Inflation just hit 3.8%, the highest it's been since 2023. That means that $100 you had in January? It's worth about $96.30 today.

So today, Nicole breaks down three tools that protect your money when inflation runs hot: I bonds, TIPS, and gold. She explains exactly how each one works, who each is best for, and the critical differences between them — including why gold didn't spike during the pandemic inflation surge the way everyone expected, and why right now might actually be different.

Plus, Nicole shares a little-known strategy called the "gift box" method that lets couples legally stack up to $40,000 in I bond purchases in a single calendar year.

Here is a Money Rehab episode about how to invest in gold

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠ Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠ Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠

Here's what Nicole covers today: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

00:18 Inflation Is Back — And We're All Feeling It 

01:33 What's Driving the Surge (It's Not Just Gas) 

02:30 What 3.8% Inflation Actually Does to Your Dollars 

02:56 I Bonds: The Inflation-Fighting Investment Nicole Loves 

04:34 I Bonds

05:06 TIPS 

08:04 Gold: Flight to Safety or Inflation Hedge? 

10:00 Why Gold Thrives When the Economy Is a Dumpster Fire 

11:40 Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank: The Gift Box Strategy

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

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Nicole is joined by journalist and podcast host Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions, for a crossover episode!

This is a shame-free conversation about the money questions we’re all holding in, starting with perhaps the most loaded one of all: should you buy a home?

Nicole breaks down the 5% rule for renting vs. buying, why she personally chose not to buy, and how to strip the emotion out of a decision that's usually anything but. She also answers common questions about debt, HSAs, growing generational wealth and more. Plus, Nayeema and Nicole talk about which expenses are worth going into debt for, and what Mark Cuban told Nayeema about how money can make you feel poorer the wealthier you become.

Listen to Nayeema's podcast Smart Girl, Dumb Questions

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Here's what Nicole covers with Nayeema: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:17 Nicole's Controversial Take on Homeownership 

04:44 The 5% Rule: Rent vs. Buy Math 

08:37 Why Nicole Chose to Rent (And Invest the Difference) 

12:30 How the LA Fires Changed Nicole's Relationship to Home 

17:00 Not All Debt Is Created Equal: Good Debt vs. Bad Debt 

20:02 What Rich People Know About Leverage 

24:03 How Nicole Got Into (and Out of) Credit Card Debt 

25:51 Avalanche vs. Snowball: Which Debt Payoff Method Wins? 

28:09 The Shame Cycle Keeping People Stuck in Debt 

29:18 The Debt Game: What’s Worth It? 

34:35 Investing in Your 20s: Nicole's Biggest Regret 

36:27 Nicole's Daughter's Investment Portfolio 

37:15 HSAs, 401(k)s, and Where to Put Your Money First 

38:39 How Do You Know If You're Rich? 

41:26 Mark Cuban on How Money Can Make You Feel Poorer 

42:34 Nicole's "Dumb" Question 

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

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The Federal Reserve hasn't been this dramatic in decades. Today, Nicole breaks down everything you need to know about the Fed and exactly what it means for your wallet.

Nicole explains how the federal funds rate actually works, why it doesn't directly set your mortgage rate (but still absolutely affects it), and which accounts move immediately when the Fed acts. She unpacks the Fed's dual mandate, and shares her prediction for what Kevin Warsh will do.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Here's what Nicole covers today:

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

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Olivia Ferney (@travelwithlivii) is the luxury travel agent to the ultra-wealthy, booking private jets, superyachts, and six-figure vacations for some of the richest people on earth. Today, she pulls back the velvet rope on what it's actually like inside that world. If you’re trying to meet a billionaire client or investor, Liv tells you where they’re hanging out.

Liv tells Nicole the most outrageous client requests she's received, why saying "I have no budget" is the biggest red flag a client can send, and what to say to get a hotel upgrade. She also gets real about how working with billionaires has warped her own relationship with money, and the softer lessons she's taken away about what money actually can and can't fix.

Plus: the Instagram-famous destinations she'd never recommend, where billionaires are actually traveling right now, and the shoulder season hack anyone can use to save real money on their next trip.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Follow Travel with Livii learn more about Top Tier Travel

Here's what Nicole covers with Olivia: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

02:15 Selling Her First Company at 21 and Moving to Miami 

04:49 The Travel Agent Business Model 

07:23 Flying Limes From Different Countries and Other Crazy Client Requests 

09:36 What Clients Think About the Viral Videos 

14:00 Are the Stereotypes About “New Money” True? 

20:43 "Rich People F***ing Love a Refund" 

22:44 Do Billionaires Have Budgets? 

25:18 Overrated Destinations, Best Hotels, and Most Expensive Room Service 

28:30 Where Billionaires Are Traveling Right Now 

32:26 How to Get a Free Hotel Upgrade 

39:16 How Working With Billionaires Changes Your Money Mindset 

43:07 Rich and Depressed Is Still Depressed 

45:30 Prenups, Working With Your Partner, and Wedding Plans 

46:49 Liv’s Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

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Chris Voss is a former FBI lead kidnapping negotiator, betselling author of Never Split The Difference, and founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group; a negotiation, training, coaching, and consulting organization that teaches people how to achieve better outcomes in high-stakes conversations.
Recognized globally as a leading authority on negotiation, Chris developed his approach through decades of experience in crisis negotiation. Today, he and The Black Swan Group apply those principles to business, sales, leadership, difficult conversations, and high-stakes communication through The Black Swan Method® and Tactical Empathy®.
Never Split The Difference has introduced millions of readers around the world to Chris's negotiation methodology. Through The Black Swan Group, Chris and his team help people go beyond understanding the concepts in the book and develop negotiation as a practical, repeatable performance skill through training, coaching, practice, and live experiences.
The Black Swan Group offers in-person negotiation training, live and self-paced online negotiation training, coaching, keynote speaking, and advanced negotiation experiences for business owners, leaders, sales professionals, and other professionals who want to become more effective dealmakers.
Learn from Chris Voss and The Black Swan Group:
Negotiation training and resources: https://www.blackswanltd.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm=campaign=moneyrehabwithnicolelapin
In-person and live training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/live-events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=moneyrehabwithnicolelapin
Online negotiation training: https://www.blackswanltd.com/online-negotiation-classes?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=moneyrehabwithnicolelapin

Chris reveals why finding “common ground” is actually a recipe for resentment, why throwing out a number first can kill a deal, and the three conflict types — fight, flight, and make friends — that explain how almost every deal goes sideways. 

Then Nicole and Chris get into why remote work might be quietly tanking your career, an analysis of President Trump’s negotiation style and The Art of the Deal, plus the two lines of code planted in your head before age five that drive everything you do with money, work, and relationships. Finally, because Nicole had to ask, Chris explains what you should say if you’re ever in a hostage situation.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Check out Nicole’s Favorite Chris Voss Book “Never Split the Difference”

Learn More About The Black Swan Method

Here's what Nicole covers with Chris: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:00 Why Splitting the Difference Builds Resentment

03:19 The Myth of “Common Ground”

06:57 Stories From Being the Lead Hostage Negotiator For the FBI 

07:51 How to Get Your Boss to Want to Pay You More 

16:00 The Mistake of Getting Too Personal

18:51 What Should You Say If You’re a Hostage?

19:19 In A Raise Negotiation, Should You Bring Up a Competing Offer?

22:19 Is Body Language Really Important?

27:12 Does Chris Voss Get Nervous While Negotiating?

28:36 Negotiation Role Play and the Script For Getting a Raise

30:31 Should You Throw Out a Number First?

32:25 Don’t Ask “How Can I Help?”

42:15 Negotiating Non-Monetary Perks (Remote Work, Vacation Time, and More)43:06 Chris’ Take on Remote Work: It Makes You a C-Player 

47:31 How to Use Empathy in a Negotiation 

48:00 Why Being Playful Makes You 31% Smarter 

50:20 The Three Conflict Types and Why Deals Die 

59:00 Analyzing Donald Trump’s Negotiation Style

01:08:51 Debunking Negotiation Myths

01:16:00 Rating Deal-Making Cliches 

01:18:13 How To Get Inside Someone’s Head

01:22:38 How Your Upbringing Influences Your Negotiation Skills

01:25:47 Chris Voss's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

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Allison Ellsworth built Poppi from a homemade prebiotic soda to a $2 billion brand acquired by Pepsi… but you already know that. Today, Allison talks about what happens afterward, and how to follow-up a successful first act.

Allison opens up about the unexpected grief of letting go of a company that was her identity, and the pressure of building a new company after a successful exit. She also digs into advice for anyone who has a different money mindset than their spouse, and how to find common ground. 

Plus, Allison shares how she’s talking to her three young kids about money and work— and why her kids waving her off with "Have fun, Mom" is her greatest parenting win.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Keep up with Allison on Instagram and TikTok

Here's what Nicole covers with Allison: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:10 When the Wire Hit

03:20 What People Get Wrong About "Billionaire" Headlines 

04:15 The $50K Investment That Went Bankrupt Overnight 

05:50 What Skills Transfer From Running a Company to Managing Wealth (And What Don't) 07:30 Running Your Personal Finances Like a Business 

09:00 The Grief Nobody Warns Founders About 

11:05 Separating Your Identity From Your Company 

13:00 Founder-Led Content and What's Coming Next in Brand Building 

15:20 Building the Second Company Differently 

17:40 Self-Funding vs. Taking on Investors 

19:30 The Emotional Payoff of Returning Money to Early Investors 

21:45 Making 44 People Millionaires 

22:00 Lessons From Being a Shark on Shark Tank 23:30 Female Founders, Mom Guilt, and "Spreadsheets in the Bedsheets" 

26:40 Opposite Money Mindsets in a Marriage 

31:30 Why Allison Has No “Fear Gene”

33:30 Raising Kids With Money Values

36:55 How to Talk to Your Kids About Work Without Losing Them 

39:00 Buying Back Time

41:00 Secure the Bag

45:25 Allison Ellsworth's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

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Glennda Baker has been a real estate broker for decades, built a massive social media following teaching everyday people how to buy and sell smart, and learned some of the biggest money lessons the hard way…  including a divorce where her ex looked her in the face and called her a "cash cow." Today, she joins Nicole to share what she knows about protecting your wealth, winning in today's housing market, and building real estate into generational wealth.

Glennda gets raw about her own financial trauma: the manipulation she didn't see coming in her marriage, the moment she was evicted to a vacant rental with her son and hit rock bottom, and why she will never get married again. She explains exactly how divorce hits women differently than men, including a hidden math problem most people miss when splitting a house at today's interest rates. Then Nicole and Glennda get into the real estate playbook. 

They fact-check the viral real estate advice flooding your feed, from writing letters to homeowners to get off-market deals, to using a HELOC for a down payment, to buying property through individual LLCs. Glennda also makes her case for why buying a house for your kid beats a 529, why private equity is keeping Bobby and Susie off the property ladder, and the one negotiation move every buyer should make at closing.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Follow Glennda on TikTok and Instagram

Here's what Nicole covers with Glennda:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:21 Glennda's Origin Story

03:33 Should You Put Your Spouse's Name on Your House?

06:22 Prenups, Postnups, and Why Everyone Already Has One

07:03 Why Glennda Will Never Get Married Again

08:11 How Divorce Hits Women Differently

09:29 The Hidden Math Problem When Splitting a House

11:43 Glennda’s Money Trauma

17:09 Buying a House Together: What Needs to Be in Writing

20:19 Trusts vs. Putting the House in Your Kid's Name

24:30 Why Glennda Would Rather Buy a House Than Fund a 529

26:35 Real Estate vs. the Stock Market

28:09 Glennda and Nicole Play TikTok Trend or Truth?

38:13 The $47 Trillion Boomer Equity Problem

40:02 The Starter Home Myth

42:00 What Budget Do You Actually Need?

48:52 How Private Equity Is Locking Out Everyday Buyers

52:43 A Hard Look at Affordability

55:00 The 7 Ds of Real Estate

59:33 Closing Cost Strategy

01:03:03 Glennda Baker's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

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Today, Nicole unpacks the exact accounts she opened for her daughter, the math that makes starting early almost unfair, and the money script she's determined to rewrite for the next generation. Whether you have a newborn, a teenager, or you're realizing you wish someone had done this for you, this episode is a blueprint.

Nicole breaks down how a 529 plan is far more flexible than most parents realize, why a custodial brokerage account is less about returns and more about teaching kids that money grows quietly in the background, and why a retirement account for a one-year-old is not as insane as it sounds — it's one of the most powerful financial moves a parent can make. 

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Here's what Nicole covers today:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:13 529 Plans: More Flexible Than You Think

02:02 The Math on Starting Early vs. Waiting

02:51 Super Funding: The IRS Loophole Most Parents Miss

03:31 Lump Sum vs. Monthly: The Numbers That Will Shock You

04:00 How to Shop for the Best 529 Plan

04:17 Custodial Brokerage Accounts Explained

05:00 The Financial Aid Trade-Off

05:41 Why Nicole Really Opened This Account for Her Daughter

05:56 The Custodial Roth IRA (Yes, for a 1-Year-Old)

07:00 The Number That Changes Everything

08:00 Roth IRAs and Financial Aid: The Cleaner Vehicle

08:21 Rewriting the Money Script

09:00 Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions.

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You’ve probably seen the headlines about luxury investments outperforming the stock market… but is that actually true? And more importantly, is this a game only for millionaires, or is there a way for the rest of us to get in on it too?

Today, Nicole is joined by Dana Auslander, former Blackstone executive and founder of Luxus, a luxury alternative asset manager with the first dedicated Hermès Birkin fund. In this conversation, Dana unpacks the viral headlines, why her investment thesis puts Hermès bags ahead of other luxury brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, and how to invest in a Birkin without buying a Birkin.

Then, Nicole and Dana zoom out and explain what the luxury investment trends mean for retail investors, how the macroeconomy impacts luxury investments, and what the counterfeiting problem could mean for the whole market. Then, Dana goes beyond bags and rates watches, art, wine, and jewelry as alternative investments.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course The Money School

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab's Instagram and Nicole Lapin's Instagram

Follow Luxus and learn more about the Birkin Fund

Here's what Nicole covers with Dana:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:27 Are Birkins Actually Better Than the S&P 500? 

02:00 What Is a Veblen Good — and Why It Matters 

04:06 How Much Is a Birkin, Really?

 04:29 The Secret to Getting One From Hermès 

05:21 Manufactured Scarcity: How Hermès Controls Demand 

06:12 The Rise of the Secondary Market 

07:35 Gross vs. Net Returns: What the Charts Don't Show You 

09:24 Jane Birkin's Bag Sold for $10.8 Million — Dana Was There 

13:00 Is Chanel Actually Investment-Grade? 

14:00 Birkin vs. Stock Market: Where Should You Put Your Money? 

16:38 How the Luxus Fund Works 

21:00 How to Invest Without Buying a Birkin 

23:36 Sourcing Bags Through Private Dealer Networks 

27:15 Storing, Authenticating, and Selling the Bags 

28:33 How to Become an Accredited Investor 

30:07 Is Buying a Birkin a Proxy for Hermès Stock? 

32:20 The K-Shaped Economy and Luxury Demand 

35:10 The Counterfeit Problem Is Getting Scary 

38:18 Luxury Investment Ratings: Watches, Art, Wine, Jewelry 

43:05 Secure the Bag: Financial Literacy for Women

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

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Jason Oppenheim (real estate broker, founder of the Oppenheim Group— the brokerage covered on Selling Sunset) starts this conversation with a take Nicole was not expecting: it's a buyer's market, and he'd know, because he's been renting for the last three years himself.

In this conversation, Jason covers every hot-button topic in real estate. He unpacks how he thinks AI will disrupt real estate and why he believes humanoid robots will be showing houses within the next two decades. He gets brutally honest about the LA market, why wealthy people are fleeing major cities in droves, and shares the cities he thinks real estate investors should avoid.

He makes the case that renting is not "throwing money away" — in fact, he argues that in many cases renting is a smarter financial move. He and Nicole also debate whether there's actually a housing affordability crisis (Jason says we're misdefining it), how he thinks about money and happiness, and why he hasn’t changed his financial goals since he was broke.

Check out Nicole’s financial literacy course The Money School 

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole’s company Private Wealth Collective

Watch video clips from the pod on Money Rehab’s Instagram and Nicole Lapin’s Instagram 

Follow the Oppenheim Group and keep up with Selling Sunset on Netflix

Here's what Nicole covers with Jason: 

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab? 

01:11 Is It a Buyer's Market? 

02:09 Why Wealthy People Are Leaving Major Cities 

04:10 Where Are They Going? (And Where NOT to Buy) 

05:38 Why Real Estate Is Not AI-Proof 

10:35 “At Some Point, There Is No Work.” 

17:43 Why Jason Loves 30-Year Treasuries 

19:00 The AI Deflation Thesis 

23:54 Is There Really a Housing Affordability Crisis? 

30:40 Rent vs Buy Debate 

36:21 Behind the Scenes of Selling Sunset 

37:06 Does Money Buy Happiness? 

39:24 Getting His Rolls Royce Stolen 

40:00 How Jason Thinks About Spending vs. Saving 

41:43 What Was Jason's FU Number? 

42:12 Secure the Bag: Jealousy, Googling Your Own Net Worth, Bad Investments 

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

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