So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Women today are more educated than ever. More ambitious than ever. More likely to be breadwinners, business owners, and leaders in their households and communities. And yet — despite decades of progress — the pay gap persists, women continue to hit barriers at work, and many still feel punished for wanting both financial success and personal fulfillment.My guest today says that’s not a coincidence. It’s a system.Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez is back on So Money with her powerful new book, The Ambition Penalty, which examines how corporate culture encourages women to strive, achieve, and “lean in” — only to penalize them once they begin claiming real power, money, and authority.In this conversation, we unpack the myths we’ve been sold about ambition and meritocracy, why women are still more likely to face backlash for negotiating and asking for raises, and how inequality at work is deeply connected to inequality at home. Stefanie also shares why the rise of both “girlboss” culture and the tradwife movement miss the bigger picture — and what actually needs to change if we want more equitable outcomes for women.

This week: A possible Covid-related tax refund, the demographic with the biggest student loan defaults, can AI help with your money….and All-things 529 plans and college savings with Patricia Roberts.

Today I’m joined by Carrie Joy Grimes. founder of WorkMoney and the author of the new book The Joy of Money. She’s a former union organizer who spent years helping workers fight for better wages and benefits while also trying to untangle her own complicated relationship with money — debt, shame, financial anxiety, all of it.In this episode, we talk about why so many women still avoid taking ownership of their finances, how to rebuild confidence after money mistakes, whether homeownership still makes sense, and how to separate what society tells us should make us happy from what actually does.We also talk about the inspiration behind her new book, The Joy of Money, and why she believes financial security is not just about numbers — it’s about feeling safer, freer, and more in control of your life.

Guest Simone Stolzoff, journalist and author of the new book, How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers, says we are living through what the World Health Organization calls a “polycrisis” — overlapping economic, political, technological, and personal disruptions that are leaving many of us feeling anxious, untethered, and desperate for answers.But what if the goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty?What if the real skill is learning how to live with it?Simone argues that our obsession with certainty — whether in our careers, relationships, finances, or identities — may actually be making us more anxious, less adaptable, and less fulfilled.In this conversation, we talk about:Why uncertainty tolerance is decliningThe surprising psychology behind layoffs and career anxietyWhy savings can create emotional flexibility, not just financial securityHow to stop tying your self-worth to your job titleThe dangers of chasing a “dream job”Why curiosity may be one of the most important skills in the AI eraAnd how becoming a parent forced Simone to practice what he preaches

Farnoosh shares Mother’s Day plans, and reacts to news including the April jobs report and an Apple class-action settlement that could pay eligible iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and iPhone 16 buyers up to $95 per device. She also cautions against Fannie Mae’s move toward crypto-backed mortgages, arguing that borrowing against volatile crypto to fund a down payment adds risk and doesn’t address the real housing crisis. Mailbag topics include: how to prepare for or respond to a layoff (unemployment, COBRA, cutting expenses, bridge income, networking, and rolling over retirement accounts), how to save on rising summer utility bills, and whether 0% balance transfer credit cards are a good tool for managing high-interest credit card debt. Check out the full list of recommended balance transfer cards on Nerdwallet.com.

What does it actually mean to be “rich” today?Because if you’re waiting for the old playbook to work—go to school, get a stable job, buy a house, retire comfortably—you may be waiting a long time.The truth is, that version of wealth? It’s outdated. And for a lot of younger earners especially, it feels completely out of reach.So what are the new rules?Today’s guest has built a massive following by calling out the broken advice we’ve inherited—and replacing it with something far more realistic, and frankly, more empowering. Haley Sacks, also known as Mrs. Dow Jones, is back on So Money with her new book, Future Rich Person.And this is not your typical money book.Haley is speaking directly to what she calls the “zillennial” generation—but really, anyone who feels like they’re doing all the right things and still not getting ahead. In our conversation, we talk about why the traditional path to wealth is due for a rewrite, how to actually start building what she calls “action money,” and why your income, your skills, and even your relationship to work need to evolve in an AI-driven economy.We also get into some of the cultural forces shaping how we think about money right now—from the rise of “trad wife” content to the very real temptation to opt out of the financial game altogether.

We all say the same thing: I don’t have enough time.Not enough time to work, to parent, to rest, to exercise, to finally do the thing we’ve been putting off for years.But what if that story… isn’t actually true?What if the problem isn’t time itself—but how we think about it, measure it, and ultimately choose to spend it?Today’s guest wants us to completely rethink our relationship with time. Laura Vanderkam has built her career challenging the idea of time scarcity, and in her new book, Big Time, she makes a compelling case that many of us have far more time than we think—we’re just not seeing it clearly.In our conversation, we get into the real data behind how we spend our days, why tracking your time can be a game changer, and how small mindset shifts—especially around your evenings—can unlock what she calls “time abundance.”We also talk about the very real challenges of balancing work, family, and everything in between—and how to negotiate time more effectively, whether that’s with your partner, your boss, or even yourself.

May 1 is College Acceptance Day and as many families grapple with the soaring cost of college, Farnoosh shares thoughts on how to decide whether a college education is worth its price tag. Would you spend $100k a year? Plus: Establishing credit for the first time and how to allocate your investments in your 30s. And a crazy story about how one woman’s investments disappeared from her bank’s website. What happened?

Qe don’t talk about sports a lot on this show. But today, we are—because this is really a story about money.Right now, women’s sports are having a moment. Investment is pouring in, media deals are growing, and athletes are finally starting to see bigger paychecks.But this isn’t just about what’s happening at the professional level.It’s also about what it takes to even get in the game. Youth sports are getting more expensive, access is shrinking, and yet the research shows that girls who play sports are more likely to become leaders, earn more, and build wealth over time.So there’s a bigger question here: What does this moment mean for women—and our financial future?Today, we’re digging into the economics of women’s sports, the controversy around athletes like Eileen Gu making bold financial moves, and why this could be one of the most important—and overlooked—wealth stories right now.My guest is Tess Waresmith, investing educator and former athlete, who’s connecting the dots between sports, opportunity, and financial power. You can follow Tess on her Substack - Wealth with Tess - here.