In this week's Ask Farnoosh episode, we tackle three major financial dilemmas from listeners: Setting Boundaries as a Daughter of Immigrants, Avoiding Financial Dependence on a Partner and Knowing When to Walk Away from a Business. Plus, a behind-the-scenes update on The Montclair Pod, and reflections on launching a new show 10 years after So Money.

Resources & Links:

• Listen to The Montclair Pod
• Join Book to Brand workshop in NYC (March 7)
• Join the So Money Members Club.
• Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.
• Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

Today we’re catching up with the incredible Jannese Torres, host of Yo Quiero Dinero podcast and trust me—she’s had a year. Since her last visit, she’s launched her book Financially Lit, traveled the country on a book tour while secretly pregnant, became a mom, got engaged, and even bought a house.

But that’s just the beginning. In this conversation, we dive into how financial independence has reshaped her life as a new parent, her approach to building wealth while growing a family, and—something we don’t talk about nearly enough—how she and her fiancé have structured their finances now that he’s a stay-at-home parent on her payroll.

From prenups to parenthood, from self-employment hacks to the real cost of giving birth (wait until you hear her hospital bill), Jannese gets real about the financial and emotional shifts that come with these big life changes.

Register for Farnoosh's next Book to Brand workshop.

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

Guest Brittany Wilson started listening to So Money in 2020 when she realized she needed to take charge of her finances. She grew up with little financial literacy and took on high-interest student loans without knowing what she was signing up for. But once she made the decision to educate herself, everything changed.

Since then, Brittany has increased her salary by $42,000, fully funded her emergency savings, diversified her investments, started a side business, and—perhaps most importantly—helped her mom open her very first Roth IRA. Last year, she took one of the biggest leaps of her life: quitting her job to run her career coaching business, Career Candor, full-time.

In today’s conversation, we discuss Brittany’s financial transformation, how she navigated job loss and used it as a catalyst for entrepreneurship, and her top career coaching advice—including how AI is changing the hiring process. We also talk about the emotional side of money, the power of financial friendships, and why helping others—especially the women in our lives—can be one of the most rewarding financial moves we make.

Register for Farnoosh's next Book to Brand workshop.

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

Farnoosh reflects on turning 45—what’s changing in her mindset around money, career, and personal growth, and the biggest financial lessons she's carrying into this next phase of life. From the mailbag, Farnoosh tackles two important listener questions—one from a 60-year-old attorney wondering how to catch up on retirement savings after prioritizing family caregiving, and another from a listener strategizing their Backdoor Roth IRA while juggling old 401(k accounts.

Register for Farnoosh's next Book to Brand workshop.

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

Today, we’re diving deep into the real barriers that prevent many of us from achieving financial freedom—and spoiler alert, it’s not just about the dollars and cents. My guest is Jessica Moorhouse, financial counselor, speaker, and now author of the highly-anticipated new book, Everything But Money: The Hidden Barriers Between You and Financial Freedom. In her work, Jessica uncovers how trauma, shame, and our earliest experiences with money shape the way we earn, save, and spend today.

Whether it's that nagging sense of guilt when you earn more than your parents or the fear of spending because of a scarcity mindset, these hidden barriers can quietly hold us back for years. Jessica helps us understand where these money blocks come from, how they manifest in our adult lives, and—most importantly—how to start healing from them.

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.

Register for Farnoosh's next Book to Brand workshop.

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

This week on Ask Farnoosh, a listener is grappling with over $100,000 in student loan debt. What is the best way to pay this off fast?

We also hear from a longtime listener and how she managed to triple her income, pay down debt and save over $400,000 for retirement while listening to So Money.

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

If you're dreaming of your next adventure but worried about the price tag, you've come to the right place! All this week on the podcast, we're diving deep into travel tips, tricks, and money-saving strategies. Earlier, we heard from Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy, on how to maximize travel rewards and cut costs on flights and hotels.

Today, we're keeping the momentum going with another expert traveler, Matthew Kepnes, aka Nomadic Matt. His New York Times bestselling book, How to Travel the World on $75 a Day, is now in its fourth edition. We talk about everything from affordable travel destinations and hidden local gems to travel logistics, like minimizing ATM and credit card fees abroad.

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

Today, we're diving into the world of travel and points with none other than Brian Kelly, a long-time friend of the show and the founder of The Points Guy. Brian is here to talk about his new book, How to Win at Travel, a guide that helps you unlock all the secrets to mastering the points game, maximizing travel perks, and scoring luxury experiences without luxury price tags. We'll cover:

• Why Brian calls this era the "platinum age of travel" and how to take full advantage of it.
• The biggest mistakes travelers make with airline and hotel bookings—and how to avoid them.
• How to leverage rewards credit cards strategically to score free business-class trips to Europe.
• The top tech tools to help you find the best award flights and travel deals with minimal effort.
• Insider tips on travel insurance, packing, and even why you should throw an Apple AirTag into your luggage!

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.

In this Ask Farnoosh episode, Farnoosh tackles your most pressing money questions, including strategies for managing investments in midlife. Also: How to decide what to do with an inherited investment—evaluate options, minimize taxes, and make the most of the windfall. Plus, we explore other listener questions on building financial security for the long haul.

In the show:

Best 0% APR credit cards

Farnoosh's Bloomberg News segment

Real estate crowdfunding

Check out Farnoosh's new hyperlocal podcast The Montclair Pod

Join the So Money Members Club.

Download Farnoosh’s free investing blueprint.

Hang out with Farnoosh on Instagram.