HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Financial literacy isn’t just a problem for young people — it spans every generation and income bracket, and the numbers have only gotten worse over the last decade. So what actually works? This week, Jean sits down with Diana Isern, a 20-year NYC public school educator, Accredited Financial Counselor, and author of the new book Money Talks: An Educator’s Guide to Teaching Financial Empowerment. Diana approaches things differently: instead of lecturing people about what they don’t know, she starts from what families already do well, and builds from there. They dig into: The intergenerational money trauma most of us inherit without even realizing it, and how to break the cycle with your own kids Why 11th grade is the exact right moment for financial literacy to click What Diana actually tells her students when they ask her about crypto, sports betting apps, and “girl math” I'm hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club on November 17th at 7 ET. Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever stopped to think about how nearly every product in your life — the car you drive, the shoes on your feet, the chair you're sitting in right now — was actually designed for men? Because cars were designed for men, women are 73% more likely to be seriously injured in a crash, and 17% more likely to die in one. And it doesn't stop at cars; even your sneakers were likely modeled on a man's foot first. This week, Jean sits down with Karen Reuther — former Global Creative Director at Nike, VP of Creative Direction at Reebok, and now a design lecturer at Harvard — to talk about her new book, Man-Made: How We Designed a World That Leaves Women Out, and How We Can Make It Right.  They dig into: The "headspace gap" — the hidden mental tax women pay navigating cities, commutes, and public spaces built around men How the Stanley Quencher became a case study in designing for women Practical ways to push back on the pink tax with your voice, your vote, and your wallet The Forever Paycheck is officially a New York Times bestseller! If you've read it and found it useful, leave a review on Amazon and send a screenshot to [email protected] to be entered to win a signed copy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this AMA, Jean sits down with Anne — a 57-year-old retiree, self-taught investor, and self-described "super saver" — who's questioning whether her advisor's 60-basis-point fee (upwards of $50,000 a year) is still worth it now that she's retired, debt-free, and increasingly comfortable managing her own portfolio. They talk: The real difference between a pre-retirement growth plan and a post-retirement income plan Why getting your advisor, accountant, and estate planner talking to each other matters  How to "shop around" for an advisor without necessarily planning to leave the one you have Thanks to all of you, The Forever Paycheck hit the New York Times Best Seller list. Leave us a review on Amazon and send a screenshot to [email protected]⁠ to be entered to win a signed copy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For almost twenty years, HerMoney CEO Jean Chatzky was an annuity denier. In 2006, when her mother's financial advisor suggested putting some of her mom's money into one, Jean told him, flatly, to forget it. This week, she tells the full story of what changed her mind. Jean walks through the research that convinced her — retirees with annuitized income spend meaningfully more than retirees with similar wealth who don't have it, in some cases twice as much — and unpacks the psychology behind why a paycheck feels safer to spend than drawing down a balance on your own.  Want a signed copy of The Forever Paycheck? Leave the book a review on Amazon, screenshot it, and email it to [email protected] to be entered to win. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does being “good with money” actually look like? It might look like steadily contributing to your 401(k). Or figuring out how to pay for summer camp while continuing to save for retirement. It might mean comparing health insurance plans, building an emergency fund, deciding how much house your family can comfortably afford, or simply asking the right questions before making a big financial decision. In other words, women are making important financial decisions every single day — and there’s a good chance we’re doing many of them more successfully than we give ourselves credit for. On this special episode of the HerMoney Podcast, Jean Chatzky sits down with FourLeaf Federal Credit Union President and CEO Linda Armyn to talk about the Money Like A Woman movement and the Five Pillars that they created: building financial confidence and independence; spending, borrowing, and planning with intention; building and growing wealth; protecting what matters; and strengthening your financial community. Jean and Linda discuss why being “good with money” has traditionally been defined far too narrowly — and why we don’t have to be experts on Wall Street to build wealth. (In fact, many of the habits women may dismiss as “boring,” like saving slowly over time, trading less frequently, and staying invested for the long haul, can actually be some of the keys to financial success!)  They also dig into what it means to spend with intention (yes, you can buy the 10 pairs of black shoes!), why protecting the people you love through insurance and estate planning is a form of love, how to protect yourself from increasingly sophisticated financial scams, and why talking openly about money can help strengthen our entire financial community. Ultimately, as Linda explains, the goal is for “anyone and everyone” to be able to Money Like A Woman, regardless of gender. Be curious. Ask questions. Think long term. Make deliberate choices. Prepare for the unexpected. Share what you’ve learned. And give yourself a little more credit for everything you’re already doing right. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MONEY LIKE A WOMAN MOVEMENT HERE! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medicare can feel like a maze of parts, plans and deadlines – and getting it wrong can cost you. On this episode of the HerMoney Podcast, sponsored by LIMRA, Jean sits down with mother-daughter Medicare experts Diane Omdahl and Melinda Caughill of 65 Incorporated to break down exactly what you need to know: when to enroll, how to choose between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and what's changing in 2027 that could catch beneficiaries off guard – from Part D drug plan shakeups to insurers pulling back from Medicare Advantage. We cover: The basics of Medicare – who's automatically enrolled and who isn't, and when you should start prepping to make Medicare decisions A quick guide to Parts A, B, C and D, plus where Medigap fits in Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: the key differences and why the choice matters more than you think What to know about switching plans later – and why timing is everything What's changing with Part D and Medicare Advantage in 2027 A tool that can help simplify comparing your options during open enrollment After you’ve listened, if you’re ready to dig in, LIMRA’s 5-step guide to planning for healthcare costs in retirement is a great place to start. It will help you get organized, understand your options, and know what to ask your advisor about building a healthcare strategy before you retire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us pictured our lives as a straight line: high school, college, a job, marriage, a house, kids…one milestone after another. Then life happened. A divorce. A layoff. A move. A pandemic.  This week, Jean Chatzky goes solo to make the case that a messy, non-linear life isn't a failure; it's just what a normal life actually looks like.  In this episode, you'll learn: The "5 Ws and an H": six questions to ask before you retire How to apply design thinking to your own retirement plan Why the real risk in retirement isn't running out of money, but never spending the money you worked so hard to save Want a signed copy of The Forever Paycheck? Leave HerMoney a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it, and email it to ⁠[email protected]⁠ to enter. 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 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