Have you ever nodded along in a conversation about investing, budgeting, or retirement accounts — and then gone home and googled every single word? You're not alone. And you're definitely not crazy.

In this episode of I'm Not Crazy, Right?, host Hillary Bautch is tackling one of the most universally felt but least talked about questions women have: why does managing money feel so overwhelming, even for smart, capable, accomplished women?

Hillary and her friend Rachel break down why financial literacy has a gender gap problem, why so many women feel shame around not knowing this stuff, and what you can actually do about it — starting today, starting small, and starting without judgment. Enjoy!

In this episode we cover:

• Why smart women feel lost when it comes to personal finance — and why it's not your fault
• The real reason financial literacy has a gender gap
• How to start budgeting when you don't know where to begin
• The basics of investing for beginners — what you actually need to know
• How to understand and manage debt without the overwhelm
• Why women are actually better investors than men — and why we don't act like it
• How to overcome money shame and finally open the banking app
• Practical first steps toward financial confidence no matter where you're starting from

Tune in for new episodes every Thursday! Follow along on social @notcrazyrightpod and @hillarybautch.

As promised, a glossary:

• Compound interest – Earning interest on your interest. The earlier you start, the more powerful it gets. The thing Einstein reportedly called it the "eighth wonder of the world."
• Portfolio – Your total collection of investments (stocks, bonds, real estate, etc.)
• Diversification – Spreading money across different investments to reduce risk ("don't put all your eggs in one basket")

• 401(k) – A tax-advantaged retirement account offered by employers. Always contribute enough to get the full employer match — it's free money.
• IRA (Individual Retirement Account) – A retirement account you open yourself. A Roth IRA lets your money grow tax-free.
• APR (Annual Percentage Rate) – The true yearly cost of borrowing money, including fees. Critical for comparing credit cards and loans.
• ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund) — A basket of investments (like stocks or bonds) bundled together and traded on the stock market like a single stock. For example, buying one share of VOO gives you tiny ownership in all 500 companies in the S&P 500 at once. They're popular for beginners because they offer instant diversification at a low cost.

• The Market — A broad term referring to the overall system where stocks, bonds, and other investments are bought and sold. When people say "the market is up today" they usually mean the major U.S. stock exchanges are performing well.

• The Stock Market – Where shares of publicly traded companies are bought and sold
• The S&P 500 – Tracks the 500 largest U.S. companies; often used as the go-to measuring stick for how "the market" is doing overall
• The Dow Jones (DJIA) – Tracks 30 large, well-known U.S. companies like Apple, Nike, and McDonald's
• NASDAQ – A stock exchange heavy on tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta
• The Bond Market – Where government and corporate bonds are traded (generally considered safer/more conservative than stocks)