So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

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 if you’ve ever read a smart, clear-headed piece about investing, portfolio strategy, or retirement readiness, chances are her work shaped it.Christine has helped millions of investors make sense of their money at every stage of life—but especially at the moment when the stakes feel highest: figuring out how to turn what you’ve saved into a sustainable, meaningful retirement. She’s also the author of How to Retire, a deeply practical and human guide that goes far beyond the math to tackle the emotional, lifestyle, and health realities of aging.In this conversation, we’re digging into what retirement planning looks like right now: after a long market run, amid persistent inflation concerns, longer lifespans, and big questions around Social Security, healthcare, and caregiving. We talk about safe withdrawal rates, de-risking portfolios, how women need to plan differently, and why flexibility—not perfection—is the real secret to retiring well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, anyone? — YNAB has quietly endured. Not by promising shortcuts or get-rich-quick hacks, but by doing something far more radical: teaching people how to actually be good with money.And not “good” as in million-dollar net worths or retiring at 35 — but good as in sleeping better at night. Not worrying about every expense. Feeling in control. Feeling aligned.That’s why I wanted to kick off 2026 with Jesse.In this conversation, we revisit the philosophy behind YNAB, including the four rules that have helped millions of people escape paycheck-to-paycheck living. We talk about why getting to zero — not riches — is often the most important milestone in someone’s financial life. We explore what Jesse has learned after two decades of watching how people really behave with money. And we dig into what’s changed — and what absolutely hasn’t — about budgeting in a world of higher costs, financial anxiety, automation, and now AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 with what matters most. From there, Farnoosh breaks down the week’s biggest money stories, including shifting grocery prices, growing anxiety in the housing market, canceled home purchase deals, the return of student loan wage garnishment, and new data suggesting homeownership may feel out of reach for more Americans.The episode also highlights two recent conversations on So Money — with David Bach on building wealth through simple, consistent habits, and with Terri Trespicio on the importance of writing as a practical career skill.Listeners then get answers to thoughtful questions about opening a new credit card after securing a HELOC, what it really means when entrepreneurs say they “didn’t pay themselves,” how HSAs work after enrolling in Medicare, and where to safely keep a $20,000 gift intended for a future home purchase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, and even how you advocate for yourself in life.We’re talking about writing.In a hyper-AI world, where polished, generic language is now the floor, the ability to think clearly, express yourself distinctly, and tell your story has become a superpower.And that’s why I invited back someone you may remember from a past So Money episode: Terri Trespicio.[Try Terri's writing studio for a free week, January 12 -16, by clicking here.]Terri is a writing expert, teacher, and the author of Unfollow Your Passion. [She is also the co-host of a brilliant new podcast called Gen Artax where she and her sisters read from their adolescent diaries and journals.] She works with professionals across every industry, from engineers to executives to creatives to scientists, helping them clarify their thinking, stand out in crowded, automated spaces, and reconnect with their own voice in an age when it’s very easy to outsource your thinking to a machine.In this conversation, we connect some unexpected dots:Why writing is a form of critical thinking — not creativity reserved for “writers.”How AI can help after you do the thinking, but can’t replace itWhy your career, your money story, and your confidence all depend on your ability to articulate what you know, want, and believeAnd how writing can even help us process financial baggage, scarcity, and fear, especially as many of us enter the sandwich-generation yearsP.S. Try Terri's writing studio for a free week, January 12 -16, by clicking here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 poorer depending on how our money flows, and that paying yourself first through automation remains the most dependable path to financial security. Drawing on personal stories, market data, and lessons from living abroad in Italy, he reframes wealth as freedom, not just net worth, and makes a compelling case for starting small, investing consistently, and using money to build a life—not just a balance sheet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.