A Better Way to Money

What does it actually take to build a good life? Dr. Robert Waldinger has spent decades studying that question—and he has 85 years of data to back up his answer. As director of one of the longest-running studies of human life ever conducted, the esteemed Harvard professor joins host Jennifer Borget to unpack what actually makes people thrive: why relationships matter more than your résumé, how chronic stress—including financial stress—does real damage to the body, and why it's never too late to change course. This is the season finale of A Better Way to Money, and it's the conversation we've been building toward all season.

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building a life you actually love TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect with Dr. Robert Waldinger

• Robert’s book: https://www.robertwaldinger.com/the-good-life/
• Robert’s TED Talk: What Makes a Good Life? 

Connect with Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/what-the-harvard-happiness-study-teaches-us-about-money-and-living-well

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about how to grow, protect, and plan with your money. But today’s guest has spent most of his career asking a different question: Once you have money, can the way you spend it actually change how happy you are? Harvard Business School Professor Michael Norton’s research points to something most of us have backward—it’s not how much money you have; it’s how you use it to help and connect with the people around you.

Host Jennifer Borget sits down with Norton, co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, to unpack why giving to others tends to outperform spending on ourselves and why the smallest habits—like buying someone else’s coffee—might matter more than the size of the gesture, plus a golden rule of spending Norton says most of us should incorporate for a happier life. Whether you’re already generous by nature or are looking for ways to live a better life in the long run, this episode might change how you prioritize your spending.

Download your free Family Finances Workbook and start building spending habits that actually make you happier TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

And one more thing—this episode drops during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Northwestern Mutual is marking it with action. For every new follower of A Better Way to Money in September, they’ll donate $10 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation—a leader in advancing innovative childhood cancer research (up to $5,000). 

This supports Northwestern Mutual’s larger commitment to accelerating the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer, while also supporting families and survivors living with long-term side effects. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual has funded more than 860,000 hours of childhood cancer research and contributed more than $75 million to the cause overall. With more than 1,000 children worldwide diagnosed each day, this work is helping drive real breakthroughs to bring us closer to a cancer-free future.

Connect With Michael Norton

• Michael’s website: https://michaelnorton.com/
• Michael’s book: Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending

Connect With Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page:

https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/plan-your-spending-for-a-better-life

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Everyone tells you childcare is expensive. But knowing that and actually living it are two very different things. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with author and childcare expert Christina Eaglin—author of Who's Watching My Baby? and expert on navigating the childcare maze —to talk through the stuff nobody prepares you for: what childcare really costs beyond the monthly invoice, how to vet a provider before you're already attached, why you need a backup plan before you ever need to use it, and how to have the money conversations with your partner before the pressure is on. Think of it as the conversation you'd want to have with a friend who's already been through it, so the chaos of childcare doesn't hold back your finances—or your future.

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start making your childcare plan work better TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect With Christina Eaglin

• Christina’s book: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Whos-Watching-My-Baby/Christina-D-Eaglin/9798218378714

Connect With Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-budget-for-childcare-costs-and-build-a-backup-plan-that-works

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Thinking about a career pause to take care of your growing family? Host Jennifer Borget sits down with Neha Ruch–Stanford MBA, founder of The Power Pause, and USA Today bestselling author—to talk through the benefits of a pause when you plan it out with purpose. We cover the budgeting conversations, the identity shift, and how to come back stronger on your own terms.

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start planning your career pause with confidence TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect With Neha Ruch

• Neha’s website: https://www.thepowerpause.com/
• Neha’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Pause-Career-Kids-Stronger/dp/0593716183
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch/

Connect With Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutal.com/life-and-money/how-to-plan-a-career-pause-with-intention

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Most people picture a financial advisor behind a mahogany desk, running spreadsheets for people with serious money. Jonathon Gais grew up thinking the same thing—until he became one. Now, as VP of Client Experience and Personalized Planning at Northwestern Mutual, Jonathon shapes how NM advisors across the country think about financial planning. His core message: You don’t need to have it all figured out before you talk to an advisor. The right one helps you make smarter choices—and becomes the reason you finally start.

Host Jennifer Borget sits down with Jonathon for an honest look at what a real planning conversation sounds like; why starting to plan today, even when everything isn’t perfectly in place, is always better than waiting; why protection is the blind spot most people in their 30s miss; and what it takes to close the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. The right time to start isn’t when everything lines up. It’s now. 

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start preparing for your first financial advisor session TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect With Jonathon Gais

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathongais/

Connect With Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/a-sneak-peek-into-what-a-real-financial-advisor-conversation-looks-like

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Most people dealing with debt don’t talk about it. They rationalize, minimize, or wait for a “better time” that never seems to arrive. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox did the same—reporting on personal finance for a living the whole time—before she confronted it, paid it all off, and built the kind of financial stability she now helps others find. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with  New York Times bestselling author of Bounce Back: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Resilience to explain how anyone can recover from a financial curveball. Lynnette shares how debt creeps in and takes over, why the standard advice doesn’t always work, what it takes to get out, and ways to build a better financial future. And debt is just one thing that can knock people off course. Lynnette’s Dreaded D’s cover the full list—divorce, death, disability, downsizing, and more. Listen here to get a game plan for when life takes a turn. 

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building a plan that holds up when life knocks you off course TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect With Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

• Lynnette’s website: https://lynnettekhalfanicox.com/about/
• Lynnette’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Bounce-Back-Ultimate-Financial-Resilience/dp/1394205163/

Connect With Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-pay-off-debt-and-recover-from-financial-setbacks

Digital Asset: 29-5697-10 Getting Family Finances Right: A Workbook

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Great news! AI will answer any financial question you have. The catch? It learned everything it knows from strangers on the internet. And despite that fact, a surprising number of millennials are using it to tell them how to manage their money. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with research scientist and author Janelle Shane, one of the clearest minds on how AI actually works behind the screen, to figure out when it’s a genuinely useful starting point and when trusting it with your financial questions is the most expensive shortcut you’ll ever take.

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start asking better questions about AI and your money TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect with Janelle

• Janelle’s blog: https://www.aiweirdness.com/
• Janelle’s book, You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: https://www.amazon.com/You-Look-Like-Thing-Love/dp/0316525243

Connect with Northwestern Mutual

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/can-you-trust-ai-for-financial-advice-what-an-expert-says

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

If you’re raising kids while also keeping an eye on your aging parents, you’re in good company—about half* of middle-aged Americans are right there with you. But most are figuring it out on the fly, making the squeeze that much harder. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with estate planning attorney and Sandwich Generation Survival Guide podcast host Candace Dellacona to unpack what the sandwich generation is really facing: what eldercare actually costs, where the planning gaps hurt the most, and how one honest conversation with your aging loved ones can give them back their voice and give you a real path forward. Whether you’re already in the thick of it or trying to get ahead of it, this episode is your survival guide. 

*Pew Research 

Download our free Family Financial Planning workbook and start building better habits TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ 

Connect with Candace 

• Candace’s website: https://www.offitkurman.com/candace-dellacona 
• Candace's podcast, The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sandwich-generation-survival-guide/id1687970739 

Connect with Northwestern Mutual 

• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual 
• Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/ 
• TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual 

Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-plan-financially-for-aging-parents-while-raising-kids 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/ 

Want your relationship to go the distance? One of the best things you can do—especially if you’re getting married—is have an honest money conversation. Family law attorney and HelloPrenup founder Julia Rodgers joins host Jennifer Borget to show how prenuptial and postnuptial agreements give couples a powerful framework for doing exactly that. Julia reframes these contracts from top to bottom: not as legal protection against failure but as one of the most loving, intentional steps two people can take together. Plus: what they actually cover, and how to start a money conversation with your partner—wherever you are in your relationship.

Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building your future TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect with Julia

• Julia’s website: https://helloprenup.com

Connect with Northwestern Mutual

• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual
• Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/
• TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

The career ladder you planned to climb? It’s looking a lot shakier these days. Host Jennifer Borget is joined by author Simone Stolzoff—author of The Good Enough Job and How to Not Know—to explore what building a career looks like when the old rules no longer apply and why learning to thrive in uncertainty might be the single most valuable skill you can build. Together, they unpack how to stay grounded when your work life shifts; why over-identifying with your job title is a liability; and how a strong financial plan gives you the foundation to take risks, make moves, and land on your feet.

• How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers
• The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work

Download your free Family Finances workbook and plan for a future you can’t predict TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/

Connect with Simone

Simone’s website: https://simonestolzoff.com/

Connect with Northwestern Mutual

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual