So Money With Farnoosh Torabi

In this week's episode of Ask Farnoosh I answer your biggest questions about investing as a rookie, changing your career path, 401k contributions and more.For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

The show today is about your relationship strategy. You may have heard the expression, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with." Think about that. Do you like these 5 people? Do they support you? Reciprocate the help and advice you give? Our guest today is an expert in helping people strategize relationship building. Michal Roderick is the CEO of Small Pond Enterprises LLC, a consulting company and educational resource for solopreneurs, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. I had to look up the word intrapreneur…it’s someone who works INSIDE a company who exhibits entrepreneurial qualities. Michael was once a high school teacher turned Broadway producer in less than two years. That experience led him to start an arts incubator program to teach fellow artists how to build and grow their own businesses. Eventually, he developed a workshop on networking which grew into a full-fledged consulting practice and that's how Small Pond Enterprises was born. For more information visit www.somone

Today I have a longtime friend joining me on the show. I’ve known Jennefer Witter for at least 10 years. Jennefer is the CEO and founder of The Boreland Group, a national PR firm headquartered in New York City. It’s not often as journalist that you become friends with the publicist. The publicist who e-mail you, write to you, call you, grab you for five minutes at a conference to tell you about their company. I’m all for pitches. I love working with publicists for the most part. They are very helpful to me and instrumental in the work that I do. We wouldn’t have guests on this show if it wasn’t for the good work and the kind work of publicists who represent amazing people and amazing brands, but rarely do you actually befriend these people in your personal life where you actually go to dinners and you share personal stories. Jennefer and I really clicked way back when I was working at NY1. Initially, we started out as just business friends. We worked together, she sent me pitches, I had some of her guest on t

Today's guest is an award-winning financial writer contributing to CBS News, Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, Financial Planning amongst many others.Kathy Kristof is also the author of three books, most notably, "Investing 101" and "Taming the Tuition Tiger." You might also recognize Kathy's voice as she frequently contributes to TV and radio programs. A fun fact, she was even once a question on Jeopardy... "Kathy Kristof replaced what famous personal finance columnist who died in 1991?" The answer was Sylvia Porter.   Some take aways with Kathy include core perspective on the financial markets in 2016. What we can do to protect our money. She’s covered the markets for decades so she can pinpoint cycles and she can tell you what might be the best strategy going into this year. That and so much more.   For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Our guest today is a pioneer financial blogger, one of the first to sell his blog for 7 figures. Jim Wang founded Bargaineering.com. It was a side hobby that eventually brought in a full time income — and then less than 5 years later he sold the site for $3 million. PS. He says he started the blog because he was bored! Today Jim has a new online venture, a website called Wallethacks.com, launched last fall. It’s pretty spectacular in its vision and delivery. Articles, tools and tips on building money systems, how to live fully, save, spend wisely and pay down debt. Jim’s been featured in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Entrepreneur and Marketplace Money. And now, excited to say, on this podcast. He also created a special link for So Money listeners offering an exclusive contest and some great materials so check it out by visiting wallethacks.com/somoney. Three takeaways from our time together... His growth strategy for Wallethacks and how it will differ from how he built his first successful blog. Growing

In today's episode of Ask Farnoosh I answer your biggest questions about how much money to set aside monthly in a 529 account, effectively asking for a raise at work, student loan repayment plans and more.For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Today, we're looking at $1.3 trillion in student loan debt. Outstanding student loan debt in this country has surpassed credit card debt and it’s a problem. Today’s guest is hoping that he can bring some solutions to this problem. We have Adam Carroll, the founder of National Financial Educators. He’s quickly being recognized as one of the top transformational trainers in the country. We’re lucky enough to get him to stop by college week on the show. He’s very busy because next week he has this amazing documentary that is going to go live called Broke, Busted, Disgusted. It is a documentary on student loan debt. The film started garnering critical acclaimed after his TED Talk in September. Adam is also the author of “Winning the Money Game," which is taught along with its corresponding curriculum in high schools and colleges across the country as a financial literacy supplement. He also has his own podcast called, “Build a Bigger Life”. He is the founder of National Financial Educators. He’s presented over 50

Today, we have a very special and important guest as we dive into college affordability and student loans. Our guest today is a nationally recognized expert on the topic of student financial aid scholarships and student loans. His name is Mark Kantrowitz. You may have seen his name quoted in the media often. He is my go-to expert and resource when it comes to learning more about student loans. Mark aims to deliver practical information, advice as well as tools and resources to students and their families so that they can make informed decisions about planning and paying for college. In the last five years, he has been quoted in more than 5,000 newspaper and magazine articles. He has written for major publications including The Times, The Journal, The Washington Post and Forbes. He’s also the author of four best-selling books about scholarships and financial aid. We discuss what works for you and against you when it comes to receiving financial aid, demystifying the FAFSA, the free application for federal stud

Today’s guest is the co-director of College Counseling at the Colorado Academy, which is an independent prep school for grades pre-K through 12th grade. It’s located in Denver. Mark Moody has been helping students at the school prepare for the college admission process since 2008. Before that he was the director of college counseling at the Bush School in Seattle. He is an active member of the Association for College Counselors in independent schools and other college counseling networks. He’s also contributed to the New York Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education and the True Admissions blog. We talk about the biggest mistakes students make that could hurt their chances of getting in to a desired institution. Personally, I’ve been rejected from a few schools and it doesn’t feel good. I wish I had known prior to that experience how to improve my chances of getting in. We discuss how to invest in college properly to get the experiences, the tools and the knowledge that you need for your next phase in life. M

It is college week on So Money! All week we’re dedicating the show to all aspects of college – How to afford it? How to pick the right school? How to dissect the financial aid process? Is college worth it? And much, much more. This concept of doing a themed week is thanks to you, by the way. I asked you a couple months back what types of changes or additions you would like to the show and some of you suggested themed weeks. I experimented with it last year with Millionaires Next Door Week and So Money Millennials Week. And they were very popular. I'm hoping to dedicate more of the podcast to these special deep-dive weeks. Kicking us off to educate us all on the best ways to afford college and how to steer clear of too much debt is the author of the new book "The Debt Free Degree: How to Eliminate College Debt At Every Step." John Wasik is an award-winning author of 15 books, speaker and journalist discussing financial topics from investing to student loans and more. John also serves as a personal finance colu

For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com.

Our guests today want to help you make 2016 the year you save HALF your income. I know what you’re thinking…"Say, what? It’s hard enough saving 10%!"Joe Saul-Sehy and Kathleen Celmins, both of the Stacking Benjamins podcast, have a new course called Save 50: How to Save Half Your Income and Take Control of Your Future. Kathleen has actually done this herself - and continues to save 50% of her income. We explore how this can actually work on any income. And why if you’re in debt you may be the most likely candidate to successfully save half.To sign up for their e-course, which helps you learn the techniques to figure out your magic number, cut expenses, earn more money, and set up a system to save half your income for the rest of your life, go to farnoosh.tv/save50.For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Today’s guest needs no introduction. If you’re a female under the age of 30 and you like fashion, you probably own something from this designer. She is Rebecca Minkoff, global fashion powerhouse. It's her first podcast ever and she is full of amazing, insightful, relevant advice for all listeners, not just the women out there, but all aspiring entrepreneurs because guess what? She wasn’t always Rebecca Minkoff, the fashion mogul. She at one point had no money left and was going to go maybe be a waitress and how did she get through that? How did she get through the recession earning more than her competitors? 500% surge in sales and what is she doing this Fashion Week, coming up in February in New York, that people are saying it’s disrupting the fashion industry plus, what she likes to do in her spare time when she gets a free 30 seconds. For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Who was your favorite super hero growing up? I think mine was ... Who am I kidding? I didn't watch action movies or read comic books when I was a kid. I was too busy running my pretend newspaper and bossing around my Cabbage Patch Dolls (I was an only child until age 11).This has a point.Steve Kamb a self-proclaimed "rebel leader" at Nerd Fitness and is our guest today. He has just released his first book "Level Up Your Life," which is all about how to be a real-life superhero. There, you see?He talks about how he went from a dead-end corporate job filled with anxiety-ridden days to living his dream life of seeking adventure whether it's flying stunt planes in New Zealand or gambling in a tux at Casino de Monte-Carlo and shares how you can do it, too.For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

The focus on today's show is retirement. I have an incredible guest who is out with a new book this week on this very subject. His name is Chris Hogan. He's a former National Champion and an all American Football player turned financial advocate and author who currently works with Dave Ramsey and his team, helping audiences across the country with financial freedom.Chris’s number one focus right now is retirement. He is out with a new book this week called, "Retire Inspired: It’s Not an Age, It’s a Financial Number." In our conversation, we talk about what Chris calls the RIQ, the retirement IQ, what’s yours, what’s mine? The healthcare wild card had a factor in unpredictable health costs and retirement and so much more.For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

In this week's episode of Ask Farnoosh, I answer your biggest questions about coming to an agreement on family finances, getting rid of debt to improve your credit score, how long you should keep your tax paperwork and more.For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Today's guest is anonymous, we only know her first name - it's Sherry from the Save. Spend. Splurge. blog. She is on the show by popuar request. A few of you have written in specifically asking to hear from her. So we delivered. This is, in fact, Sherry’s first ever podcast. The intrigue aroundSherry stems from her ability to live the good life. She likes fancy things, she admits. And she’s not afraid to write about it. She has turned her blog into a business and that, in conjunction with her day job, has earned her a net worth of over $500,000 in her early 30s. We discuss how Sherry alsoyanked herself out of $60,000 worth of debt in just 18 months. She did it using The Budgeting Tool which she now offers her readers and donates the net proceeds to charity. Her negotiating prowess. And how we should all approach salary discussions with prospective employers. Why retirement is a privilege. For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Today's guest is the former editor in chief of Seventeen magazine and one of the launch editors of CosmoGIRL. Ann Shoket has been named by Forbes as one of the "most Powerful US Fashion Magazine Editors."  For 10 years, Ann has been shaping the national conversation about and for millennial women. She is working on a book about what it takes for young women to be powerful and successful. Itchy emotions around being young and hungry and ambitious. Stay tuned for more information on that front. She also has a great, informative newsletter so I highly recommend that you head over to her website and sign-up for it at ANNSHOKET.com. Ann talks about how she rose to the top of Seventeen. How the ambitious and career-focused Millennial woman is impacting the dating world, marriage and parenthood. The top financial concerns Millennial women have, as Ann sees and hears it. For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Today's guest is focused on helping you look, lead and live their best life. Kailei Carr advises C-level executives and successful entrepreneurs women on their image, presence and personal brand, and how to b ea compelling force within their organization. A highly sought after speaker, she’s created the Power Presence Toolkit where Kailei walks you through 4 steps to create a stronger personal brand.  She is also the host of the podcast Beyond the Business Suit, which uncovers the secret weapons of successful women. She holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. When you know there’s MORE out there for you to achieve. Ho to go after it…make the transition. Kailei shares her journey and lessons learned. Frequent mistakes we make when trying to create our “personal brand. That time Oprah grabbed her breasts. For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com. 

Today's guest wears many hats. Liz Weston is an award-winning, nationally-syndicated personal finance columnist and the author of several books including the best-seller "Your Credit Score." Liz is also a contributing editor for Bankrate.com and writes on the topics of education and money for Reuters. She also has a question and answer column called "Money Talk" that appears in newspapers across the country, including the LA Times, San Diego Union-Tribune among others. Liz also commentates regularly on public radio. How her work saved someone's marriage! Her own personal money experiences - the good, bad and ugly! Buying retirement land in Alaska?! For more information visit www.somoneypodcast.com.