So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Register for Farnoosh's free webinar on How to Get a Book Deal.

In this episode, Farnoosh opens with a candid reflection on media narratives around Iranian identity and addresses a recent editing glitch from a prior interview.

From there, the conversation turns to a growing concern on many economists’ minds: Are we heading toward a recession in 2026?

With oil prices climbing past $100 per barrel and historical data linking energy shocks to economic downturns, Farnoosh breaks down what this could mean for your money—and how to prepare with what she calls a mindset of “healthy panic.”

The episode also dives deep into the rising costs of long-term care, why traditional insurance options are becoming less accessible, and what newer hybrid solutions could offer families trying to plan ahead.

Plus, a powerful excerpt from Senator Andy Kim, who shares his personal connection to elder care through his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Finally, Farnoosh answers listener questions about:

Supporting aging parents while still saving for your own future
Navigating financial misalignment in relationships when one partner is giving more to family

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would you do if your life completely spun off course…before you even had a chance to understand who you were?

My guest today, Nikki Mammano, says she didn’t set out to become a drug dealer in Hawaii—she was a teenager running from trauma, searching for a fresh start, and instead found herself pulled into a dangerous underground economy that nearly cost her everything.

In her new memoir Breaking Good, Nikki shares the raw, unfiltered story of addiction, survival, incarceration—and ultimately, rebuilding her life from nothing. We talk about how she rose through the ranks of a drug operation, why she chose loyalty over leniency when she was caught, and the moment that changed everything: discovering she was pregnant and deciding to start over.

This is a conversation about second chances, financial survival, and what it really takes to rebuild—not just your bank account, but your sense of self.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

or as long as I’ve known him — which is now more than fifteen years — he’s had the same signature look: a sharp mohawk and an even sharper perspective on money.

Today on So Money, we welcome back one of the original voices of the personal finance internet: J. Money, the longtime blogger behind Budgets Are Sexy and the founder of Rockstar Finance, a platform that helped shape the early personal finance blogging community. When this podcast first launched more than a decade ago, J. Money was one of my earliest guests — back when sharing your net worth online was considered radical and the idea of building a career from a blog about money was still pretty new.

In this conversation, we catch up on what’s changed — and what hasn’t. The mohawk is still there, thankfully. But J.’s life looks very different these days. He’s stepped away from blogging full-time, sold his site to The Motley Fool and later bought it back, and now spends much of his time running something called a “Free Closet,” giving away thousands of clothing items every week to people in need in his community.

We talk about the early days of the money-blogging world — when transparency about debt, savings, and net worth helped motivate an entire generation to take control of their finances. We also talk about what happens when you actually reach financial independence. Does money stop mattering? What motivates you next?
J. shares why the blogging magic eventually faded for him, how social media changed the tone of personal finance conversations, the surprising lessons he’s learned from working closely with unhoused communities, and why he believes the real power of money is simply the freedom not to think about it anymore.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Ask Farnoosh, Farnoosh kicks things off with a behind-the-scenes look at a whirlwind week in journalism and media. She shares highlights from her recent interview with Senator Cory Booker about his bold new “Keep Your Pay Act” proposal, which would eliminate federal income tax on the first $75,000 of income, and discusses what that could mean for working Americans. She also reflects on being featured in Kiplinger’s latest issue on the best financial advice experts have ever received, sharing a career lesson that shaped her own path: learning to earn money not just from what you do, but from what you know. Plus, Farnoosh announces her upcoming free webinar on March 26 about how to land a big book deal (register using the link).

Then, a quick breakdown of the latest money headlines that matter for your wallet: mortgage rates climbing back above 6% and what that means for today’s “frozen” housing market, the widening K-shaped economy separating households that are thriving from those struggling with rising costs, and early signs that the once-hot job market may be cooling—along with why now is a good time for a financial check-up.

In the mailbag, Farnoosh tackles listener questions including:

• Should high earners prioritize Roth 401(k) contributions or diversify across other retirement strategies?
• What to watch out for when a financial advisor pushes variable universal life insurance instead of traditional investing.
• Creative ways families are making childcare and daycare costs more manageable.
• How a teenager’s part-time income and assets can affect FAFSA eligibility and college financial aid.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey joins us for a wide-ranging conversation recorded in one sitting for both podcasts - The Montclair Pod and So Money.
Senator Booker first rose to national prominence as the mayor of Newark, where he built a reputation for hands-on leadership and bold policy ideas. He has now served more than a decade in the U.S. Senate, becoming one of the most prominent voices in the Democratic Party.

He’s also entering a new chapter personally: Booker recently married and is expecting his first child—something that clearly shapes how he thinks about issues like childcare, family economics, and investing in America’s future.

Our conversation comes as Senator Booker unveils a new proposal called the Keep Your Pay Act—a plan that would eliminate federal income taxes on the first $75,000 of income, a move he says could dramatically increase take-home pay for many middle-class families.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The Keep Your Pay Act and how it could affect American households
• Why Senator Booker believes the tax system is “rigged” against working families
• The rising cost of childcare and early education in America
• Immigration reform and the climate of fear many immigrant families feel today
• The growing power of big media companies and why independent creators matter
• The economic implications of the war in Iran, including rising energy costs
• Whether Booker sees a presidential run in his future

Calculate how much Booker's proposed tax act could save your household.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.