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 feeling deprived
• The case for lowering overhead before you stop working
• Paying off a mortgage vs. keeping a low-interest loan
• Hidden programs and benefits that activate later in life
• Tiffany’s top three tips for anyone approaching retirement

🎧 More resources on building retirement income you can’t outlive: Visit protectedincome.org 

 📬 Sign up for the newsletter at protectedincome.org/subscribe

In this episode, we cover:📘 Get Good With Money by Tiffany Aliche

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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 aren't for everyone, and what to know before you commit
• How to figure out the true cost of car ownership
• The #1 negotiating mistake people make (and how to avoid it)
• How women can reclaim power in auto spaces that weren’t built for us
• What to do if you're buying a car for your kid, and peace of mind is your top priority

📚 Get Chaya’s book: Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership

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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 professionally advocate for yourself when a colleague with less experience is making $20K more

🎧 Got a money question of your own? Write to us at [email protected]

📲 And be sure to check out Since You Asked wherever you get your podcasts!

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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 shaped her relationship with money, and how she ultimately took back control.

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

• Why she went to an attorney, not a therapist, after finding out about her husband’s affair
• The cultural and religious beliefs that kept her from managing her money
• Jen’s 90-day crash course to financial independence (and the exact checklist she followed)
• How friendships and solo travel helped her heal emotionally and financially
• Her evolving relationship with spirituality after stepping away from church
• Jen’s advice for women who feel they’re “late” to their own financial lives

Resources & Links:

• Jen Hatmaker’s memoir: AWAKE
• Jen’s podcast: For The Love
• Follow Jen on Instagram
• More financial tips and support: HerMoney.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and share it with a friend who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more stories of reinvention, resilience, and taking control of your financial future.

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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
• How she budgeted for a trip to Barcelona without touching savings
• Her unique take on tipping, impulse buying, and personal finance independence

🎯 Ready to understand your own money style? Take our MoneyType™ quiz

💡 Want to build better habits? Join our InvestingFixx club.

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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 work full-time — earning nearly double what she made before — and she’s trying to figure out how to use this new income to build the retirement she wants.

Jean and Donna talk through:

• What it feels like to step back into the workforce at 68
• How to choose between Roth and traditional contributions
• How to invest when you feel “behind” on retirement
• What to do when advisors tell you your portfolio is “too small.”
• And how to finally create a plan after years of trying

You’ll hear the first half of their conversation here. To listen to the full episode — plus all of our new bonus content — join us on Patreon.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/cw/HerMoneyPodcast 

As a Patreon member, you’ll get:

• 1–2 exclusive bonus episodes every month
• AMA call-in mailbags with Jean
• A lively private chat with the HerMoney community
• Ad-free listening across the entire feed
• Early access to submit your money questions
• Access to a special live event we’re hosting in the new year

If you love having more HerMoney in your week, we’d love to have you join us.

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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 smarter decisions together 
• Why trade schools, gap years, and community college deserve a second look
• The emotional toll of student debt (and what parents often miss)
• How adults can tap into lifelong learning without breaking the bank

More from HerMoney:

• 💸 Want to join our investing club or try our coaching program? [https://hermoney.com/fixx/]
• 📰 Get our free weekly newsletter: [https://hermoney.com/subscribe/]

✨If this episode helped you see things in a new way, leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts.

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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 — including the moment she emptied her 401(k) to fund her vision.

Topics We Cover:

• How Julie rebuilt her career after Pets.com
• The surprising advantages of launching a business later in life
• Facing ageism and gender bias in venture capital
• Why she bet her retirement savings on herself
• The messy truths behind entrepreneurship
• Advice for women starting over at any age

👉 Resources & Links:

🔗 Learn more about retirement income at ProtectedIncome.org

🔗 Sign up for free retirement advice & news delivered straight to your inbox: protectedincome.org/subscribe

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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 freelance contract. Whether you're freelancing full-time or hustling on the side, these tips will help you get paid, save smart, and sleep better.

In This Episode:

• How to build a baseline budget as a freelancer
• A smart, percentage-based system for managing income
• The pros and cons of solo 401(k)s vs. SEP IRAs
• How to structure your business
• Why contracts are your best friend in freelance work
• How to stay emotionally grounded in unpredictable times

Resources & Links:

📚 Emily’s book: Stacked: Your Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management

🔗 More financial tips for freelancers at HerMoney.com

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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 “Who pays the medical bills after someone dies?” 

13:05: “How do I put my RMDs to work in the market?” 

Have a question for us? Write to us (or send us a voice note!) at [email protected].  While you’re at it, join the HerMoney community! For the latest episode drops and financial news-you-can-use, subscribe to our newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe!

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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, Beth found herself caught off-guard by just how complicated — and expensive — caregiving can be without the right documents and conversations in place.

What You’ll Learn:

• The most overlooked (and affordable) legal documents everyone needs
• The difference between joint accounts, POA, and transfer-on-death
• How to prep for financial caregiving before a medical emergency
• The unexpected costs of not planning ahead — and how to avoid them
• How to be “the person who gets called” in a crisis — and what to ask in advance

💡 P.S. Need help getting your own financial life in order before you take on someone else’s? Check out our FinanceFixx program, our signature coaching experience that helps you get organized, take control of your spending, and build a plan that actually works. 

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