Episodes

This episode is a great way to close out the year. You may have heard of Jamila Souffrant’s top-rated podcast, Journey to Launch. Well, she’s got a new book that just hit the shelves: Your Journey to Financial Freedom: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Wealth and Happiness that is a must-read. When I was thinking about our conversation, I kept coming back to financial freedom. We all want it, but how do you get there? I think one of the best places to start is with Jamila’s five stages of financ...

Relationships and Spending Money

The 7 Biggest Money Headlines of 2023. First, can we talk about how crazy of a year 2023 was? There was certainly a lot to talk about. I invite you to listen to this special episode that was recorded on the Earn & Invest podcast with its host, Jordan Grumet, myself, and Joe Saul-Sehy from Stacking Benjamins. Links The Earn & Invest Podcast Stacking Benjamins SPONSORS Thanks to Monarch for sponsoring the show. ​​After trying out Monarch for myself, I understand why it’s the top-rated personal...

Have you ever tried to achieve a money goal and felt like you never made any progress? Or do you walk around feeling completely uneasy about your money situation? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you are not alone. You see, money is about more than numbers. It’s about our very complex relationship with money that was set in motion even before we were born, believe it or not. As our much-beloved guest, Ken Honda, says, “It’s like you have a mold in you that attracts a certain rel...

Did you ever have bad dreams when you were a kid? Maybe you thought there was something lurking in your closet or under your bed - the boogie monster. Now, that boogie monster might be replaced by bad dreams about money. Our guest, Meghan Dwyer, a Certified Financial Planner and host of the Money Isn’t Scary podcast, is here to take away all those bad money dreams and help you go from financial fear to financial freedom. I get that money might feel scary - it’s a primal need, and you can’t escap...

Ever feel like a deer caught in headlights when it comes to managing your finances? You are not alone! We've all stood at that crossroads, but today, I'm venturing down the path of financial clarity. We're discussing the crème de la crème of money tools and apps that help you stay on top of your budget, like Monarch and You Need a Budget. I also shake up conventional banking wisdom as I highlight why it's worth considering online banks like Ally Bank and VARO and why avoiding monthly fees can be...

How do you donate money wisely? I definitely love giving more than receiving…in fact, I’m a terrible gift receiver. Giving effectively isn’t always easy. Our guest, Grace Nicolette, co-host of the Giving Done Right Podcast and Vice President of Programming and External Relations at the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), is here to help you figure out how to give effectively whether it’s now at the end of the year or whether you want to create a giving plan for next year. Grace answers some...

Let me share a little secret with you - I have a date every week. But this rendezvous doesn't involve candlelight dinners or dressed-up evenings; instead, it involves my money. That's right, I've been practicing the concept of "money dates," and truth be told, it's been a game-changer in reshaping my relationship with money. In this episode, I'll walk you through how I set up my money dates and how you can structure yours in a way that aligns with what you want and makes them enjoyable. I confe...

Have you ever wondered why we eat turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and our favorite veggie dish for Thanksgiving? The Thanksgiving meal has evolved so much since the early 1900s and become the holiday we associate with eating until we can't eat anymore. In this reboot Friendsgiving episode, I sat down with the amazing Katherine Spiers, host of the Smart Mouth Podcast, to find out the history behind the Thanksgiving meal and get to the bottom of our pumpkin-crazed eating trends. Katherine shares h...

Open, open, open! You may be too young to remember, but a clothing store named Mervyn’s back in the early ’90s had some great commercials with people camped out by their store just waiting for them to open for the big Black Friday sales day. Now, if you’re like me, you probably don’t go to the store that often on Black Friday. I’d much rather online shop, that is, until I heard what our guest Trae Bodge, our resident shopping expert, had to say about the hefty return fees retailers are now charg...

In this episode, we're talking about Dave Ramsey's terrible retirement advice. Let me put myself in your shoes. No matter how old you are, you’re probably saving for retirement. You’re trying to figure out how much you need to save and what retirement accounts are best - do you go 401K or Roth IRA, etc? And the biggest question is, how much money can you take out each year for retirement? And, you’re hoping, fingers crossed, you’re saving enough. Then, the biggest voice in money, Dave Ramsey, co...

If you haven't heard, Mint is going away in January. In a recent Ask Shannah, I talked all about the Mint transition. In this bonus episode, I'm sharing an update from Monarch, my favorite budgeting app, about how you can easily transfer over your data from Mint. Links Move Data from Mint to Monarch article CNET Mint article Monarch is offering listeners of this show an extended 30-day free trial plus 50% off an annual plan through CYBER MONDAY http://www.monarchmoney.com/ETM Learn more about...

It’s time for another Ask Shannah episode with questions from Abbey and Jacci. In this episode, I break down whether you should take money from your 401K to pay off your student loans and what to do if you are a Mint user; in case you haven’t heard, Mint is going away on January 1st. Links Monarch Money http://www.monarchmoney.com/ETM You Need a Budget https://www.ynab.com/ Student Loan Planner https://www.studentloanplanner.com/ CNET: How to Download your Mint Data article SPONSORS Thanks to...

In this solo episode, I'm breaking down the seven things you should do with your money before the year ends. As a gentle reminder, pick a few things from this list to do. Find what works for you, and forget the rest. You get to make the money rules that work for you, but hopefully, these seven things will spur some ideas of how you can end the year on a high note. Links Freebie - 10 Mindful Money Questions to Ask Yourself Right Now https://etmpod.link/10moneyq Free annual credit report https:/...

This episode is your ultimate guide to afford the holidays without all the stress and debt that can come with it. With that said, I get that it is hard to do. The holidays always feel like a time when you are expected to spend money, even when you might not have money to spend. Maybe you have a family member who is always trying to one-up your gifts, or you feel pressured to have the best gift for your boss. And what about Dad’s? I never knew a good gift to get my dad, so I always overspent when...

Today's vault Ask Shannah question comes from Laquesha: "Hi Shannah. Thanks so much for answering my question. I really want to start investing but I keep getting hung up on all the chatter out there. I can’t figure out if I’m supposed to wait to start investing until I’ve paid off all my debt, or is that not smart to do? Also, it just feels like I need to be an expert at investing to do it well. I know that’s not true, but man, it just feels so hard to figure out investing. I know so many peopl...

It’s National Let’s Talk Money Day, and it’s also my 10-year wedding anniversary today, but let’s focus on the money part. Talkin’ money is what we do every week here on the show, so I’m excited that there’s actually a day dedicated to my mission of making talking about money mainstream. There are lots of different topics we could talk about on Let’s Talk Money Day, but if I had to pick one topic that I think is critical to your money success, it would be getting paid for your value. That is som...

All my fellow female entrepreneurs - this episode is for you. It can be quite challenging being a female entrepreneur. I know personally because I’ve been one since I was 19 in college. You get so busy in the day-to-day trying to grow your business that you overlook one of the main reasons for creating your business - wealth creation. I will tell you something about all the people I’ve worked with financially, the wealthiest of them own a business. But the key is to figure out how to set up your...

If you want to make changes with your money, you have got to understand the messages your brain is sending out. Did you know that your brain can literally make or break your financial success? You could be capsizing your “money boat” just by the way you are thinking. We're going to change that in this episode. Our guest, Ariel Garten, is a neuroscientist, mom, former psychotherapist, former fashion designer, and co-founder behind the start-up Muse. Ariel is here to help demystify what is going o...

Ever wondered how you are never left with any money each month, even though you have a budget? In this episode, I'm featuring a Budget Rescue with Robert, who asks: "Hi Shannah, thanks for taking the time to answer my question. BTW I love the new name of the show. This is one of the only places I feel like we can listen to all different types of conversations, and you always surprise me with the topics. It’s so cool. I’m writing to see if you could give me some insights into my monthly budget. H...

Today, we're talking about a topic that's not just about numbers; it's about people, fairness, and understanding. That's right, we're talking about pay transparency. Ever wondered how this simple concept can make your work life better? Our guest, Hannah Williams, the creator of the viral sensation Salary Transparent Street, has been hitting the streets asking strangers to share what they do and how much they make. Her mission is to combat discriminatory tendencies in employment and close pay gap...

In this episode, I’m sharing 8 Fall Money Moves to set yourself up for success. Bring out the cozy sweats, brew a cup of tea, and let's start talkin' money. Fall Money Move 1: Check in on your spending - make sure you're mindfully spending Fall Money Move 2: Increase your retirement savings by 1% Fall Money Move 3: Figure out your monthly money survival number Fall Money Move 4: Use your credit card rewards for holiday purchases Fall Money Move 5: Call your cell phone and internet companies...

Did you know that your money habits are set by the age of seven? That means it is really easy to pick up some money habits from your parents that don't serve you as an adult. In this episode, I'll explore ways to break money habits from your parents and how to create new habits that work for you. SPONSORS Thanks to EarnIn for sponsoring the show. Just download the EarnIn app in Google Play of the Apple App store and use code Talkin Money under Podcast. Thanks to Factor for sponsoring the show...

If you’ve ever wondered what is the best credit card out there, this episode is for you. We have Ian Salisbury, the Money Editor for Buy Side from WSJ, back on the show to share the best cash-back credit cards, travel rewards credit cards, savings accounts, mortgage lenders, and more in this episode. We’ll break down all the details about why you might choose one credit card over the next and tips to make the mortgage process so much easier. We also chat about the biggest money trends this year,...