Today’s conversation digs deep into one of the most important and misunderstood stages of financial development: the tween years. Research shows our money habits are formed as early as age seven, yet most people don’t start investing seriously until their 30s or 40s. So what happens if we bridge that gap? What if kids as young as 10 begin learning how money works, how investing grows wealth, and how to make smart decisions with the dollars they earn, save, and spend?

Our guest is Jamie Bosse is a Financial Planner, Author, and Mother of four. She helps her clients navigate life’s transitions and overcome and anticipate potential roadblocks along the way. Jamie finds it extremely rewarding to see people organize their financial lives, maximize their human capital, and get closer to their life goals in her work at CGN Advisors. Jamie has a passion for mentoring and financial literacy and is the author of Money Boss Mom: Helping Young Parents Be the “Boss” of Their Financial Future, as well as the Milton the Money-Savvy Pup children’s book series.

Her next book, Investing for Tweens, is available for preorder here.

In this episode, we explore how parents can introduce investing in a way that feels tangible, empowering, and fun — whether that’s buying a share of Nike because your kid loves their sneakers or using a custodial brokerage account to let them experience the market in real time. We also talk about helping college-age kids understand the real cost of life, how to communicate money boundaries at home, and how parents can teach healthy financial habits even if they’re still working through their own.

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This week, Farnoosh dedicates Ask Farnoosh to one of the most pressing money topics in America right now: debt relief. Visit SoMoneyLinks for resources.

With household debt topping $17.7 trillion and credit card balances at record highs, Farnoosh answers real listener questions about tackling debt, from when to pause investing to whether it ever makes sense to use home equity or refinance student loans.

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As Treasury Secretary, former Federal Reserve Chairwoman and Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Janet Yellen is one the most powerful woman in American economic history. Award-winning economics writer and author Jon Hilsenrath joins with insights about her life and work from his book, Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval. He shares how she navigated the sexism in her industry and in politics, her unconventional partnership in marriage and work with Nobel Laureate George Akerlof and why she didn't always "lean in."

More about Jon Hilsenrath: He is a senior writer for the Wall Street Journal, where he has been since 1997, reporting from Hong Kong, New York, and Washington, DC. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2014 for his coverage of the Federal Reserve; part of a team of 2009 Pulitzer finalists for coverage of the global financial crisis; and contributed on-the-scene reporting from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, which helped the WSJ win a Pulitzer in 2002.

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New Jersey Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill joins Farnoosh for a candid conversation about the rising cost of living, the future of public schools, health care, taxes, and why politics and personal finance are inseparable.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor, and three-term congresswoman, recently won the governor’s race in a decisive victory that coincided with significant Democratic gains nationwide. In this episode, she breaks down what state leaders can actually do to make life more affordable for families, from freezing utility rates to improving school funding to modernizing energy infrastructure.

Farnoosh also gives listeners a heads-up: the first part of this interview touches on a hyper-local school budget crisis in her hometown of Montclair, NJ. But this story isn’t unique. Across America, school districts are confronting rising costs, shrinking state support, and — in some cases — financial mismanagement. The questions Montclair is wrestling with (“Raise taxes or accept restrictive state aid?”) are the same questions communities everywhere are facing.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Sherrill discusses:

• Why public-school funding is cracking nationwide
• The real barriers to affordable health care at the state level
• How utility-rate freezes would work — and what critics get wrong
• The affordability crisis squeezing middle-class families
• What her election signals about the national political landsca

Originally recorded for Farnoosh’s local podcast The Montclair Pod, this expanded So Money release provides a rare look at how a new governor thinks about money, power, and the policies that shape our financial lives.

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This week’s Ask Farnoosh pulls together some of the most revealing financial stories of the week, grom pandemic-era homebuyers now feeling “locked in” by their ultra-low mortgage rates, to Gen Z putting marriage, kids, and career plans on hold until they can afford a home. Farnoosh also breaks down an under-the-radar proposal from the CFPB that could weaken anti-discrimination protections in lending, a shift that could impact mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and small-business financing.

Then, she heads to the mailbag to answer listener questions:

• Should you borrow more on a home-equity loan to protect your savings during a renovation?
• How can a self-employed spouse take full advantage of a healthcare FSA?
• What exactly is the IRS “contract” that lets you withdraw from retirement accounts early? (Hint: SEPP/72(t) and the Rule of 55.)
• And if you’ve bought a home for your parents, are you putting your own retirement at risk?

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Hannah Cole, founder of Sunlight Tax, is back on So Money. And she’s here with big news:

Her new book, Taxes for Humans: Simplify Your Taxes and Change the World When You’re Self-Employed, is officially out in the world — funny, joyful, deeply practical, and truly unlike any tax book you’ve ever read. I’m holding it in my hands right now.

And for my Montclair and NYC listeners:

Hannah is coming to Montclair on January 15th at 7PM for a special stop on her book tour. I’ll be on stage with her at The Rec Room at Lackawanna Plaza, and tickets are available at: SunlightTax.com/Montclair

In today’s conversation, Hannah and I dig into so much helpful ground, including:

• The big goal behind Taxes for Humans and why she believes tax education is actually a form of empowerment.
• The limiting beliefs and shame traps so many freelancers carry around taxes — and how to break them.
• Her beautifully simple three-system approach to staying organized (receipts, tax docs, and bookkeeping — yes, they’re different).
• What to do if you can’t pay your tax bill, how audits actually work, and why the IRS is often far less scary than we’ve been taught.

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Today’s guest is someone who has spent more than two decades helping women, families, and entrepreneurs build, protect, and keep their wealth.

Ann Margaret Carrozza is a nationally recognized asset-protection and elder-law attorney, a former New York State Assemblywoman, and a trusted legal commentator seen across CBS, NBC, Fox Business, and iHeart. Her new book, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Building & Protecting Wealth, is a roadmap for safeguarding everything you’ve worked hard to earn — from unexpected lawsuits and tax traps to relationship risks and long-term care. In our conversation, Ann Margaret makes one point very clear: You cannot build wealth unless you also protect it. And for women in particular who statistically earn less, live longer, and often carry more family responsibility, the stakes are even higher. In this episode, we break down how transparency, smart prenups, and strategic tools like trusts and alternative long-term care policies can help protect your assets, your home, and your future. You can follow Ann Margaret on Instagram @MyLawyerAnn

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What does it really take to launch a big idea? One that can change your career, business, or even the world? Is being a visionary enough, or is there a hidden formula for success? Guest Jen Kem says it's all about building the right "unicorn team." But here’s the twist: even if you’re a solopreneur or running a small business—like me—this book is still for you. Jen’s framework isn’t about having a massive team; it’s about understanding the roles and energies you bring to your work and how to fill in the gaps to achieve success faster and with less burnout.

Jen is a brand strategist, entrepreneur, and author of Unicorn Team: The Nine Leadership Types You Need to Launch Your Big Ideas with Speed and Success. With a career working on iconic initiatives for companies like Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Oracle, she’s now revealing how big ideas succeed—not just through visionaries, but through the right mix of leaders who execute and get results.

We'll learn how to identify your own leadership type, how even a solo effort can become a "team" by leveraging the right resources, and hear the inspiring story of how a small team at Moderna outpaced industry giants to lead the charge on a life-saving vaccine.

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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.

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