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.