She's Talkin' Money

You have extra money. Should you put it toward your mortgage or invest it?

The answer is very different if your mortgage rate is 3% versus 7%.

In this episode of She’s Talkin’ Money, I’m breaking down how I actually think through this decision with clients — because “always pay off your mortgage” and “never pay it off because you can make more in the market” are both examples of generic financial advice that leave out the most important part: your actual financial situation.

We’re talking about how your mortgage rate changes the conversation, why liquidity matters so much, and what you may be giving up when you send every extra dollar into your house.

I’ll also explain why home equity is not the same thing as cash, why paying down your mortgage does not make your home appreciate faster, and why being mortgage-free is not automatically the strongest financial position.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

why a 3% mortgage and a 7% mortgage require very different decisions

how to think about where your next dollar is working hardest

why liquidity should be part of the mortgage-payoff conversation

the difference between building equity and reducing debt

why paying down your mortgage can create an opportunity cost

when I’m more interested in making additional principal payments

when I’d rather see you invest the extra money

how retirement changes the decision

and why the emotional benefit of being mortgage-free still matters — after you understand the math

You do not have to choose between “always invest” and “always pay off debt.”

The better question is: What job should this next dollar be doing for you?

Being mortgage-free can be a great goal. But the goal is not simply to have no mortgage.

The goal is to build the strongest overall financial position you can.

If you’re ready for personalized, judgment-free financial guidance, learn more about working with Shari. Shari Rash is the founder of GWA Wealth, a virtual advisory firm helping women make confident, values-aligned decisions with their money. Visit GWA Wealth to explore your next step.

Talkin’ Points → where your money gets smarter.

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Be sure to like and follow the show on your favorite podcast app!

Keep the conversation going on Instagram @shestalkinmoney

Shari Rash is a financial planner and Investment Adviser Representative of GWA Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing discussed should be considered a recommendation, and listening does not create an advisory relationship. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Please consult your own financial, tax, or legal professional before making decisions based on your individual circumstances.
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You make good money. You’ve built a career. You may have strong benefits, a title you worked hard for, and a life that looks successful on paper.

But you’re tired.

And maybe you keep thinking: I cannot do this for another 20 years.

Then comes the next thought: But I can’t leave. I make too much money.

In this episode of She’s Talkin’ Money, I’m breaking down what it actually takes to make a career change in your 40s without blowing up your financial life — and why changing careers does not necessarily mean replacing your current salary dollar for dollar.

We’re talking about how to figure out what your life actually costs, how much income you really need, and why your current high salary may be the very thing that helps fund your exit.

I’ll walk through how to test-drive a lower income before making a move, how to build a freedom fund, how to think about a sabbatical, and why having enough money to live on is not the same thing as having enough money to launch a business or fund your next chapter.

We’ll also talk about the parts of compensation people often overlook — health insurance, retirement benefits, bonuses, equity, PTO, and other benefits — and why comparing salaries alone can give you the wrong answer.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

how to figure out what it really costs to be you

why you may not need to replace your current salary

how to practice living on a lower income before you leave

how to build a financial runway while you still have a paycheck

the difference between an emergency fund and a freedom fund

how to think about taking a sabbatical

what to consider if you want to start a business

when a lower-paying job may actually make financial sense

how to compare total compensation, not just salary

and the signs that you may not be ready to make the move yet

Career freedom does not mean having enough money to never work again.

It means having enough money, flexibility, and planning that your current job is not your only option.

Your job should not own the next 20 years of your life just because it pays well.

If you’re ready for personalized, judgment-free financial guidance, learn more about working with Shari. Shari Rash is the founder of GWA Wealth, a virtual advisory firm helping women make confident, values-aligned decisions with their money. Visit GWA Wealth to explore your next step.

Talkin’ Points → where your money gets smarter.

Real talk, practical tips, zero guilt straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Be sure to like and follow the show on your favorite podcast app!

Keep the conversation going on Instagram @shestalkinmoney

Shari Rash is a financial planner and Investment Adviser Representative of GWA Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing discussed should be considered a recommendation, and listening does not create an advisory relationship. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Please consult your own financial, tax, or legal professional before making decisions based on your individual circumstances.
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How much should you have saved by 40?

It’s one of those money questions that practically begs for a simple answer. Three times your salary. Check the box. Move on.

Except your financial life does not work that way.

In this episode of She’s Talkin’ Money, I’m breaking down why common age-based savings benchmarks can be useful as a starting point — but completely misleading when they’re treated like a verdict on whether you’re doing well or falling behind.

Because someone who earned $75,000 for most of her career and just started making $150,000 should not suddenly feel like a financial failure because her “target” doubled overnight. And having $300,000 saved does not tell me nearly enough to know whether you’re actually on track.

We’re talking about what matters more than an arbitrary savings multiple, including your desired retirement age, what you expect retirement to cost, whether your money is Roth or pre-tax, your debt, your liquidity, your future goals, and how much you’re consistently saving today.

I’ll also explain why the question “How much should I have saved?” is often really asking something deeper:

Am I okay?Am I behind?Did I wait too long?Can I still catch up?Is everyone else doing better than me?

The answer is not another random benchmark.

It’s having a plan.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

why the popular “3x your salary by 40” rule can create unnecessary panic

how a major income increase can make traditional benchmarks especially misleading

why $300,000 in Roth money is not the same as $300,000 in pre-tax retirement money

what actually makes me concerned when someone reaches 40

why your retirement age and future spending matter more than a generic savings target

how I think about saving roughly 20% of take-home pay with my clients

why automating your savings matters more than obsessing over one perfect number

and the questions you should ask instead of simply wondering whether you’re ahead or behind

There is no magic amount you need to have saved by 40.

The better question is whether your money is actually moving you toward the life you want.

If you’re ready for personalized, judgment-free financial guidance, learn more about working with Shari. Shari Rash is the founder of GWA Wealth, a virtual advisory firm helping women make confident, values-aligned decisions with their money. Visit GWA Wealth to explore your next step.

Shari Rash is a financial planner and Investment Adviser Representative of GWA Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing discussed should be considered a recommendation, and listening does not create an advisory relationship. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Please consult your own financial, tax, or legal professional before making decisions based on your individual circumstances.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you max out your 401(k)? If you’re making good money, already saving consistently, and have extra cash flow, it can feel like the obvious next step.

But maxing out your 401(k) is not automatically the best financial decision — especially if most of your money is tied up in retirement accounts and you want more flexibility before age 65.

In this episode of She’s Talkin’ Money, I’m breaking down how I actually think through this question with clients. We’ll talk about when employer matching matters, where Roth accounts fit in, why liquidity deserves more attention, and why a taxable brokerage account may sometimes make more sense than immediately increasing your 401(k) contribution.

I’m also challenging one of the most common pieces of retirement advice: that if you’re not maxing out your 401(k), you’re somehow falling behind.

Because the goal isn’t to hit an arbitrary contribution limit. The goal is to build a financial life that gives you options.

We’ll cover:

what I want to know before telling someone to increase their 401(k)

the order I typically think about saving and investing

why Roth money can be such a powerful part of your plan

the difference between an emergency fund and what I call a “freedom fund”

why net worth and financial flexibility are not the same thing

when the tax deduction from a traditional 401(k) is actually worth prioritizing

and when maxing out your 401(k) may make perfect sense

If you’re in your 40s, earning well, and starting to wonder whether you really want to work the same way until traditional retirement age, this episode is for you.

Don’t make yourself retirement rich and life poor.

Be sure to share this episode with a friend!

Shari Rash is a financial planner and Investment Adviser Representative of GWA Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser. This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Nothing discussed should be considered a recommendation, and listening does not create an advisory relationship. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Please consult your own financial, tax, or legal professional before making decisions based on your individual circumstances.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone’s Talkin’ Money is now She’s Talkin’ Money.

Same feed. Same host. Sharper focus.

She’s Talkin’ Money is the money podcast for women doing well on paper — women who make good money, save, invest, and still wonder if they’re making the right decisions with what they have.

Hosted by financial planner Shari Rash, the show goes beyond basic budgeting to talk about investing, retirement, taxes, cash, spending, financial independence, and the emotional side of money.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing fine… so why don’t I feel more confident?” this show is for you.

Welcome to She’s Talkin’ Money.
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