So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

This week on Ask Farnoosh, I’m sharing highlights from a financial literacy workshop I hosted at the Bloomfield Library, where I met incredible women navigating major financial crossroads—some filled with uncertainty, others with courage and clarity.In this episode, I answer:What to do when your parents disapprove of your marriage because you earn more than your partner and have taken on a traditionally “masculine” role.How to stay financially informed and empowered even if your spouse handles most of the household finances.Whether a newly single mom who recently lost her partner should sell her home and move to a more affordable area—and how to approach that big decision with confidence.Plus: A quick breakdown of the Fed’s latest interest rate decision—what Chair Jerome Powell said, why rates are holding steady, and what it means for your mortgage, savings, and debt.

J. Dana Trent joins to share stories from her childhood as the daughter of a drug dealer, taught to cut up weed as a pre-schooler to support the family business. Her memoir, Between Two Trailers, chronicles the trauma from her troubled past and Dana’s ultimate reconciliation with her past life and parents.More about J. Dana Trent: She is an accomplished professor and award-winning spirituality writer with a master’s degree from Duke.Join the So Money Members Club.Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

We’re diving deep into one of the most pressing financial issues of our time—student loans. If you or someone you love has ever felt the weight of student debt, wondered why the system feels so broken, or questioned what real solutions might look like, this episode is for you.Joining us is Jillian Berman, a veteran financial journalist who has spent more than a decade reporting on the student loan crisis. She’s the author of the new book Sunk Cost: Who’s to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It, which unpacks the history, politics, and policies that have turned student debt into a trillion-dollar burden.In our conversation, Jillian and I will explore how we got here, who’s profiting from this mess, and what needs to change to make higher education more affordable and student loans less of a financial trap. We’ll also talk about recent developments—like legal challenges to loan forgiveness, changes to repayment plans, and what new threats borrowers should have on their radar.Join the So Money Members Club.Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

Menopause used to be a whispered word, something women were expected to endure quietly. But that’s changing—and fast. Women are reclaiming this stage of life, demanding better care, and rewriting the narrative. And leading the charge is my guest today, Emmy-winning journalist and menopause advocate, Tamsen Fadal.With a career spanning over three decades in television news, Tamsen has transitioned her focus towards empowering women navigating midlife changes.Her latest endeavor, the book How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better Than Before, serves as a comprehensive guide to help women manage the multifaceted aspects of menopause.Receive Farnoosh’s free Investing BlueprintFollow on InstagramJoin the So Money Members ClubLeave a review on Apple PodcastsOrder Farnoosh’s new book, A Healthy State of Panic

What if the dream you’ve been chasing—the one you’re sure will bring you happiness—turns out to be a myth?Today’s guest, Sam Vander Wielen, knows this feeling firsthand. She was a successful corporate lawyer who believed that starting her own business would finally make her happy. But when she left law to become an entrepreneur, she realized that fulfillment doesn’t come from business success alone—it’s something you have to cultivate for yourself.Sam is now a leading legal educator for online entrepreneurs, helping business owners legally protect their work and scale sustainably. She’s the founder of Sam Vander Wielen LLC, where she’s helped over 350,000 entrepreneurs with DIY legal templates and business education, and she’s the host of the podcast On Your Terms®. Her new book, When I Start My Business, I’ll Be Happy?, takes readers inside her journey and reveals what it really takes to build a fulfilling, profitable business—without burning out or falling into the trap of tying your self-worth to your work.Today, Sam and I talk about the biggest mindset mistakes new entrepreneurs make, why your business shouldn’t be your identity, and the practical legal steps every online business owner needs to take to stay protected. Plus, she shares insights on pricing strategies, marketing in the age of AI, and what actually works when scaling a business.Receive Farnoosh’s free Investing BlueprintFollow on InstagramJoin the So Money Members ClubLeave a review on Apple PodcastsOrder Farnoosh’s new book, A Healthy State of Panic

Farnoosh Torabi welcomes back Georgia Lee Hussey, founder of Modernist Financial, to discuss a range of financial topics amid current political and economic uncertainties. They examine President Trump's tariff proposals and the theory that they might be engineered to induce a recession for lower interest rates. The conversation extends to the importance of vigilance in financial contracts and professional services amid deregulation efforts. Georgia advises on maintaining financial stability by using credit unions and thoughtful money management. Listener questions cover housing arrangements with partners, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and the significance of ancestral wisdom in financial decision-making. The episode emphasizes strategic financial planning, resourcefulness, and the potential benefits of credit unions and diversified investments.Resources:Free Tools for the PeopleReceive Farnoosh’s free Investing BlueprintFollow on InstagramJoin the So Money Members ClubLeave a review on Apple PodcastsOrder Farnoosh’s new book, A Healthy State of Panic

This episode is brought to you by Chase. Social media scams are on the rise and it’s important we know how to spot the tell-tale signs and how to protect our information and money from scams. Visit Chase.com/DontGetReeledIn to learn more.We're turning our attention to the rise of social media scams and how we can protect ourselves from phishing and impersonation scams to fake ads, quizzes, and job posts. The numbers are staggering. Scammers are targeting everything from fake event tickets and rental properties to counterfeit products. These scams are becoming harder to detect. For more on this, I've invited Darius Kingsley on the show.Darius is head of consumer banking practices at Chase based in New York. Darius leads efforts to protect Chase's customers from fraud and scams. He's also responsible for supporting Chase's elder customers and leading sustainability initiatives. In our conversation, we're going to get into how scammers use all sorts of social media platforms to target unsuspecting victims, how artificial intelligence and technology have changed their tactics and how we can protect ourselves. We'll also talk about the safest payment methods to use when shopping online and what steps to take if you fall victim to a scam.

Imagine this: You’re nine months pregnant, shopping for a crib at IKEA, when suddenly—a massive earthquake hits. No phone. No keys. No way to reach your family. Just the immediate reality of survival.That’s the premise of Tilt, a gripping new novel that forces us to ask: How does financial precarity shape our survival? What happens when class determines who makes it out—and who doesn’t?Today, I’m talking to award-winning journalist and climate crisis storyteller Emma Pattee, whose novel Tilt is as much about disaster as it is about money, resilience, and the choices we make when everything changes in an instant.We’re unpacking the financial fears that show up in moments of crisis, why money is a survival tool, and the hidden ways class shapes disaster response. Plus, Emma shares her own experiences with money and motherhood—things she wishes she had known before having kids.