So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

We talk a big game about taxes, until the bill actually shows up in our inbox. This week I'm digging into a question that's been nagging at me ever since Montclair, one of the most progressive towns in New Jersey, split down the middle over a special election to cover a $20 million school budget deficit. It wasn't that people stopped believing in public schools. It was more like, prove to me this actually fixes anything.That flinch, the gap between what we say we believe and what we're willing to pay for, is exactly what financial planner Georgia Lee Hussey has been sitting with. Georgia is the founder of Modernist Financial, and she's noticed something uncomfortable happening even in deeply progressive circles: a growing resistance to taxes, alongside language that sounds a lot like the anti-government scripts used by anti-democratic movements.We get into:The Portland preschool tax story that started Georgia down this rabbit holeWhy there's such a gap between "I support this policy" and "I resent paying for it"Whether this is really about money, or about trust, especially with trust in government sitting at a historic lowWhat "paying" can look like beyond a check: time, civic skills, citizen journalism, showing upThe line between healthy skepticism of government spending and something more corrosiveWhat Georgia saw in Vienna, where a huge share of residents live in subsidized housing, and what (if anything) that model could teach an American system built on individual tradeoffsHer advice for a median-income family when no amount of smart financial planning can solve housing, elder care, or college costs on its own

Jesse Mecham, founder of YNAB (You Need A Budget), returns to So Money to discuss his new book, Never Worry About Money Again, a thoughtful guide to reducing financial stress by changing the way we think about money. Rather than focusing on budgeting tactics or investment strategies, Jesse argues that lasting financial confidence begins with answering one powerful question: What is your money for?We also discuss how to raise financially curious kids, why earning more doesn't automatically eliminate money worries, and how learning to embrace trade-offs can transform the way we spend, save, and live.In this episode, we learn:Why making more money often doesn't solve financial anxiety.The one question Jesse believes everyone should ask before creating a budget.How to build a spending plan that reflects your values—not just your bills.The surprising expense most people happily cut once they become more intentional.Why it's okay—and healthy—to change your financial priorities over time.How to talk to children about money without passing down fear or shame.What Jesse learned from writing (and completely rewriting) this book.Why even the founder of YNAB occasionally worries about money—and the exercise he uses to regain perspective.Jesse's thoughts on AI, financial advice, and where money management is headed next.

Farnoosh recaps a webinar on navigating money conversations with loved ones, then dives into the week's financial news: the Fed holding rates steady, what Apple and Microsoft earnings mean for your index funds, and a landlord's "work from home fee." Then, she tackles two big listener questions: how to find and pay for a financial planner (flat fee vs. retainer vs. AUM, and what "fee-only" really means), and why a perfect credit score doesn't guarantee you the lowest mortgage rate.

This episode is brought to us by Back Market, the world's largest pure-play premium refurbished tech marketplace. Back Market's mission is to make refurbished tech the mainstream choice, by extending the life of devices, fighting electronic waste, and challenging today's throwaway culture.On today's show we sat down with Lauren Benton, General Manager of Back Market in the US, to talk about the real cost of family tech - and how to bring it down. To learn more, visit BackMarket.comApple just raised prices on several products (up to $300 more on certain MacBooks and iPads), and analysts expect the iPhone to see a hike this fall too. So the timing couldn't be better to rethink how we're spending on tech.Here's what we learn:Why "refurbished" doesn't mean what most people think it means, and how devices are quality-checked before they're ever resold.Where the real savings are: specific numbers on phones, laptops, tablets, and watches.The hidden costs in your tech budget that have nothing to do with the device itself.How to know when it's worth trading in an old device instead of letting it collect dust in a drawer.What to prioritize (and skip) when Back-to-School shopping collides with these new Apple prices.

If you've ever felt like the math just doesn't work anymore, that you're doing everything right and still coming up short on rent, groceries, and student loans, this episode is for you.Freddie Smith spent nearly twenty years acting, including nine years on Days of Our Lives, before a business manager who was supposed to be handling his money instead stole it and stopped filing his taxes. He found out when the IRS came looking for three years of back payments, with interest and penalties on top. Then came the pandemic. He lost the show, moved to Florida, and had to rebuild his finances from zero in a brand new career.That personal collapse turned into a mission. Freddie started sharing what he was learning about taxes, investing, inflation and the Fed on TikTok and Instagram, not as an expert, but as someone figuring it out in real time alongside his audience. That honesty struck a nerve. He's built a community of two million people in three years, and it's now the subject of his new book, Generation F*cked.In this conversation, Freddie and I get into why he thinks the real crisis for millennials and Gen Z isn't financial illiteracy, it's wages that haven't kept pace with the actual cost of living. We talk about his "big four" (housing, student loans, childcare, and healthcare), why he thinks college needs a hard math test before anyone signs on the dotted line, his wild but genuinely compelling case for how an 18-year-old could retire with millions just by investing early, and why he's cautiously optimistic that his generation is about to be the one that finally changes the system.

This week on Ask Farnoosh, I'm reflecting on a memorable visit to the Today Show with my daughter, Colette, and how exposing kids to new experiences can shape their futures. That conversation leads into one of the smartest long-term wealth-building strategies available to parents: putting your child on payroll—legitimately—and using earned income to fund a Roth IRA.I also unpack fascinating new research linking chronic financial hardship to long-term brain health, discuss Senator Andy Kim's proposed Healthy Kids Act, explore why modern baby registries are shifting from "stuff" to services, and share lessons from a Washington Post column on what people consistently misunderstand about retirement.Then, in this week's listener question, I help a family navigate an emotionally complicated financial crossroads: a potential $500,000–$800,000 inheritance, a home renovation, IVF, a recent layoff, and the challenge of deciding which priorities deserve the biggest investment. Together, we explore why the most valuable outcome isn't simply growing wealth—it's creating more choices.Referenced: Senator Andy Kim on So Money.

Today's show covers the ins and outs of LLCs and S-Corps and how to determine which one (or both) is best for structuring your business. The guest is Hannah Cole, creator of Sunlight Tax. You can visit Sunlight Tax for resources mentioned in today's episode. This episode was originally published May 13, 2024.

Anthony O'Neal, had $6.32 to his name on a Wednesday night. He needed gas. He was hungry. He ended up cutting two McDonald's double cheeseburgers in half — that was his food for the next two days. He diluted his sweet tea with water to stretch it. And in that moment, eating a cold half-burger in his apartment, something shifted in him. He thought: there has to be a better way.Fast forward to his fortieth birthday. Anthony is on a private yacht off the coast of Italy. The chef comes out mid-dinner, not just to ask how the fish is — but to offer to catch that same fish again for him tomorrow. And Anthony thought back to that Wednesday night, that half-burger, that $6.32 — and he realized: he had found the better way.Anthony O'Neal is a bestselling author, speaker, and host of The Table with AO. His new book, Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck: The Proven Path to Break Free from Debt, Build Real Wealth, and Live Free on Any Income, is out in August.