Markets feel jittery, interest rates are in flux, and many listeners are wondering how to plan for 2026 with confidence. In this Ask Farnoosh episode, Farnoosh Torabi breaks down the biggest financial headlines of the week and tackles real listener questions about investing, saving, and navigating major life decisions during uncertain economic times.

Farnoosh starts with a clear, no-nonsense explanation of the Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut and what the split decision inside the Fed signals about inflation, the labor market, and the likelihood of future cuts. She explains why mortgage rates may not move much in the near term, what the Fed’s return to buying Treasury securities really means, and why now is not the time to make big financial moves based solely on headlines.

Next, Farnoosh walks through important 401(k) changes coming in 2026, including higher contribution limits, expanded catch-up contributions for older workers, and increased employer contribution caps. She outlines who benefits most from these changes and shares practical steps listeners can take now to maximize retirement savings and avoid leaving money on the table.

In the mailbag, Farnoosh answers listener questions on:

• Whether gold makes sense as a “safe haven” investment, how to buy it, and how much is too much
• When high-yield online savings accounts are a smart place to park money, especially after receiving an inheritance
• What to do with an old employer’s 401(k) and when rolling it over is the better move
• And one of the toughest questions many first-time buyers face today: whether it’s ever worth tapping a 401(k) to buy a home

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What happens to a society when people decide to have fewer children—or none at all? And what does that mean for our economy, our housing market, the workforce, and even our financial futures?

Today we’re looking at one of the most consequential demographic shifts of our time: the global decline in birth rates. And we’re doing it with someone who has spent the last year leading an extraordinary international reporting project on exactly this.

My guest is Sarah McCammon, National Political Correspondent at NPR and co-lead reporter of the series Population Shift: How Smaller Families Are Changing the World. You may have seen the headlines, but Sarah’s work goes far deeper—across Finland, Greece, and the United States—to understand why people are having fewer kids, and what the downstream effects look like on everything from the labor market to aging, immigration, childcare, housing, and the future of economic growth.

We talk candidly about the financial pressures families face, why even countries with generous social safety nets aren’t reversing the trend, how shifting relationship patterns and cultural expectations factor in, and what all of this means for you whether you’re raising kids now, hope to someday, or are simply planning for your financial future in a world that may look very different in the decades ahead.

Sarah also opens up about her own experience becoming a parent in her twenties without paid leave, what she might do differently today, and what economists and policymakers are still struggling to understand.

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What if the real threat to your financial future isn’t the next market crash… but the AI-fueled bubble we may already be living through? Today’s So Money is part liberation, part investing reality check, and part clapback at the financial pressure women face to “get it perfect” when the system itself is unpredictable.

I’m joined by Amanda Holden, author of How to Be a Rich Old Lady, who breaks down how to build real, long-term wealth even as tech stocks dominate headlines, valuations drift from reality, and everyone seems to be bracing for a correction. Together, we unpack the psychology of risk, what true diversification looks like in an AI-obsessed market, and why slow, intentional investing still works — especially now.

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On this week’s Ask Farnoosh, she breaks down new economic data showing private payrolls fell by 32,000 jobs — the third decline in four months — and what that cooling job market means for hiring, raises, and year-end career strategy. She also digs into Redfin’s housing market predictions for 2026, smart last-minute tax moves (from retirement contributions to tax-loss harvesting), and inspiring data about teens investing for their futures. In the mailbag, she advises listeners navigating job dissatisfaction, mid-career pivots, starting families, layoffs, health insurance decisions, and the best way to structure your ongoing investing strategy.

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What does it mean to build wealth when the world hasn’t always made space for your identity? That’s the question at the heart of today’s conversation, and the driving force behind a powerful new book reshaping how LGBTQ+ people think about money, belonging, and the future. On this episode of So Money, I’m joined by Nick Wolny, a longtime personal finance journalist, columnist for OUT Magazine, and now the author of Money Proud: The Queer Guide to Generate Wealth, Slay Debt, and Build Good Habits to Secure Your Future

Nick brings a candid, deeply human lens to the financial lives of queer people, from the emotional and cultural realities that shape money choices to the systems and habits that help rebuild stability, confidence, and long-term security. His own story, which he describes not as self-help but as a kind of spiritual reckoning, is woven throughout the book and sets the stage for an honest, energetic, and eye-opening conversation.

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Today’s conversation digs deep into one of the most important and misunderstood stages of financial development: the tween years. Research shows our money habits are formed as early as age seven, yet most people don’t start investing seriously until their 30s or 40s. So what happens if we bridge that gap? What if kids as young as 10 begin learning how money works, how investing grows wealth, and how to make smart decisions with the dollars they earn, save, and spend?

Our guest is Jamie Bosse is a Financial Planner, Author, and Mother of four. She helps her clients navigate life’s transitions and overcome and anticipate potential roadblocks along the way. Jamie finds it extremely rewarding to see people organize their financial lives, maximize their human capital, and get closer to their life goals in her work at CGN Advisors. Jamie has a passion for mentoring and financial literacy and is the author of Money Boss Mom: Helping Young Parents Be the “Boss” of Their Financial Future, as well as the Milton the Money-Savvy Pup children’s book series.

Her next book, Investing for Tweens, is available for preorder here.

In this episode, we explore how parents can introduce investing in a way that feels tangible, empowering, and fun — whether that’s buying a share of Nike because your kid loves their sneakers or using a custodial brokerage account to let them experience the market in real time. We also talk about helping college-age kids understand the real cost of life, how to communicate money boundaries at home, and how parents can teach healthy financial habits even if they’re still working through their own.

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This week, Farnoosh dedicates Ask Farnoosh to one of the most pressing money topics in America right now: debt relief. Visit SoMoneyLinks for resources.

With household debt topping $17.7 trillion and credit card balances at record highs, Farnoosh answers real listener questions about tackling debt, from when to pause investing to whether it ever makes sense to use home equity or refinance student loans.

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As Treasury Secretary, former Federal Reserve Chairwoman and Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Janet Yellen is one the most powerful woman in American economic history. Award-winning economics writer and author Jon Hilsenrath joins with insights about her life and work from his book, Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval. He shares how she navigated the sexism in her industry and in politics, her unconventional partnership in marriage and work with Nobel Laureate George Akerlof and why she didn't always "lean in."

More about Jon Hilsenrath: He is a senior writer for the Wall Street Journal, where he has been since 1997, reporting from Hong Kong, New York, and Washington, DC. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2014 for his coverage of the Federal Reserve; part of a team of 2009 Pulitzer finalists for coverage of the global financial crisis; and contributed on-the-scene reporting from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, which helped the WSJ win a Pulitzer in 2002.

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New Jersey Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill joins Farnoosh for a candid conversation about the rising cost of living, the future of public schools, health care, taxes, and why politics and personal finance are inseparable.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor, and three-term congresswoman, recently won the governor’s race in a decisive victory that coincided with significant Democratic gains nationwide. In this episode, she breaks down what state leaders can actually do to make life more affordable for families, from freezing utility rates to improving school funding to modernizing energy infrastructure.

Farnoosh also gives listeners a heads-up: the first part of this interview touches on a hyper-local school budget crisis in her hometown of Montclair, NJ. But this story isn’t unique. Across America, school districts are confronting rising costs, shrinking state support, and — in some cases — financial mismanagement. The questions Montclair is wrestling with (“Raise taxes or accept restrictive state aid?”) are the same questions communities everywhere are facing.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Sherrill discusses:

• Why public-school funding is cracking nationwide
• The real barriers to affordable health care at the state level
• How utility-rate freezes would work — and what critics get wrong
• The affordability crisis squeezing middle-class families
• What her election signals about the national political landsca

Originally recorded for Farnoosh’s local podcast The Montclair Pod, this expanded So Money release provides a rare look at how a new governor thinks about money, power, and the policies that shape our financial lives.

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This week’s Ask Farnoosh pulls together some of the most revealing financial stories of the week, grom pandemic-era homebuyers now feeling “locked in” by their ultra-low mortgage rates, to Gen Z putting marriage, kids, and career plans on hold until they can afford a home. Farnoosh also breaks down an under-the-radar proposal from the CFPB that could weaken anti-discrimination protections in lending, a shift that could impact mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and small-business financing.

Then, she heads to the mailbag to answer listener questions:

• Should you borrow more on a home-equity loan to protect your savings during a renovation?
• How can a self-employed spouse take full advantage of a healthcare FSA?
• What exactly is the IRS “contract” that lets you withdraw from retirement accounts early? (Hint: SEPP/72(t) and the Rule of 55.)
• And if you’ve bought a home for your parents, are you putting your own retirement at risk?

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Hannah Cole, founder of Sunlight Tax, is back on So Money. And she’s here with big news:

Her new book, Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You’re Self-Employed, is officially out in the world — funny, joyful, deeply practical, and truly unlike any tax book you’ve ever read. I’m holding it in my hands right now.

And for my Montclair and NYC listeners:

Hannah is coming to Montclair on January 15th at 7PM for a special stop on her book tour. I’ll be on stage with her at The Rec Room at Lackawanna Plaza, and tickets are available at: SunlightTax.com/Montclair

In today’s conversation, Hannah and I dig into so much helpful ground, including:

• The big goal behind Taxes for Humans and why she believes tax education is actually a form of empowerment.
• The limiting beliefs and shame traps so many freelancers carry around taxes — and how to break them.
• Her beautifully simple three-system approach to staying organized (receipts, tax docs, and bookkeeping — yes, they’re different).
• What to do if you can’t pay your tax bill, how audits actually work, and why the IRS is often far less scary than we’ve been taught.

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