Radio Show: Your Money Questions Answered

And so it begins, the homestretch as we begin the final quarter of radio shows in 2020!

And yes, we’re back to answering your questions in hour one, as well as the usual guest spot in hour two.

This week in hour two we’re revisiting an interview I did a while back with Howard Marks, author of Mastering the Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side.

Even though this was recorded way before the pandemic, now more than ever, the topic of market timing is incredibly relevant.

As co-chairman and co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, Howard Marks oversees a leading investment firm responsible for over $120 billion in assets.

We all know markets rise and fall, but when should you pull out, and when should you stay in? The answer is never black or white, but is best reached through a keen understanding of the reasons behind the rhythm of cycles.

Confidence about where we are in a cycle comes when you learn the patterns of ups and downs that influence not just economics, markets and companies, but also human psychology and the investing behaviors that result.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Happy Labor Day weekend! Crazy to think that we’re in September when it seems like March was just last week.

Anyhow, this will likely be the last show for a while with two guests. I think next weekend we’ll get back to answering more of your questions, as I know that’s what you guys want :)

First up in hour one is our interview with Roger Ferguson, President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA, the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical, and cultural fields and a Fortune 100 financial services organization.

Mr. Ferguson is the former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System. 

He represented the Federal Reserve on several international policy groups and served on key Federal Reserve System committees, including Payment System Oversight, Reserve Bank Operations, and Supervision and Regulation. 

As the only Governor in Washington, D.C. on 9/11, he led the Fed’s initial response to the terrorist attacks, taking actions that kept the U.S. financial system functioning while reassuring the global financial community that the U.S. economy would not be paralyzed.

We did this interview right before things shut down in March, but because we thought it was so good we didn't want to waste it! 

In hour two we’re talking about insurance and estate planning.

Policygenius, the nation’s leading online insurance marketplace, recently announced the launch of a mobile app that enables consumers to create wills and trusts conveniently on their phones. Consumers can also shop for life and home insurance from the app, creating a mobile one-stop shop for key financial protection needs.

To help explain it all, we're joined by co-founder and CEO, Jennifer Fitzgerald

We also dive into a variety of other topics, such as recent trends in the insurance industry, the future of the workplace, and how current economic conditions are impacting the company.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

And here we are already, the last weekend of August. Hard to believe there’s only one more month in the third quarter of 2020. Before you know it, the holiday season will be upon us.

Just like last week, we have two guests for you this week, with some of your questions mixed in along the way.

First up we’re talking about bonds.

What’s a portfolio without a bond position? It’s incomplete and potentially riskier than necessary.

We rarely dive into bonds in great detail, what they are, how they work, and why you absolutely need them, which is why I thought it would be time for a little Bond Boot Camp.

Joining us in hour one is Kathy Jones, Senior VP and Chief Fixed Income Strategist at Schwab. 

If the pandemic has acted as an accelerant to business trends, it has also become an accelerant to inequality.

Last year, before the onset of coronavirus, the Census Bureau found income inequality was at its highest level in 50 years, with two-thirds of the total wealth in the country owned by the richest 5-percent.

Meanwhile, 4 out of 10 American adults said they would have difficulty covering a $400 unexpected expense and more than 38 million Americans are living in poverty.

When discussing these facts and figures, it is important to remember that there are people behind the numbers.

To do a deeper dive with us on this topic, we're joined in hour two by Dane Holmes, co-founder and CEO at Eskalera, a diversely founded company, committed to providing employees and managers with the knowledge and skills to build a more inclusive culture and helping organizations drive systemic and sustainable change.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

In keeping with the theme of August, it’s another show with two guests, along with some of your questions sprinkled in.

First up we’re talking about the labor force, which has been decimated over the last several weeks, and perhaps no group has been impacted more than the older works.

According to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute, older workers are less likely than younger ones to have jobs that can be done remotely. Almost 8 in 10 workers over 65 can’t telecommute, compared with about 6 in 10 between 35 to 44, the analysis found.

At the same time, older Americans may be at higher risk of complications from the coronavirus due to their higher rate of chronic health issues.

To discuss this and much, much more, we're joined by labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci

Next up is Chieh Huang, the CEO of Boxed, an online and mobile membership-free wholesale retailer that offers direct delivery of bulk-sized packages.

Founded in 2013, there’s really one simple idea behind Boxed: make shopping for bulk easy, convenient and fun, so you can focus on the things that really matter.  

But there’s much more going on behind the scenes, especially in the HR department, and that’s really what got me interested in having this conversation.

Chieh Huang has such a refreshing perspective when it comes to his employees that it’s hard not to be a fan. 

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

A bit of a curve ball this week as we bring you interviews in both hours, something we’ll being doing through Labor Day as Mark and I try to take some time off and recharge the batteries!

First up it’s all about mortgages and refinancing, and realizing that when it comes to finding a mortgage for a new home purchase or a refinance, there’s more to consider than simply getting a low interest rate.

That's why we're bringing on Mike Raimi, Managing Director at Luxury Mortgage Corp.

Mike covers all the usual topics, such as a 15 or 30 year mortgage, who should (and should not) be looking to refinance, and how the real estate market has changed, if at all, given what's going on with the pandemic.

Hour two is all about timing.

Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don't know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of "when" decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork.

Timing, it's often assumed, is an art. But today’s second hour guest, Daniel H. Pink shows us that timing is really a science.

In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink draws on a rich trove of research from psychology, biology, and economics, revealing how best to live, work, and succeed.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

This is our last show before Mark and I take a bit of a break. Heck, we’ve been going non-stop with daily episodes since March, so we need to recharge the batteries. Don’t worry, there will still be shows (and guests!) coming your way!

Now more than ever, it seems the more you know, the better off you’ll be, especially in your career.

Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. 

But a closer look at research on the world’s top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule.     

Our guest in hour two, David Epstein, uses his latest book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, to examine the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields, especially those that are complex and unpredictable, generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. 

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Welp, here we are again folks, starting yet another month. Where on earth has the time gone? Four full months now of the pandemic and it seems like not much has changed. One thing that I know hasn’t changed is the amount of questions coming in from you guys. So let’s get to it!

If there’s ever a time to disconnect and take a breath, this is it. With all the non-stop zoom videos and conference calls, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed and worn out.

Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run.

They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.

Man oh man, that is music to my ears! That’s why I’m so excited about our latest guest, Cal Newport, with us to talk about his latest book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World.

Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work.

What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Here we go, the last weekend of July! Hard to believe, right? The real life version of Groundhog Day, and that theme continues with us answering more of your questions.

We all fall into at least one of four personality categories: We’re either Upholders, Questioners, Obligers or Rebels, according to our guest Gretchen Rubin. Her latest book, The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better, was an instant bestseller.

Rubin says that understanding which category defines you, can transform what you do at home, at work, and in life by helping you make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively. [FYI, I’m an Upholder, as is Mark, which may explain why we work so well together!]

If you’re having trouble figuring out which tendency best describes you, fear not, as Gretchen has developed a very easy quiz for you to take. It takes no more than ten minutes and more than a million people have already completed it! You can take the quiz here.

Knowing who you are may be able to make you happier, healthier, more productive and even more creative. After all, it’s far easier to succeed, when you know what works for you and those who surround you.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Mid-July looks a lot like mid-March, meaning the emails continue to pile up. Though I have to say, we have made a sizable dent, so maybe by Labor Day we’ll be back on track?? Scratch that, highly unlikely after I take some time off in August and won’t be answering any emails for a while :) Everything will pile right back up!

“I’m just bad with money!” I know that many have convinced themselves that they were born with a recessive money management gene, but financial planning can be learned, like anything else. That's the message of This Is the Year I Put My Financial Life in Order. In a book that is part financial memoir and part research-based guide to attaining lifelong security, New York Times reporter John Schwartz bares his financial soul.

Schwartz and his wife, Jeanne, are upper middle class earners, who have been on a financial rollercoaster. Sharing his own alternately harrowing and hilarious stories, from his brush with financial ruin and bankruptcy in his thirties to his short-lived budgeted diet of cafeteria food, John will walk you through his own journey to financial literacy, which he admittedly started a bit late.

He covers everything from investments to retirement and insurance to wills (at fifty-eight, he didn't have one!), medical directives and more. Whether you're a college grad wanting to start out on the right foot or you're approaching retirement age and still wondering what a 401(K) is, this book will help you find your financial way.

So if you are like the countless others who are a bit tentative when it comes to money matters, but are willing to learn before it's too late, this book should help improve your financial literacy.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

The second half of 2020 has to be better than the first half, right? One can only hope.

So far the email inbox looks a lot like what we saw back in March. In other words, there’s no end in sight to the coronavirus related money questions.

So here we go…

Two guests this week in hour two.

What is life without inspiration?  To me it sounds a bit boring. Of course inspiration can come from anywhere, but because we spend the bulk of our on the job, it is a natural setting to seek it out. Conversely, if you’re the boss, don’t you want to be seen as somebody who inspires?

It’s easier said than done, but thanks to our first guest, executive coach Kristi Hedges, there are everyday actions that any leader can take to be an inspiring and motivating force.

In her latest book, The Inspiration Code: How the Best Leaders Energize People Every Day, Kristi shows how to become a leader who builds commitment and fosters greatness in others.

Next up is Pat Hedley, author of the recent book, Meet 100 People: A How-To Guide to the Career and Life Edge Everyone's Missing, who says that whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, meeting and engaging with people is probably the biggest key to any success you’re going to have.

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

And that’s a wrap on what was by far the most bizarre first half of a year that I’ve ever experienced. And unless you’re way up there in age, and were around in 1940, I’m guessing the same applies to you!

In keeping with the Groundhog Day pattern, we’re beginning the second half the same way we ended the first half, answering your coronavirus related money questions.

Happy Independence Day weekend!

Yes, we're officially in the summer months, and for millions of Americans, thanks to the coronavirus, the early summer weeks will include preparing and paying taxes.

Because of the pandemic’s timing and impact, the IRS delayed the tax-filing and payment deadlines from April 15th to July 15th. The agency also moved back Q2 quarterly estimates, which would have been due on June 15th, to July 15th.

To help us break down all the ins and outs of this "new" tax season, we're joined in hour two by Ed Slott, the ultimate tax guru and founder of IRA Help.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Yep, the last weekend in June, and not much has changed, at least not in Jill on Money land. So here we go, another show answering your coronavirus money related questions.

Nearly 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, the 14th week in a row that the figure has topped one million. And yes, the rollercoaster on Wall Street is just as bumpy as it was a few months ago.

To help try and demystify the current state of the economy, we're joined in hour two by Mark Spindel, one of my oldest friends in the world and the Managing Member, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer for Potomac River Capital.

Mark, who along with Sarah Binder, recently published: The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve. If you're looking for a deep dive on the Fed, this is the book for you.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

It’s hard to believe we’re already heading into the end of June, which means we’ve been doing these coronavirus shows for basically three months or so. And the emails continue to come flying in, so we’ll keep on doing them :)

With such a tumultuous first half of the year on Wall Street, we thought it was a good time to use hour two to check in with Michael Goodman, president of Wealthstream Advisors in New York City. We cover a variety of topics, including possible opportunities that arise when markets are bouncing all over the place.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Despite what’s going on around the country as various states start to reopen, or the recent surge on Wall Street, the emails continue to come flying in. So we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing, which is answering your coronavirus money related questions for the first hour.

Given all the headlines regarding racial inequality and injustice, we’re rerunning an interview we did back in 2017 with Cathy O’Neil, author of the New York Times bestselling book, Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy.

It’s such a fascinating read about how big data can be manipulated, infiltrate various parts of our lives and magnify the underlying inequality that exists in our economy.

From how teachers are measured to how policing strategies are developed to credit scores and health insurance, it’s going to blow your mind when you hear how algorithms (mathematical models), dictate so much of our day-to-day experiences.

But what happens when these models are opaque, unregulated and incontestable? Unfortunately, the already unlucky and struggling among us, get the short end of the stick.

What can individuals do about these unproven mathematical equations? As you’ll hear Cathy explain, it starts by asking some basic questions.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Just like the last weekend of May, the first weekend of June brings you another show where we spend the first hour answering various coronavirus related money questions that continue to flood the inbox.

In hour two we bring you an interview we did back in 2017 with Jason Zweig. Maybe you don't know the name, but chances are you know his work. The “Intelligent Investor” column that you read every Saturday in the Wall Street Journal…yep, that’s his awesome work.

The interview covers the power of index funds, the importance of having rules in your financial life, the beauty of passive investing and the importance of technology and humans working together. 

If you like Jason’s column, you should also check out his books. His most recent one, The Devil’s Financial Dictionary, skewers the plutocrats and bureaucrats who gave us exploding mortgages, freakish risks, and banks that are too big to fail. It also distills the complexities, absurdities, and pomposities of Wall Street into plain truths and aphorisms anyone can understand.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

The last weekend of May brings you another show where we spend the first hour answering various coronavirus related money questions that continue to flood the inbox.

The coronavirus pandemic has ushered in a new normal for many employees now working from home. Others have lost their jobs as the national unemployment rate has soared to its highest level since the Great Depression.

LinkedIn editor-in-chief Dan Roth joins us in hour two to discuss the future of work and offers advice to college graduates in these uncertain times.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Certainly one to remember as it has quite the different feel this year. Here’s another show where we spend the first hour answering all the various coronavirus related money questions that continue to flood the inbox.

In hour two we’re first joined by Kathy Kraninger, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as she outlines what’s being done to help individuals and businesses navigate this period of uncertainty.

If you are facing financial difficulties as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the CFPB has plenty of up-to-date information and resources to help you protect and manage your finances during this difficult time.

Next up in hour two is Elizabeth Rutledge, Chief Marketing Officer at American Express. Elizabeth joined us to talk about Stand for Small, a coalition of more than 40 companies across media, technology, consumer goods, professional services, and many other industries, that have come together to provide meaningful support to small businesses as they navigate the impacts of Covid-19.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

The deluge of emails continues, so it’s yet another show where we spend the first hour answering your coronavirus related money questions.

How many of you Googled something this week? Or use index funds in your financial lives?

I’m going to guess that's all of you. I’m also going to guess that you probably didn’t realize that those three things are among the 50 inventions that shaped the modern economy.

That’s according to the list compiled by BBC and Financial Times journalist Tim Harford, our guest this week in hour two and author of the new book, Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy.

The book paints a picture of change by telling fascinating and compelling stories of the tools, people, and ideas that had far-reaching consequences for the global economy. From the plough to air conditioning, from Gillette’s disposable razor to IKEA’s Billy bookcase, Tim is able to recount each invention’s own curious, surprising, and memorable journey.

If you’ve been impacted by the pandemic, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

The emails continue to flood the inbox, so it’s another show where we spend the first hour answering your coronavirus related money questions.

In hour two, the effort of bringing something entertaining to the table continues as we re-air a 2017 interview we did with Diana Henriques, author of the bestselling book, The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust.

If you’re looking for something to watch as we continue to deal with the pandemic, this is it!

Diana had incredible access, including the first interview with an imprisoned Madoff. I was fortunate enough to interview her in 2011, just as the book was becoming a bestseller. I remember thinking at the time that the tale of Bernie Madoff was not just a financial story, but a Shakespearean tragedy.

Robert De Niro was so drawn to the character of Bernie Madoff as Henriques depicted him, that he bought the film rights to “The Wizard of Lies.” Six years later, HBO films released the movie version of “The Wizard of Lies” – it’s now available on demand.

If you’ve yet to see “The Wizard of Lies,” go watch it. It’s incredibly well done and stars Robert De Niro as Bernie Madoff and Michelle Pfeiffer as Ruth Madoff.  

If you’ve been impacted, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Radio Show: Coronavirus and Your Money Continued

Indeed, it's another show where we spend the first hour answering your coronavirus related money questions. As we’ve been saying, it’ll be like this until the emails slow down.

In hour two, the effort of bringing something positive to the table continues as we re-air an interview we did in 2018 with Ken Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot.

Ken dropped by for an in-studio to talk about his new book, I Love Capitalism!: An American Story, but really it was just a fascinating conversation with a guy who grew up in a working-class family on Long Island, put himself through school, and after some hard work and smart decisions and a few guardian angels, became one of the most successful businessmen in the country.

Ken Langone has seen it all on his way to a net worth beyond his wildest dreams, now in excess of $3 billion dollars.

In a series of captivating stories, Langone shows how he struggled in academics, broke into Wall Street, and scrambled for an MBA at night while competing with privileged competitors by day. He also shares how he learned to evaluate the value of a business and apply his street smarts to negotiate enormous deals.

And what happened when Langone was approached by Bernie Madoff for an investment, just weeks before the Ponzi scheme came to light? You’ll have to tune in for that story.

If you’ve been impacted, here’s a bunch of helpful links:

Pandemic Lifeline Resources

NYT F.A.Q. on Coronavirus Bill

Prioritizing Bills Tool

Coronavirus State Unemployment Benefits Filing Info

Coronavirus Mortgage Relief

Coronavirus Student Loan Information

Coronavirus Guide for Small Businesses

Coronavirus NYT Small Business Program Q&A

Have a money question? Email me here.

"Jill on Money" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.