HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Why do we keep doing the things we know aren’t good for our finances? Whether it’s emotional spending, avoiding a growing credit card balance, over-controlling every dollar, or saying “yes” to spending when we really mean “no”. So many of our money habits aren’t about math; they’re about emotion.

This week, Jean Chatzky sits down with licensed marriage and family therapist and mental health educator Kati Morton, author of the new book Why Do I Keep Doing This?, to unpack the psychology behind the patterns that keep us stuck, especially when it comes to money.

In this episode, we explore:

The difference between healthy control and control that quietly sabotages us

Why emotional spending happens — and how it differs from compulsive spending

How financial insecurity in childhood can shape our careers, relationships, and money mindset

Why the world feeling “out of control” can trigger impulsive financial decisions

How women nearing retirement can navigate financial anxiety during major life transitions

Practical tools to help break the cycle

And if you’re ready to take control of your financial future in an intentional way, join us in InvestingFixx, our investing community designed to help you build confidence, clarity, and long-term wealth.
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What does a real week of spending look like for a 55-year-old director of technology earning $212,000 a year? In this episode of A Week in Her Wallet, Jean Chatzky talks with Kortne, a Texas-based executive, marathoner, and mom of two adult daughters, who tracked every dollar she spent over seven days.

Kortne grew up in a working-class family in Detroit and says she’s intentional about enjoying her money now — especially when it comes to experiences. She’s run all six Abbott World Marathon Majors, travels frequently, and invests heavily in her health. At the same time, she’s focused on retirement planning, savings, and making sure her lifestyle remains sustainable long term.

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Have you saved and saved and saved… but now feel unsure about how to spend? On this week’s episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with entrepreneur and bestselling author Mike Michalowicz to talk about why managing money isn’t a math problem, it’s a behavior problem.

Mike opens up about losing everything after selling two multi-million-dollar companies, how lifestyle inflation and ego nearly destroyed his finances, and the emotional moment with his daughter that forced him to completely rethink how money works.

From there, he shares his Money Habit System, a simple but powerful framework for:

Paying off high-interest credit card debt

Creating “financial seasons” (Recovery, Fund, Activate, Balance)

Learning how to spend confidently in retirement

Managing money as a couple without conflict

Using debit vs. credit strategically

Breaking bad money habits with behavioral science

💼 And if part of building better money habits means finding a financial advisor who truly understands your goals, visit HerMoney.com/FindAnAdvisor to get matched for free with a vetted fiduciary through our partner, Willow.
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Are private equity, private credit, and crypto coming to your 401(k)? And if they do, should you invest?

In this episode, Jean Chatzky sits down with CFP® professional and Summit Place Financial founder Liz Miller to break down the new push to allow alternative investments, such as private equity, private credit, and cryptocurrency, in retirement accounts.

In This Episode We Cover:

What private equity and private credit actually are (in plain English)

Why Wall Street is eager to bring alternative investments into 401(k)s

The truth about private equity fees (including the “2 and 20” model)

How much crypto is reasonable in a diversified portfolio

Tax pros and cons of holding crypto in a 401(k) vs. a brokerage account

Why illiquidity matters in retirement investing

✨ Want deeper investing conversations, live market breakdowns, and portfolio strategy guidance? Join the HerMoney Investing Club.
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If you’ve read economic headlines recently and thought, “Well, that’s not comforting,” you’re not alone. Market swings and broader economic uncertainty are enough to make even confident investors second-guess their strategies. 

And here’s the hard truth: Wall Street doesn’t care if you’re retiring next year. It doesn’t care if you’re five years away. And it definitely doesn’t care if you’re lying awake at night wondering if you’ve done “enough.”

The good news? You can take steps to build confidence. 

On a special episode of the HerMoney Podcast, sponsored by LIMRA, Jean sits down with two of the smartest voices in retirement – Jason Fichtner, Executive Director of the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute and David Blanchett, head of retirement research at Prudential, a portfolio manager at PGIM and a LIMRA Retirement Income Institute Fellow – to talk about how to step off the emotional rollercoaster of the markets and build a retirement plan that feels stable, predictable and livable. 

In the episode, they’ll break down:

Why market swings hit harder as retirement gets closer

How protected income can help build a foundation for financial peace of mind

Whether you should be worried about the future of Social Security

Why waiting to claim Social Security can be one of your biggest wins – and strategies to make doing so easier

Protected income can play a helpful role in creating more stability in retirement. If you’re curious and want to dig deeper, these two resources from LIMRA can help:

Retirement planning can feel complex. This resource breaks down how fees and commissions work, so you know what to expect and what questions to ask.

There’s plenty of conflicting information online about annuities. This guide walks through common misconceptions and explains the basics to help you better understand how they fit into retirement planning.

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