AI was supposed to make life easier. So why do so many of us feel busier and more overwhelmed than ever?

Axios co-founder Roy Schwartz joins Jean Chatzky to talk about his new book Simplify: Do 50% More with 50% Less. They dig into why AI is adding complexity instead of removing it, and how to push back at work, with your money, and in how you structure your days.

In this episode:

• Why you should treat AI like “the smartest intern ever,” but on day one
• How to use AI as an executive coach to audit your meetings
• How to brief an AI chatbot when talking to it about your money goals
• The four things that drive health, happiness, and longevity

Jean is hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club November 17th at 7 ET. Sign up here! 

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The entire American retirement system was built for people with a steady employer, a predictable paycheck, and benefits that are easy to opt in to. But that’s just not how a huge number of people make money anymore. Freelancers, consultants, gig workers, seasonal workers, and side-hustlers are building their financial lives without a 401(k) match or a biweekly deposit, and “just save more” won’t cut it.

Jean talks with AJ Ayers, CFP®, co-founder of Brooklyn Fi and author of Creative Money. AJ shares practical, realistic advice for artists, freelancers, and solopreneurs, whether you chose self-employment or the job market chose it for you.

In this episode:

• How to set up your finances when you go out on your own
• How self-employment differs in your 50s versus your 30s
• How much to keep in an emergency fund when your income is unpredictable

Jean is hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club November 17th at 7 ET. Sign up here!

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Botox can run $500 to $1,000 per visit. Add a laser, a peel, a monthly facial membership, and perhaps a facelfit, and suddenly you’re talking about five figures.

On this episode, Jean Chatzky is joined by Val Monroe, former beauty director at O, The Oprah Magazine, and writer of the Substack How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, to sort out what’s worth paying for and what you’re being sold.

In this episode:

• What to ask before you pay for a procedure: what results you’ll see on your face, how long they’ll last, and whether the consultation fee is applied to the procedure
• Why Val recommends a consultation with a doctor you trust 
• Botox or a chemical peel? Why they do different jobs

Mentioned in this episode

I’m Not Going to Lie About My Neck, Molly Jong-Fast, The New York Times

My Post-Face-Lift Panic, Tara Ellison, The Cut

Your Perfectly Imperfect Face, Val Monroe’s latest Substack post

I'm hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club on November 17th at 7 ET. ⁠Sign up here!

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Ask a financial pro how they invest their own money, and the answer usually isn’t flashy. That’s the idea behind How I Invest My Money: Volume 2, a collection of 25 essays from financial pros, each answering one question: How do you invest your money?

Jean sits down with behavioral finance expert and editor Brian Portnoy to talk about what the experts do, why they don’t always agree, and how to give yourself permission to enjoy the money you’ve worked so hard to save.

In this episode:

• Why the experts disagree on international investing
• How to figure out what matters most to you with Brian’s “four Cs”
• Why lifelong savers have such a hard time spending, and how to give yourself permission to enjoy life now
• How Brian invests his own money

I'm hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club on November 17th at 7 ET. ⁠Sign up here!

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How much do you need to retire, not just comfortably, but happily, in 2026? 

Recorded live at FinCon, Jean Chatzky sat down with Wes Moss, author of The Retire Sooner Method: The 5 Secrets Behind America's Happiest (and Unhappiest) Retirees. 

Then, HerMoney Chief Content Officer Kathryn Tuggle is joined by Lacy Garcia of Willow for National Financial Planning Month. They get into why successful women still benefit from working with a financial advisor, how to think about giving to family without compromising your own plan, and how much flexibility you really have to make a big career move.

Lacy also shares the questions to ask a prospective advisor before you hire one.

To find a vetted fiduciary CFA or CDFA, visit https://hermoney.com/findanadvisor/. Jean is hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club November 17th at 7 ET. Sign up here!

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The ten years before retirement are your last, best chance to get it right. In this episode, Jean and Anne Lester, author of Your Best Financial Life, former head of Retirement Solutions for J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and a fellow with LIMRA’s Retirement Income Institute, break down what the ten years before retirement should really look like and everything you need to tackle to enter retirement with confidence. 

They cover:

• How to assess your retirement landscape without needing a “perfect” answer
• Social Security, including whether to wait to claim and what you gain by delaying
• How to take your retirement budget for a test drive before you retire
• Why the day you stop saving and start withdrawing is your riskiest, and how to adjust your asset allocation as you near it
• How guaranteed income changes how much risk you can afford to take
• The emotional side of retirement, including figuring out who you’ll be next and what will give your days meaning
• Lester’s 3 must-dos for the decade before retirement: understand your spending, know your assets, and get to know yourself

Ready for more? This free guide from LIMRA walks you through the key milestones to consider as retirement approaches, helping you move from simply saving for this chapter to actually living it to the fullest.

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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!

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Sixty percent of Americans say they feel scared when they think about the future, and women are more likely than men to feel that way. If your instinct is to push that fear down, breathe through it, or just try to be more fearless, Farnoosh Torabi wants to stop you right there. Because fear, she argues, isn’t the enemy. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools you have, if you know how to listen to it.

This week, Jean sits down with Farnoosh Torabi to talk about her book, A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life.

They dig into:

• The difference between healthy and unhealthy fear 
• The live TV snafu that taught Farnoosh to stop performing and just be herself (and what that has to do with your next big meeting or financial conversation)
• Why your fear of money might actually be ingrained, and what to do about it

I'm hosting a free Forever Paycheck book club November 17th at 7 ET! Sign up here.

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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.

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We're closing in on the end of 2026, and on paper, it's been an amazing year for the markets. But that doesn't change the math that so many of us are feeling in our day-to-day lives. That’s why we’re back with Tori Dunlap, founder and CEO of Her First $100K, to walk us through her top moves for building real wealth as we head into the final stretch of the year.

Jean and Tori get into what to do with cash sitting in a high-yield savings account right now, why Tori says it's now unequivocally smarter to rent than buy in most major U.S. cities, and the trap she sees so many high-earning women fall into.

In this episode:

• Why Tori says to beef up your emergency fund right now, even if you're already investing
• How to build a truly diversified portfolio beyond a single index fund
• What a HENRY is, and why decent income can disconnect you from your money

And if you've already read The Forever Paycheck, leave a review on Amazon and send Jean a screenshot at [email protected]; you'll be entered to win a signed copy.

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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]m⁠ to be entered to win a signed copy.

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