As Chief Investment Strategist at Hightower Advisors, Stephanie Link spends her days researching the market’s winners. Today, she's breaking it all down for us. Stephanie explains why the economy keeps defying the doom-and-gloom headlines, which stocks she thinks will champion the next decade, and why she believes we're only in the third inning of the AI revolution.

Nicole and Stephanie get tactical fast: the difference between the Mag 7 and the "S&P 493," which stocks are not worth the hype, and Stephanie's thesis that cybersecurity stocks will end up being bigger than AI. She names her favorite tickers across cybersecurity, data centers, robotics, and quantum computing, and explains whether it’s too late to buy NVIDIA. Stephanie also gets real about the so-called "AI bubble," the circular spending debate freaking out investors, and why she bought SpaceX but capped it at just 2% of her portfolio.

Plus: what her 19-year-old daughter is investing in, why "FAANG" just got a 2026 update, and the one boring, unsexy ETF Stephanie says every new investor should consider.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠

Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠ 

Read more about Stephanie’s work

Here's what Nicole covers with Stephanie:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:12 Stephanie Link Joins Money Rehab

01:41 Why the Market Keeps Defying the Doom and Gloom

04:07 CapEx, Decoded

06:58 The K-Shaped Economy: Why the Vibes Don't Match the Numbers

09:49 Inflation, Oil Prices, and the War's Ripple Effect

11:41 Mag 7 vs. the S&P 493: Which ETF Should You Buy?

16:16 Why Stephanie Says No to Leveraged ETFs

17:32 Cybersecurity Will Be Bigger Than AI

20:16 The Best Cybersecurity Stocks on Stephanie's List

23:15 How to Vet a CEO Before You Buy the Stock

25:16 Investing Lessons from Stephanie's 19-Year-Old Daughter

28:23 What Stephanie Won't Buy: Crypto, Staples, and Energy

32:20 Inside the AI "Food Chain": Powering the Data Center Boom

35:43 Robotics and Quantum Computing: The Next Big Themes

41:00 MicroStrategy vs. Palo Alto: What "On Sale" Really Means

43:07 FAANG Is Dead, Long Live MANGOES

43:47 Why Stephanie Bought SpaceX (and Kept It to 2%)

55:40 Is It Too Late to Buy NVIDIA?

59:06 Grading the Innings: AI, Cybersecurity, and Robotics

59:50 Hot Stocks: Micron, SanDisk, and the Chips Everyone's Chasing

1:02:27 Is There an AI Bubble?

1:03:16 The Circular Spending Debate

1:08:08 Stephanie Link's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Disclosures: Hightower invests in companies including Boeing Company, Dover Corp, General Electric, Quanta Services, Rockwell Automation, Union Pacific Corporation, Broadcom, International Business Machines Corporation, Marvell Technology Inc, ServiceNow Inc, Palo Alto Networks Inc, Snowflake Inc, Synopsys Inc, Bank of America, Capital One, Coinbase, Morgan Stanley, Truist Financial Corp, Amazon.com Inc, Meta, SpaceX, Alcoa Corp, Antofagasta PLC, Natera Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, SLB Limited

Employment attorney Ryan Stygar joins Nicole to hand us the playbook our employers hope they never find. He breaks down what "at-will employment" actually means and the exact moves to make the moment you get that dreaded out-of-nowhere email from HR. He also reveals everything that's negotiable in a severance package: the cash amount, COBRA coverage, equity vesting schedules, and non-disparagement clauses, and shares how he turned a $6,000 severance offer into over $60,000 for one client.

Then Nicole and Ryan role-play a firing from both sides of the table — so you know exactly what to say and what never to say. They dig into the issues that disproportionately affect women at work: pregnancy discrimination (the number one form Ryan sees in his practice), his controversial-but-legally-sound advice to disclose your pregnancy early, what rights you have if you miscarry, and how return-to-office mandates are quietly being weaponized as stealth layoffs. 

Plus: AI keystroke monitoring, non-competes in the current legal landscape, and the interview questions that are totally illegal — that you're probably being asked right now.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠ Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠ Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠ 

Get Ryan's book ⁠Get It in Writing⁠

Here's what Nicole covers with Ryan: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

02:01 Ryan's Path: From Firefighter to Workers' Rights Lawyer 

02:52 Nicole Gets Let Go From CNN 

03:44 Why HR Is Not Your Friend 

05:34 The Right (and Wrong) Way to Fire Someone 

06:41 It's Illegal to Fire Someone for Discussing Their Pay 

08:44 Building Your Paper Trail From Day One 

20:07 At-Will Employment, Explained 

24:50 What to Do the Moment You Get That HR Email 

26:31 Don't Sign Anything When You're Fired 

29:14 Severance Is Negotiable 

31:54 How Contingency Lawyers Can Help (Even When You're Broke) 

33:38 What Else Is on the Table: COBRA, Equity, and Non-Disparagement Clauses 

37:38 Role Play: Getting Fired (What Not to Do) 

39:23 Role Play: Getting Laid Off (The Right Way to Handle It) 

44:09 How a Good Employer Handles the Conversation 

46:34 Freelancers and the 1099 vs. W-2 Trap 

49:59 The Fear of Getting Blacklisted for Asserting Your Rights 

50:19 Sexual Harassment: Who's Most at Risk and What to Do 

52:44 Maternity Leave and Pregnancy Discrimination 

55:28 Controversial Advice: Disclose Your Pregnancy Early 

59:14 What to Get in Writing When You're Pregnant 

01:02:16 Your Rights If You Miscarry 

01:04:59 Return to Office as a Stealth Layoff Strategy 

01:08:10 AI Tracking and Keystroke Monitoring 

01:12:25 Non-Competes: What You Need to Know in 2026 

01:17:09 Illegal Interview Questions (Role Play) 

01:23:00 Ryan Stygar's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor or attorney before making any financial or legal decisions.

Nicole used to think insurance was a boring subject.... until she lost her home in the Palisades fire.

Today, she is teaming up with the ⁠Coalition for an Insurable Future⁠ to tell you about what you need to know about the insurance issue that could become the next great American financial crisis, and how to protect yourself.

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Chloe Demrovsky, one of the nation's leading voices on disaster risk and resilience. Nicole and Chloe break down the numbers: homeowners insurance premiums are up 74% since 2008, 40% faster than inflation, and 95% of American homeowners are already feeling it. Then they get tactical: what "uninsurable" actually means, the coverage gaps that catch most people off guard (spoiler: flood is not in your standard homeowners policy), and the exact steps to take before a disaster strikes.

Learn more about ⁠the Coalition for an Insurable Future⁠ and ⁠follow⁠ their work. 

Learn more about ⁠Chloe Demrovsky⁠ and ⁠follow⁠ her work.

#CoalitionForAnInsurableFuturePartner

Allie K. Miller is the number one most-followed voice in AI business and an advisor to Fortune 500 companies , and she's on Money Rehab to tell us that most people are leaving serious money on the table by treating AI like a productivity tool. Today, Allie joins Nicole to break down exactly how to use AI as a wealth strategy in 2026 and beyond.

Allie pulls back the curtain on her AI workforce (34 agents named after Friends characters) and explains why delegation is now a financial strategy, not just a productivity hack. She and Nicole dig into the most important question everyone has right now: what's safe to share with AI, and what isn't? From feeding Claude your insurance policy after a disaster, to connecting AI directly to your investment accounts, Allie lays out how to think about risk and leverage when it comes to your financial data.

They also tackle the hard questions about kids and AI: AI companionship dangers, AI toys, age limits, whether college is even coming back, and why "AI scams are the new white vans." Finally, Allie shares her honest, unfiltered take on investing in AI companies, why she's long-term bullish, and the bold predictions people are calling her crazy for making today.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Follow Allie Miller on LinkedIn and Instagram

Here's what Nicole covers with Allie: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:13 Allie's AI Workforce Explained

04:00 How to Build Your Own AI Workforce (No Coding Required)

06:40 What AI Still Can't Replace

10:00 Meet Simon, Rachel, Phoebe and the Rest of the Team

12:03 What to Always (and Never) Outsource to AI

18:30 AI Data Privacy

22:48 Customizing AI With Your Personal Context

31:43 Kids and AI: Raising a '90s Kid in 2026

38:10 What Age Should Kids Start Using ChatGPT or Claude?

44:52 How to Hack AI Sycophancy

47:25 Where Allie Draws the Line on AI Companionship

52:20 Using AI to Manage Investments

57:00 Will AI Replace Financial Advisors?

01:00:13 When Will We Be Working With Humanoids?

01:05:15 Investing in AI Companies and the Bubble Debate

01:09:45 Allie's Boldest Predictions

01:14:22 Allie Miller's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Stand-up comedian and writer Josh Johnson returns to Money Rehab nearly two years after his first time on the show. Since then, he has become a hosting correspondent on The Daily Show, reached millions of followers on socials and continued to post a new stand up set to YouTube (he’s done this for 156 consecutive weeks). He talks about how he’s avoided lifestyle creep as his career has flourished, the best money advice he’s received, and why being broke is like drowning in a swimming pool.    

Then, Nicole gets Josh’s take on some of the strangest recent money headlines, including a woman who reportedly saved $15,000 on groceries by going on dates, Victoria’s Secret stock jumping 48% after changing its ticker to “VSXY,” and why taxes are apparently making Gen Z cry.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Follow Josh Johnson’s incredible work and see him live!

Listen to Josh’s first interview on Money Rehab

Here's what Nicole covers with Josh:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:46 What's Changed Since Last Time

04:10 The Ownership Illusion

06:28 Why Even Billionaires Never Feel Safe

08:00 How to Stop Moving the Goalpost on Financial Safety

09:18 Lifestyle Creep

12:00 Selling Shoes on eBay and Wikifeet

14:03 The Poisoned Pizza Story

15:18 Why Being Broke Is Like Drowning

19:00 Money-Saving Extremes

24:40 The Culture of Greed and “Good Business”

26:39 Food Insecurity in America

32:17 Cheap Corruption and Political Money

33:03 Structured Notes

37:38 Are We Doing NFTs Again?

40:37 Why Josh Is Skipping AI IPOs He Doesn't Understand

43:00 Funny Money

43:12 The Guy Who Asked His Date for a Venmo Refund

44:53 The Woman Who Saved $15K in Groceries by Going on Dates

46:22 Victoria's Secret's 48% Stock Surge From a Ticker Change

49:00 The $80K AI Deepfake Soap Opera Scam

51:39 Have Taxes Ever Made You Cry?

55:31 Trump's Face on a $250 Bill

59:23 Josh Johnson's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Inflation just hit 3.8%, the highest it's been since 2023. That means that $100 you had in January? It's worth about $96.30 today.

So today, Nicole breaks down three tools that protect your money when inflation runs hot: I bonds, TIPS, and gold. She explains exactly how each one works, who each is best for, and the critical differences between them — including why gold didn't spike during the pandemic inflation surge the way everyone expected, and why right now might actually be different.

Plus, Nicole shares a little-known strategy called the "gift box" method that lets couples legally stack up to $40,000 in I bond purchases in a single calendar year.

Here is a Money Rehab episode about how to invest in gold

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠ Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠ Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠

Here's what Nicole covers today: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

00:18 Inflation Is Back — And We're All Feeling It 

01:33 What's Driving the Surge (It's Not Just Gas) 

02:30 What 3.8% Inflation Actually Does to Your Dollars 

02:56 I Bonds: The Inflation-Fighting Investment Nicole Loves 

04:34 I Bonds

05:06 TIPS 

08:04 Gold: Flight to Safety or Inflation Hedge? 

10:00 Why Gold Thrives When the Economy Is a Dumpster Fire 

11:40 Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank: The Gift Box Strategy

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Nicole is joined by journalist and podcast host Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, for a crossover episode!

This is a shame-free conversation about the money questions we’re all holding in, starting with perhaps the most loaded one of all: should you buy a home?

Nicole breaks down the 5% rule for renting vs. buying, why she personally chose not to buy, and how to strip the emotion out of a decision that's usually anything but. She also answers common questions about debt, HSAs, growing generational wealth and more. Plus, Nayeema and Nicole talk about which expenses are worth going into debt for, and what Mark Cuban told Nayeema about how money can make you feel poorer the wealthier you become.

Listen to Nayeema's podcast Smart Girl, Dumb Questions

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Here's what Nicole covers with Nayeema: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:17 Nicole's Controversial Take on Homeownership 

04:44 The 5% Rule: Rent vs. Buy Math 

08:37 Why Nicole Chose to Rent (And Invest the Difference) 

12:30 How the LA Fires Changed Nicole's Relationship to Home 

17:00 Not All Debt Is Created Equal: Good Debt vs. Bad Debt 

20:02 What Rich People Know About Leverage 

24:03 How Nicole Got Into (and Out of) Credit Card Debt 

25:51 Avalanche vs. Snowball: Which Debt Payoff Method Wins? 

28:09 The Shame Cycle Keeping People Stuck in Debt 

29:18 The Debt Game: What’s Worth It? 

34:35 Investing in Your 20s: Nicole's Biggest Regret 

36:27 Nicole's Daughter's Investment Portfolio 

37:15 HSAs, 401(k)s, and Where to Put Your Money First 

38:39 How Do You Know If You're Rich? 

41:26 Mark Cuban on How Money Can Make You Feel Poorer 

42:34 Nicole's "Dumb" Question 

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

The Federal Reserve hasn't been this dramatic in decades. Today, Nicole breaks down everything you need to know about the Fed and exactly what it means for your wallet.

Nicole explains how the federal funds rate actually works, why it doesn't directly set your mortgage rate (but still absolutely affects it), and which accounts move immediately when the Fed acts. She unpacks the Fed's dual mandate, and shares her prediction for what Kevin Warsh will do.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram Open a high yield savings account with SoFi at sofi.com/mnn

Here's what Nicole covers today: 00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 00:15 Why the Fed Is Bringing the Drama Right Now 00:57 What the Federal Funds Rate Actually Is 01:33 How Banks Borrow From Each Other Overnight 02:01 How the Fed Rate Affects You (And What It Doesn't) 02:21 High Yield Savings Accounts and the Fed 02:39 The Fed's Dual Mandate: Inflation vs. Unemployment 03:36 Where Inflation Stands Right Now 04:04 Inside the FOMC: How Rate Decisions Are Made 04:19 Meet the New Fed Chair: Kevin Warsh 04:49 Hawks vs. Doves Explained 05:08 Trump vs. The Fed: The Political Pressure 05:14 Austan Goolsbee Takes Us Inside the Room 07:30 Internal Dissent at the Fed: Not Seen in 30 Years 07:57 What to Expect from Markets on June 17th 08:53 Nicole's Prediction: Will Warsh Cut or Hold? 09:29 Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank: High Yield Savings

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Olivia Ferney (@travelwithlivii) is the luxury travel agent to the ultra-wealthy, booking private jets, superyachts, and six-figure vacations for some of the richest people on earth. Today, she pulls back the velvet rope on what it's actually like inside that world. If you’re trying to meet a billionaire client or investor, Liv tells you where they’re hanging out.

Liv tells Nicole the most outrageous client requests she's received, why saying "I have no budget" is the biggest red flag a client can send, and what to say to get a hotel upgrade. She also gets real about how working with billionaires has warped her own relationship with money, and the softer lessons she's taken away about what money actually can and can't fix.

Plus: the Instagram-famous destinations she'd never recommend, where billionaires are actually traveling right now, and the shoulder season hack anyone can use to save real money on their next trip.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Follow Travel with Livii learn more about Top Tier Travel

Here's what Nicole covers with Olivia: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

02:15 Selling Her First Company at 21 and Moving to Miami 

04:49 The Travel Agent Business Model 

07:23 Flying Limes From Different Countries and Other Crazy Client Requests 

09:36 What Clients Think About the Viral Videos 

14:00 Are the Stereotypes About “New Money” True? 

20:43 "Rich People F***ing Love a Refund" 

22:44 Do Billionaires Have Budgets? 

25:18 Overrated Destinations, Best Hotels, and Most Expensive Room Service 

28:30 Where Billionaires Are Traveling Right Now 

32:26 How to Get a Free Hotel Upgrade 

39:16 How Working With Billionaires Changes Your Money Mindset 

43:07 Rich and Depressed Is Still Depressed 

45:30 Prenups, Working With Your Partner, and Wedding Plans 

46:49 Liv’s Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

Chris Voss spent two decades at the FBI and became the Bureau’s lead kidnapping negotiator. Today he sits down with Nicole to teach you how to leverage the same psychological tactics to get the salary you want. Chris and Nicole break down exactly what to say to get a raise, how to walk into a new job offer and negotiate without burning bridges, and how to get people to want to pay you more.

Chris reveals why finding “common ground” is actually a recipe for resentment, why throwing out a number first can kill a deal, and the three conflict types — fight, flight, and make friends — that explain how almost every deal goes sideways. 

Then Nicole and Chris get into why remote work might be quietly tanking your career, an analysis of President Trump’s negotiation style and The Art of the Deal, plus the two lines of code planted in your head before age five that drive everything you do with money, work, and relationships. Finally, because Nicole had to ask, Chris explains what you should say if you’re ever in a hostage situation.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Check out Nicole’s Favorite Chris Voss Book “Never Split the Difference”

Learn More About The Black Swan Method

Here's what Nicole covers with Chris: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:00 Why Splitting the Difference Builds Resentment

03:19 The Myth of “Common Ground”

06:57 Stories From Being the Lead Hostage Negotiator For the FBI 

07:51 How to Get Your Boss to Want to Pay You More 

16:00 The Mistake of Getting Too Personal

18:51 What Should You Say If You’re a Hostage?

19:19 In A Raise Negotiation, Should You Bring Up a Competing Offer?

22:19 Is Body Language Really Important?

27:12 Does Chris Voss Get Nervous While Negotiating?

28:36 Negotiation Role Play and the Script For Getting a Raise

30:31 Should You Throw Out a Number First?

32:25 Don’t Ask “How Can I Help?”

42:15 Negotiating Non-Monetary Perks (Remote Work, Vacation Time, and More)43:06 Chris’ Take on Remote Work: It Makes You a C-Player 

47:31 How to Use Empathy in a Negotiation 

48:00 Why Being Playful Makes You 31% Smarter 

50:20 The Three Conflict Types and Why Deals Die 

59:00 Analyzing Donald Trump’s Negotiation Style

01:08:51 Debunking Negotiation Myths

01:16:00 Rating Deal-Making Cliches 

01:18:13 How To Get Inside Someone’s Head

01:22:38 How Your Upbringing Influences Your Negotiation Skills

01:25:47 Chris Voss's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

Allison Ellsworth built Poppi from a homemade prebiotic soda to a $2 billion brand acquired by Pepsi… but you already know that. Today, Allison talks about what happens afterward, and how to follow-up a successful first act.

Allison opens up about the unexpected grief of letting go of a company that was her identity, and the pressure of building a new company after a successful exit. She also digs into advice for anyone who has a different money mindset than their spouse, and how to find common ground. 

Plus, Allison shares how she’s talking to her three young kids about money and work— and why her kids waving her off with "Have fun, Mom" is her greatest parenting win.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Keep up with Allison on Instagram and TikTok

Here's what Nicole covers with Allison: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:10 When the Wire Hit

03:20 What People Get Wrong About "Billionaire" Headlines 

04:15 The $50K Investment That Went Bankrupt Overnight 

05:50 What Skills Transfer From Running a Company to Managing Wealth (And What Don't) 07:30 Running Your Personal Finances Like a Business 

09:00 The Grief Nobody Warns Founders About 

11:05 Separating Your Identity From Your Company 

13:00 Founder-Led Content and What's Coming Next in Brand Building 

15:20 Building the Second Company Differently 

17:40 Self-Funding vs. Taking on Investors 

19:30 The Emotional Payoff of Returning Money to Early Investors 

21:45 Making 44 People Millionaires 

22:00 Lessons From Being a Shark on Shark Tank 23:30 Female Founders, Mom Guilt, and "Spreadsheets in the Bedsheets" 

26:40 Opposite Money Mindsets in a Marriage 

31:30 Why Allison Has No “Fear Gene”

33:30 Raising Kids With Money Values

36:55 How to Talk to Your Kids About Work Without Losing Them 

39:00 Buying Back Time

41:00 Secure the Bag

45:25 Allison Ellsworth's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank