No guest this weekend, just a full show consisting of your calls and emails.

First up is a question about withdrawals in retirement and being able to determine your tax bracket in advance.

Our second call in hour one was in regards to taking too much risk. You guys know I’m a big wimp, but when there’s a big fat guaranteed pension involved, I’m not so wimpy :)

We kick off hour two with a good problem to have! Thanks to a recent re-fi, you’re left with some extra cash flow each month, which begs the question, what should you be doing with it?

We wrap up the show with yet another listener looking to make a big change. After many, many years in the corporate world, can I call it quits and pursue a new endeavor?

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Welcome to mid-October, where sadly it’s still feeling quite summer like here in NYC. Maybe by December it will be in the 50s…

Our first call this week is about whether or not it makes sense to purchase a new home with cash or to take out a mortgage. As you’ll hear, the call morphs into more of an overall retirement planning discussion.

A record-breaking 4.3 million workers quit their jobs in August, the highest number ever recorded. People from all across the pay spectrum resigned, some because of low pay, others from burnout and the desire for a better work-life balance. That’s pretty much the gist of our call in hour two.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

41 and 35 and wondering if we’re doing the right things to ensure a solid retirement down the road. That’s how we kick off the latest Jill on Money show.

Next up is a caller wondering if they should take advantage of the hot real estate market and sell their rental property and invest the proceeds.

In hour two we welcome Stacey Vanek Smith, NPR host of The Indicator and correspondent for Planet Money, who joined us to discuss her recently released book, Machiavelli for Women: Defend Your Worth, Grow Your Ambition, and Win the Workplace.

Women have been making strides towards equality for decades, or so we’re often told. They’ve been increasingly entering male-dominated areas of the workforce and consistently surpassing their male peers in grades, university attendance, and degrees. They’ve recently stormed the political arena with a vengeance. 

But despite all of this, the payoff is, quite literally. not there: the gender pay gap has held steady at about 20% since 2000. And the number of female CEOs for Fortune 500 companies has actually been declining.

So why, in the age of #MeToo and #TimesUp, is the glass ceiling still holding strong? And how can we shatter it for once and for all? Stacy Vanek Smith’s advice: ask Machiavelli “with this delicious look at what we have to gain by examining our relationship to power.”

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Happy first weekend of October! I can thankfully report that it’s finally starting to feel a bit cooler here in New York City.

With the housing market still bonkers, it’s only fitting that our first call this week is about renting or buying.

Our second call is about early retirement, which is quickly becoming the most popular subject to hit the inbox.

In hour two we're joined by labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci and her new co-author, Kevin Hassett (former Trump administration CEA Chair) to discuss their recently released white paper outlining a plan to help millions of Americans build retirement wealth. 

The duo attempt to generate a practical solution to the savings crisis, with their proposal showing the impact of expanding access to a savings and investment program for lower-income Americans modeled after the highly successful federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

You can read the full paper here. 

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

60-years-old, still working, but making less, and looking to preserve what you’ve saved over the years, that’s the gist of our caller in hour one.

We also mix in a bunch of emails around the caller, you know, the usual.

This weekend in hour two it's time for our monthly check-in with Brent Weiss, co-founder and Head of Planning at Facet Wealth, and the 2021 sponsor of Jill on Money.

We’re discussing one of my favorite topics, the psychology of money, aka, behavioral finance. Why can people be so crazy when it comes to their finances?

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Happy second to last weekend of September! Crazy, right? Don’t know about you, but where we are in the Northeast, it feels like an extension of August. I’m ready for some hoodie weather :)

No guest this weekend. Instead we’ve got calls in both hours as well as a bunch of emails.

Our first call is from a couple in great shape, but just because that’s the case, it doesn’t mean that issues don’t exist, such as in-kind transfers, charitable giving and RMD strategies.

Our call in the second hour is from a 47-year-old woman who feels like she’s missing out on investment opportunities. Is there more she could be doing? Or is she already doing enough and just doesn’t realize it?

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

With a ton of money in savings, there’s no doubt you can retire, yet that doesn’t mean there’s not a bunch of moving parts that need to be addressed.

Wrapped around the call we also do a handful of emails.

The cost of college makes for frightening headlines. The outstanding balance of student loans is more than $1.5 trillion nationally, while tuition continues to rise. And on the heels of a pandemic that nearly dismantled the traditional college experience, we have to wonder: Is college really worth it?

To help answer that question, we're joined this weekend by economist Beth Akers, whose recent book, Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on Higher Education, shows how to improve your odds by making smart choices about where to enroll, what to study, and how to pay for it

It’s true that college is expensive, but once we see higher education for what it is, an investment in future opportunities, job security, and earnings, a different picture emerges: The average college graduate earns an additional million dollars over their career (compared to those who stopped their education after high school), and on average, two- and four-year schools deliver a 15 percent return on investment, double that of the stock market.

Yet these outcomes are not guaranteed. Rather, they hinge upon where and how you opt to invest your tuition dollars. 

Simply put, the real problem with college isn’t the cost, it’s the risk that your investment might not pay off.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

My husband is 53 and I’m 49, can we retire in four years and start traveling? That’s how we start the latest episode of Jill on Money! I mean, after the last crazy stretch, who doesn’t want to daydream about some travel?

Our second conversation in hour one concerns extra cash flow. After paying off a boat load of student loans, what should you be doing with all the extra money?

We kick off hour two talking about the crazy housing market with Ryan from Los Angeles who’s looking to make the jump cross country to Florida.

For our final chat of the show, we do some financial planning for a couple about to tie the knot.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Whether you make a lot of money or a little, no one is immune when it comes to racking up significant credit card debt.

That’s why we’re spending nearly the whole first hour talking to a listener who earns a good income, yet finds himself in a serious hole. It’s a fascinating conversation that will likely resonate with many others.

We start off hour two with a listener in his 60s who wants to know if he and his wife are on track for retirement in the not too distant future.

Our last chat of the show is with another listener wanting to know if they’re on track, except this caller is in his 30s.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Welcome to the dog days of summer and welcome to week one of my vacation :)

Don’t worry, even though I’m on the beach, we’ve still got a jam packed show for you guys, including some conversations in hour one about saving less money and the FINE movement, financial independence, next endeavor.

Hour two features some financial planning for a young couple just starting out as well as some coaching for a more established investor who’s concerned about putting more money into the market given the current conditions.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

We kick off the show this weekend talking about paying down a mortgage. You guys know that’s usually not my recommendation, but in this situation, it may actually make sense.

Next up is some overall retirement planning for a couple in their 50s. Are they on track given their current trajectory or should they be making some adjustments?

In hour two we're trying to help kids get smart about money.

To help us with our task, we're joined by Susan Beacham, co-founder and CEO of Money Savvy Generation.

Money Savvy Generation develops innovative products to help parents, educators and others teach kids the skills of basic personal finance. The company strives to empower kids to take control of their financial lives and, in turn, their futures.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

With more and more employers offering a Roth option, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about which makes more sense, the Roth or pre-tax option?

Are we in good shape for retirement? That’s another very popular question this year. In this particular case, the couple is eager to call it quits and do some traveling.

We also mixed in another call and some emails to wrap up the first hour.

In hour two we’re once again joined by Brent Weiss, co-founder and Head of Planning at Facet Wealth, and the 2021 sponsor of Jill on Money.

This time around we’re talking about all things insurance, including term life insurance, long term care policies, and disability coverage, especially for all the freelancers out there.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

This weekend we’ve got a bunch of callers in both hours, so no second hour guest this week.

We start the show with a young couple wondering what they should be doing now that they’ve got a bit of leftover money each month.

Our second call of the hour is also related to having extra money and how to use it. Pay off debt or save it?

If you know you’re going to have a big, fat pension, does that give you permission to be very aggressive with your investment portfolio? That’s how we start off hour two.

For the second call of hour two, we’re chatting with somebody who’s 60 years old and semi-retired and wondering if he’s on the right track.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Quite the call in hour one this week as we chat with Brian from New York whose wife wants to call it quits at 40. Brian is not on board with this idea, hence the call to Aunt Jill, who’s more than happy to play the role of chief mediator.

We pile on “to-dos” but don’t consider “stop-doings”. We create incentives for good behavior, but don’t get rid of obstacles to it. We collect new-and-improved ideas, but don’t prune the outdated ones. Every day, across challenges big and small, we neglect a basic way to make things better: We don’t subtract.

Leidy Klotz, our guest this weekend and author of the recently released book, Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, has plenty of research that shows why. 

Whether we’re building Lego models or cities, grilled-cheese sandwiches or strategic plans, our minds tend to add before taking away. Even when we do think of it, subtraction can be harder to pull off because an array of biological, cultural, and economic forces push us toward more. 

But we have a choice, our blind spot need not go on taking its toll on our cities, our institutions, and our minds. By diagnosing our neglect of subtraction, we can treat it.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Happy middle of July! After a week off, we’re back in the saddle, but don’t worry, there’s plenty more vacation in the not too distant future :)

If you’re a regular listener, you guys know I’m not a fan of paying off the mortgage early, and that’s why my chat with our first caller this weekend may surprise you a bit.

Our second caller was James in the Bay Area who’s wondering if he can retire at 62 along with some general questions about post-retirement tax strategies.

In hour two we're joined by Richard Montañez, whose book, Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive, tells the story of a man who made a science out of walking through closed doors.

Having taken a job mopping floors at Frito-Lay's California factory to support his family, Montañez took his future into his own hands and created the world’s hottest snack food: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

This bold move not only disrupted the food industry with some much-needed spice, but also shook up a corporate culture in which everyone stayed in their lane.

Through creative thinking, community building, and a few powerful mindset shifts, he outsmarted the naysayers who tried to get in his way, proving that you can break out of your career rut and that your present circumstances don't have to dictate your future.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

This weekend the Jill on Money team (Jill and Mark!) is on vacation, so it’s a hybrid kind of show.

We did mix in some new emails in both hours, including a question about whether or not it makes sense to find a financial advisor, or are you better off going it alone?

We’re also going to be bringing you interviews in both hours, starting with something quite appropriate for the summertime party scene!

If your plan is to order a few pizza pies for a party this summer, finish listening to this show first, as we're joined by Ilir Sela, founder and CEO of Slice.

Since 2010, Slice, the easiest way to order pizza online, has been all about connecting hungry customers with the great pizza restaurants around them.

Today, more people than ever are experiencing the benefits of the free and easy Slice ordering applications with access to thousands of independent pizza menus.

For hungry customers it provides a quick and easy way to place orders with the best local pizza restaurants. For pizza restaurants it provides an effortless and complete online ordering solution, fully interactive menu and marketing services to attract new customers.

In hour two we’re joined by Brent Weiss, co-founder and Head of Planning at Facet Wealth, and the 2021 sponsor of Jill on Money.

Facet Wealth is a financial service firm that believes in achieving your financial goals with a dedicated CFP® at an affordable price.

How many times have we all said “I can’t wait to retire?” But for many of us, when we really think about taking that next big step, all of a sudden we’ve got real legitimate questions, like how do I know when I’m ready? Or how will I pay for health coverage and when should I take Social Security?

The folks at Facet Wealth strive to provide the answers.

Whether it’s retirement planning, education planning, asset management, insurance or estate planning, Facet wants to show you what is possible with the next generation of financial life management.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Happy Independence Day weekend! Six months in the books, six more to go.

Speaking of independence, we have yet another caller looking to break free from the ball and chain that is his job. In this case, our 48 year old caller is looking to call it quits at 55. Can he make this dream a reality?

Because we're halfway through 2021 it’s time for a little "State of the Economy" with our favorite numbers cruncher and overall badass, Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton. 

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously voted to keep short-term interest rates unchanged and the pace of asset purchases at $120 billion per month. The statement following the June meeting was much more upbeat about the progress of vaccinations and the economy.

The bottom line is that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell tried to reassure the public and financial markets that the Fed will not allow inflation to get out of control. The Fed’s own forecast, or “dot plot” as it is called, showed a substantial move up in the timing of rate hikes. The problem for financial markets is that inflation and rate hikes are always unwelcome.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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

Happy last weekend of June! Hard to believe we’re officially halfway done with 2021.

We kick off the final show of the month by answering a bunch of emails and then talking to one of you guys. No surprise the call was about early retirement. I think that has officially become the most popular topic, at least in the first half of 2021.

Award-winning Wharton Professor Katy Milkman has devoted her career to the study of behavior change, and this weekend in hour two she joins us to discuss her recently released book, How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.

Change comes most readily when you understand what's standing between you and success and tailor your solution to that roadblock. If you want to work out more but find exercise difficult and boring, downloading a goal-setting app probably won't help.

But what if, instead, you transformed your workouts so they became a source of pleasure instead of a chore? Turning an uphill battle into a downhill one is the key to success.

Drawing on Milkman's original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, How to Change shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness.

Whether you're a manager, coach, or teacher aiming to help others change for the better or are struggling to kick-start change yourself, How to Change offers an invaluable, science-based blueprint for achieving your goals, once and for all.

Have a money question? Email me here.

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