So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

If you’ve been scrolling listings at midnight, doing mental math on mortgage calculators, and wondering, “Wait…how is anyone actually buying a house right now?” you are not alone. My guest today is Alex Gailey , personal finance reporter at Bankrate , and she’s been digging into the numbers behind America’s housing affordability crisis. Her reporting found something jaw-dropping: the typical U.S....

This week on Ask Farnoosh , we’re zooming out—on money, career, and life—and talking about the moments when endings, uncertainty, and discomfort can actually become powerful financial turning points. I start the episode reflecting on a popular “10-years-ago” trend and what my own life looked like in 2016—from a canceled CNBC show to pregnancy news that reframed everything. It’s a reminder that wha...

Today we’re talking about the future. Not just retirement as a number on a spreadsheet, but retirement as a real phase of life—one that we’re all heading toward, whether we’re just opening our first 401(k) or already counting down the years. My guest is someone I’ve turned to for guidance for decades. Christine Benz is the Director of Personal Finance and Retirement Planning at Morningstar , and i...

Today’s guest is a true blast from the past — and one of the most enduring voices in personal finance. Jesse Mecham is the founder of You Need a Budget , better known as YNAB. Jesse was last on So Money more than a decade ago — and since then, his little budgeting spreadsheet has grown into a global movement that’s now more than 20 years old. In an industry where budgeting apps come and go — Mint,...

January doesn’t have to start with a financial overhaul. In this special Ask Farnoosh episode, Farnoosh shares why easing into the new year, rather than rushing to reset everything, can lead to better money decisions. She reflects on how she’s approaching 2026, what typically happens in the markets at the beginning of the year, and why January is a powerful time to slow down, learn, and reconnect...

This episode may surprise you. Because on a podcast about money, you might expect us to talk about budgeting, investing, negotiating, or saving more. And don’t worry; we’ll get to all of that. But today, we’re talking about a skill that quietly underpins every one of those things. A skill that compounds just like investing. A skill that strengthens your career, your confidence, your earning power,...

Happy New Year! In this brand new episode, financial guru and NYT bestselling author David Bach returns to So Money to mark the 20th anniversary of The Automatic Millionaire , which has been expanded and updated, and to explain why its core message still holds up—even in today’s high-cost, AI-driven economy. Bach argues that we now live in an “automatic economy” that can quietly make us richer or...

This episode aired originally on Sept 19, 2025. In this episode, Farnoosh opens with a personal story about a $5,000 fraud attempt on her business checking account—and what she learned about staying vigilant. She then breaks down today’s biggest money headlines: the Fed’s recent interest rate cut, why U.S. credit scores just saw their sharpest drop since 2008, shifts in the housing market, and why...

In this Best of So Money 2025 episode, we revisit standout conversations on new ways to build wealth and protect retirement . From crypto and private equity creeping into 401(k)s, to smarter “rules of thumb” for spending and career decisions, to how to speculate without blowing up your plan, these clips help you stay curious, diversified, and clear-eyed as money trends evolve. Featured Guest Excer...

In this Best of So Money 2025 episode, we revisit some of the most powerful conversations about managing money through midlife — a stage where financial decisions collide with health changes, caregiving responsibilities, relationship transitions, and neurodiversity. From menopause and medical advocacy, to rebuilding after divorce, to rethinking money with ADHD, to caring for aging parents, these e...

Ask Farnoosh tackles three timeless money crossroads: getting out from under high-interest credit card debt, taking a career break without losing financial footing, and deciding whether an early retirement package is a smart (and safe) next move. Questions Include: How to manage credit card debt at 30% interest? Consolidation options, reputable nonprofit credit counseling, negotiating APR, and a r...

In this Best of So Money 2025 episode, we revisit the conversations that best captured how AI is reshaping our careers, how we learn, and how we protect our money. Workplace expert Dan Schawbel breaks down what employers really think about degrees in the age of automation, Pat Flynn shares a smarter way to build skills without overwhelm, cybersecurity founder Martha Underwood explains how AI is su...

In this special Best of So Money 2025 episode, we revisit four of the year’s most powerful conversations at the intersection of money, feminism, and choice. From caregiving and career pauses to beauty standards, ambition, and the myth of “having it all,” these excerpts explore how women navigate systems that shape our financial lives—and how we reclaim power, agency, and options along the way. Fea...

Join the So Money Members Club today and get your first two months FREE. Offer expires December 31. In this Ask Farnoosh episode, Farnoosh answers listener questions on the tax implications of receiving Bitcoin as a gift, including how cost basis and capital gains work when you sell, plus smart ways to negotiate benefits beyond salary at a small business, from retirement matches to bonuses and pot...

For decades, women were told that if they wanted equality, they needed to lean in harder. Work more. Organize better. Choose better partners. Be more efficient. And yet, here we are. More educated than ever. More present in the workforce than ever. And somehow… more exhausted. My guest today says this isn’t a contradiction. It’s a data point. Dr. Corinne Low is a Wharton professor and an economist...

What if doing everything “right” still left you broke, burned out, and quietly panicking about money? Today’s guest followed the script perfectly. Elite degree. Wall Street job. Big bonus. The kind of career that looks wildly successful from the outside. But behind the scenes, she was carrying nearly $100,000 in student loan debt, living paycheck to paycheck, and realizing that the life she worked...

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 expla...

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 int...

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 do...

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 da...

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, a...

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 h...

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...

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 navigat...

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 D...