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 says, “Don’t even look at the market” (and what to do instead)
• What the mortgage “doom loop” means for Millennials, Gen Z, and retirees
• How long it could take to restore housing affordability in America
• Why homeownership is still a powerful wealth-building tool
• The truth about 50-year mortgages, portable loans, and whether they can help
• How to think smartly about helping your kids now vs. leaving a legacy later

💡 Further reading and listening:

The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act

“Die With Zero” by Bill Perkins

The Inside Economics Podcast – hosted by Mark Zandi

Join our InvestingFixx Club today!

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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 feel more confident about what comes next.

In this episode, Jean and Christine break down:

• Why there’s no one-size-fits-all retirement plan
• How to shift from a saving to a spending mindset in retirement
• The biggest retirement blind spots – and why they’re more challenging for women
• The steps you can take today to feel less overwhelmed about retirement planning

🛣️ ARE YOU ON TRACK? If you’re ready to start putting together a retirement plan that works for you, download LIMRA’s free Retirement Income Planning Starter Guide.

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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 with your money in 2026? Join our women-only investing club, InvestingFixx, where expert stock pickers pitch ideas—and you help build the portfolio.

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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 management (yes, she was once a finance bro), Amanda walked away from Wall Street to help over 25,000 women learn to invest, without shame, jargon, or feeling overwhelmed. 

In this episode, Jean and Amanda break down:

• Why the financial system feels so exclusive—and how to take your seat at the table
• How to build “the Gap” (your most powerful financial tool)
• Amanda’s hilarious (and helpful) dating metaphor for asset allocation
• Whether it’s too late to catch up on retirement (spoiler: it’s not)
• The surprising risks of today’s AI-driven stock market boom

💼 Want more support with your investing journey? Join our women-only investing club, InvestingFixx, today!

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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 giving each son a $500K laundromat (but don’t want to give their spouses anything)

Whether you're planning your estate, helping aging parents, or wondering how to protect family assets, this episode is packed with practical tips, legal insights, and thoughtful perspectives.

Want more smart money advice from Jean? Subscribe, leave a review, and send your questions to [email protected].

Resources Mentioned:

🔗 The Moneyist at MarketWatch

🔗 HerMoney Facebook Group

🔗 Join the InvestingFixx Community

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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, one smart move at a time.

In this episode:

• What Karen’s biggest winner of 2025 says about the market’s resilience
• Her biggest regret and what she’d do differently
• Whether the AI hype is starting to look like 1999
• How to use the volatility index to make better decisions
• Why banks might be the most overlooked opportunity of 2026
• What our InvestingFixx community got right and how they keep winning

Looking for more?

• Join our InvestingFixx club
• Listen to How She Does It with Karen Finerman
• Karen Finerman’s viral end-of-year thread on X

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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 personal brand and start getting noticed on LinkedIn
• Why your network is your greatest asset and how to start using it

 We love your questions! Send them to us at [email protected].

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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 self-reliance to create real opportunity, no matter where we’re starting from.

We discuss:

• What it really means to invest in yourself—personally, professionally, and financially
• Why your reputation is currency, and how to build a personal brand that opens doors
• How to develop the five key traits of self-reliant people: initiative, adaptability, decision-making, leadership, and growth mindset
• Maha’s mantra “Stay low, keep moving”—and how it can help you block the noise and stay focused
• Why hustle culture is out, and value culture is in
• How to use small daily actions to build lasting change

🎧 Don’t miss our bonus Mailbag episode this Friday, where Maha returns to answer your real-life questions on personal branding and career transitions.

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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 expenses

We’re looking for more real women to share their spending diaries. 👉 Fill out this quick form to get started

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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, or just looking to improve your healthspan (not just lifespan!), this conversation is packed with practical tips on:

• How to build meaningful relationships without overspending
• Why third places (not home or work) are essential to healthy aging
• What other countries are doing right when it comes to retirement and lifelong learning
• How women, in particular, can fight isolation and plan for long, vibrant lives

📚 Resources:

• Get Ken Stern’s new book: Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives
• Listen to Ken’s podcast: Century Lives by the Stanford Center on Longevity
• Join the HerMoney Community for more conversations like this

💬 Like what you hear?

Please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts: it helps more women find the show and join the conversation about living richer, bolder, more connected lives.

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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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