So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

As promised, I’m re-airing one of the most requested interviews from the archives: my conversation with Nate Berkus, originally recorded in 2015—ten years ago.A lot has changed for Nate since then, but when I listened back, I was struck by how timeless this episode is—especially right now. My mother-in-law and I are huge fans, and for my birthday she gave me Nate’s latest book, Foundations: Timeless Design That Feels Personal. And that’s exactly the theme you’ll hear in today’s conversation: your home should tell your story—and your money should support a life that feels authentic.We talk about money fear versus abundance, building a business, learning when to ask for help, and Nate’s surprisingly great financial habits—including his rule about keeping your wallet organized as a form of respecting money. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is someone who has been shaping the personal finance conversation for nearly two decades — long before money podcasts were mainstream, long before “side hustle” was a buzzword, and long before financial literacy for women was framed around building wealth instead of just clipping coupons.Laura Adams is the host of the wildly successful Money Girl podcast, a show that has been downloaded more than 43 million times and ranks among the top 0.1% most popular podcasts globally. In just about 20 minutes each week, Laura does something that’s incredibly difficult: she makes complex personal finance and small business topics feel approachable, actionable, and even fun.You’ve seen her everywhere — ABC World News, CBS, NBC, Bloomberg, NPR — and today she’s here with us on So Money.In this conversation, we dig into how financial advice for women has evolved over the years — from focusing on saving pennies to thinking about legacy, ownership, and long-term wealth. We talk about solopreneurship and side hustles — what it really takes to build a one-person business that doesn’t just generate income, but supports your life. And with interest rates expected to gradually decline into 2026, Laura breaks down what that could mean for refinancing, home buying, and smart positioning right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Farnoosh reflects on her appearance on the TODAY Show, where she shared practical strategies to maximize your finances during tax season — from last-minute IRA contributions and new tax deductions to choosing the smartest way to file and setting yourself up for next year.She also discusses the latest money headlines, including the Supreme Court’s decision on sweeping tariffs and what it could mean for small businesses and markets.Then, it’s time for your questions. Farnoosh breaks down:• How much you really need in emergency savings in today’s job market • What to do after contributing to your 401(k) — should you open a Roth IRA? • How income limits affect Roth contributions and what a Backdoor Roth really means • Ways to set your children up for financial success beyond just a 529 planPlus, Farnoosh shares details about her Build a Profitable Podcast mentorship program, kicking off soon with only a few spots remaining. Apply here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode is for the woman who’s doing well on paper…earning more, climbing higher, checking the boxes of financial success— and yet still wondering if she’s making the smartest moves with her money. Because here’s the truth: more income doesn’t automatically mean more clarity, more confidence, or even more security.In fact, high-earning women often face a unique set of financial blind spots—from over-relying on tax strategies to holding too much company stock, to quietly navigating complicated power dynamics at home and at work. And those mistakes can be costly if we don’t name them.To help us unpack all of this, I’m joined by someone whose passion for empowering women financially is unmistakable the moment you hear her speak—financial advisor Maggie Johndrow who is a partner at Johndrow Wealth.In this conversation, we talk about the quiet financial mistakes high-earning women make, how taxes can mislead our biggest decisions, what to know about RSUs and stock options before they surprise you with a bill, and the emotional—and practical—realities of being the breadwinner at home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today is truly one of the original voices in personal finance and someone whose work has shaped how millions of Americans think about debt, credit, and financial freedom.Lynnette Khalfani-Cox joins to share insights from her powerful new book, Bounce Back: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Resilience. We talk about why despite decades of financial education, so many Americans are still drowning in debt, how systemic barriers and policy decisions shape our financial outcomes, and what it really takes to recover after life's biggest setbacks from divorce and job loss to disasters and dollar deficits. Lynnette also shares her own deeply personal story of climbing out of six figures of credit card debt, the mindset shifts that made lasting freedom possible, and why you don't have to wait until you're debt free to start saving, investing and rebuilding your life.Lynnette is a New York Times bestselling author, a nationally recognized personal finance expert, and one of the most influential educators in the financial literacy movement. She's known to millions as the money coach, and she's appeared regularly on major national media outlets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Friday the 13th edition of So Money, Farnoosh reflects on turning 46 and shares the financial truths that have shaped her life—from why money really buys options, to the systemic realities behind debt and financial setbacks. She also unpacks the latest housing and stock-market headlines and answers listener questions on negotiating credit cards, navigating finances with a partner, and transitioning to separate accounts in marriage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’re talking about how to build a stronger financial partnership - from financial date nights and shared accounts to the subtle social norms that still influence modern couples. Today’s guest is Dr. Emily Garbinsky, professor at Cornell’s Johnson School of Business, whose work explores how couples make financial decisions, how pooling money affects relationship satisfaction, and what really happens when one partner earns more than the other. Learn more about Dr. Garbinsky's research here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We spend so much of our lives chasing money—believing that once we earn enough, save enough, and invest enough, happiness and freedom will finally follow.But what if the real goal isn’t more money… it’s more time?Today’s guest is Andy Hill, AFC®, award-winning family finance coach and founder of the platform Marriage, Kids and Money, which has reached millions of families through his podcast, videos, and writing. His new book, Own Your Time, challenges a deeply held belief in personal finance: that wealth alone will solve our problems. Instead, Andy argues that true financial success is about using money intentionally to design a life filled with freedom, family connection, and choice. In this conversation, we explore Andy’s own journey—from a six-figure household income and negative net worth to a life where he and his wife now work part-time by design. We talk about the concept of “coast financial independence,” the surprising middle ground between burnout and early retirement, and the practical financial steps families can take—at any stage—to reclaim their calendars and their priorities.We’ll also get into the emotional side of money and time: how couples navigate unequal incomes, why optionality matters more than status, and how to raise kids who understand wealth not just as dollars, but as freedom and generosity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RSVP for Farnoosh's podcasting workshop next Friday Feb 13 here.In this Super Bowl weekend edition of Ask Farnoosh, she reflects on recent financial headlines and answers listener questions about saving, investing, family planning, and homebuying. She discusses the sharp drop in Bitcoin, rising layoffs, and a weakening stock market as reminders of the importance of maintaining a strong emergency fund and staying financially cautious. In the mailbag, she explains how to save for future goals even without a defined purpose, why entrepreneurs should diversify beyond their businesses when investing, and how prospective parents can prepare financially and create more time flexibility before having a child. She closes with practical homebuying advice drawn from two decades of personal experience, emphasizing that a first home need not be permanent, that buyers should understand their motivations and finances before searching, and that thoughtful preparation leads to more confident decisions in uncertain economic times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes making work more fair doesn’t require a sweeping policy change or a million-dollar program. Guest Siri Chilazi is a researcher at Harvard who studies gender equity, workplace behavior, and decision-making. She is also the co-author of the bestselling book Make Work Fair, written with behavioral economist Iris Bohnet.Siri’s work challenges one of the most common assumptions we make about inequality at work — that the problem is biased people who need to be “fixed.”Instead, her research shows that unfairness is baked into systems, processes, and everyday practices — how we hire, evaluate, promote, pay, and even run meetings.In this conversation, we talk about:What fairness actually means — and how it’s different from equality or equityWhy traditional DEI programs often fall shortThe small, evidence-based changes that make the biggest differenceWhat employees at any level can do to create fairer workplacesAnd why transparency and clarity are among the most powerful tools leaders have Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine a world where you were no longer expected to compete. That’s the world today’s guest, Ruchika T. Malhotra, invites us to imagine—and to start building.You may remember Ruchika from her last appearance on So Money, when she turned our understanding of imposter syndrome upside down, revealing it not as a personal flaw, but as a systemic one. Her new book, UNCOMPETE: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success, does something equally radical: it questions the very belief that competition is healthy—or even necessary—for success.Ruchika argues that our obsession with rivalry and scarcity thinking has made us anxious, exhausted, and disconnected. She calls for a new framework built on collaboration, abundance, radical generosity, inclusion, and solidarity—principles that might sound soft, until you realize how much they fuel innovation, well-being, and long-term wealth.*This episode first aired on October 29, 2025.* Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**This episode is a replay. It first aired on November 7, 2025.**We’re doing something a little different this week. My guest is my friend and financial planner, Georgia Lee Hussey, founder and CEO of Modernist Financial, and together we’re unpacking the Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for your taxes in 2025 and beyond.We explore how this new legislation could impact everyday taxpayers, what it reveals about our national priorities, and how we can each align our financial decisions with our values. It’s a thoughtful and, yes, sometimes political conversation—because as Georgia reminds us, taxes are political. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January always asks big questions of our money—and this one felt especially heavy. In this solo episode, Farnoosh takes a step back to reflect on what the first month of the year has revealed about our finances, our fears, and our priorities. From midlife money check-ins to the idea of “financial coasting,” this conversation is about being honest about where you are—not where you think you should be—and redefining progress as stability, maintenance, and intention.Farnoosh revisits standout moments from January’s most impactful conversations, including a full-circle interview with David Bach, whose Automatic Millionaire helped shape her own financial life, and a candid discussion with Jesse Mecham of You Need a Budget on why being “good at money” has far less to do with income and far more to do with clarity and calm. She also breaks down her recent conversation with college-planning expert Patricia Roberts on the true cost of college, the ROI question families are wrestling with, and how student debt can quietly shape a lifetime.The episode closes with a reflection on the emotional weight of the month and a call for accountability, drawing on recent remarks from Andrew Ross Sorkin about systems, responsibility, and leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

College today can easily cost six figures — even at public universities — and yet so many families still feel completely in the dark about how to prepare for it without sacrificing their own financial future.My guest today knows this stress intimately.Patricia Roberts grew up in a low-income household and nearly didn’t attend college at all. A guidance counselor once suggested she stick with her waitressing job instead. But she pushed forward, working multiple jobs, sending money home, earning not just one degree, but eventually a law degree. That education changed her family’s life… but it also came with over $100,000 in student loan debt that took two decades to repay.That lived experience is what fuels Patricia’s passion today. She’s spent more than 25 years working with 529 college savings plans — from helping launch some of the earliest plans at Citigroup to advising families and employers on how to use them smarter, earlier, and with far less fear.In this episode, we break down what 529 plans really are — and what they’re not. We tackle the biggest myths, from “What if my kid doesn’t go to college?” to “Will this hurt financial aid?” to “Is college even worth it anymore?” We also dig into major new changes that make 529s far more flexible than most people realize — including using them for trade schools, certifications, student loan repayment, K-12 expenses, and even rolling unused funds into a Roth IRA.More about Patricia: She is Chief Operating Officer of Gift of College, Inc., where she helps employers improve employees’ financial well-being by offering student loan repayment assistance and matching contributions to 529 college savings and ABLE (disability savings) accounts.Patricia is also the author of Route 529: A Parent’s Guide to Saving for College and Career Training with 529 Plans, a book she wrote with some extra time on her hands during the pandemic to help educate and inspire even more parents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Ask Farnoosh, we kick things off with a very real reminder that homeownership is never just the mortgage. A burst hose, unexpected water damage, and rising insurance premiums spark a broader conversation about the hidden and often underestimated costs of owning a home—and why even “fixed” housing expenses rarely stay fixed. From the mailbag: questions about navigating Parent PLUS loan arrangements while buying a home, how to invest after finally paying off student loans, and whether market uncertainty means it’s time to move money out of U.S. investments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are talking today about parenting boundaries, money, and what it really means to raise independent kids in a world that feels more expensive, more anxious, and more overwhelming than ever.My guest is Randi Crawford, a life coach known for her refreshingly no-nonsense approach to parenting teens and young adults, and for helping parents stop over-functioning so their kids can actually grow up. Randy works with families navigating everything from launching kids into college, first jobs, and post-grad life to adult children living at home, financial dependency, and the emotional minefield of comparison culture and social media at the same time.She's a powerful voice for women and midlife. Who are craving reinvention, balancing aging identity shifts, hormones, entrepreneurship, and the emotional labor that so many women carry quietly. What I love about Randy's work is that she brings so much clarity, humor, and compassion without sugarcoating things.Learn more at https://www.randicrawfordcoaching.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve been scrolling listings at midnight, doing mental math on mortgage calculators, and wondering, “Wait…how is anyone actually buying a house right now?” you are not alone.My guest today is Alex Gailey, personal finance reporter at Bankrate, and she’s been digging into the numbers behind America’s housing affordability crisis. Her reporting found something jaw-dropping: the typical U.S. household can’t afford three-quarters of the homes currently on the market. In this conversation, we’re going to break down what’s driving the affordability squeeze — from the “lock-in effect” of homeowners clinging to 3% mortgages, to the widening gap between incomes and housing costs, to the new reality that many buyers are spending closer to 40%+ of their income just to make the monthly payment work.Alex also shares where in the country buyers still have a real shot, what she’s hearing from successful first-time buyers about the real keys to getting in (hint: flexibility, patience, and boundaries), and why renting can be a smart wealth-building move when buying would make you house-poor.Plus: we talk about the rise of unconventional paths to homeownership — buying with friends or family, “house hacking,” down payment help — and what all of this signals about the future of the American Dream, especially for millennials and Gen Z. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Ask Farnoosh, we’re zooming out—on money, career, and life—and talking about the moments when endings, uncertainty, and discomfort can actually become powerful financial turning points.I start the episode reflecting on a popular “10-years-ago” trend and what my own life looked like in 2016—from a canceled CNBC show to pregnancy news that reframed everything. It’s a reminder that what feels like loss in the moment can open space for growth we couldn’t have planned.I also break down a few headlines that matter to your wallet, including what retail bankruptcies mean for consumers, why bank stocks took a hit this week, and how proposed credit-card interest rate caps could affect access to credit. Plus, a personal reflection on watching events unfold in Iran and how global news can be deeply personal—and financially relevant.Then we head into your questions:Cutting Housing Costs Without RegretA listener in Charleston is weighing a move to an older apartment that would save $600 a month. We talk through how to separate comfort from leverage, why reducing fixed expenses is one of the most powerful financial moves you can make, and how to decide if short-term discomfort is worth long-term freedom.What to Do With a 401(k) During a Career BreakA 45-year-old listener quits her job to return to school—tuition-free—and wants to know how to handle her $130,000 401(k) and explore socially responsible investing while she’s not working.Building Generosity Into a New BusinessAn entrepreneur asks a thoughtful question: how do you give back without putting your business at risk—especially in year one? We talk about time-boxing generosity, avoiding revenue-based giving too early, and why mission-driven work still needs financial guardrails.Stay-at-Home Parenting vs. Financial IndependenceA listener at the brink of six-figure earnings is considering stepping out of the workforce to stay home with her toddler. I share the financial tradeoffs, long-term earning implications, and why this decision is deeply personal—but worth examining through both emotional and economic lenses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re talking about the future. Not just retirement as a number on a spreadsheet, but retirement as a real phase of life—one that we’re all heading toward, whether we’re just opening our first 401(k) or already counting down the years.My guest is someone I’ve turned to for guidance for decades. Christine Benz is the Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar, and if you’ve ever read a smart, clear-headed piece about investing, portfolio strategy, or retirement readiness, chances are her work shaped it.Christine has helped millions of investors make sense of their money at every stage of life—but especially at the moment when the stakes feel highest: figuring out how to turn what you’ve saved into a sustainable, meaningful retirement. She’s also the author of How to Retire, a deeply practical and human guide that goes far beyond the math to tackle the emotional, lifestyle, and health realities of aging.In this conversation, we’re digging into what retirement planning looks like right now: after a long market run, amid persistent inflation concerns, longer lifespans, and big questions around Social Security, healthcare, and caregiving. We talk about safe withdrawal rates, de-risking portfolios, how women need to plan differently, and why flexibility—not perfection—is the real secret to retiring well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is a true blast from the past — and one of the most enduring voices in personal finance.Jesse Mecham is the founder of You Need a Budget, better known as YNAB. Jesse was last on So Money more than a decade ago — and since then, his little budgeting spreadsheet has grown into a global movement that’s now more than 20 years old.In an industry where budgeting apps come and go — Mint, anyone? — YNAB has quietly endured. Not by promising shortcuts or get-rich-quick hacks, but by doing something far more radical: teaching people how to actually be good with money.And not “good” as in million-dollar net worths or retiring at 35 — but good as in sleeping better at night. Not worrying about every expense. Feeling in control. Feeling aligned.That’s why I wanted to kick off 2026 with Jesse.In this conversation, we revisit the philosophy behind YNAB, including the four rules that have helped millions of people escape paycheck-to-paycheck living. We talk about why getting to zero — not riches — is often the most important milestone in someone’s financial life. We explore what Jesse has learned after two decades of watching how people really behave with money. And we dig into what’s changed — and what absolutely hasn’t — about budgeting in a world of higher costs, financial anxiety, automation, and now AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.