Jill On Money With Jill Schlesinger

One of the goals of the Better Off podcast is to make the daunting seem doable. And there is no more daunting topic than college. From saving for it, going through the selection process and the heavy lifting of paying for it (whether out of pocket or through financial aid and student loans), the whole subject produces anxiety for students and their families. But it doesn’t have to be that way, according to our guest Kelly Peeler, founder and CEO of NextGenVest, a free text message service to help students navigate the college selection and financial aid and student loan processes. It’s the busy time of year for Kelly and her team, as college acceptances are rolling in and families are trying to figure what to do with all the various forms. And those forms are KEY. Can you believe that more than $2.7 billion dollars, yes billion with a B, of unclaimed financial aid money is left on the table every single year primarily because people don’t fill out the FAFSA form. That blows my mind. By using NextGenVe

Are you retired? Retiring soon? Perhaps are younger and wondering if you'll have enough money when the time comes? That's what the latest BONUS call with Alison from California is all about. Alison is only in her 50s but already decided to call it quits and is now wondering if she made a mistake. Considering life expectancy is much longer these days, especially for women, she has many, many years to plan for. Let us know what you think with a comment and rating in iTunes! 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. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you hear my unabashed enthusiasm and connection with today’s guest, Nicole Lapin, I think you will understand why we hit it off so quickly. Nicole, already an accomplished journalist by her thirtieth birthday, expanded her reach with the 2015 release of her New York Times bestseller, “Rich Bitch”. Yes, that’s the title. Before you start going nuts, CALM DOWN. Nicole’s premise is simple: she wanted to own that word and use it to entice those who might not necessarily pick up a personal finance book. Nicole’s latest book, which is laugh out loud funny, is called “Boss Bitch: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Take Charge of Your Career”. Despite the title of both of her books, they are not exclusively for women. Both are about taking charge, no matter who you are. Boss Bitch is about being a boss without having a business card or dozens of employees to prove it. Here are some topics that that Nicole explores: -Be the CEO of YOU by running your life like a business -Think like a boss by being entrepreneu

This week on the BONUS call we talked to Brian from Seattle who was wondering if he should still be paying for disability insurance. Insurance questions are always tricky and very specific so there's no standard answer. Give it a listen...who knows, you or somebody you know may be in a similar situation. As always, let us know what you think by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. 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. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We like to mix it up and try new things every now and then on “Better Off.” Earlier this month, for the first time, we featured one guest (Jason Zweig) on back-to-back episodes. This week, it’s another first for us, one that’s all about you guys, our awesome listeners. We’ve been getting so many email questions on a variety of topics we thought it would be a good idea to devote an entire episode to answering your questions. Sure, I could do this on my own but thought it would be much more fun to have a partner in crime, so I borrowed Alex Benke, CFP®, from our sponsor, Betterment. Betterment recently announced new service plans which offer access to a team of CFP® professionals and licensed financial experts to help customers with their more complicated financial issues. We’re borrowing a page from that model and answering your questions! We started off helping Stephen from Florida with retirement planning. Like many, Stephen feels he got a late start and wants to make sure he’s now on the right p

Do you have a financial advisor? Are you looking for one? Do you know how much you're paying this person? Or should be expecting to pay? Are the fees so high you feel like you're getting screwed? Our BONUS caller of the week sure felt that way! That's why Cheryl from Massachusetts gave us a call. Was her gut instinct right? Is she paying too much? Give it a listen and leave us your feedback by leaving a rating or review in iTunes. 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. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Tax Day right around the corner, our guest, Ed Slott, CPA, is in the house to review some last-minute tips, dos and don'ts, and provide sage advice about which IRA might be right for you. Ed is not only a tax guru, he’s also a total character. He skillfully presents what is usually dry advice in just the way we like on “Better Off”: with attitude and humor! Considered one of the foremost authorities on all things regarding taxes, retirement, IRAs, Ed is regularly quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Money, Kiplinger’s, USA Today, Investment News and a host of additional national magazines and financial publications. You may have also seen Ed on your local public television station on one of his numerous specials. I realize paying taxes can be a sore subject, but as much as everyone complains, Ed says that tax rates are still relatively low. That means that now could be a good time to move funds from tax-deferred vehicles, like 401(k)s and IRAs into tax free Roth IRAs. Ed als

On the latest BONUS call we talk to Kevin from California. Kevin and his wife were recently gifted $25,000 and have been contemplating various ways to use it. As a young couple with decades ahead of them before retirement, their initial thought was to pay down the mortgage. Good idea? You'll have to listen for the answer! 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 in iTunes. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you don’t know the name Jason Zweig, as a listener of the Better Off podcast, chances are you know his work. The “Intelligent Investor” column that you read every Saturday in the Wall Street Journal...yep, that’s his awesome work. I’ve been a fan of Jason’s for a long time, so it’s a no brainer that he’s on one of the early episodes of “Better Off.” And let me just say, it was no easy get! We, and when I say we I really mean Mark, the best producer in the world, have been going back and forth with Jason since last October trying to nail down a date. Was it worth it? Let’s just say that when we do interviews, Mark and I are acutely aware of how long they’re running. We try to keep them 30 minutes or less. Well, Jason was so good we kept him for nearly an hour. His knowledge and insight of the financial industry is so wide and deep that we decided that we needed to feature him in back-to-back episodes, a “Better Off” first! In part two of this interview we cover the decreasing cost of investing and

This week on the BONUS call we do retirement planning with Barry from Pennsylvania. Barry and his wife are looking to retire in a few years and want to make sure they're on the right track. As you'll hear, there are many questions that need to be asked before giving a thumbs up or down. 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 in iTunes. Have a question? Email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you don’t know the name Jason Zweig, as a listener of the Better Off podcast, chances are you know his work. The “Intelligent Investor” column that you read every Saturday in the Wall Street Journal...yep, that’s his awesome work. I’ve been a fan of Jason’s for a long time, so it’s a no brainer that he’s on one of the early episodes of “Better Off.” And let me just say, it was no easy get! We, and when I say we I really mean Mark, the best producer in the world, have been going back and forth with Jason since last October trying to nail down a date. Was it worth it? Let’s just say that when we do interviews, Mark and I are acutely aware of how long they’re running. We try to keep them 30 minutes or less. Well, Jason was so good we kept him for nearly an hour. His knowledge and insight of the financial industry is so wide and deep that we decided that we needed to feature him in back-to-back episodes, a “Better Off” first! In part one of the interview we cover the power of index funds, the importan

This week on the BONUS call we talk to Karen from Kentucky who was wondering about an annuity. Because annuities are very tricky products it's one of the most common questions we get. In Karen's case, she already has a pension and a retirement account so does she need to purchase this product? Listen to find out! 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 in iTunes. And if you have a question you'd like to ask, email us at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m going to assume that a good portion of you subscribed to the Better Off podcast have used either Uber or Airbnb. I use Uber all the time and it seems like everyone I know has used Airbnb. My producer Mark just used Airbnb for a week in Tokyo and loved it. James Altucher, our guest from the second episode, basically lives full-time in various Airbnb locations. It’s no exaggeration to say that these companies have almost single-handedly disrupted stodgy industries (taxi/limousine and hotel), become stars of the Silicon Valley venture capital world and made their impact felt across the globe. That’s why we were delighted to have a great conversation with Brad Stone, Bloomberg journalist and author of “The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley are Changing the World.” Brad defines an upstart as either “a newly successful person” or “someone who does not show proper respect to the established way of doing things” -- you’ll need to decide whether or not Travis Kala

For the BONUS call this week we chatted with Brian from Seattle who plans on leaving his Roth IRA to his two kids...since this won't be happening for many, many years, he was wondering how he should be invested inside the Roth. A good lesson for anyone with a Roth or traditional IRA. 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 in iTunes. And if you have a question you'd like to ask, send us an email at askjill@betteroffpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A couple weeks ago, we devoted the entire interview portion of the podcast to the hotly debated Department of Labor fiduciary rule, which was set to begin implementation on April 10. We taped that interview just days before President Trump signed a Memorandum that instructs the DOL to examine the rule “to determine whether it may adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement information and financial advice.” In other words, the fiduciary rule could be toast. Well, not on this show--it’s going to be a running theme on Better Off because as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, fiduciary is an issue about which I’m deeply passionate. So is our guest this week, Betterment CEO Jon Stein. By now it’s no secret that Betterment is the sponsor of Better Off. But that’s not the reason why we’re having Jon on today. Jon has been an industry leader on the issue of fiduciary, publishing an open letter to President Trump, and voicing his company’s support for the rule. Jon’s take is simple and

On this week's BONUS call we talk about navigating the tricky world of student loans with Ashley. Let's just say that Ashley and her boyfriend racked up a good chunk of debt and she was looking for some advice on how to best tackle the loans. We all know somebody in a similar situation so it's worth a listen as it may help someone you know. 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 in iTunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You will often hear me say that before you worry about the financial future of your kids, you need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself first. But that doesn’t take you off the hook for discussing money with your kids. Think of it as another one of the talks...so now in addition to the sex talk, the drug and alcohol talk, we can add the money talk. All of these conversations must occur at every stage of your child’s development, with age-appropriate messaging that the kids can absorb. To help with your effort, this week we’re talking to Beth Kobliner, author of Make Your Kid A Money Genius (Even If You're Not): A Parents’ Guide for Kids 3 to 23. Okay, okay, full disclosure, she’s also a friend of mine. But that’s not why Beth is on “Better Off.” She’s on because it’s an important topic. I know there are a lot of you out there subscribed to this podcast, with kids or thinking about starting a family, wondering how to have such conversations: How much debt should we take on for college? Should I

Fiduciary Definition, according to Merriam-Webster: a : held or founded in trust or confidence b : holding in trust c : depending on public confidence for value or currency Fiduciary is a weird legal word that has become a lightning rod from Wall Street to Washington DC. In a nutshell, fiduciary is the standard of care which requires financial professionals to put the interests of their clients’ first. Seems like a pretty obvious and basic principle, that should be the standard when someone is talking about your money, right? Well, you may be surprised as to learn that the majority of the financial services industry has long been held to a lower standard, which was called “suitability.” Suitability meant that any financial product that was sold had to be appropriate for you, though not necessarily in your best interest. The problem is that most investors have been unaware of the different standards that have applied for all of these years. Enter the the Department of Labor (DOL), which in the afte

I promised you that on the “Better Off” podcast, we would tackle uncomfortable, and even controversial, money and investing issues. And high up on the list of anxieties is trying to land a new job or move up the food chain in your existing workplace. Of course, it’s all about who you know and having connections. As someone who has been called a “natural networker,” I wholeheartedly cling to that concept. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all jobs are found through networking. And because it’s a new year, a time when people often make changes, especially career changes, we thought it was a good idea to talk to networking expert Kelly Hoey. Kelly’s new book, Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World, has just been released and is perfect for anyone looking for networking and career advice. We have all heard that networking can be an effective and important tool, but Kelly emphasizes creating meaningful connections, defining your goal and h

Young. Check. Ivy League educated. Check. Obsessed with statistics. Check. Obsessed with politics. Check. A rising star in the media world. Check. Yep, that pretty much describes this week’s “Better Off” podcast guest. As promised, we tackle uncomfortable, and even controversial, money and investing issues, but on this episode, we are wading into the choppy waters of politics, with Harry Enten, senior political writer and analyst for FiveThirtyEight. If you’re not familiar with the site, it’s the brainchild of statistician guru Nate Silver who gained recognition in 2008 after correctly predicting the outcomes in 49 of the 50 states in the presidential election. With the presidential inauguration upon us, we thought it made sense to talk to someone about the recent race, more specifically the numbers behind it, and how so many people got it wrong. What were the warning signs that so many missed? What did Hillary do wrong? Was it all about the economy or were there other factors? Did the third par