HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

When's the last time you looked at your portfolio and felt genuinely confident it could weather a bad year? For most of us, the answer is some version of "I'm diversified — stocks for growth, bonds for safety — so I should be fine." But in 2022, stocks and bonds both posted double-digit losses at the same time, and the "safe" part of the plan turned out not to be so safe after all. That gut-check sent researchers looking for a third option, one that doesn't make you choose between growth and protection, but blends the two. This episode, sponsored by LIMRA, digs into that research with Dr. Wade Pfau, a fellow with LIMRA's Retirement Income Institute and a leading voice in retirement research, and Brad Pistole, President and CEO of the Ozarks Retirement Group and host of Safe Money Radio. We cover: Why 2022 was the wake-up call that made people question the classic stock/bond mix What "protection" actually means as its own asset class, and how fixed index annuities fit in The tax advantages that can help protected assets outperform bonds on an after-tax basis Why there's no universal "right" ratio for stocks vs. protected income, and how to find your own number Ready to take the next step? Get up to speed on annuity solutions that can help you build a more secure retirement by using this guide from LIMRA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know that feeling when you should ask for the raise, have the hard money conversation with your partner, or push back on a bad deal… and you just don't?  On today’s episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with Jia Jiang, the guy behind the viral "100 Days of Rejection" experiment, and author of the new book, Easy Discipline: An Unconventional Way to Achieve Ambitious Things.  Jia argues that lasting discipline comes from making hard things feel genuinely enjoyable, a lesson he learned firsthand while navigating undiagnosed ADHD. In this episode, Jean and Jia cover: Whether rejection therapy is actually a healthy way to build resilience What it means to love the process instead of just chasing the result The four principles of Easy Discipline — Enjoyment, Artistry, Systems, and Yourself — and how to apply them to your financial life Jean’s new book, The Forever Paycheck, is now available for pre-order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the secret to never worrying about money again isn't earning more or spending less? Jesse Mecham, founder of the beloved budgeting app YNAB (You Need A Budget) and author of the new book Never Worry About Money Again By Answering One Question, is joins us to dig into why so many of us carry a constant low-grade hum of money anxiety — even when the numbers are fine — and how asking three simple words, "What's it for?", can change everything.  Then, Lacy Garcia, founder and CEO of Willow, joins Jean to discuss Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden, the book that has taken over book clubs, group chats, and DMs everywhere this year. Willow is also hosting a follow-up webinar, Empowering Her Finances, August 25th at 12 ET: Register Here! You can find Lacy and the team at Willow at hermoney.com/findaadvisor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

$100,000 used to mean you'd made it. Today, in some cities, it barely covers groceries — and there's a real reason that gap feels so wide. This week, Jean sits down with Mark Hamrick, Chief Economic Analyst and writer of The Hamrick Brief, to unpack why the official numbers so often miss how people actually feel about their money. Mark recently built his own economic measure, HAPI (the Hamrick American Prosperity Index), designed to answer one question: are people actually getting ahead, or just running in place? Plus, Mark shares the one economic "skill" he believes matters most in this moment of nonstop change — and how to build it, even if it doesn't come naturally. In this episode, you'll learn: What HAPI measures, and why Mark built it as the mirror image of the Misery Index Why real wage growth — not just unemployment — is the number that actually predicts how "ahead" people feel The real odds of a recession in the next 12 months, according to economists Want to make sure you never run out of money, no matter what’s happening in the economy? Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You saved. You invested. You did everything right. So why does spending your own money in retirement feel so terrifying? This week, Jean sits down with Terri Fiedler, President of Retirement Services at Corebridge Financial, to dig into why the spending side of retirement is so much harder than saving, and what you can do about it right now. They cover: The "retirement paradox": why 60% of retirees whose assets have grown still can't bring themselves to spend Why guaranteed lifetime income is the single biggest confidence booster for retirees The three questions everyone should be asking five to ten years before they retire Resources mentioned in this episode: Corebridge Financial's decumulation research: corebridgefinancial.com/decumulation Jean's new book: The Forever Paycheck HerMoney's conversation with Dana Anspach: The Retirement Phase Nobody Talks About Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know that feeling when you're staring at two versions of the same appliance and have absolutely no idea which one is actually worth it? Today we're getting some answers. Jean Chatzky sits down with Tanya Christian, Senior Home and Appliance Writer at Consumer Reports, for a special mailbag episode answering your real questions about the stuff you actually want to buy,  or are wondering if you should. In this episode: Is a Vitamix actually worth $600? (And when to buy one if you want it) Should you ever buy an extended warranty? What actually matters when choosing a mattress The truth about "cooling" pillows and sheets Links mentioned: Subscribe to Bread and Butter by Consumer Reports. Send your mailbag questions to: [email protected] Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every few weeks, another tech titan promises to hand us our time back. Jamie Dimon says a shorter workweek is coming. Elon Musk says AI will make work optional. Bill Gates is predicting two-day workweeks. Sounds amazing, except we don't actually need AI to get there. The research proving a shorter workweek works has been sitting in front of us for over a decade. This week, bestselling author and veteran journalist Joanne Lipman joins Jean Chatzky to unpack the gap between what these executives are promising in public and what they're actually demanding from their employees in private. In this episode, Jean and Joanne cover: Why the same executives predicting an AI-powered leisure future are also the most insistent on five-day, in-office weeks What over a decade of four-day workweek research shows about productivity, revenue, and burnout Why new technology almost never reduces our workload  Preorder Jean's new book: The Forever Paycheck is your guide to building a secure, steady income stream in retirement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have enough? And how do you even know? In the third and final episode of HerMoney's series with AARP, From First Paycheck to Forever Paycheck, Jean Chatzky and her roundtable tackle the biggest question in personal finance — what does financial security actually feel like, and how do you build something that doesn't just sustain you, but actually gives you peace? Hannah Williams sold her business and walked away with a life-changing payout, and has never been more stressed.  Viviana Vazquez recently hit $100,000 in investments and says she already feels like she has enough.  Ashley Parker thinks about what would happen if she suddenly had to make it on her own, and making sure she always could.  And Carly Roszkowski shares the AARP data that keeps her up at night: 65% of women 50 and older don't feel confident about retirement, and nearly half of those still working have less than $50,000 saved. Jean also introduces a concept that changes everything: decumulation.  This is the third and final episode of From First Paycheck to Forever Paycheck, a three-part series in collaboration with AARP exploring women's financial lives across generations, from your first job to retirement and the legacy you leave behind. If you haven't listened to episodes one and two yet, go back and start there; this conversation builds on everything we've covered. Jean Chatzky's new book, The Forever Paycheck: The New Retirement Strategy to Spend More, Worry Less, and Never Run Out of Money, is available for pre-order now and publishes September 8, 2026. Whether you're looking to save money, manage debt, or prepare for retirement, AARP has resources and tools to help you prepare for your financial future to reach your goals. Get started at www.aarp.org/retirementreadiness. Want to calculate your FIRE number? We recommend this calculator from our friends at NerdWallet.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your doctor isn't the enemy. So why does it feel like you're fighting them, and losing? This week, Jean Chatzky sits down with Dr. Jordan Grumet to talk about his explosive new book The Healthcare Heist: How Physicians and Patients Can Unite to Transform Healthcare. As a hospice physician who spent over two decades watching families drown in paperwork and impossible bills, Jordan has a clear-eyed diagnosis of what's actually wrong with American healthcare. Then, Lacy Garcia, founder and CEO of Willow, joins Jean to tackle the financial decisions women put off the longest…updating your estate plan, moving money out of savings and into investments, and protecting yourself financially no matter what life throws at you.  If today's conversation left you wanting more Doc G, you're in luck. Jordan has been on HerMoney twice before, once to talk about how to find your purpose, and once to dig into the money regrets people share at the end of their lives. Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is your guide to building a secure, steady income stream in retirement. Find a vetted fiduciary advisor at hermoney.com/findanadvisor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did your life turn out exactly the way you planned it? Nobody says yes. Not one person. In the second episode of HerMoney's three-part series with AARP, From First Paycheck to Forever Paycheck,  Jean Chatzky gets personal, sharing that at 40, she was fired, got divorced, and lost her father all in the same year. And the women around the table don't hold back either. Ashley Parker reveals she was in the bottom 5% of earners on The New York Times politics team, and nearly doubled her salary the moment she left.  Hannah Williams shares the terrifying moment her veteran husband had a dental emergency with no insurance and no options. Viviana Vazquez opens up about being the financial safety net for her entire family, including a $10,000 out-of-pocket dental bill for her mom.  And Carly Roszkowski talks about her husband's mid-life career pivot, and what it really means to become the breadwinner. Together, they tackle the financial trade-offs that millions of women face every day — stepping back from work, carrying the mental load, navigating the sandwich generation, and trying to build a safety net when life keeps pulling the floor out from under you. This is episode two of From First Paycheck to Forever Paycheck, a three-part series in collaboration with AARP exploring women's financial lives across generations, from your first job to retirement and the legacy you leave behind. Go back and listen to episode 1 in the series here! Jean Chatzky's new book, The Forever Paycheck: The New Retirement Strategy to Spend More, Worry Less, and Never Run Out of Money, is available for pre-order now and publishes September 8, 2026. Whether you're looking to save money, manage debt, or prepare for retirement, AARP has resources and tools to help you prepare for your financial future and reach your goals. Get started at aarp.org/planningforchange.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you let AI run your life? In her book, I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything, award-winning journalist Joanna Stern chronicles her yearlong experiment integrating AI into every aspect of her day-to-day, from healthcare and money management to household chores and, yes, even an AI-powered massage therapist. On this episode of the HerMoney Podcast, sponsored by LIMRA, Stern joins Jean Chatzky to share the most important lessons she learned, and to dig into how AI can genuinely help you with your money, as well as where it can still lead you dangerously astray.  Listen in to hear them cover: The biggest ways AI can help you save both money and time Why one of Stern’s biggest money-saving AI experiences started in a dentist chair The key things to watch out for when you’re letting AI help with your finances  For more on how AI can (and can’t) help you with your money – especially when it comes to planning for retirement –  check out this guide from LIMRA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of our three-part series with AARP, Jean Chatzky brings together four women across four generations- Gen Z creator Hannah Williams, Zillennial entrepreneur Viviana Vazquez, Millennial journalist Ashley Parker, and Gen X financial expert Carly Roszkowski- for an honest, freewheeling roundtable on building wealth across every life stage. They cover why the old financial playbook (get a job, buy a house, retire comfortably) doesn't work the way it used to, why younger women are investing earlier than any generation before them, the real cost of homeownership today versus a generation ago, and what women of every age get wrong about Social Security. Topics include:  Why Gen Z calls the 9-to-5 a horror movie The credit card mistakes nobody warns you about Walking away from a stable paycheck to build something of your own The truth about Social Security's future The financial habits each woman wishes she'd built earlier This conversation is part of a three-episode series, From First Paycheck to Forever Paycheck, in partnership with AARP, exploring women's financial lives across generations, from your first job to retirement and the legacy you leave behind. Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is your guide to building a secure, steady income stream so you can age on your own terms and actually enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for.  Whether you're looking to save money, manage debt, or prepare for retirement, AARP has resources and tools to help you prepare for your financial future and reach your goals. Get started at aarp.org/buildwealth.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Jean sits down with Marta Norton, Chief Investment Strategist at Empower, for an honest, clear-eyed mid-year markets check-in. Marta has a point of view that many of you will find refreshing: that politics belongs at the Thanksgiving table, not in your portfolio. And she's here to tell us exactly why. In this episode, we cover: The AI concentration risk hiding inside your index funds, and what it means for your money Anthropic, OpenAI, the wave of mega-IPOs coming our way, and what everyday investors need to know Marta's best case and worst case scenarios for markets in the second half of 2026 And if you're thinking about how to make your money work harder for you in retirement, be sure to pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, your guide to building a secure, steady income stream that actually lets you enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever looked up and realized you've been living someone else's version of your life? Sari Botton, editor and writer behind Oldster Magazine and author of And You May Find Yourself: Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen X Weirdo, knows that feeling intimately. And she's turned it into a body of work that has resonated with hundreds of thousands of people. In this episode: The financial cost of people-pleasing and deferring to others on money How women in the Oldster community have reinvented themselves professionally in their 50s, 60s, and beyond Why we put off wills and end-of-life planning, and what it actually costs us The "compare and despair" trap around money milestones Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck. It's the guide to building the retirement income you need, so you can stop lying awake wondering if you'll have enough and actually start living.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have a list… things we watched our parents do as they got older and swore we'd never do ourselves. We'd stay active. We'd embrace technology. We'd get the hearing aid. And then life happens. Washington Post columnist and author Steven Petrow has been thinking about this for nearly 20 years, and he joins Jean today to talk about the aging and money mistakes we make despite our very best intentions, and how to find your way back to joy even in the darkest chapters. Steven is the author of Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old and his latest book, The Joy You Make, and he brings his signature honesty and humor to conversations about aging, money, loss, and starting over. In this episode, we cover: Why we all turn into our parents in the end, and why that's not entirely a bad thing How Steven found joy after losing both parents, going through a divorce, and watching his sister Julie battle Stage 4 ovarian cancer, all in the same year Why joy isn't the fireworks, and the small, everyday moments that actually sustain us Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is your guide to building a secure, steady income stream so you can age on your own terms and actually enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nobody wants to think about the possibility of losing their spouse to Alzheimer's. But what if planning ahead meant considering something as unexpected as divorce? That's exactly the question Susan is grappling with today. Susan is 62, still working, and earning around $100K a year. Her husband is 65 and already retired. Together they've built a solid financial foundation — over $778K in investments, $181K in savings, and more than $762K in assets, all with no debt. By most measures, they're in great shape. But the potential cost of memory care and assisted living has them worried that everything they've worked for could be wiped out. In this episode, Jean and Susan cover: What a "Medicaid divorce" actually is, and whether it's a legitimate financial strategy How Medicaid spend-down rules work and what they mean for married couples What asset protection strategies exist beyond divorce How to think through the emotional and financial costs of planning for a spouse's cognitive decline If today's conversation made you think about how to protect your retirement, Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is the perfect next step. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the most important phase of retirement is the one nobody talks about? This week, Jean sits down with Dana Anspach, CFP, to walk through the four phases of retirement outlined in her new book, Living Off Your Acorns: Your Guide to the Four Phases of Retirement, including the phase she argues matters most of all: the Pre-Go years. Dana breaks down what to expect at every stage — from building your foundation before you retire, to navigating the emotional and financial shifts that come after — and shares the real stories of clients who had to course-correct, pivot, and reimagine what retirement could look like for them. In this episode, Jean and Dana cover: What the Pre-Go phase is, why it matters, and when it typically begins Why so many high achievers struggle to envision retirement What a $1 million retirement savings goal actually buys you in 2026 How to course-correct if you're behind on savings in your 50s and 60s If today's conversation made you think about saving enough for your retirement, Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is the perfect next step. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The economy added 172,000 jobs in May, nearly double what economists expected. So why did consumer sentiment just hit a record low? Why does everything still feel so hard? In this episode, Jean sits down with Sarah Foster, Personal Finance Reporter at Bloomberg, to break down what's really going on beneath the surface of those headline numbers, and what it means for your job, your home, and your retirement savings. In this episode, you'll learn: Why keeping your money in a traditional savings account right now means you're slowly losing ground What the lock-in effect really means for women who want to downsize before retirement How to think about home equity as a retirement tool The one financial move Sarah says everyone should make right now Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is available for pre-order now. It's your guide to building a secure, steady income stream that actually lets you enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Annuities might be one of the most misunderstood financial products out there – and they come with plenty of opinions…as well as questions. Are the fees really that high? Do advisors just push them for the commission? Could an annuity actually be the missing piece of your retirement plan?  On this episode of the HerMoney Podcast, we’re cutting through the noise with two leading experts: Michael Finke and Tamiko Toland of LIMRA’s Retirement Income Institute. They’re busting the biggest annuity myths, answering questions straight from our HerMoney Community and helping you figure out whether this type of protected income deserves a spot in your financial future.  Listen in to hear them cover: A jargon-free explanation of annuity types and terms to be aware of What to know if you’re buying an annuity – including how fees work Whether there’s a “right” age to purchase an annuity The next steps to take if an annuity sounds right for you Learn more: Most people want protected income for life. Few realize that’s what annuities provide. This resource from LIMRA covers everything you need to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For white-collar workers, the recent headlines about AI are more than a little bit fear-inducing. AI could automate millions of white-collar jobs within 18 months. College graduates are booing commencement speakers who bring it up. And women — whose jobs are three times more likely to be automated — are falling behind on AI adoption. So what do you actually do? Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor has answers. Her new book, How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work, grew out of a question her Columbia University students asked her that she couldn't shake: how, in this environment, are we supposed to find our life's work? The answer, it turns out, applies just as much to a woman reinventing herself at 52 as it does to a 22-year-old just starting out. In this episode, Jean and Jodi get into: The two things every successful, happy person has: craft and need Why your messy, nonlinear résumé might be your biggest asset right now How to get a real human being to respond to your job outreach in the age of AI screening Jodi's three tips for cold outreach that actually work And if you're thinking about what your financial future looks like through all of this change, pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck — your guide to building income that lasts as long as you do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new study shows Americans expect to delay retirement by four years as the cost of living rises…and 4 in 10 aren't confident they'll have enough money to last. If that sent you into a spiral, this episode is your permission to exhale. Historian, real estate investor, and early retiree Joseph S. Moore, PhD, spent years stress-testing three centuries of American financial advice, and what he found will reframe the way you think about retirement. His new book, How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked (and Didn't), makes the case that retirement anxiety is nothing new, and that every generation that's felt it has ended up being fine. Then, Jean sits down with Lacy Garcia, founder and CEO of Willow, an award-winning platform that connects women with vetted fiduciary financial advisors who actually understand their lives. Jean and Lacy get refreshingly honest about the money moves they wish they'd made sooner: investing earlier, finding an advisor before they felt "ready," keeping an emergency fund, and having the money conversations they'd been putting off.  Find a fiduciary advisor through Willow: hermoney.com/findanadvisor  📚 Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've been told to lean in, speak up, ask for the raise, and take up space. But what happens when doing everything right still isn't enough? Journalist and financial expert Stefanie O'Connell joins Jean to talk about her deeply researched new book, The Ambition Penalty: How Corporate Culture Tells Women to Step Up — and Then Pushes Them Down. In this conversation, Jean and Stefanie dig into why the girlboss era failed us, why women are penalized not for a lack of ambition but because of it, and what we can actually do about it. They cover: Why being fluent in the language of empowerment is not the same as actually being empowered How the ambition penalty follows women outside the workplace  Why you can't outwork inequality, but you can outorganize it What it really takes to build a life where your ambition is championed, not penalized And if you loved today's conversation, don't miss Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck — your guide to building a secure, steady income stream that lets you actually enjoy the retirement you've worked so hard for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've been feeling financially anxious lately, the numbers back you up. A record 55% of Americans say their financial situation is getting worse, and 67% say they're more afraid of running out of money than dying.  This week, Jean sits down with Carrie Joy Grimes, author of the new book The Joy of Money, for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about financial anxiety, behavioral science, and exactly what wealthy people are doing with their money right now. In this episode, we cover: What wealthy people do differently with their money during volatile markets The Life Happens Fund: why a basic emergency fund isn't enough and how to build a real financial cushion The three-step self-compassion practice backed by behavioral science that helps you stop shame-spiraling over money mistakes The "Good Enough Retirement Vision" exercise that will help you stop feeling paralyzed about the future And if today's conversation got you thinking about your financial future, don't miss Jean's brand new book, The Forever Paycheck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She's been famous since childhood, but Brooke Shields might be having her most interesting chapter yet, and she's the first to say she's done waiting to be picked. This week on HerMoney, we're thrilled to share a special replay of one of our favorite recent episodes from our sister podcast, How She Does It with Karen Finerman. Karen sits down with the actress, author, and entrepreneur for a wide-ranging conversation about reinvention, resilience, and what it really means to come into your own at 60. In this episode, you'll hear about: Why Brooke got tired of waiting for Hollywood to cast her and decided to develop her own show The very real moment she stood up to a dismissive VC Her experience with postpartum depression and why breaking the silence still matters What it's really like to serve as president of Actors' Equity  The beauty industry's failure to represent women over 50, and why Brooke decided to do something about it And if Brooke's story of betting on herself got you thinking about your own financial future, Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is the perfect next read. It's all about building income that lasts, so you can keep funding the next chapter. How She Does It is part of HerMoney Media. Subscribe and catch every episode wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are people who change the way you think about money. And then there are people who change the way you think about life, and do it through the lens of money. Jonathan Clements was one of those people. The beloved personal finance columnist and Wall Street Journal veteran passed away in September 2025, leaving behind a remarkable legacy and one final book: Money and Me: How to Make Your Finances Work Harder for You and Your Family. This week, Jean sits down with Jason Zweig, Jonathan's dear friend and fellow Wall Street Journal columnist, to honor that legacy and dig into the lessons Jonathan left behind for all of us. They cover: The investing philosophy he championed for nearly 40 years, and why it's still the best advice out there The three dimensions of money and happiness: freedom from worry, spending on experiences, and using money to create meaning Why the shift from saving to spending in retirement is one of the hardest psychological transitions we face, and how to make it easier Jonathan's take on how much money to leave your kids  Why spending small is actually the smartest spending strategy of all And if today's conversation got you thinking about your own relationship with money, Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is the perfect next read. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does a week of grocery shopping actually look like for real women right now? Jean Chatzky teams up with Yasmeen Khan, writer of Consumer Reports' Bread and Butter newsletter, for a special edition of A Week in Her Wallet, focused entirely on the grocery store. First, Jean and Yasmeen sit down with Lori, a mom of two boys in Massachusetts, who spent the week bouncing between Trader Joe's, Costco, and Stop & Shop. Then, Jean and Yasmeen dig into the bigger picture: what three women's grocery weeks revealed about how savvy shoppers have become, why store brands deserve a second look, and Consumer Reports' best tips for cutting costs at the checkout line right now. Links mentioned: Subscribe to Bread and Butter by Consumer Reports Yasmeen's recent newsletter on saving on groceries Fill out this form to be considered for a future A Week in Her Wallet episode Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve heard of the gender pay gap – but there’s a quieter crisis unfolding for millions of women: the retirement gender gap. Whether you’ve taken time out of the workforce to care for a loved one, are a Gen X’er racing toward retirement with less saved than you’d like, or recently lost a spouse and are suddenly in charge of finances you’ve never managed alone, this episode is for you.  In it, two experts from LIMRA, Chief Marketing Officer Tina Beckwith and Retirement Income Institute Fellow Suzanne Norman, break down: Why women face a steeper climb to retirement security Who’s most at risk The concrete steps you can start taking today to close the gap Learn more: Women – and especially widows – often want a trusted partner to help navigate retirement decisions. Here are 7 key tips they can keep in mind when looking for a financial professional.  Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck — your guide to building a secure, steady income stream for the retirement you've worked so hard for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicole is 56, single, and living in Raleigh, North Carolina, and she has a spreadsheet for everything. After her divorce left her saddled with debt, she spent two decades building a budget system so airtight she hasn't carried a credit card balance since. Now she's earning over $100k a year, paying off every card in full, and chipping away at a student loan she could settle tomorrow if she wanted to. But when Nicole spent a week tracking every dollar for A Week in Her Wallet, she made a surprising discovery: she has far more money left over each month than she ever realized, and she’s ready to put it to work. In this episode, Jean and Nicole cover: The medical billing maze that's costing Nicole more than it should The three-debit-card system Nicole built  Why a diagnosis changed how she thinks about spending on her own wellbeing The student loan she's been carrying strategically  What Nicole's retirement dream actually looks like Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck — your guide to building a secure, steady income stream for the retirement you've worked so hard for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If financial uncertainty is keeping you awake at night, this episode is for you. Author and journalist Simone Stolzoff joins Jean to talk about his new book, How To Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World That Demands Answers, and why learning to sit with the unknown might be the most powerful financial skill you can develop right now. And in this week's Mailbag, Jean is joined by Lacy Garcia, founder and CEO of Willow, to help three listeners navigate inflection points in their lives: how to start dividing shared assets before a divorce is filed, what to do with your 401(k) after a layoff, and how to think about a lump-sum inheritance without letting fear or emotion drive the decision.  Resources mentioned in this episode: The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff Hanna Horvath, Your Brain on Money on Substack The Forever Paycheck by Jean Chatzky — available for pre-order now Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter Ready to connect with a fiduciary advisor who's the right fit for you? Find one at hermoney.com/findanadvisor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jean sits down with Louise, 56, a high-tech executive who's burned out, stretched thin, and seriously asking herself whether it's time to walk away from her career. Louise has done everything right: she and her husband have $3.2M in retirement accounts, over $400k in vested stock, a home worth almost $2 million, and 529s for the kids. But with a family of six to cover, and healthcare costs that could rival a mortgage, the math is murkier than it looks. Jean helps her think through what early retirement would actually cost, where the real risks are, and what she needs to figure out before she makes any moves. In this episode: The Rule of 55 — what it is, how it works, and whether it's the right move Why the 4% rule may not be enough when you're only 56 Healthcare on the open market: what it really costs for a family of six post-subsidy How unvested stock grants could completely change Louise's retirement picture Why your home equity belongs in your net worth calculation The case for finding a middle path between burnout and full retirement What to ask a financial advisor before making any early retirement decisions Never miss a money moment — sign up for the free HerMoney newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was 1996 when a young journalist named Beth Kobliner published a book called Get A Financial Life, and for a whole generation of women in their twenties and thirties, it became the money bible they didn't know they needed. Thirty years later, Beth is back with a completely updated fifth edition, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. This week, Jean sits down with Beth for a wide-ranging conversation about what thirty years of writing and talking about personal finance has taught them both, and why the fundamentals Beth wrote about in the 90s are more relevant, and more urgent, than ever.  In this episode, you'll learn: Why taking care of your own finances is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids What Gen Z is actually getting right about money  Why slow and steady still wins The truth about neobanks, crypto, and gambling apps  The single most important money move a young person can make today that their future self will thank them for Subscribe to the free twice-weekly HerMoney newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it actually look like to spend just $400 in a week… intentionally, joyfully, and with a clear-eyed plan for the future? This week on A Week in Her Wallet, Jean sits down with Ann, a 63-year-old Early Childhood Director from upstate New York, who is on a mission to build what she calls her "rich enough old lady future self." Ann brings in over $100k a year, but her spending week clocked in at under $400, not because she's depriving herself, but because she's figured out exactly what she values and what she doesn't. From homemade iced coffee and Sunday meal prep to a cleaning splurge she refuses to apologize for, Ann's week is a masterclass in intentional money. In this episode, Jean and Anne talk about: The "All About Me" account Anne created to spend guilt-free — and why it changed her relationship with money How a scarcity mindset from childhood still shows up today, even after buying window treatments she saved two years for Why Ann went from DIY-ing her investments to hiring a financial advisor, and why she calls it the best money she's ever spent Her paid-off Honda, "the green lady," and what shifting from luxury cars taught her about values Navigating finances in a new relationship after a 36-year marriage ended What she wants women in their late 50s and 60s, especially those feeling behind, to hear If you want to be considered for a future episode of A Week in Her Wallet, fill out the form here, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's the best financial advice you've ever received? Not the trendiest tip or the hottest stock pick; what’s the wisdom that actually holds up over a lifetime? That's exactly the question Diane Harris, Deputy Editor of Kiplinger, put to 35 of the most trusted voices in personal finance…and the answers are as practical as they are profound. In this episode, you'll learn: Why "spend less than you make" is still the foundation of everything, and what Jean says happens when you don't Peter Lynch's "elevator pitch" test for any stock you own (and why most people fail it) Teresa Ghilarducci's one-date-a-year rule for protecting yourself from panic-selling Why Christine Benz says paying off your mortgage early makes sense, even if the math says otherwise Diane’s number one personal finance tip she learned from taking care of her mother Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices