Jill On Money With Jill Schlesinger

This week on the BONUS call we've got Samantha from North Carolina. Samantha, who is currently in grad school at Duke University, will be entering the real world in May of 2018 and wants to know what steps she should take to immediately pay off her student loans. The good news is that Samantha had some soccer scholarships along the way so the damage isn't too severe. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.li

As you’ll recall, we did our fair share of explaining why Wall Street matters, on the episode featuring Bill Cohan. Today we’re doing a 180 with financial journalist and author Rana Foroohar.  Rana’s book, Maker and Takers: How Wall Street Destroyed Main Street, doesn’t exactly paint our economic system in the best light.   The book, just released in paperback, explores how the misguided financial practices and philosophies that nearly toppled the global financial system have infiltrated many US businesses.   Rana shows how the “financialization of America,” the trend by which finance and its way of thinking have come to reign supreme, is perpetuating Wall Street’s reign over Main Street, widening the gap between rich and poor, and threatening the future of the American Dream. And since it’s not everyday that we have a Financial Times columnist in the studio, we also talked a good bit about the global economy, including Germany, Brexit, and China. Rana is a great storyteller, and it’s through stories o

This week we have our longest BONUS call yet from Chris in Minnesota. Why was it on the longer side? Because Chris had some questions about the tricky world of life insurance products. Chris is currently using a product to save for college education and wanted to know if he should keep on doing what he's doing or if it's time to mix things up. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/ 

It’s September and by now, the kids are back to school. Not surprisingly, I used to love this time of year. What can I say...you guys know I’m a total geek. Whether you’re sending your little ones off for the first time or your kid is entering the final chapter of high school, the most expensive part of their education is yet to come! I know, I’m such a Debbie Downer. But the cost of college is no joke and if handled without forethought, it can wreak havoc on the financial lives of parents or saddle kids with boatloads of debt. There are thousands of colleges out there. Public, private, in-state, out-of-state, off-campus, on-campus, this major, that major...it goes on and on. It can be extremely overwhelming.  So where does one turn for some help with the process? My favorite place to go is the annual Best Colleges For Your Money list from MONEY. To help us break down the 2017 rankings, MONEY reporter Kaitlin Mulhere, joins us. Her beat is her education, so she is the ideal person to discuss the topic.

This week on the BONUS call we're going to Bend, Oregon where we received a real estate question from Neil. Only 25 years old, Neil is wondering if it makes sense for him to buy a house. Because the housing market is hot where he lives, he's worried he'll be priced out if he waits much longer. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://

This week on the Better Off podcast it’s yet another example of my geekiness. I love math and statistics...but I am nothing compared to the brilliant Cathy O’Neil. I have been a fan girl of Cathy’s since discovering her blog, mathbabe.org and then hearing her on the Slate Money podcast. Cathy, whose New York Times bestselling book Weapons of Math Destruction is now out in paperback, is the ultimate math geek, but more importantly, she is one of the most thoughtful intellectuals that I have encountered. Cathy’s resume is impressive: a Ph.D. in math from Harvard, a postdoc at the MIT math department, a professor at Barnard College, where she published a number of research papers in arithmetic algebraic geometry and then a short-lived stint on Wall Street, before she launched her consulting firm, ORCAA. When I heard Cathy explain complicated topics and then read the hardcover edition of the book last year, I knew we had to have her on the pod.  It’s such a fascinating read about how big data increases inequa

I loved this latest BONUS call from Brianne in Oakland, CA. Brianne wasn't looking to help herself...instead she got in touch with us because she wants to help her parents. For the last several years she has been trying to help them get their financial lives in order. Although she has made progress, there's still a lot of work to do. After this call I'm ready to give Brianne the "Daughter of the Year" award. I think her parents are very lucky to have her around. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https

I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret.  I’m a total nerd when it comes to the brain and behavior. Why we choose to do the things we do or behave in certain ways has always fascinated me.   So a few months ago when today’s guest, Friederike Fabritius, was in town from Germany, I jumped at the chance to interview her.   Friederike is a leading expert in the field of Neuroleadership. In other words, she’s also a total nerd when it comes to the brain and behavior. In her recent book, The Leading Brain: Powerful Science-Based Strategies for Achieving Peak Performance, she presents simple yet powerful strategies for: Achieving the highest performanceSharpening focusLearning and retaining information more efficientlyImproving complex decision-makingCultivating trust and building strong teamsThroughout the book, Friederike focuses on using solid scientific findings to develop new methods and practices for leadership development.   With Labor Day upon us and the final quarter of the year in sight, you may

This week on the BONUS call we're going to the beautiful Pacific Northwest to chat with Diane from Portland, Oregon. Diane and her husband, in their early 40s, have some considerable assets and are now wondering if it's worth paying a fee to meet with a financial advisor. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  http://www.stitcher.com/podca

I’ve been in the podcasting world for a few years now and one thing I’ve discovered is that the podcasting world really is like a small fraternity/sorority where hosts form bonds and even appear on each other’s shows. We’re no different. And this week we’re doing it again with Joe Saul-Sehy, host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast. I’ve been a guest on Joe’s pod so I figured it was time to return the favor. Just like me, Joe has a background in finance. He was a financial advisor for 16 years and represented American Express and Ameriprise in the media. He was also the “Money Man” at Detroit television WXYZ-TV. Once he got the bug from listening to others, Joe decided he wanted to host his own podcast and now, just four short years later, it’s his full-time job.What is it about Joe’s background and approach that has resonated with listeners?Why don’t people want to talk about money?What has Joe excited about where we are in the financial world?Those questions and many others made for a very fun interview. Yo

This week on the BONUS call we've got Ari from New York City. Ari, a physician, has been accumulating assets for several years and recently realized that the bulk of his money is in stocks. Now Ari is thinking his portfolio should be more balanced but he's worried about the tax hit if he starts moving things around. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jil

It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up on the ninth anniversary of the financial crisis that contributed to the Great Recession. What’s frustrating and mystifying is how many people, or lack thereof, actually faced the music for contributing to the debacle. The anemic response from the Department of Justice sparked today’s guest, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jesse Eisinger, to write The Chickenshit Club: Why the Justice Department Fails to Prosecute Executives. How can it be that no major bankers were charged or put in prison after the financial crisis of 2008? The Chickenshit Club, an inside reference to those prosecutors who were too scared of failure and too daunted by legal impediments to execute the duties of their jobs, explains why. The pages span the last decade and a half of prosecutorial flops, corporate lobbying, trial losses and culture shifts that have stripped the government of the will and ability to prosecute top corporate executives. But it wasn’t always this way. In the 1970s, i

This week on the BONUS call it's yet again the all too familiar question about heavy, heavy student loan debt. This time it was Alida in Florida looking for some advice as to how she and her husband can attack roughly 200k in loans. Even though that is a serious amount of debt, I have a pretty good feeling about these guys. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud

What is life without inspiration?  To me it sounds a bit boring. Of course inspiration can come from anywhere, but because we spend the bulk of our time in the workplace, it is a natural setting to seek it out. Conversely, if you’re the boss, don’t you want to be seen as somebody who inspires? It’s easier said than done, but thanks to our guest this week, executive coach Kristi Hedges, there are everyday actions that any leader can take to be an inspiring and motivating force.   In her latest book, The Inspiration Code: How the Best Leaders Energize People Every Day, Kristi shows how to become a leader who builds commitment and fosters greatness in others. Having spent years studying exactly what inspiring leaders do differently, Kristi likes to think of inspirational people as the four Ps:PRESENT: investing their full attention and letting conversations flowPERSONAL: speaking genuinely, listening generously, and acknowledging the potential of those around themPASSIONATE: exhibiting sincere emotion and ex

Last week on the BONUS call the question was about when to start diversifying. This week Ashley from Florida is asking if there's such a thing as being too diversified? With a few different retirement accounts in the works, does she need all of them? Or does less really equal more in this scenario? Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-schlesinger  ht

Prices are up, inventories are down which means the housing market is hot again. It’s not like the crazy days of 2005, but conditions are a bit frenzied. To prepare for what is likely to be the biggest asset purchase or sale you’ll make in life, we turn to Stephen Gasque, host of Real Estate Today, a weekly radio program presented by the National Association of Realtors. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or seller, Steven is full of tips to help you navigate the process. One of the topics we spent some time on is the current inventory crisis and why it’s seemingly harder than ever for potential buyers to get the home they want. Why is the competition among buyers more intense than ever? Some of the other topics we discussed: What are the most common mistakes people make when buying or selling? What’s the most important step for a potential buyer? How to successfully invest in real estate as a rental propertyThe future of mortgage interest deductions Renting versus buyingIf you’re planning on going to an

This week on the BONUS call we're talking asset allocation with David from Virginia. For years David has been saving and not really paying attention to his various accounts. Now that he's a little older, he recently checked in on them and was pleasantly surprised to see how much his accounts have grown. Up until now everything David has saved has been 100% invested in stocks. Now that he's in his 30s is it time to start diversifying? Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmo

When it comes to money and personal finance, I like to think I know a thing or two. But when it comes to technology and gadgets, I turn to experts Jeff Bakalar and Russ Frushtick. Jeff and Russ host The 404 Show, a popular CNET podcast that focuses on pop-culture, tech, movies, comics, video games and more. It’s a good arrangement: When Jeff and Russ have questions regarding their financial lives, they know who to call—and they really do, from time to time. When I need help purchasing a new phone or want to understand what lies ahead on the tech landscape, I return the favor. The technology world changes so fast it’s almost impossible to keep up with it. Every month it seems, there’s some new announcement—a hot new app, a popular gadget, a hopeful tech IPO, a disruptive innovation—it’s never ending. In this latest episode of “Better Off,” we touched on a variety of topics that we once thought we’d only see in a Hollywood movie:Artificial intelligence (AI)Virtual reality (VR)Self-driving vehicles UPS using

This week on the BONUS call we're talking to Brian from Los Angeles. Brian and his wife have lived overseas for a while and in the process built up a nest egg of about 600k. Now back in the States they have to find a house and are wondering how to do it without blowing through all the money they've accumulated. Have a finance question? We want to hear from you! Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com and we'll arrange to get you on. Don't forget, a brand new episode of the Better Off podcast comes out Thursday so stay tuned for more listener questions plus an informative interview. Better Off is sponsored by Betterment. Please let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. Connect with me at these places for all my content: http://www.jillonmoney.com/  https://twitter.com/jillonmoney  https://www.facebook.com/JillonMoney  https://www.instagram.com/jillonmoney/  https://www.youtube.com/c/JillSchlesinger  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillonmoney/  https://soundcloud.com/jill-s

On June 29th, 2007 Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a new product, which he described as “a revolutionary mobile phone,” and a “breakthrough Internet communications device.” Indeed, the iPhone has changed our lives. We do EVERYTHING on our phones. We text, we surf the web, we bank, we book vacations, we get directions, we book cars, we play games, and we even make the occasional phone call. In the process, Apple has become the most profitable public company in the world, with a market cap of about three quarters of a trillion dollars – that’s more than twice as much as Exxon Mobil and three times as much as General Electric. Over the past ten years, Apple’s business has grown by 10 times and its stock price has increased by nearly 720 percent, dwarfing the 134 percent rise in the NASDAQ Composite Index. But just how close did we come to not having the iPhone? How did it actually happen? Our guest Brian Merchant, technology journalist and author of the new book, The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhon