So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

What are good ways to pay off my mortgage faster? How do I involve my spouse in our retirement planning without scaring him off with the numbers? I feel like something is always happening to us and we have to use the money we've saved to pay something off. Now, we're left wondering how we'll afford daycare in 9 months. Help! Answering your questions this week with co-host and So Money listener Ste...

Tricia Brouk is our guest today and she does it all: she works in film, tv, theatre, and is a writer, director, and choreographer. She’s also the founder of The Big Talk , a popular service where she uses her expertise in the art of public speaking to make other big talks and keynotes a success. Her clients have gone on to earn 7-figure income streams, receive invitations to speak with the FDA, an...

The topic today is college savings. So many of you write-in asking,"Farnoosh, where should I save for my child's college education? Is a 529 still the best option?" Some even want to know about how to save for our unborn children! I get it. College is expensive today , let alone 18 or 20 years from now.    To help us tackle college savings plans, we have the co-founder and COO of CollegeBacker Abb...

I have two daughters, 12 and 14... how do I teach them to invest? Does closing a checking or savings bank account affect your credit score? Is a Roth IRA or 457b government deferred compensation plan better for a 27-year old who is planning for retirement for the first time? Answering these questions of yours and more on this week's show with So Money friend and Profit Boss Radio host Hilary Hende...

Health is wealth, right? Many of you have New Year’s resolutions to be healthier in 2018. So, I thought it would be appropriate to bring on a guest today who is an expert on, particularly, pelvic relief. The topic is a little sensitive, a little private. Sometimes we don’t talk about this issue very openly. Both for men and women, particularly us moms after having babies, this can be an area of te...

From earning $7/hr abroad in his country Slovenia to running a six-figure online business, our guest today is So Money . Online business coach Primoz Bozic works with world-class experts (think: celebrity make-up artists, songwriters, high performance coaches, etc.) to turn their expertise into an online business and create what he describes as "the absolute best content online." Primoz started ou...

What are signs that a seller is being scammy on a resale site? How do I identify items around the house worth selling? I'm on track to get promoted but the increase in pay my supervisor mentioned was underwhelming... How should I go about negotiating for more money? Answering these questions of yours with special co-host and former So Money guest (EP 226) Shannon Wilburn , co-founder of Just Betwe...

Sheila Bair is the former FDIC Chair and, at one point, was named Forbes 2nd most powerful woman in the world. Her agency was responsible for steering us through the financial crisis of 2008. She received numerous awards and recognition for her work during this time. She's had a distinguished career in government, academia, as well as financial roles. Her work has been published in the New York Ti...

Today is the first day of the New Year. So, I wanted to start off with a theme that I’m really working for in the New Year, which is making your own rules, being a badass and just being your So Money-ist. Therefore, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate person to have us kickoff 2018 than Katia Beauchamp. She's the co-founder and CEO of Birchbox , which is a leading beauty subscription service an...

Should we use most of our cash savings to pay off our credit card debt? My biggest challenge is budgeting… should I open a bank account with a major bank to help save and budget? How do you deal with both saving for retirement and paying off student loans? Answering these questions of yours and more on this week’s Ask Farnoosh with special co-host and business money strategist Justin Krane . This...

We’re exploring fear and failure on the show today. It’s not my intention to end the year on a sour note. Instead, we’re going to review all the badass, wonderful insights our guests have shared on how they fought their fears and how failure allowed them to become the strong, successful people that they are today. Our financial fears come up quite a bit on the show, as guest talk about their fears...

This is our third show dedicated to reviewing the best of the year. Today, we are focusing on the intersection of women, work and money. As you can imagine, this topic came up a lot in 2017. It was a historical year for women. Starting back in January, we had the Women’s March on Washington, which was reportedly the biggest single-day demonstration recorded in our country’s history. Then late in t...

I've met my financial goals... can I spend some of my money on something "fun?" My parents think I shouldn't. My boyfriend and I just moved in together and are wondering... should we save for a wedding then a house or a house then the wedding? Should I increase my auto insurance deductible? This episode originally appeared on Friday, February 10, 2017 as episode 533 . To learn more visit www.somon...

Who wants a raise? Who wants to make more money? That’s all of us, right?  Today’s theme is how to make more money. I'm talking the MOST money you ever thought possible. The fact is a lot of us grapple with how to value ourselves, both as employees, as contractors and entrepreneurs. Remember: You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate. Has that stuck with you yet? This episode will...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I’m not talking about the holidays. We’ve reached that time of year again where I highlight some of the great interviews we’ve had in 2017. It’s tough to narrow it down but we’ve got a great lineup for you.  We’re kicking off our year end wraps with some of the best interviews on the topic of retirement, specifically early retirement. Many of you want t...

I swore 2017 would be my year to conquer my personal finances but I didn't even come close... help! My family lives on the east coast and wants us to all fly home for the holidays. It's expensive for us so what should we do? Answering your questions with special co-host Kimmie Greene, consumer finance expert for Mint . To learn more or share your own question for an upcoming Ask Farnoosh visit www...

As we approach the end of the year, I thought we’d like to hear from one of the country’s top health and nutrition coaches. Lauren Slayton is the founder of Foodtrainers , a private nutritional counseling office in New York City. She’s also the author of the popular book, The Little Book of Thin . Lauren is on the podcast talking about the financial lessons she learned from her mom, a feisty busin...

You know, it's never a perfect time to talk about things like life insurance, estate planning and wills. It's kind of a downer. But, your financial life would not be so solid if you didn't take care of these issues. I think it's important that we talk about them on this podcast. To help us, I brought on Estate Planning Attorney, Laura Cowan. She just wrote a free e-book that you can all download h...

My boyfriend and I are recent grads, and we don't have too much experience with personal finances. Should we get a financial planner? What do we need to know? When do I disclose I'm pregnant if I'm interviewing for a new job? I'm not sure how much to give for holiday tips, and to who? Do you have any suggestions? Answering these questions of yours and more on this episode of Ask Farnoosh with gues...

Chris Reining retired at 37 after making his millions. He worked at his dream job initially in information technology earning $75,000 a year. He admits he was living a pretty good lifestyle but felt that the nine to five grind was just too much. At 30, he set a goal of having a million dollars in a brokerage account by 35. He began saving 50% of his income. By 35, not only did he reach this goal,...

Josh Sundquist was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer when he was just 9-years-old and told he had a 50% chance of living. From there he spent one year undergoing chemotherapy and eventually had to have his leg amputated. The doctors, though, declared him cancer-free four years later and then three years after that —Guess what? He was training as a ski racer. Today, he is a Paralympian and he has a...

My husband and I just got married ...should we combine our retirement planning? How often should I check on my retirement savings? Answering these questions of yours and more on this special episode of Ask Farnoosh brought to you by Citizens Bank with co-host and President, Citizens Bank Wealth Management, John Bahnken. To learn more visit www.somoneypodcast.com . Learn more about Farnoosh's upcom...

If you're looking to stock up your pantry this holiday season, learn how to get $60 worth of free organic groceries and free shipping at Thrivemarket.com/somoney. End the New Year on a healthy note! Our guest today is the founder and co-CEO of Thrive Market, Gunnar Lovelace. Gunnar's been a lifelong health advocate and serial entrepreneur. Thrive Market is actually his fourth company and he's on a...

Imagine losing both your parents at age 15, then fast-becoming the head of household with two other siblings, paying a mortgage, car insurance and college.  Our guest today, Carlvin Dorvilier says life's challenges didn't happen TO him, they happened FOR him. They gave him the opportunity to grow up quickly, think strategically and realize that he can help inspire so many people with his personal...

My husband and I want to reach our goal of financial freedom... should we buy a duplex and rent out half while living in the other half or buy a home and a secondary rental property? Is there a way to wisely go into debt when taking out a business loan? Answering these questions of yours and more with special co-host and business money strategist Justin Krane . To learn more or share a question fo...