should keep on doing what he's doing or if it's time to mix things up. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s September and by now, the kids are back to school. Not surprisingly, I used to love this time of year. What can I say...you guys know I’m a total geek. Whether you’re sending your little ones off for the first time or your kid is entering the final chapter of high school, the most expensive part of their education is yet to come! I know, I’m such a Debbie Downer. But the cost of college is no joke and if handled without forethought, it can wreak havoc on the financial lives of parents or saddle kids with boatloads of debt. There are thousands of colleges out there. Public, private, in-state, out-of-state, off-campus, on-campus, this major, that major...it goes on and on. It can be extremely overwhelming.  So where does one turn for some help with the process? My favorite place to go is the annual Best Colleges For Your Money list from MONEY. To help us break down the 2017 rankings, MONEY reporter Kaitlin Mulhere, joins us. Her beat is her education, so she is the ideal person to discuss the topic. According to Kaitlin, MONEY uses three categories to compile the list: Cost: This category takes into account the net price of a degree, student loan debt, student loan repayment and default risk, value-added student loan repayment measures and affordability for low-income students.Education Quality: This includes the six-year graduation rate, value-added graduation rate, peer quality, instructor quality and financial troubles facing the school.Alumni Success: Includes graduates’ earnings, earnings adjusted by majors, 10-year earnings, estimated market-value of alumni’s average job skills and value-added earnings.I’m not going to reveal the whole list, but I will say that my alma mater at least cracked the top 50. That’s more than I can say for where Mark went... “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the BONUS call we're going to Bend, Oregon where we received a real estate question from Neil. Only 25 years old, Neil is wondering if it makes sense for him to buy a house. Because the housing market is hot where he lives, he's worried he'll be priced out if he waits much longer. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the Better Off podcast it’s yet another example of my geekiness. I love math and statistics...but I am nothing compared to the brilliant Cathy O’Neil. I have been a fan girl of Cathy’s since discovering her blog, mathbabe.org and then hearing her on the Slate Money podcast. Cathy, whose New York Times bestselling book Weapons of Math Destruction is now out in paperback, is the ultimate math geek, but more importantly, she is one of the most thoughtful intellectuals that I have encountered. Cathy’s resume is impressive: a Ph.D. in math from Harvard, a postdoc at the MIT math department, a professor at Barnard College, where she published a number of research papers in arithmetic algebraic geometry and then a short-lived stint on Wall Street, before she launched her consulting firm, ORCAA. When I heard Cathy explain complicated topics and then read the hardcover edition of the book last year, I knew we had to have her on the pod.  It’s such a fascinating read about how big data increases inequality and threatens democracy. From how teachers are graded to how policing strategies are developed to credit scores and health insurance...it’s going to blow your mind when you hear how algorithms (mathematical models), dictate so much of our day-to-day lives. But what happens when these models are out of whack...opaque, unregulated and incontestable? Unfortunately, the already unlucky and struggling among us, get the short end of the stick. What can individuals do about these unproven mathematical equations? As you’ll hear Cathy explain, it starts by asking some basic questions.   I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. It’s by far one of my favorites...so much so that there’s no call this week, just the interview. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I loved this latest BONUS call from Brianne in Oakland, CA. Brianne wasn't looking to help herself...instead she got in touch with us because she wants to help her parents. For the last several years she has been trying to help them get their financial lives in order. Although she has made progress, there's still a lot of work to do. After this call I'm ready to give Brianne the "Daughter of the Year" award. I think her parents are very lucky to have her around. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret.  I’m a total nerd when it comes to the brain and behavior. Why we choose to do the things we do or behave in certain ways has always fascinated me.   So a few months ago when today’s guest, Friederike Fabritius, was in town from Germany, I jumped at the chance to interview her.   Friederike is a leading expert in the field of Neuroleadership. In other words, she’s also a total nerd when it comes to the brain and behavior. In her recent book, The Leading Brain: Powerful Science-Based Strategies for Achieving Peak Performance, she presents simple yet powerful strategies for: Achieving the highest performanceSharpening focusLearning and retaining information more efficientlyImproving complex decision-makingCultivating trust and building strong teamsThroughout the book, Friederike focuses on using solid scientific findings to develop new methods and practices for leadership development.   With Labor Day upon us and the final quarter of the year in sight, you may want to pick up this book for both you and your colleagues so you can all strive to perform at your maximum potential.   “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the BONUS call we're going to the beautiful Pacific Northwest to chat with Diane from Portland, Oregon. Diane and her husband, in their early 40s, have some considerable assets and are now wondering if it's worth paying a fee to meet with a financial advisor. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ve been in the podcasting world for a few years now and one thing I’ve discovered is that the podcasting world really is like a small fraternity/sorority where hosts form bonds and even appear on each other’s shows. We’re no different. And this week we’re doing it again with Joe Saul-Sehy, host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast. I’ve been a guest on Joe’s pod so I figured it was time to return the favor. Just like me, Joe has a background in finance. He was a financial advisor for 16 years and represented American Express and Ameriprise in the media. He was also the “Money Man” at Detroit television WXYZ-TV. Once he got the bug from listening to others, Joe decided he wanted to host his own podcast and now, just four short years later, it’s his full-time job.What is it about Joe’s background and approach that has resonated with listeners?Why don’t people want to talk about money?What has Joe excited about where we are in the financial world?Those questions and many others made for a very fun interview. You can find out more about Joe’s show on his Twitter page. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the BONUS call we've got Ari from New York City. Ari, a physician, has been accumulating assets for several years and recently realized that the bulk of his money is in stocks. Now Ari is thinking his portfolio should be more balanced but he's worried about the tax hit if he starts moving things around. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up on the ninth anniversary of the financial crisis that contributed to the Great Recession. What’s frustrating and mystifying is how many people, or lack thereof, actually faced the music for contributing to the debacle. The anemic response from the Department of Justice sparked today’s guest, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jesse Eisinger, to write The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives. How can it be that no major bankers were charged or put in prison after the financial crisis of 2008? The Chickenshit Club, an inside reference to those prosecutors who were too scared of failure and too daunted by legal impediments to execute the duties of their jobs, explains why. The pages span the last decade and a half of prosecutorial flops, corporate lobbying, trial losses and culture shifts that have stripped the government of the will and ability to prosecute top corporate executives. But it wasn’t always this way. In the 1970s, it was commonplace that top corporate executives, not just seedy crooks and drug dealers, could commit crimes and actually be sent to prison. What changed between then and now? Is it a problem that can be corrected? If so, how? The Chickenshit Club provides a clear, detailed explanation as to how our Justice Department has come to avoid, bungle, and mismanage the fight to bring white-collar criminals to justice. You can follow Jesse and his latest reporting on Twitter. “Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment. We love feedback so please leave us a rating or review in iTunes. "Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com. For a recap of every episode, visit https://www.betterment.com/resources/topics/inside-betterment/better-off-podcast/ Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on the BONUS call it's yet again the all too familiar question about heavy, heavy student loan debt. This time it was Alida in Florida looking for some advice as to how she and her husband can attack roughly 200k in loans. Even though that is a serious amount of debt, I have a pretty good feeling about these guys. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jill-on-money  http://betteroffpodcast.com/  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/better-off-jill-schlesinger/id431167790?mt=2 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices