WSJ Your Money Briefing

By The Wall Street Journal

Business News

What's WSJ Your Money Briefing about?

Your Money Briefing is your personal-finance and career checklist, with the news that affects your money and what you do with it. From spending and saving to investing and taxes, the Wall Street Journal’s finance reporters and experts break down complicated money questions every weekday to help you make better decisions about managing your money. Hosted by J.R. Whalen.

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Summer Vacation: How to Avo...

05.26.2023

Hotel prices and airfares up substantially compared to a year ago might cause some people to reconsider their summer vacation plans. WSJ travel columnist Dawn Gilbertson joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the trade-offs some travelers are making . Learn ...

WSJ Your Money Briefing episodes:

05.26.2023 Summer Vacation: How to Avoid Skyrocketing Costs Hotel prices and airfares up substantially compared to a year ago might cause some people to reconsider their summer vacation plans. WSJ travel columnist Dawn Gilbertson joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the trade-offs some travelers are making . Learn ...
05.25.2023 How Writing Paper Checks Can Expose You to Fraud and Theft Writing out paper checks raises the chances of being the target of fraud and theft. The WSJ personal-finance team’s Oyin Adedoyin joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss ways to reduce those risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
05.24.2023 How Paperwork Errors Cost Families Life-Insurance Payouts Hundreds of families who paid life-insurance premiums were denied millions of dollars in death benefits because of missteps by both their employer and their insurance company. WSJ reporter Leslie Scism joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how it happened. Learn ...
05.23.2023 Why Companies Are Raising Prices Even as Consumer Confidence Wanes Amid moderating inflation and signs that the economy may be headed toward a recession, many companies continue to raise prices. WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how consumers are responding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
05.22.2023 Why Health Savings Accounts Are Both Misunderstood and Underused The amount Americans can contribute to a health savings account will rise to the largest-ever increase on record next year. WSJ personal-finance reporter Ashlea Ebeling joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what you should know about HSAs. Correction: A Flexible ...
05.19.2023 Forget Florida. Many Retirees Are Settling Down in Alabama. The rising cost of living in Florida has caused many seniors to seek more affordable locations to spend their retirement years. WSJ contributor Cecilie Rohwedder joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why more Americans are choosing to live in Baldwin ...
05.18.2023 More Wives Who Outearn Their Husbands, Now Less Likely to Divorce The share of marriage with women earning more than their husbands has tripled over the past 50 years. WSJ personal-finance reporter Julia Carpenter joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what has changed and why those marriages are less likely to ...
05.17.2023 How to Get Insurers to Pay for Ozempic and Other Weight-Loss Drugs Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs can list at $900 or more per month. WSJ’s Anna Wilde Mathews joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how to get your health insurance plan to cover these prescriptions. Correction: Anna Wilde Mathews is a ...
05.16.2023 Some Buy Now, Pay Later Customers Are Facing Rejection Some users of Buy Now, Pay Later programs like Klarna and Affirm say they have faced unexpected denials or lower spending limits when they try to make purchases. WSJ personal-finance reporter Imani Moise joins host J.R. Whalen to explain why ...
05.15.2023 Social Security Payments Could Be Affected if U.S. Hits Debt Limit Concerns have risen about how Social Security payments, among other programs, would be affected if the U.S. reaches its debt ceiling and defaults on its loans. WSJ retirement reporter Anne Tergesen joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what retirees can ...
05.12.2023 Work-Life Balance: For Younger Workers, It’s Easier Said Than Done Many millennials and Gen Z workers say their jobs are important to their own sense of identity. WSJ “On the Clock” columnist Callum Borchers joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how they struggle to balance that with scheduling personal time. ...
05.11.2023 Traveling Internationally? How to Avoid Long Delays for a Passport Wait times for ordering a new passport are running as long as 13 weeks. WSJ travel reporter Allison Pohle joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss ways to expedite the process, and the costs involved. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
05.10.2023 Want a Good Job by Age 30? Take These Steps in Your 20s. Having a good job by age 30 can unlock the path to a successful career. WSJ workplace reporter Lindsay Ellis joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss research that examined choices people in their 20s made and how it affected their ...
05.09.2023 Do You Leave a Tip at Self-Checkout Machines? Shoppers Are Confused. Customers routinely tip service workers, but many shoppers are perplexed and even angry to find some self-checkout machines prompting them to leave upwards of 20%. WSJ reporter Rachel Wolfe joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss so-called tip creep and where, ...
05.08.2023 What Happens If You Die Without a Will? Depends on Where You Live. Dying without a will can put the future of your assets at risk. Wall Street Journal personal-finance reporter Ashlea Ebeling joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why most Americans don’t have one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
05.05.2023 What the Class of 2023 Wants From Future Employers As more college seniors accept job offers in advance of graduation, companies may have to work harder to find top candidates. WSJ contributor and LaSalle Network CEO Tom Gimbel joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what future grads say they’re ...
05.04.2023 Expecting a Big Raise in 2023? Don’t Bet On It. The red-hot labor market created opportunities over the past several years for workers to ask for and receive sizable raises. Wall Street Journal reporter Ray A. Smith joins host J.R. Whalen to explain why companies are budgeting for lower salary ...
05.03.2023 Raises Offered to Workers to Switch Jobs Are Shrinking After several years of workers scoring sizable pay bumps to switch jobs, companies are reining in the amount they’re offering new hires. WSJ reporter Julia Carpenter joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what this means for the broader labor market. ...
05.02.2023 How to Fight Rising Subscription Fees Without Going Cold Turkey Subscription price creep is real, and new data show that more consumers are rejecting higher prices on some of their favored subscription streaming and delivery services. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole ...
05.01.2023 How CD Ladders Can Help Investors Get More From Their Savings With today’s high interest rates and inflation, certificates of deposit are becoming an attractive way to grow savings over time. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin joins guest host Danny Lewis to discuss how staggering your investments can make the most out of ...
04.28.2023 The Psychology of Homebuying On the fifth and final installment of the WSJ’s special series “Under Contract: Your Guide to Home Buying,” financial psychologist Dr. Brad Klontz and real-estate professional Tracy McLaughlin join host J.R. Whalen to discuss how FOMO and other emotional hurdles ...
04.27.2023 Employers Trying New Ways To Push Workers Back To The Office Bosses have tried many different tactics to get employees back into the office. Nationally, a number of offices remain sparsely populated, particularly on Mondays and Fridays. WSJ reporter Chip Cutter joins guest host Mohsin Ali to discuss how one company ...
04.26.2023 Music Fans Are Spending Big on Concert Tickets – And Nothing Else As the cost of concert tickets skyrockets, fans are finding ways to stretch their budgets. WSJ’s Rachel Wolfe joins guest host Danny Lewis to talk about how people are struggling with the splurge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
04.25.2023 Retire? More Americans Over 60 Are Saying Never While some workers are literally counting the days until they can call it a career, there’s a growing segment of Americans who can’t think of anything they want to do less. They say they never want to retire. Demetria Gallegos ...
04.24.2023 Here’s How to Negotiate a Better College Financial Aid Package Financial experts say the May 1st enrollment decision deadline is an ideal time for students and families to negotiate a better financial aid package. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the best ways to request more aid. ...
04.21.2023 How to Avoid the Most Common Mistakes Made by Homebuyers From not having your finances in order to rushing through the inspection process, common mistakes made by homebuyers can derail the path to owning your dream home. On the fourth installment of WSJ’s special series “Under Contract: Your Guide to ...
04.20.2023 Companies Boost Days Off to Help Employees Manage Stress More companies are increasing their focus on workers’ mental health by, among other things, offering additional personal days off. WSJ contributor Tara Weiss joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the benefits of timeout days. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
04.19.2023 After a Disastrous 2022, the 60-40 Investment Strategy Is Coming Back Many financial advisers are once again recommending the 60% stocks, 40% bonds investment strategy to capitalize on the stock market in 2023. WSJ markets reporter Hardika Singh joins host J.R. Whalen to explain why. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
04.18.2023 Ambitious Gen Z Workers Are Pushing Back Against Stereotypes Ambitious 20-somethings are trying to knock down preconceived judgments that they are lazy and not into hard work. Host J.R. Whalen is joined by WSJ’s Lindsay Ellis and a 25-year-old CEO of a supply-chain software company. Learn more about your ...
04.17.2023 Americans in Their 30s Are Racking Up Debt at Historic Rates Total debt for millennials in their 30s hit more than $3.8 trillion in the fourth quarter, a 27% jump from late 2019, and the steepest increase of any age group. Host J.R. Whalen is joined by WSJ reporter Gina Heeb ...
04.14.2023 Ways to Find the Most Affordable Mortgage Rate Securing the right mortgage rate can be the key to a home being affordable for a prospective buyer. On the third installment of WSJ’s special series “Under Contract: Your Guide to Home Buying,” NerdWallet’s Holden Lewis joins host J.R. Whalen ...
04.13.2023 Meeting Someone for the First Time? Don’t Ask About Their Job Discussing your job is a common question when meeting someone for the first time. WSJ “Work & Life” columnist Rachel Feintzeig joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the benefits of giving work questions less priority and instead focusing on other ...
04.12.2023 Consumers Are Clicking ‘Cancel’ on Subscriptions After signing up for numerous monthly subscriptions during the pandemic, many Americans are canceling those services to save money. WSJ’s Rachel Wolfe joins host J.R. Whalen with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
04.11.2023 What’s in Your Wallet? Financial Experts Say Probably Too Much Although people are doing more financial transactions on their phones, experts say they still have too many items in their wallet, which could expose them to a greater risk of identity theft. WSJ’s Oyin Adedoyin joins host J.R. Whalen with ...
04.10.2023 Ways to Reduce Your Tax Bill Next Year Owe taxes this year? WSJ personal finance reporter Ashlea Ebeling joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss steps taxpayers can take to reduce next year’s tax bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
04.07.2023 Navigating the Spring Housing Market With interest rates trending higher and housing inventory stubbornly low, the spring housing market is off to a slow start. On the second installment of the WSJ’s special series “Under Contract: Your Guide to Home Buying,” Zillow senior economist Orphe ...
04.06.2023 Weekend Work Is on the Rise The number of hours put in by workers on the weekend has risen 5% since 2021. WSJ’s Anne-Marie Chaker joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how working on the weekend became the norm and what it means for work-life balance. ...
04.05.2023 Is Working Less Hours the Key to a Better Life? More Americans are experimenting with working part-time to achieve a more desirable work-life balance. WSJ’s Rachel Feintzeig joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
04.04.2023 Finding Hidden, Free Stuff on Your Next Hotel Stay A network of social media groups promote the exchange of free items among travelers who stay at hotels and resorts. WSJ travel columnist Dawn Gilbertson joins host J.R. Whalen with details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
04.03.2023 How Money, Even a Lot of it, Can Test a Marriage Researchers have found that both a shortfall of money or an influx of money can have detrimental effects on a relationship. WSJ personal-finance reporter Julia Carpenter joins host J.R. Whalen to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03.31.2023 Buying a Home? Here’s What to Do Before Starting Your Search The process of buying a home is often filled with excitement, but also confusion and sometimes disappointment. The WSJ’s special series “Under Contract: Your Guide to Home Buying” aims to help buyers on their journey to securing a new home. ...
03.30.2023 Study: Pay Transparency Laws Motivate Workers Research on how workers are reacting to new laws mandating the publication of employee salaries yielded surprising results. WSJ contributor Courtney Vinopal joins host J.R. Whalen with details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03.29.2023 How Companies Decide Which Employees Will Be Laid Off Companies typically carry out layoffs to reduce costs, but compiling the list of workers to be let go is often less simple, and can involve weeks of debate. WSJ’s Chip Cutter joins host J.R. Whalen with more. Learn more about ...
03.28.2023 Getting By on Less Than $1 Million in Retirement Savings While many people often aspire to accumulate around a million dollars in retirement savings, most people wind up with far less than that. WSJ retirement reporter Anne Tergesen spoke to retirees on how they’re making do, and she joins host ...
03.27.2023 Job-Loss Fears Trigger Use of Homebuying Escape Clauses A contingency clause is often written into the contract between a home buyer and seller if either party suspects significant financial changes could force them to back out of the deal. WSJ personal-finance reporter Veronica Dagher joins host J.R. Whalen ...
03.24.2023 Some Companies Now View Remote Work as a Liability After embracing remote and hybrid work schedules, some companies now find flexible work schedules as cutting down on productivity. WSJ ‘On the Clock’ columnist Callum Borchers joins host J.R. Whalen with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
03.23.2023 Why Taking Out a Loan Is About to Get Harder The Federal Reserve raised interest rates another 0.25 percentage point on Wednesday. That is on the lower end of the Fed's recent rate hikes, but analysts say consumers could find it harder to get a loan anyway. The WSJ's Oyin ...
03.22.2023 How to Put Your Personal Finances Through a Stress Test The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has raised concerns about the banking sector and stress tests that often gauge banks’ abilities to weather financial emergencies. WSJ’s Geoffrey Rogow joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss steps you can take to test ...
03.21.2023 More Students Are Forgoing College for Apprenticeships Some apprenticeships are boasting acceptance rates as competitive as Ivy League universities. WSJ reporter Doug Belkin joins host Erin Delmore to explain why students are rethinking the cost-benefit analysis of a four-year college education. Learn more about your ad choices. ...
03.20.2023 CDs and Cashlike Investments Shine Amid Stock Market Slump Demand for CDs is at its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, according to dat a from CUSIP Global Services. WSJ markets reporter Hardika Singh joins host Erin Delmore to explain why CDs are considered among the safest investments. ...

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