This week on Ask Farnoosh, I’m sharing highlights from a financial literacy workshop I hosted at the Bloomfield Library, where I met incredible women navigating major financial crossroads—some filled with uncertainty, others with courage and clarity. In this episode, I answer: What to do when your parents disapprove of your marriage because you earn more than your partner and have taken on a traditionally “masculine” role. How to stay financially informed and empowered even if your spouse handles most of the household finances. Whether a newly single mom who recently lost her partner should ..read more

J. Dana Trent joins to share stories from her childhood as the daughter of a drug dealer, taught to cut up weed as a pre-schooler to support the family business. Her memoir, Between Two Trailers, chronicles the trauma from her troubled past and Dana’s ultimate reconciliation with her past life and parents. More about J. Dana Trent: She is an accomplished professor and award-winning spirituality writer with a master’s degree from Duke. Join the So Money Members Club. Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint. Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram ..read more

We’re diving deep into one of the most pressing financial issues of our time—student loans. If you or someone you love has ever felt the weight of student debt, wondered why the system feels so broken, or questioned what real solutions might look like, this episode is for you. Joining us is Jillian Berman, a veteran financial journalist who has spent more than a decade reporting on the student loan crisis. She’s the author of the new book Sunk Cost: Who’s to Blame for the Nation’s Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It, which unpacks the history, politics, and policies that have turned ..read more

News of tariff hikes rattled the stock market this week. How to maneuver through the financial uncertainty? To help us navigate this emotional terrain, we are reairing an interview with financial therapist Aja Evans. Aja's new book, Feel Good Finance, is the guide we all need right now, offering practical strategies for untangling our money emotions and building a healthier relationship with our finances. In today’s episode, Aja will help us: Understand how our early experiences shape our financial habits and anxieties. Learn how to address money conflicts in relationships with grace and com ..read more

Menopause used to be a whispered word, something women were expected to endure quietly. But that’s changing—and fast. Women are reclaiming this stage of life, demanding better care, and rewriting the narrative. And leading the charge is my guest today, Emmy-winning journalist and menopause advocate, Tamsen Fadal. With a career spanning over three decades in television news, Tamsen has transitioned her focus towards empowering women navigating midlife changes.Her latest endeavor, the book How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better Than Before, serves ..read more

What if the dream you’ve been chasing—the one you’re sure will bring you happiness—turns out to be a myth? Today’s guest, Sam Vander Wielen, knows this feeling firsthand. She was a successful corporate lawyer who believed that starting her own business would finally make her happy. But when she left law to become an entrepreneur, she realized that fulfillment doesn’t come from business success alone—it’s something you have to cultivate for yourself. Sam is now a leading legal educator for online entrepreneurs, helping business owners legally protect their work and scale sustainably. She’s th ..read more

Farnoosh Torabi welcomes back Georgia Lee Hussey, founder of Modernist Financial, to discuss a range of financial topics amid current political and economic uncertainties. They examine President Trump's tariff proposals and the theory that they might be engineered to induce a recession for lower interest rates. The conversation extends to the importance of vigilance in financial contracts and professional services amid deregulation efforts. Georgia advises on maintaining financial stability by using credit unions and thoughtful money management. Listener questions cover housing arrangements wi ..read more

This episode is brought to you by Chase. Social media scams are on the rise and it’s important we know how to spot the tell-tale signs and how to protect our information and money from scams. Visit Chase.com/DontGetReeledIn to learn more. We're turning our attention to the rise of social media scams and how we can protect ourselves from phishing and impersonation scams to fake ads, quizzes, and job posts. The numbers are staggering. Scammers are targeting everything from fake event tickets and rental properties to counterfeit products. These scams are becoming harder to detect. For more on th ..read more

Imagine this: You’re nine months pregnant, shopping for a crib at IKEA, when suddenly—a massive earthquake hits. No phone. No keys. No way to reach your family. Just the immediate reality of survival. That’s the premise of Tilt, a gripping new novel that forces us to ask: How does financial precarity shape our survival? What happens when class determines who makes it out—and who doesn’t? Today, I’m talking to award-winning journalist and climate crisis storyteller Emma Pattee, whose novel Tilt is as much about disaster as it is about money, resilience, and the c ..read more

Farnoosh answers financial questions from viewers, covering topics such as the pros and cons of the National Debt Relief Program, the impact of selling individual stocks for index funds, and strategies for recent graduates entering the job market. The discussion also includes advice on saving strategies, including automated contributions and side hustles. Additional questions addressed include navigating a severance package post-layoff, COBRA insurance options, and the best methods for investing money either incrementally or as a lump sum. Lastly, the importance of broadening job searches and ..read more