HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Latest Episodes:

Brooke Shields Is Just Getting Started May 29, 2026

Show notes

She's been famous since childhood, but Brooke Shields might be having her most interesting chapter yet, and she's the first to say she's done waiting to be picked.

This week on HerMoney, we're thrilled to share a special replay of one of our favorite recent episodes from our sister podcast, How She Does It with Karen Finerman. Karen sits down with the actress, author, and entrepreneur for a wide-ranging conversation about reinvention, resilience, and what it really means to come into your own at 60.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Why Brooke got tired of waiting for Hollywood to cast her and decided to develop her own show
The very real moment she stood up to a dismissive VC
Her experience with postpartum depression and why breaking the silence still matters
What it's really like to serve as president of Actors' Equity
The beauty industry's failure to represent women over 50, and why Brooke decided to do something about it

And if Brooke's story of betting on herself got you thinking about your own financial future, Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is the perfect next read. It's all about building income that lasts, so you can keep funding the next chapter.

How She Does It is part of HerMoney Media. Subscribe and catch every episode wherever you listen to podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 529: Lessons from a Legend: What Jonathan Clements Taught Us About Money and Life May 27, 2026

Show notes

There are people who change the way you think about money. And then there are people who change the way you think about life, and do it through the lens of money. Jonathan Clements was one of those people.

The beloved personal finance columnist and Wall Street Journal veteran passed away in September 2025, leaving behind a remarkable legacy and one final book: Money and Me: How to Make Your Finances Work Harder for You and Your Family. This week, Jean sits down with Jason Zweig, Jonathan's dear friend and fellow Wall Street Journal columnist, to honor that legacy and dig into the lessons Jonathan left behind for all of us.

They cover:

The investing philosophy he championed for nearly 40 years, and why it's still the best advice out there
The three dimensions of money and happiness: freedom from worry, spending on experiences, and using money to create meaning
Why the shift from saving to spending in retirement is one of the hardest psychological transitions we face, and how to make it easier
Jonathan's take on how much money to leave your kids
Why spending small is actually the smartest spending strategy of all

And if today's conversation got you thinking about your own relationship with money, Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck, is the perfect next read.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We Asked Real Women to Track Their Grocery Spending for a Week. Here's What Happened. May 22, 2026

Show notes

What does a week of grocery shopping actually look like for real women right now? Jean Chatzky teams up with Yasmeen Khan, writer of Consumer Reports' Bread and Butter newsletter, for a special edition of A Week in Her Wallet, focused entirely on the grocery store.

First, Jean and Yasmeen sit down with Lori, a mom of two boys in Massachusetts, who spent the week bouncing between Trader Joe's, Costco, and Stop & Shop. Then, Jean and Yasmeen dig into the bigger picture: what three women's grocery weeks revealed about how savvy shoppers have become, why store brands deserve a second look, and Consumer Reports' best tips for cutting costs at the checkout line right now.

Links mentioned:

Subscribe to Bread and Butter by Consumer Reports
Yasmeen's recent newsletter on saving on groceries
Fill out this form to be considered for a future A Week in Her Wallet episode
Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 528: You’re Already Behind – And It’s Not Your Fault: Closing The Retirement Gender Gap May 20, 2026

Show notes

You’ve heard of the gender pay gap – but there’s a quieter crisis unfolding for millions of women: the retirement gender gap. Whether you’ve taken time out of the workforce to care for a loved one, are a Gen X’er racing toward retirement with less saved than you’d like, or recently lost a spouse and are suddenly in charge of finances you’ve never managed alone, this episode is for you.

In it, two experts from LIMRA, Chief Marketing Officer Tina Beckwith and Retirement Income Institute Fellow Suzanne Norman, break down:

Why women face a steeper climb to retirement security
Who’s most at risk
The concrete steps you can start taking today to close the gap

Learn more: Women – and especially widows – often want a trusted partner to help navigate retirement decisions. Here are 7 key tips they can keep in mind when looking for a financial professional.

Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck — your guide to building a secure, steady income stream for the retirement you've worked so hard for.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Week In Her Wallet: How One Woman Turned Divorce Debt Into a Bulletproof Budget, and a Savings Surplus May 15, 2026

Show notes

Nicole is 56, single, and living in Raleigh, North Carolina, and she has a spreadsheet for everything. After her divorce left her saddled with debt, she spent two decades building a budget system so airtight she hasn't carried a credit card balance since. Now she's earning over $100k a year, paying off every card in full, and chipping away at a student loan she could settle tomorrow if she wanted to.

But when Nicole spent a week tracking every dollar for A Week in Her Wallet, she made a surprising discovery: she has far more money left over each month than she ever realized, and she’s ready to put it to work.

In this episode, Jean and Nicole cover:

The medical billing maze that's costing Nicole more than it should
The three-debit-card system Nicole built
Why a diagnosis changed how she thinks about spending on her own wellbeing
The student loan she's been carrying strategically
What Nicole's retirement dream actually looks like

Pre-order Jean's new book, The Forever Paycheck — your guide to building a secure, steady income stream for the retirement you've worked so hard for.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 527: How To Not Know: Making Peace With Financial Uncertainty May 13, 2026

Show notes

If financial uncertainty is keeping you awake at night, this episode is for you. Author and journalist Simone Stolzoff joins Jean to talk about his new book, How To Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World That Demands Answers, and why learning to sit with the unknown might be the most powerful financial skill you can develop right now.

And in this week's Mailbag, Jean is joined by Lacy Garcia, founder and CEO of Willow, to help three listeners navigate inflection points in their lives: how to start dividing shared assets before a divorce is filed, what to do with your 401(k) after a layoff, and how to think about a lump-sum inheritance without letting fear or emotion drive the decision.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Good Enough Job by Simone Stolzoff
Hanna Horvath, Your Brain on Money on Substack
The Forever Paycheck by Jean Chatzky — available for pre-order now
Subscribe to the HerMoney newsletter
Ready to connect with a fiduciary advisor who's the right fit for you? Find one at hermoney.com/findanadvisor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I'm 56 with $3M saved. My husband says we can't afford for me to retire early. Is he right?" May 08, 2026

Show notes

This week, Jean sits down with Louise, 56, a high-tech executive who's burned out, stretched thin, and seriously asking herself whether it's time to walk away from her career.

Louise has done everything right: she and her husband have $3.2M in retirement accounts, over $400k in vested stock, a home worth almost $2 million, and 529s for the kids. But with a family of six to cover, and healthcare costs that could rival a mortgage, the math is murkier than it looks. Jean helps her think through what early retirement would actually cost, where the real risks are, and what she needs to figure out before she makes any moves.

In this episode:

The Rule of 55 — what it is, how it works, and whether it's the right move
Why the 4% rule may not be enough when you're only 56
Healthcare on the open market: what it really costs for a family of six post-subsidy
How unvested stock grants could completely change Louise's retirement picture
Why your home equity belongs in your net worth calculation
The case for finding a middle path between burnout and full retirement
What to ask a financial advisor before making any early retirement decisions

Never miss a money moment — sign up for the free HerMoney newsletter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 526: This Mother's Day, Pass It On: Slow and Steady Still Wins May 06, 2026

Show notes

It was 1996 when a young journalist named Beth Kobliner published a book called Get A Financial Life, and for a whole generation of women in their twenties and thirties, it became the money bible they didn't know they needed. Thirty years later, Beth is back with a completely updated fifth edition, and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

This week, Jean sits down with Beth for a wide-ranging conversation about what thirty years of writing and talking about personal finance has taught them both, and why the fundamentals Beth wrote about in the 90s are more relevant, and more urgent, than ever.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why taking care of your own finances is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids
What Gen Z is actually getting right about money
Why slow and steady still wins
The truth about neobanks, crypto, and gambling apps
The single most important money move a young person can make today that their future self will thank them for

Subscribe to the free twice-weekly HerMoney newsletter.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Week In Her Wallet: A 63-Year-Old Preschool Director Saving For Her “Rich Enough Old Lady” Future May 01, 2026

Show notes

What does it actually look like to spend just $400 in a week… intentionally, joyfully, and with a clear-eyed plan for the future? This week on A Week in Her Wallet, Jean sits down with Ann, a 63-year-old Early Childhood Director from upstate New York, who is on a mission to build what she calls her "rich enough old lady future self."

Ann brings in over $100k a year, but her spending week clocked in at under $400, not because she's depriving herself, but because she's figured out exactly what she values and what she doesn't. From homemade iced coffee and Sunday meal prep to a cleaning splurge she refuses to apologize for, Ann's week is a masterclass in intentional money.

In this episode, Jean and Anne talk about:

The "All About Me" account Anne created to spend guilt-free — and why it changed her relationship with money
How a scarcity mindset from childhood still shows up today, even after buying window treatments she saved two years for
Why Ann went from DIY-ing her investments to hiring a financial advisor, and why she calls it the best money she's ever spent
Her paid-off Honda, "the green lady," and what shifting from luxury cars taught her about values
Navigating finances in a new relationship after a 36-year marriage ended
What she wants women in their late 50s and 60s, especially those feeling behind, to hear

If you want to be considered for a future episode of A Week in Her Wallet, fill out the form here, we'd love to hear from you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 525: The Best Money Advice of All Time (According to the Experts) Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

What's the best financial advice you've ever received? Not the trendiest tip or the hottest stock pick; what’s the wisdom that actually holds up over a lifetime? That's exactly the question Diane Harris, Deputy Editor of Kiplinger, put to 35 of the most trusted voices in personal finance…and the answers are as practical as they are profound.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why "spend less than you make" is still the foundation of everything, and what Jean says happens when you don't
Peter Lynch's "elevator pitch" test for any stock you own (and why most people fail it)
Teresa Ghilarducci's one-date-a-year rule for protecting yourself from panic-selling
Why Christine Benz says paying off your mortgage early makes sense, even if the math says otherwise
Diane’s number one personal finance tip she learned from taking care of her mother

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected