Personal Finance Expert. Award-Winning Journalist. Best-Selling Author.
In this special AMA Mailbag episode, Jean dives into your most pressing retirement questions with listeners Pam and Laurie.
First up, Pam, who inherited an IRA from her late mother, wonders whether to cash it out or invest it for the long haul. Then we hear from Laurie, a military spouse navigating what to do with her husband's TSP now that he’s out of the service. Should they roll it over? Keep it where it is? And what’s the best way for a newly self-employed woman to start saving for retirement on her own terms?
💡 Topics Covered:
How to make the most of an inherited IRA
The emotional power of planning small financial “gifts” from loved ones
Smart investment choices for idle HSA funds
What to know before moving a TSP into a rollover IRA
Retirement saving strategies for freelancers and the self-employed
… Does more financial confidence sound good to you, then you might want to try:
🚀 FinanceFixx – HerMoney’s 4 or 8-week Money Makeover financial coaching program that will help you get your finances on track!
📈 InvestingFixx – HerMoney’s investing club for women who are ready to learn market lingo, and grow their wealth. Your first month with us is completely free!
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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This week, we're digging into one of the most pressing financial crises of our time: student loans. After a five-year pause, the Trump administration has officially restarted collections on defaulted federal student loans, and millions of borrowers could soon face wage garnishment, reduced Social Security benefits, and even hits to their credit scores.
Joining us is Jillian Berman, author of the groundbreaking new book, Sunk Cost: Who’s to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It. Jillian takes us behind the headlines, breaks down who is most at risk, and how to get your payments back on track if you’re in default.
Resources & Links:
🚀 FinanceFixx – Our 4 or 8-week coaching program to get your finances on track!
📈 InvestingFixx – A club for women ready to grow their wealth. Your first month is completely free.
StudentAid.gov – Check your loan status, repayment options, and servicer info.
More from Jillian Berman on MarketWatch
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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Motherhood is personal and more than a little bit complicated. And today, we’re diving deep into the emotional and financial complexities of modern motherhood with journalist and author of The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us, Ruthie Ackerman. Ruthie’s journey includes freezing her eggs in her 30s, navigating a divorce, and ultimately becoming a mother at 43 through donor eggs.
But her story is about much more than biology—it’s about breaking timelines, challenging societal expectations, and rewriting what it means to live a full, intentional life…with or without children.
Looking for more financial confidence?
🚀 FinanceFixx – Our 4 or 8-week coaching program to get your finances on track!
📈 InvestingFixx – A club for women ready to grow their wealth. Your first month is completely free.
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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On today’s episode, Jean is sitting down with the brilliant Rachel Rodgers — bestselling author, CEO of Hello Seven, and mom of four — to talk about how we can help the next generation not just survive, but truly thrive.
Rachel shares her fresh, practical roadmap for helping young people build wealth early: from learning to dream big (million-dollar big!) to teaching them the language of money, investing their earnings, and embracing an entrepreneurial mindset. We dive into why just "getting a job" isn't enough anymore, how to help Gen Z overcome financial stress, and why every kid should think like an owner and investor.
Looking for more financial confidence?
🚀 FinanceFixx – Our 4 or 8-week coaching program to get your finances on track!
📈 InvestingFixx – A club for women ready to grow their wealth. Your first month is completely free.
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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In this AMA Mailbag episode, Jean sits down with two thoughtful guests navigating major financial crossroads. First up is Dawn from Joshua Tree, who is in the process of closing her beloved but unprofitable gift shop. Then we hear from Karyn in Washington, who owns a rental home in Denver and is torn between keeping it as an investment or selling it while market conditions are strong.
💡 Topics Covered:
… Does more financial confidence sounds good to you, then you might want to try:
🚀 FinanceFixx – HerMoney’s 4 or 8-week Money Makeover financial coaching program that will help you get your finances on track!
📈 InvestingFixx – HerMoney’s investing club for women who are ready to learn market lingo, and grow their wealth. Your first month with us is completely free!
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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This week, we’re diving into a topic that’s on everyone’s mind right now—layoffs. Whether you’ve seen the headlines, heard the whispers in your own company, or been directly affected, the truth is: layoffs are on the rise again, and you need to know how to prepare for them.
Our guest today, Peter Rahbar, is an employment attorney and workplace issues expert. He explains your post-layoff legal rights, offers practical career tips, and shares the most important mindset shift that can help you bounce back better than ever.
Looking for more financial confidence?
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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In this special Mailbag episode, we welcome back personal finance expert Dana Miranda, author of You Don’t Need a Budget, to tackle your most pressing money questions. From navigating early retirement goals to rebuilding credit post-divorce to whether or not you can justify your boutique Pilates membership, we’re getting real about money, self-care, and financial freedom.
Mailbag Questions:
01:00 “I’m 58, burnt out, and want to retire early; is $200k saved enough?”
07:00 “Should I use my 401(k) to pay off $70K in debt?”
13:00 “Can I afford to work part-time post-divorce, or do I need to look for a full-time job?”
20:00 “I make $180k and have 2 kids, is $200 a month too much for a gym membership?”
Looking for more financial confidence?
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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Do you really need a budget to manage your money? Or is it time to delete the apps, toss the spreadsheets, and rethink everything?
Today, we’re sitting down with Dana Miranda, author of the bold new book You Don’t Need a Budget: Stop Worrying About Debt, Spend Without Shame, and Manage Money With Ease. Together, she and Jean dig into why traditional “budget culture” can be just as toxic as diet culture and a more intuitive, values-based approach we can use instead.
Looking for more financial confidence?
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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We’ve all been there: endlessly scrolling through financial headlines, absorbing TikTok hot takes, or reading investing books with dreams of becoming the next Warren Buffett. But what if all that advice is doing more harm than good?
On the most recent episode of Your Money Map, our weekly show with the Alliance for Lifetime Income, we sit down with Barry Ritholtz, host of Bloomberg’s Masters in Business podcast, CIO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and author of the new book How Not to Invest: The Ideas, Numbers, and Behaviors That Destroy Wealth and How to Avoid Them. His mission? To help us unlearn everything that’s steering us in the wrong direction.
If you like this episode and want more, check out all of our Your Money Map episodes at protectedincome.org/your-money-map/ or tune in live every Wednesday at 12 PM ET on Facebook or LinkedIn.
🚀 FinanceFixx – Our 4 or 8-week coaching program to get your finances on track! Our next 4-week session starts May 6th, use code SAVENOW for a 15% discount.
📈 InvestingFixx – A club for women ready to grow their wealth. Your first month is completely free.
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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Climate news in the last few years has felt incredibly depressing. Melting ice caps. Declining bee populations. Corporate greenwashing. It’s easy to feel like there’s nothing we can do that actually makes a difference. But what if you could take one simple action that not only helped the planet but also your wallet and your mental health?
This week, we sit down with Ashlee Piper, award-winning sustainability expert and author of No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity. She shares how stepping off the work-to-buy treadmill helped her save $36,000, pay off debt, and reconnect with what actually brings her joy.
Join the Challenge + Learn More:
🔗 Follow Ashlee on Instagram: @ashleepiper
📬 Get her free Substack and join future challenges
Looking for more financial confidence?
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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This week, we’re bringing back expert investor Jenny Van Leeuwen Harrington for a special mailbag episode. She’s answering all of your excellent saving and investing questions—from how to start investing outside of a retirement account to making the most of a short college savings window to figuring out which account to draw from in retirement.
Whether you're just getting started investing or reassessing your strategy later in life, Jenny and Jean break down the decisions that matter most—and remind us that successful investing is more about time in the market than picking the perfect stocks.
Mailbag Questions:
[1:30] “Is 59 too late to open a Roth IRA, and what should I invest in?”
[5:00] “We have 3 teens and not much saved for college yet. Where should we start?”
[7:30] “I'm a retiree, and I’d like to start pulling money on a monthly basis. Which account should I pull from first?”
[11:30] “I make $150,000 a year and put $1,000 into my 401k every month. If I want to retire in 15 years, what else should I be investing in?”
Looking for more financial confidence?
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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