We’re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!

 

1 - Forging family values: what are some exercises my wife and I can practice to get on the same financial page? (Check out the HTM Money Mission Statement)

2 - Trump accounts: is this really free money and should my extended family contribute to this account?

3 - 401k rollover: should I keep ‘em separated, or combine my 401k accounts into a singular easy to manage login?

4 - Savings rate calculations: do I include my employer contribution or just keep to my own personal savings rate?

5 - Bathroom remodel: what are the best ways to pay for it to optimize rewards, cashback, and discounts?!

 

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

Please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

We&rsquo;re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you&rsquo;d like for us to answer on the show, we&rsquo;d love for you to submit your own via <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/ask/">HowToMoney.com/ask</a> , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!
&nbsp;
1 - Forging family values: what are some exercises my wife and I can practice to get on the same financial page? (Check out the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IhrgSguUq7A3-5OoqF8-0XaX65M2ixyc/view">HTM Money Mission Statement)</a>
2 - Trump accounts: is this really free money and should my extended family contribute to this account?
3 - 401k rollover: should I keep &lsquo;em separated, or combine my 401k accounts into a singular easy to manage login?
4 - Savings rate calculations: do I include my employer contribution or just keep to my own personal savings rate?
5 - Bathroom remodel: what are the best ways to pay for it to optimize rewards, cashback, and discounts?!
&nbsp;
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">YouTube: You thought you&rsquo;d never see it&hellip; the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMoneyPod">How To Money channel over on YouTube</a> - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!</li>
<li aria-level="1">Credit card perks: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/shau19-htmomny">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

Best friends Joel and Matt are the co-hosts of How to Money which is all about providing the knowledge & tools that normal folks need to thrive in areas like debt payoff, DIY investing, and crucial money tricks that will provide continuous help along your journey. We believe that access to unbiased and jargon-free personal finance guidance is more necessary than ever before. When you handle your money in a purposeful, thoughtful way that works for your lifestyle, you can really start living a rich life.

How to Money

Ask HTM - Affordable Bathroom Reno, Forging Family $ Values, and Trump Account Scam? #1192

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aeefb4c6-74d8-4e51-8c21-b4b70159738d/transcript

61% of Americans say they’re more afraid of running out of money than they are of dying… the idea of spending our later years stressed about money is so terrifying that some people would rather face the great unknown than deal with their own financial plan. And yet, far too many people are taking the “I’ll figure it out someday” approach when it comes to retirement. They’re hoping things work out instead of building a plan that gives them confidence and freedom. Our guest today believes retirement doesn’t have to be defined by fear and uncertainty. With the right decisions, we can worry less about money and spend more time enjoying the life we’ve worked so hard to build. Jean Chatzky has spent decades helping people make smarter decisions with their money through her work on the Today show, her AARP columns, her books (the latest of which is titled The Forever Paycheck), and her podcast. Today we discuss what retirement looks like in this modern era, how we can prepare for it without letting fear take over, and we dig into topics like:
The retirement crisis and how to address it
A 'forever paycheck' and how to create one
Role of annuities and other income products in retirement planning
Shifting from accumulation to decumulation and behavioral challenges
The impact of longevity and market risks on retirement strategies
How to balance risk and guarantees in retirement income
Psychological aspects of spending and saving in retirement
And much more!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

 

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

61% of Americans say they&rsquo;re more afraid of running out of money than they are of dying&hellip; the idea of spending our later years stressed about money is so terrifying that some people would rather face the great unknown than deal with their own financial plan. And yet, far too many people are taking the &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll figure it out someday&rdquo; approach when it comes to retirement. They&rsquo;re hoping things work out instead of building a plan that gives them confidence and freedom. Our guest today believes retirement doesn&rsquo;t have to be defined by fear and uncertainty. With the right decisions, we can worry less about money and spend more time enjoying the life we&rsquo;ve worked so hard to build. Jean Chatzky has spent decades helping people make smarter decisions with their money through her work on the Today show, her AARP columns, her books (the latest of which is titled <a href="https://amzn.to/4qsFfxR">The Forever Paycheck</a>), and her podcast. Today we discuss what retirement looks like in this modern era, how we can prepare for it without letting fear take over, and we dig into topics like:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">The retirement crisis and how to address it</li>
<li aria-level="1">A 'forever paycheck' and how to create one</li>
<li aria-level="1">Role of annuities and other income products in retirement planning</li>
<li aria-level="1">Shifting from accumulation to decumulation and behavioral challenges</li>
<li aria-level="1">The impact of longevity and market risks on retirement strategies</li>
<li aria-level="1">How to balance risk and guarantees in retirement income</li>
<li aria-level="1">Psychological aspects of spending and saving in retirement</li>
<li aria-level="1">And much more!</li>
</ul>
Can&rsquo;t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">YouTube: You thought you&rsquo;d never see it&hellip; the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMoneyPod">How To Money channel over on YouTube</a> - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!</li>
<li aria-level="1">Credit card perks: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/shau19-htmomny">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
&nbsp;
And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

You Saved It. Now Give Yourself Permission to Spend It w/ Jean Chatzky #1199

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/46d63a95-94c5-4707-9873-b4aa013f92cf/transcript

We’re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! But first… will or won’t Joel run a 50k?! But then we get to:

 

1 - Cash surrender: or keep a life insurance policy around and how will it impact my student loan payment?!

2 - Early retirement: should I prioritize my 457 if I’m interested in retiring as a firefighter at age 53?

3 - Best yield: where should we keep the downpayment for a new home purchase?

4 - Buy my car: wise advice if you want to sell your car for the most money.

5 - 1% AUM: how do I keep my parents from getting ripped off?

 

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Referenced: Breaking up with your financial advisor.
YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

Please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

We&rsquo;re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you&rsquo;d like for us to answer on the show, we&rsquo;d love for you to submit your own via <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/ask/">HowToMoney.com/ask</a> , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! But first&hellip; will or won&rsquo;t Joel run a 50k?! But then we get to:
&nbsp;
1 - Cash surrender: or keep a life insurance policy around and how will it impact my student loan payment?!
2 - Early retirement: should I prioritize my 457 if I&rsquo;m interested in retiring as a firefighter at age 53?
3 - Best yield: where should we keep the downpayment for a new home purchase?
4 - Buy my car: wise advice if you want to sell your car for the most money.
5 - 1% AUM: how do I keep my parents from getting ripped off?
&nbsp;
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Referenced:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/break-up-with-your-financial-advisor/">Breaking up with your financial advisor.</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">YouTube: You thought you&rsquo;d never see it&hellip; the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMoneyPod">How To Money channel over on YouTube</a> - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!</li>
<li aria-level="1">Credit card perks: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/tkfe5ek-htmpodcast">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

Ask HTM - Early Retirement with a 457b, Surrendering Life Insurance, & Moving to a Bigger House #1198

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b2d5ef39-77a0-4c69-b17e-b4c60151dcba/transcript

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:
Holiday spending
Illiterate Americans
Worse on purpose and planned obsolescence
Shrinking shoulder season
Healthcare inflation (even still, get insured)
Stocks in a late stage bubble?!
Retirees afraid to spend
Early social security claims
Fed and higher interest rates
And plenty more!

 

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week&rsquo;s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/holiday-spending-expected-to-hold-steady-as-high-gas-prices-weigh-on-consumer-sentiment-181442076.html?.tsrc=372&amp;ncid=crm_-2291984-20260909-1--A&amp;bt_user_id=W9yfcW+2HXLiTvYJEehqVi63ESCUEs8EXaIXpCdIL1IicoU1YgzqYHcRFk+5QyX/D1la98LlqNp2UMVXuakiHonJvwNZeyiqWGRpcRFtjwGXHLaLmvoJhOTfppKn0D4m&amp;bt_ts=1788948150094">Holiday spending</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://archive.is/SmJrx">Illiterate Americans</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/family-savings/when-saving-money-costs-more-in-the-long-run?">Worse on purpose and planned obsolescence</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/31/travel-savings-shoulder-season.html">Shrinking shoulder season</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2026/09/02/workers-face-open-enrollment-shock-as-cost-increase-hits-24-year-high/">Healthcare inflation</a> (<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2026/09/02/workers-face-open-enrollment-shock-as-cost-increase-hits-24-year-high/">even still, get insured</a>)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/stocks-stage-bubble-poised-crash-220620239.html?">Stocks in a late stage bubble?!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/2026/09/13/retirees-reluctant-spend-savings/91695541007/">Retirees afraid to spend</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://humbledollar.com/forum/americans-are-rushing-to-collect-social-security-the-reason-is-disturbing/">Early social security claims</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/what-fed-rate-increase-means-for-your-money-cf527fcd">Fed and higher interest rates</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">And plenty more!</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">YouTube: You thought you&rsquo;d never see it&hellip; the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@HowToMoneyPod">How To Money channel over on YouTube</a> - LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!</li>
<li aria-level="1">Credit card perks: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/tkfe5ek-htmpodcast">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<ul>
<li aria-level="2">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

Friday Flight - Illiterate Americans, Shrinking Shoulder Season, & Rate Hike Reactions #1197

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b664409b-794b-48a8-9796-b4cf010d258c/transcript

Ask HTM - Affordable Bathroom Reno, Forging Family $ Values, and Trump Account Scam? #1192

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