How many credit cards is too many? Are premium travel cards actually worth those eye-popping annual fees? And what should you do when a card in your wallet stops pulling its weight? This week, Jean Chatzky is joined once again by money expert Vivian Tu for a listener mailbag all about credit cards, points, and smart strategies for getting real value, without paying unnecessary fees or interest. Together, they break down: How to decide if high-end travel cards like Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire...
Feb 06, 2026•19 min
She’s back, and she brought her boldest advice yet. Vivian Tu , New York Times bestselling author and founder of Your Rich BFF , joins us to talk about her new book Well Endowed and why now is the time to rethink how you spend, save, and build the future you want. Vivian and Jean get real about what it means to be truly wealthy—not just financially, but emotionally and generationally. From burnout to budgeting to luxury trap purchases, this episode is your permission slip to stop spending for th...
Feb 04, 2026•42 min•Ep. 513
In this week’s episode of A Week In Her Wallet , we head to New Jersey to follow Prisca, a 35-year-old nurse and part-time money coach who tracks every dollar with intention. From $8 therapy copays to $25 dance classes that light up her world, Prisca shows us how structure and joy can coexist in personal finance. Prisca’s week is packed with practical tips, emotional insights, and small moments that reveal big truths. Whether it’s her mantra of "aiming for calm" or her strategy to save before sh...
Jan 30, 2026•33 min
What do two financial pros with over 60 years of combined experience really wish they knew about money 30 years ago? In this very special crossover episode of HerMoney and The David Bach Show , Jean Chatzky sits down with longtime friend and bestselling author David Bach to share candid stories, big career lessons, and one bold new idea that could change retirement in America. Together, Jean and David trade their top financial insights, biggest regrets, and heartfelt advice for anyone navigating...
Jan 28, 2026•39 min•Ep. 512
This week, we’re cutting through the chaos and zeroing in on what matters most to your financial life: your investments, your home, and your next money moves. Jean sits down with Dr. Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics , to unpack how global uncertainty, rising mortgage rates, and Trump-era policies are reshaping our economy. From the stock market rollercoaster to the housing “lock-in” crisis, Mark offers practical, down-to-earth advice for navigating it all. You’ll learn: Why Mark ...
Jan 23, 2026•29 min
When people think about preparing for retirement, they usually think about saving. But the real challenge? Making sure your money lasts as long as you do. Morningstar’s Christine Benz joins us for a conversation about the smartest ways to prepare for retirement and make sure your money goes the distance. This episode is part of our new, monthly retirement-focused series, brought to you by LIMRA . With practical tips and real-world conversations, these episodes will give you the tools to help you...
Jan 21, 2026•35 min•Ep. 511
You’ve got questions, we’ve got Amanda Holden. In this special Mailbag episode of HerMoney , Jean is joined once again by investing expert and How to Be a Rich Old Lady author Amanda Holden to tackle your biggest investing dilemmas. We’re talking: What to actually do after opening a Roth IRA Whether crypto deserves a spot in your portfolio What to do with a $500,000 401(k) after a layoff Whether target-date funds are worth the cost And why diversification is non-negotiable ✨ Want to get smarter ...
Jan 16, 2026•17 min
As we kick off 2026, it’s time to talk about the future—and the woman you want to become. Whether she’s rocking silver bangles on the beach or sipping coffee in her cabin, your Rich Old Lady deserves a life of financial freedom. And today’s guest is here to help you build it. Amanda Holden is the founder of Invested Development and the author of How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want . After a career in investment ...
Jan 14, 2026•36 min•Ep. 510
Is fair always equal when it comes to family and money? On this week’s HerMoney Mailbag, Jean Chatzky is joined by Quentin Fottrell, Managing Editor of Advice at MarketWatch and the voice behind The Moneyist column , to tackle the most emotionally charged financial questions from our listeners and his inbox. They dive into: 💸 Whether a promised $250K inheritance should include interest 🏡 How to avoid probate and protect your family home using a Lady Bird Deed 🧺 A listener whose parents are gi...
Jan 09, 2026•24 min
The markets are still riding high, but if 2025 taught us anything, it’s that not everything that glitters is gold. In this episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with legendary investor and InvestingFixx co-founder Karen Finerman to unpack the wild ride of 2025: the highs, the flops, the lessons learned, and the big bets she’s making in 2026. We also talk about what makes a winning portfolio, how our InvestingFixx club beat the market, and how you can start building confidence with your own investments...
Jan 07, 2026•34 min•Ep. 509
How do you invest in yourself when life throws you off course? In this special HerMoney Mailbag episode, Jean Chatzky and Maha Abouelenein, author of 7 Rules of Self-Reliance , answer your real-life questions about navigating layoffs, career pivots, and side hustles. We answer your questions on: What to do immediately after a layoff to protect your career momentum How to transition to a less stressful career after parental leave Smart ways to supplement your income from home How to build your pe...
Jan 02, 2026•15 min
Ready to invest in yourself in 2026 and beyond? In this empowering episode, Jean sits down with Maha Abouelenein, global communications strategist and author of the bestselling book 7 Rules of Self-Reliance , to talk about how women can build confidence, create value, and stop waiting for permission to grow. Maha shares the pivotal story of how she rebuilt her life after a major career pivot, going from secretary to business partner in just four years, and how we can all tap into the mindset of ...
Dec 31, 2025•36 min•Ep. 508
This week, we’re following Beth, a 52-year-old federal attorney from Kentucky who earns $230K a year and is raising a blended family, a 14-year-old son, two grown stepsons, and two adorable grandkids. Beth walks us through a week of intentional spending, including: Snagging $10K worth of high-end furniture on Facebook Marketplace for just $750 Treating herself to monthly DryBar blowouts Managing skyrocketing teen food bills And staying mindful through a hybrid work schedule and variable family e...
Dec 26, 2025•38 min
As we head into a new year and set goals for our health, wealth, and happiness, there’s one powerful factor that’s often overlooked: social connection. In this episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with Ken Stern, longevity expert and author of the new book Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives , to explore how the loneliness epidemic is quietly threatening both our health and our finances, and what we can do about it. Whether you're nearing retirement, navigating your second act, ...
Dec 24, 2025•34 min•Ep. 507
How do you stick to a budget in retirement without feeling restricted, anxious, or deprived, especially when the cost of living keeps rising? This week on Your Money Map , Jean Chatzky is joined by Tiffany Aliche, better known as The Budgetnista , to talk about what budgeting and financial security really look like in retirement today, and why the old rules don’t always apply anymore. Why budgeting alone isn’t always enough, and what does help How to think about spending in retirement without fe...
Dec 19, 2025•33 min
Car buying can be one of the biggest — and most stressful — financial decisions we make. And too often, the auto industry feels like it was built to leave women out of the conversation. That ends today. In this episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with Chaya M. Milchtein, automotive educator, author of Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership , and all-around badass when it comes to helping women and LGBTQ+ folks feel confident in car buying, maintenance, and ownership. We also dive into: Why EVs...
Dec 17, 2025•38 min•Ep. 506
This week, we’re welcoming back someone who feels like part of the HerMoney podcast family: happiness expert and New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin . Gretchen is back with Jean to tackle some of the trickiest, most taboo, and surprisingly relatable money dilemmas our listeners have shared, including: What to do when your bank suddenly shuts down your account with no explanation How to confidently ask your employer to sponsor you in a pageant (without sounding cringe) And how to pro...
Dec 12, 2025•26 min
When bestselling author and podcast host Jen Hatmaker’s 26-year marriage imploded, she realized something shocking: even though she was the breadwinner, she had no idea how much money she made… or how to access it. In this deeply honest and empowering conversation, Jen sits down with Jean Chatzky to discuss her financial “wake-up” — how she went from completely disconnected to financially independent after divorce. Together, they unpack how faith, purity culture, and traditional gender roles sha...
Dec 10, 2025•40 min•Ep. 505
This week on A Week In Her Wallet , we meet Megan, a 47-year-old office manager living on Long Island with her husband. Together they earn around $200,000, but keep most of their spending separate — and it works. Megan hasn’t paid a cent in credit card interest in over two decades and recently spent just $400 in a week, all while training for her fifth marathon. Tune in as she shares: Why she keeps her money separate from her spouse, and how they make it work The real costs of marathon training ...
Dec 05, 2025•29 min
Today on the HerMoney Podcast, we're bringing you something special — an exclusive preview of one of our brand-new Patreon-only AMA episodes . In this series, Jean sits down one-on-one with real listeners to talk through their biggest financial questions in real time. In this episode, you’ll meet Donna, a 68-year-old listener who is rebuilding her financial life from scratch after the end of a 30-year marriage, years out of the workforce, and time spent navigating disability. Now she’s back at w...
Dec 04, 2025•10 min
For decades, college was considered the ultimate launching pad—your ticket to a good job, a stable life, and financial freedom. But today, that path feels a whole lot blurrier. In this episode, Jean sits down with leading financial expert Ric Edelman, whose new book The Truth About College pulls back the curtain on what higher education really delivers—and where it falls short. Together, they dive into: When college still makes financial sense—and when it really doesn’t How families can make sma...
Dec 03, 2025•35 min•Ep. 504
In this powerful and inspiring episode of Your Money Map , Jean Chatzky sits down with entrepreneur and author Julie Wainwright, founder of The RealReal, to talk about failure, reinvention, and why it’s never too late to bet on yourself. She shares candid stories from her new book, Time to Get Real: How I Built a Billion Dollar Business that Rocked the Fashion Industry , and the hard-won lessons she learned about leadership, raising capital as a woman over 50, and taking calculated risks — inclu...
Nov 28, 2025•33 min
Thinking about ditching the 9-to-5? Already navigating the ups and downs of freelance work? This episode is your financial playbook for thriving as your own boss. Jean Chatzky sits down with money coach and longtime freelancer Emily Guy Birken to unpack everything from budgeting on irregular income to choosing the right retirement accounts. Emily shares her personal percentage-based money system, explains why separate bank accounts are non-negotiable, and reveals the must-have clauses for every ...
Nov 26, 2025•34 min•Ep. 503
In this Mailbag, Jean is joined by financial planner and author of My Mother's Money , Beth Pinsker, to answer your real-life questions about caregiving, estate planning, and financial decision-making for aging parents. Whether you’re currently managing someone else’s money or prepping your own, this episode is packed with compassionate, practical advice to help you protect your finances and your peace of mind. Mailbag Questions: 1:05: “Should we loan money to a parent for home repairs?” 7:15 “W...
Nov 21, 2025•22 min
When you're suddenly put in charge of an aging parent’s finances, the emotional toll is heavy, and the financial fallout can be even heavier. In this episode, Jean Chatzky is joined by certified financial planner and MarketWatch columnist Beth Pinsker, author of My Mother’s Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving . Together, they unpack Beth’s personal journey of managing her mother’s finances through illness, surgery, and estate settlement. Even with decades of experience writing about money, Be...
Nov 19, 2025•33 min•Ep. 502
This week on A Week In Her Wallet , we head to Atlanta to follow Kristen, a 40-something clinical researcher who earns about $150K a year and travels nearly full-time for work. She walks us through a week of thoughtful spending, including a $1,300 mortgage payment, $500 toward her HELOC, a $150 yard sale win (promptly spent on music festival tickets), and the small joys that keep her grounded when she’s on the road so much. 💬 In this episode: Why she bought a home on her own at 30 How she’s nav...
Nov 14, 2025•39 min
The world of work is changing fast. AI is reshaping how we do our jobs, learn new skills, and even how we write our resumes and cover letters. But the most trusted source of career advice isn’t AI. It’s people. In this week’s episode, Jean sits down with LinkedIn Career Expert Catherine Fisher to talk about why networking is still the ultimate career superpower. Catherine shares why it’s less about jobs disappearing and more about tasks evolving, what skills are becoming even more valuable now, ...
Nov 12, 2025•33 min•Ep. 501
This week on HerMoney’s special series A Week In Her Wallet , we meet Kaitlyn from Madison, Wisconsin. She’s a full-time state program manager with a side hustle, a toddler, three cats, and a dog — so life is full, to say the least. Kaitlyn and her husband bring in just under $200K per year and manage their money through shared accounts and regular “budget nights.” As Kaitlyn tracks her spending for a week, she shares her candid voice notes about side gig deposits, why she swears by a monthly cl...
Nov 07, 2025•38 min
This week, Jean sits down with Andrew Ross Sorkin, bestselling author of Too Big to Fail and the brand-new 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—And How It Shattered a Nation . Andrew shares why the patterns of 1929 are repeating themselves, from the rise of new technology and market euphoria to record consumer debt and risky new financial products entering retirement accounts. Jean and Andrew break down what’s happening in the markets, what’s fueling the AI-driven investing man...
Nov 05, 2025•47 min•Ep. 500
With healthcare premiums expected to spike and enhanced ACA subsidies set to expire, millions of Americans may be facing a serious coverage crunch. In this timely episode of Your Money Map , Jean Chatzky is joined by retirement experts Marcia Mantell and Jae Oh to break down what’s really happening with the ACA, Medicare, and employer-sponsored insurance, and how you can protect your wallet. We dig into: How the government shutdown could impact Affordable Care Act subsidies The true cost of heal...
Oct 31, 2025•43 min
