From understanding if your 401(k) contributions help you qualify for a Roth IRA (spoiler: yes!), to figuring out why your home insurance just skyrocketed, to finding sneaky ways to save on that end-of-summer family vacation — we’ve got it covered on this week's Ask Farnoosh.

Plus, a personal story about how a casual chat with a friend helped Farnoosh raise her speaking fees and start earning more.

We’ll also unpack a few of the biggest money headlines from the week, including:

• What the Fed’s latest decision really means for your wallet
• A rare bipartisan housing bill with real promise
• And a study that shows how preschool could boost your salary, not just your kid’s future

• “How do I ask for a sign-on bonus without sounding greedy?”
• “Do 401(k) contributions help me qualify for a Roth IRA?”
• “How can I save on a last-minute family vacation?”
• “Why did my homeowners insurance premium jump 30% this year?”

• SoMoneyLinks.com – My curated tools for saving, investing, and earning more
• Apply to Farnoosh BTS – My fall mentorship program for entrepreneurs and content creators
• Want to ask a question for an upcoming show? Head to SoMoneyPodcast.com or DM me @FarnooshTorabi on Instagram!

What would happen to your bank account, your home, your small business—if you were suddenly detained or deported? Today we're talking about a growing and urgent financial concern: how to protect your assets amid immigration raids and deportation worries.

My guest is personal finance legend and CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent Sharon Epperson, who recently reported on the financial steps immigrants—documented or undocumented—can take to prepare for the unexpected. From designating a power of attorney to understanding the legal implications of asset ownership abroad, Sharon walks us through practical strategies to safeguard your financial life in turbulent times.

We also discuss the emotional toll of financial uncertainty, the ripple effects on families, and why proactive planning is a form of empowerment. Sharon opens up about her own health crisis that forced her family to activate emergency plans—offering a powerful reminder of why preparing for the worst can make all the difference.

References:

Read Sharon's article on CNBC.

Join her 8-week Money 101 series.

Visit stashwealth.com/somoney for a secret stash of financial goodies.

On today's episode: Where do you stand on budgeting? Hate it? Feel defeated by it? You’re not alone—and you’re going to love today’s episode.

We’re joined by Priya Malani, the dynamic founder of Stash Wealth and host of the new podcast The F. Word, who’s making personal finance simpler, smarter, and honestly, more livable—especially for high earners in their 30s who feel like they’re still behind.

In this conversation, we dive into:

• Why budgeting is broken and how to reverse it with one powerful number
• The myth of homeownership as the best investment
• How to avoid the trap of lifestyle inflation—even on a six-figure salary
• And why investing isn’t hard, but the emotional baggage around money absolutely is

We also explore the emotional side of financial planning—where therapy meets strategy—and the mindset shifts Priya helps her clients make to stop living paycheck to paycheck and start building real wealth.

This week Georgia Lee Hussey of Modernist Financial joins to break down the challenges and solutions for affording elder care, especially as it may fall on adult children to pay for their parents' expenses. Read more about this topic in The New York Times.

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Find a HYSA at SoMoneyLinks.com

Where do you think you are on the wealth ladder? Just starting out and struggling to save? Sitting on six figures and wondering what’s next? Or maybe you’ve hit a financial milestone—but it doesn’t feel as life-changing as you expected.

Today’s episode is all about understanding what changes—and what should change—as you move up the financial ladder.

My guest is Nick Maggiulli, author of The Wealth Ladder, a new book that introduces a six-level framework for wealth building and financial strategy. We dive into the key questions we all face on the journey to financial independence:

• How do you break out of Level 1 when you’re living paycheck to paycheck?
• Is a side hustle actually worth your time—or just another distraction?
• And how should your mindset and money strategy evolve as your net worth grows?

Plus, we explore his 0.01% spending rule and 1% earning rule—two powerful benchmarks to help you spend smarter and pursue income opportunities that truly move the needle.

More about Nick: He is the Chief Operating Officer and a data scientist at Ritholtz Wealth Management. He's also the author of the blog Of Dollars and Data and the books Just Keep Buying and The Wealth Ladder.

Ww’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most powerful — and least understood — forces shaping our economy: private equity.

My guest is Megan Greenwell, a veteran journalist and former editor-in-chief of Deadspin, whose new book, Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream, is both a searing exposé and a deeply human investigation. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous reporting, Megan shows how private equity firms, often operating in the shadows — have quietly reshaped entire industries: health care, housing, local news, retail, daycare, even emergency services.

At the heart of Bad Company are four Americans — Liz, Roger, Natalia, and Loren — whose lives were upended by private equity–backed takeovers of the institutions they depended on. Their stories reveal how a business model designed to extract maximum profits for investors has left devastation in its wake for working families and entire communities.

This is a conversation about capitalism, inequality, and the hollowing out of the American Dream. But it’s also about resilience, and the people fighting back.

Apply for Farnoosh's 4-month mentorship program at FarnooshBTS.com

How much do you need in net worth to feel wealthy? This week's Ask Farnoosh covers recent money headlines about wealth. student loans and social security. And audience questions related to windfalls, investing and debt management.

Today’s episode is a powerful conversation about legacy, love, and how technology is reshaping the way we protect our wealth and our families.

My guest is Martha Underwood, a 25-year tech veteran and the founder and CEO of Prismm, a digital vault platform that helps families and financial institutions securely manage documents, streamline inheritance transfers, and reduce the chaos that often comes with crisis. Prism was born out of Martha’s own family emergency—when her father was injured during Hurricane Irma and no one could locate the documents needed to access care or funds.

Since then, she’s made it her mission to protect consumers—especially women—from being left out or left behind when it matters most.

In our conversation, we talk about the rise of AI bias and what it means for your money, the real risks of becoming unbanked, and how your data—yes, even your browsing history—can be used to make financial decisions about you without your knowledge or consent. Martha also shares smart, practical advice for how to start important legacy conversations with your aging parents, and why women must play a leading role in shaping the future of financial technology.

Today’s guest is no stranger to reinvention—or to messiness.

Maryam Banikarim is a powerhouse C-suite executive turned podcast host whose résumé reads like a tour through media, hospitality, tech, and purpose-driven leadership. She’s served as Global CMO at companies like Hyatt, Gannett, and Nextdoor. But in her latest chapter, Maryam is pulling back the curtain on the glossy LinkedIn life and telling the truth, the messy, nonlinear, sometimes gut-wrenching truth, about what it really takes to build a career, a family, and a sense of self.

Her new podcast, The Messy Parts, is a must-listen for anyone navigating personal and professional pivots. It’s raw, wise, and often hilarious, featuring guests like SNL alum Ana Gasteyer, Broadway composer Tom Kitt, and billion-dollar founders Cass and Mike Lazerow.

In our conversation, Maryam and I talk about everything from career burnout to billion-dollar regret, the emotional toll of job loss, the value of taking a pause, and why being honest about your struggles is the key to building true community. She also shares why she believes now is the exact right time to have these conversations—and why you don’t have to be “perfect” to be successful.