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Farnoosh Torabi
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Raj Panjabi
So money episode 1794 ask Farnoosh.
Freddie Wong
You're listening to so Money with award.
Raj Panjabi
Winning money guru Farnoosh Torabi. Each day get a 30 minute dose of financial inspiration from the world's top business minds, authors, influencers and from Farnoosh yourself. Looking for ways to save on gas or double your double coupons. Sorry, you're in the wrong place. Seeking profound ways to live a richer, happier life.
Freddie Wong
Welcome to SO money.
Raj Panjabi
Welcome to SEW Money everybody. I'm Farnoosh Tarabi and we are here with another day of answering your Money questions. I think this is my favorite time of the week where we're going to tackle some of your most pressing financial questions, including whether debt relief programs are worth it to how to balance individual stocks versus index funds in your portfolio. And for my job seekers out there, I've got advice for a recent college grad trying to land her first position in a cooling job market. And some guidance for someone who was laid off from a tech job. How to maximize severance, navigate health insurance options and make the most of their unemployment benefits. We're also going to talk about the best strategies for saving, how to save for a six month emergency cushion. And we're going to break down the age old investing debate. Is dollar cost averaging better than lump sum investing? But first, let's talk about what's happening today. I woke up this morning to a text message from my friend Kafi about the 24 hour economic blackout and I have to I didn't know this was happening Today I am not in the loop about this. I don't know what this says about the movement. Is it getting enough press? You may have seen this circulating online today. February 28th is a planned day of financial protest. The People's Union USA is taking credit for initiating the no Spend day. The organization's website says it's not tied to a political party, but stands for all people. And the blackout has been running since 12am today. It'll run through midnight Friday. The group is urging customers to abstain from making any purchases, whether that's in stores or online, particularly from big retailers and chains. They want us to avoid fast food, avoid filling our cars with gas. There's another broad based economic blackout plan for March 28th. That one's targeting specific retailers. You can imagine which ones they are. The goal is to demonstrate the power of collective spending. Movements like this have happened before and they make headlines. But do they actually work? I think a single day boycott can bring awareness, but the real question is whether it leads to lasting structural change. And in my opinion, I would say that the better strategy isn't just about withholding dollars for a day or even a month, but it's about intentionally redirecting where we spend our money on a going basis. And I know maybe a one day boycott can stimulate that thinking. But I also think that the messaging around this I would have, for me, I think it can lead to more of a rallying effect when it's positive. When you're like, okay, let's support small businesses, let's support mom and Pops. The idea that you're going to just stop spending at Amazon for a day is not going to hurt Amazon. But if you support a small business for an entire month and just shop local, you will change lives in your community. Community. You will allow your neighbors to maintain a sustainable living. They'll be able to keep their businesses running. And we've done episodes on this. There's even been studies around this that show how it's more effective to reorient your spending. If you want to make a statement, if you want to stick it to the man, it's about just honing in on that small business economy, small business and minority owned businesses. I don't think the organizers behind this would disagree with me, but I think that sometimes when you say boycott and when you're talking Amazon and billionaires in your marketing, it sort of takes over the messaging and then you realize, oh, what they really mean is we should shop small. And maybe then you're like, oh, then that's too similar to small business Saturday, the AP also ran a story wondering whether this economic blackout will make a difference. And I quote, some retailers may feel a slight pinch from Friday's broad blackout, which is taking place in a tough economic environment, according to experts. They interviewed Marshall Cohen. I used to interview Marshall when I was at New York 1 News and I would produce a lot of business and economic segments. He's a chief retail advisor at the market research firm Circana. And Marshall thinks the overall impact may be limited with any meaningful sales declines more likely to surface in liberal leaning coastal regions and big cities. They also interviewed a marketing professor at Northwestern Universities Kellogg School of Management and Anna Tuckman who says she thinks the blackout will likely make a dent in daily retail sales. But it won't be sustainable. She says, I think this is an opportunity for consumers to show that they have a voice on a single day, although I think it's unlikely that we'll see long run sustained decreases in economic activity supported by this boycott. Hey, you know what? It's sparking dialogue. It's making you remember the importance of supporting your local economy. In the spirit of this boycott, I'm going to focus on supporting our local merchants here in Montclair. And I've gotten to know a lot of them over the last couple of months reporting for the Montclair Pod, which by the way, the Montclair pot is on fire, everybody. It's a lot of work launching a podcast for the first time in 2025, but we have been making a lot of inroads in town. People are listening. Our Instagram is growing. We're really proud of the work that we're doing. And me and my co hosts, you know, we run separate lives outside of the podcast. We have businesses, we work, we have family. So this was, this is mainly a passion project right now. But I we're also thinking maybe we could turn this into something more impactful and grow it and. Well, stay tuned. And one last piece of news before we hit the mailbag. My website's getting a major facelift today. If you haven't visited in a while, please do. I've refreshed the entire site to make it even easier to access the podcast. The resources to connect with me. I think it's updated now. It's, you know, with these website conversions it takes time, but my developer said that it should be fixed live today at some point. So keep going back and refreshing and let me know what you think. And let me know what you think. Also, in the Apple podcast review, section. We haven't gotten a review in a couple of weeks, so I know I.
Kafi
Have to just keep asking.
Raj Panjabi
It's one of those things. So if you leave a review in the Apple Podcast app for this podcast every Friday, if I catch a new review, I'll mention it on the show and that person will be eligible for a free 15 minute money session with me. So if you're interested in some one on one time with me to talk about whatever's on your money mind, that's a great way to do it. Leave a review in the Apple Podcast review section.
Kafi
All right, let's hit the mailbag. Starting with an important question about debt payoff. Alicia wants to know if I had any insights or opinions about the National Debt Relief Program for those who want to pay down credit card debt. It's a good idea or bad idea. You know, I looked this up and I initially thought that something called National Debt Relief Program was a federal program like the JOBS act or something. But this is actually a private company, it's a for profit company. And while I don't know anything specifically about this program, I want to speak broadly about debt relief options. Let's walk through some of the pros and cons of debt reduction debt relief programs. So on the plus side, companies like National Debt Relief, what they do in exchange for your money is to negotiate with creditors to reduce the total amount of debt that you owe. And of course we run busy lives, so this can be helpful if we're struggling and we don't have the time and we really want to get out of debt. Additionally, companies like National Debt Relief, what they may do is they'll consolidate your payments so they'll so they'll take several credit balances, turn it into one monthly payment to simplify the process for you. And ultimately if you go through these programs and it's successful, you could avoid bankruptcy. A lot of people come to the debt relief programs on the verge of collapse. You know, like I can't do this on my own. So these are the pros. You could potentially avoid more financial stress. On the flip side, things I would caution is when you pay for a debt relief program, you have to understand the fee structure. Companies typically charge fees generally based on a percentage of the total debt that you have when you enroll in the program and you want to consider the long term costs as well. Where a lot of times when you go through a debt relief program, there is a hit to your credit. Now you may say, well, it doesn't even matter because I'm not really in the market right now to be shopping for a loan. I don't even have good credit. So this may not be pertinent to those of us who, who are in a real financial debt bind, but these programs often require you to stop making payments to your creditors while the negotiations are ongoing, which can negatively impact your credit score. It can lead to late fees, other penalties, and that impact can last several years even after the debts are settled. And also there's no guarantee, right, there's no guarantee that these programs are going to come through for you that the creditors will reach an agreement with these programs agencies to negotiate or settle your debt for less than what is owed. And I'll just say that while I don't know anything about the National Debt Relief Program, it has been around since 2009, 2010, it has since grown. It's one of the kind of more, I guess, quote unquote reputable debt relief programs. But the industry as a whole has faced a lot of scrutiny and a lot of regulatory challenges from the FTC and consumer protection groups. So before you work with any one of these agencies, it's important to do a background check, check with the Better Business Bureau, look for reviews, and if there's any shadiness, if there's any lack of clarity and they're not willing to clarify things for you, then I would think twice about working with that organization. But National Debt relief, not a federal policy. A company is one of the largest and most well known debt settlement companies. So not having done my own deep dive, just can tell you off the bat that in that industry they're pretty well known. So if you're going to start your research, start there. And one last thing I want to say about debt relief is that outside of the for profit world, there are also nonprofit organizations that help with debt relief. They don't consolidate your debt, but they'll help you manage your debt. They will first meet with you free meeting initially to review your debt situation, your budget, and from there come up with a plan to pay off the debt slowly, not within six months. It's not a speedy program, but they do have debt management programs. They cost like 15 bucks a month. They're pretty nominal. And if you're in real dire straits, they can potentially waive that. And just some names, national foundation for Credit Counseling, Money Management International. What they do is they hook you up with a certified credit counselor to kind of look at your debts, organize them, help you find ways to pay them down. And yes, they will negotiate with your creditors, not to quote unquote settle your debts like these other for profit companies will probably do. But they'll ask if they can reduce the interest rates or waive some of the fees just to make the monthly payments more manageable. So that's an alternative. Let me ask you something. Have you ever experienced a dry, itchy scalp?
Unknown
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Raj Panjabi
Hi, I'm Raj Panjabi from HuffPost.
Farnoosh Torabi
And I'm Noah Michaelson, also from HuffPost.
Raj Panjabi
And we're the hosts of Am I Doing It Wrong? A new podcast that explores the all too human anxieties we have about trying.
Kafi
To get our lives right.
Farnoosh Torabi
Each week on the podcast, Raj and I pick a new topic that we want to understand better and bring a guest expert on to talk us through.
Kafi
How to get it right. And we're talking like legit, credible experts.
Farnoosh Torabi
Doctors, PhDs all around, superheroes from HuffPost and Acast Studios. Check out Am I Doing It Wrong.
Kafi
Wherever you get your podcasts. All right, next question's from Jennifer, who bought some individual stocks this year. And she's tried to follow the buy and hold strategy, but just saw one of her stocks plunge dramatically and lost quite a bit of money. Now she wants to move that money towards index funds that follow the s and P500. And she's like, you know, and she's, and she's worried about a recession as this has come up in the media over the last few weeks and wonders if she should sell some of her other individual stocks while they're still at a profit and then take that money to continue to buy index funds. She says she has the majority of her money in diversified funds. She does have an emergency fund that will last at least six months. So she's very fortunate there. And she says, I know you've told us to leave our investments alone, Farnoosh, but what if I want to trade these investments for better investments? I would really appreciate your advice. So, yeah, typically we like to buy and hold because we know that the market is just going to do its thing. Sometimes the market is volatile. I like hearing that you do have a majority of your investments in a diversified portfolio tracking indices. Now you have these few stocks. You know, in the grand scheme of it, that might be fine. Like, if you still believe in these companies and you want to just sort of throw darts, that's okay. I always say within your portfolio, 1 to 5% of your overall portfolio can be in alternative investments. And an individual stock could be like an alternative investment. It's alternative to a fund. These traditional investments that tend to have better track records over long stretches of time. If you're dead set against having these in your portfolio, though, you want to just consider the tax implications of selling them. So one stock you said has declined significantly. The other stocks have regained their value. Keep in mind that there will be some tax implications and more so because you're selling within the first year of owning These stocks, you're going to potentially face short term capital gains. For the stocks that you're selling at a gain, and then for the stock, that's a loss, that's a capital loss, and that can actually be used to offset any capital gains that you've realized during the tax year. Just keep a record of this. If you work with an accountant, maybe you want to bring this to their attention and see what they recommend. It may be that they recommend, no, don't sell them because you'll get hit with a big tax bill. Maybe sell it in the next year, which comes with some risk because maybe, you know you're going to lose more money in these stocks, but you're going to have to weigh those pros and cons because once you've owned stocks for more than a year and when you want to go to sell them, then you're talking about long term capital gains, which is usually a smaller hit than short term capital gains. The government really wants you to hold on to your investments. But in general, I like the idea of investing more in index funds. But if a majority of your portfolio already is in index funds and you have these few little stocks that you want to just track individually for your own entertainment and education, that's okay. And hey, you know, in the long run, they may do well. I'd be curious to know what these stocks are. You may already have them within these index funds that you own. Bella wants to know how to approach the job market. She's graduating from college with a degree in finance. What are some things I could be doing to make myself more hireable? She's already been applying to jobs, but it seems like it's harder to get one right now. She doesn't have any student debt, which is great. And in terms of goals, she wants to move out as soon as possible.
Unknown
Move out of her parents home.
Kafi
She has about $6,000 saved up, so does her boyfriend, and they want to move in together. So I just want to address the macro job market. So it is a bit of a cooling job market for college grads. Right now. About 40% of recent college grads are underemployed, meaning that they're working in jobs that, you know, don't require a college degree. Certain industries, like technology, are seeing a reduction in hiring. We know that tech is kind of having its own little moment right now. A lot of layoffs in the tech field. And so as you can imagine, not a lot of hiring either. Our friend in the audience who asked this question has a degree in Finance, which is what I graduated with from college. I mean, my advice to you is to cast a wide net. Bella, if you're looking for a finance job at a financial institution that can be really competitive and your better bet may be to cast a wider pool, a wider net. Can you work in finance within other industries? A finance job at a media company, A finance job at a healthcare company. In the current job market, there are certain industries that are more actively hiring college grads, namely healthcare, legal services, nonprofits, construction, arts and entertainment, AI and data science. So thinking about your degree and how it can work within these industries, all these companies, they need financial people. So that would be my biggest tip, is to broaden your job search to extend beyond financial services. As for your desire to move out of your family's house, totally get that. That is not fun. But just also know that if you're will to look at the next year as an investment, living with mom and dad and I'm going to save X dollars a month on rent. Let's say the average rent right now for you and your partner or just you alone is like $2,000 a month or 15. I don't know where you are, but I'm just using a number. If you imagine saving that $2,000 times 12 and you actually have to save it, I would encourage you to do that. Then you're going to be able to leave your parents home in a year with a lot of money saved and have far many more options. So don't be so down on yourself. A lot of people your age are living with family upon graduation. It's just the times we talked about inflation in the show earlier and rent is one of the areas that hasn't seen a lot of relief. My brother who lives in Brooklyn, his rent is going up 10%. Is that even allowed? But here we are and he's looking for a new place to live because of that. So it's really tough for those looking for affordable housing. If you have a place to live, even if it's not ideal, make do for a bit of time and realize those savings and actually save them. Next up is a question from Gemma, who's having a difficult time saving. She's trying to save the recommended six months worth of expenses which she says it seems like it would take a lifetime. So what's my advice? All right, Gemma, firstly just give yourself some grace and know that when we say it's important to save a six month month cushion where you take your minimal bare bones necessities that you have to make every month. These are not the nice to haves. This is like housing, utilities, the bills, right? If you don't pay them, someone might sue you. You add that up, what is that total in a given month and then you multiply that by six. That's what you want to have ideally in a savings account in the event that you lose your job and you have to make ends meet. Not because we expect that you'll never make money for the next six months. Months. It's just a good target. And that more likely, depending of course on your profession and where you live and the strength of the job market, it could take anywhere from four to six months to find a full time job. But in the meantime, you could be part timing, you could be side hustling, you could be reducing your spending, all to make that savings stretch. But my recommendation is make small automatic contributions if you're not already. So what you could do is you could go to your employer and fill out a form and if they're already making automatic deposits for you, taking your paycheck and putting it automatically in one bank account, see if they can split it up and put some in one bank account which is designated for your savings, and the other into your checking account. That can happen at the employer level and sometimes it's just going into HR and asking for that form or going online and making that adjustment through your employer's HR portal. If they don't do it for you, you could do that yourself. Where once your paycheck hits your bank account, you have it set up so that a percentage automatically goes into a separate siloed account labeled savings that can be at your existing bank, it can be someplace else, like a high yield online savings account. So that's one piece of it. And then as you get lump sums through your tax refund, your bonuses, any windfalls, commit to having all or a majority of that go into savings until you reach that six months. The important thing is that you just get into the habit of contributing. A lot of this can be automated and don't give up. Look at how you're spending currently and you can start there. Is there anywhere you can cut back any monthly recurring costs subscriptions that you know you can give up for a bit of time and channel that money into savings. And once you're at a more comfortable place with savings, you can go back to turning those subscriptions on. We covered side hustles in the Sew Money members club. And that's another piece of this which you know I could go on and on about. And you can actually check out that workshop if you go to somoneymembers.com, and sign up. It's a monthly program and we have a massive library of live workshops that I've recorded on things like side hustles. We have one in the fund, budgeting. We talk about investing, alternative investments, real estate. But specifically to this question about saving money. Sometimes you do what you can with the existing budget that you have and then you realize if I need to save more money, I need to make more money. So is there a $500 a month month side hustle that you can start to perform? It could be within your profession. It could be, you know, tangential to your skills that you're bringing to the workplace already, or it could be completely outside of that. It could be pet sitting, it could be caregiving, it could be renting out your car. Do you know you could do this when you're not using it? And that's quite the passive income. So that's my other offer to this person who's looking to save more money and anybody who's looking struggling with saving, it's that sometimes you reach a limit. You know, you've done everything you can to make the most of your income to save, but it's not happening fast enough or enough enough. So you have to bring in more money. And that could be asking for a raise. But much faster is sometimes just starting your own side hustle. And again, if you want to check out that workshop, go to somoneymembers.com become a member which gives you access to workshops like that. Monthly office hours are engaging community. You can get access to me on the go. You also get to listen to this podcast without commercials. So much in store for you within the so many members club. That's somoneymembers.
Raj Panjabi
Com.
Kafi
Next up is a question to an audience member who was recently laid off from their tech job after 11 years of service. Uh, they say it comes with a severance package, thankfully. But this is the first time this person is going through a layoff and wondering if I have any advice with respect to minimizing the taxes on that lump sum severance health insurance. Should they sign up for cobra? Would it make sense to look for something in the marketplace? Is there a way to contribute after tax dollars into their 401k and then deduct it when they file taxes, are they eligible for unemployment? So I'm going to go through this list of questions. First about minimizing taxes on the severance Is there a way to do that? By the way, this question came in through our so Many Members club so I answered it already for our for our friend. But I wanted to bring it to the show because I think a lot of us unfortunately may be in this camp or are about to be in this camp and wanted to share my thoughts with everybody. But minimizing your taxes on the severance, it's a pain, right? They take the taxes out and while you and you feel the pain pretty heavily right away, there are ways to later on this year in this same tax year make some financial moves that could help to reduce your taxable income come tax filing season and then maybe you'll get a bit of a refund. One is to contribute to a traditional IRA where your contributions will be deducted from your taxable income. The limit this year is $6,500 if you're under the age of 50, 7,500 if you're 50 or older, you get a $1,000 catch up contribution. So there's that. To help offset the tax bill from the severance. If you have access to a health savings account, either because you had one through your employer and you're going to continue with that, or if you go out into the marketplace and purchase a health savings account, you can make contributions to that, those are tax deductible. And then if you make any expenses this year related to searching for a new job, moving perhaps for that new job, or taking classes, taking on expenses related to higher ed education, those can also potentially lower your tax bill. But as far as reducing your tax hit right now, no, you will have to make these moves throughout the year and then account for them when you file your taxes in spring of 2025. Next question is about health insurance. Is COBRA worth it? Our friend wants to know. She doesn't have any major health concerns right now. Currently has a high deductible plan with an hsa. Okay, great. So again if you have the hsa, you could contribute to that, assuming you continue with that plan. And how you would do that is you would want to go on cobr. COBRA is a federal program allows us to continue the health insurance plan that we had with our employers in the aftermath of a layoff. You can continue to have all of those benefits continue to be available to you, but it comes at a much higher price. So when you were working at your company, you were getting a subsidized version of that plan, your employer was paying for part of it and then you were paying for part of it now on cobra you are exclusively paying for that health plan, which means now you're covering your employer's portion plus your portion plus a management fee which is about 2%. So Cobra tends to be a pretty pricey option. That said, a lot of people just take the path of least resistance. They sign up for COBRA and they never have to shop around for new insurance. They can continue to see their doctors and not worry about their new plan with out of network doctors. So I leave that up to you. If you can afford that, that's the easiest option potentially. But if you're indifferent to your current policy and or it's expensive, I would shop around on the marketplace with a layoff. You qualify for a special enrollment period on the marketplace because losing job based health insurance is considered a qualifying life event and so you can purchase coverage outside of the regular open enrollment period. You generally have 60 from the time that you lose coverage to enroll. So just keep that in mind. There is a bit of a deadline to this paying into cobra. Would that be tax deductible? It's a really good question. Our audience member wants to know. So usually not. COBRA premiums are typically not tax deductible. The only thing I would say is that if you do itemize your tax deductions when you file your taxes there is a medical expense deduction, but it's a pretty high threshold. If you spend more than seven and a half percent of your gross income on qualified medical expenses, including COBRA premiums, then the portion of your medical expenses that exceed 7.5% that would be tax deductible. Also, if you contribute to an hsa, you can use those pre tax funds to pay for COBRA premiums which indirectly provides some tax savings. Another question is there a way to contribute after tax dollars into my 401k and deduct it when I file taxes? So. So the short answer is no. When you get laid off, your 401k immediately pretty much is defunct. That said, you can and you should roll that over into an a traditional IRA usually to keep that money intact and to be able to continue contributing to that retirement account. Now it won't be your old 401k but now it's a new traditional IRA. From there you can make contributions. The annual limit again $6500 and that money is tax deductible. So your old 401k essentially sunsets once you get laid off. But there is a time frame during which you can roll that over into a traditional IRA and start using that like it was your old 401k, but of course the contribution limit is much smaller. So just FYI. And then is this person eligible, eligible for unemployment benefits? I think so. Check with your state. But most layoffs, in many cases, in most cases is a qualifying event for unemployment benefits. And I would apply sooner rather than later. All right, let's move on to our last question about how to invest wisely. Should we be investing a little bit every week, a little bit every month, once a year? Does it matter? All right, so the best way to invest in terms of cadence, it really depends on your stomach for risk. That's really how I see it. There are many different kinds of studies that look at what's called dollar cost averaging, where you invest a fixed amount at regular intervals, whether that's weekly, monthly, quarterly. And you do this regardless of market conditions, versus lump sum investing, which is, you know, once a year you gather up all your funds and you throw it into an account. Who is best for either method? I think it comes down to your risk tolerance. If you're not somebody who stomachs volatility, well, then I wouldn't recommend doing lump sum contributions because if you invest just once a year and then the next day the market falls 10%, that is not going to make you feel good and it could prevent you from doing that ever again. And so for someone like that that has a low risk tolerance but is also aware of how the market moves and isn't using that as a reason not to invest, but they just want to limit their. The shock value, I suppose, is to do it in increments so that a little bit gets invested consistently. And when there are fluctuations in the market, it doesn't feel like as big of a loss, as big of a hit. But over the course of your lifetime, over the course of your investment horizon, it all evens out for the most part. I say that with a little bit of an asterisk because studies, studies suggest that dollar cost averaging can psychologically ease the investment process. But over long periods, lump sum investing may outperform dollar cost averaging because markets generally trend upwards. So just keep that in mind. What is your goal? Is your goal to make as much money as possible or is your goal to make money and do it with a little bit less of a shock value and a little bit more of a rested stomach and a better night's sleep? So in that case, if it's. If you're the latter, I would say dollar cost average. If you are okay with the risk and want to make as much money as possible. I would say do it as a lump sum investor once a year and honestly I do both. I invest in a lump sum in my SEP IRA and then I invest in increments in my brokerage account. Why? I have no idea. But it's just the way that it's worked out and I'm okay with with it. I do a little bit of both. You'll learn that about me. I like a hybrid approach to most everything and that's our show everybody. I hope you enjoyed this episode. You learned quite a bit. If you are liking these episodes, please leave us a review. As you know, I pick a reviewer every week to get a 15 minute phone call with me and a 30 day trial of the so Many Members club during which time we're going to do workshopping and office hours. You'll get a lot out of that and and share it with a friend. Share the episode with a friend. Share the podcast with a friend. It's the best way to support the show. Thank you, thank you, thank you and I hope your weekend is so Money.
Freddie Wong
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Podcast Summary: So Money with Farnoosh Torabi
Episode: 1794: *Ask Farnoosh: Smart Money Moves—Debt Relief, Severance, and Investing Tips
Release Date: February 28, 2025
In Episode 1794 of So Money with Farnoosh Torabi, host Farnoosh Torabi delves into a variety of pressing financial topics submitted by listeners. This episode, titled "Ask Farnoosh: Smart Money Moves—Debt Relief, Severance, and Investing Tips," addresses critical concerns ranging from debt management and job market strategies to investment tactics. Farnoosh's insightful advice aims to empower listeners to make informed financial decisions in a fluctuating economic landscape.
Farnoosh begins the episode by discussing a significant event that occurred on the day of the episode's release—a planned 24-hour economic blackout orchestrated by People's Union USA. This movement urges consumers to abstain from making purchases to demonstrate the power of collective spending.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"I think a single day boycott can bring awareness, but the real question is whether it leads to lasting structural change."
— Farnoosh Torabi [05:30]
Analysis: Farnoosh examines the effectiveness of such boycotts, suggesting that while they may heighten awareness, sustainable change likely requires a more consistent shift in spending habits. She emphasizes the importance of supporting local and minority-owned businesses to foster community resilience.
Expert Opinions:
Farnoosh addresses several listener-submitted questions, providing detailed advice on various financial matters.
Question: Alicia inquires about the efficacy of the National Debt Relief Program for paying down credit card debt.
Farnoosh's Response:
Pros:
Cons:
Notable Quote:
"If you're going to start your research, start there. And one last thing I want to say about debt relief is that outside of the for-profit world, there are also nonprofit organizations that help with debt relief."
— Farnoosh Torabi [10:15]
Advice: Farnoosh advises conducting thorough research, including background checks and reviewing Better Business Bureau ratings, before committing to any debt relief program. She also highlights nonprofit alternatives that offer debt management plans with lower fees and less impact on credit scores.
Question: Jennifer seeks advice on shifting investments from individual stocks to S&P 500 index funds amidst market volatility and recession fears.
Farnoosh's Response:
Notable Quote:
"If your goal is to make as much money as possible, I would say do it as a lump sum investor once a year. If your goal is to make money with less shock value, then dollar-cost averaging is the way to go."
— Farnoosh Torabi [21:45]
Question: Bella, a recent finance graduate, seeks strategies to enhance her employability in a cooling job market and advice on moving out of her parents' home.
Farnoosh's Response:
Notable Quote:
"Cast a wide net. Can you work in finance within other industries? A finance job at a media company, a finance job at a healthcare company."
— Farnoosh Torabi [17:10]
Question: Gemma struggles with saving enough for a six-month emergency fund.
Farnoosh's Response:
Notable Quote:
"The important thing is that you just get into the habit of contributing. A lot of this can be automated and don't give up."
— Farnoosh Torabi [20:05]
Question: An audience member outlines concerns about minimizing taxes on severance, health insurance options, and unemployment eligibility after being laid off from a tech job.
Farnoosh's Response:
Minimizing Severance Taxes:
Health Insurance Options:
Unemployment Benefits: Confirm eligibility with state authorities and apply promptly.
401(k) Management: Roll over old 401(k) funds into a traditional IRA to maintain tax-deferred growth and continue contributions.
Notable Quote:
"There is a bit of a deadline to paying into COBRA. Would that be tax deductible? It's a really good question."
— Farnoosh Torabi [24:10]
Question: How frequently should one invest—weekly, monthly, or yearly?
Farnoosh's Response:
Notable Quote:
"If your goal is to make as much money as possible, I would say do it as a lump sum investor once a year and honestly, I do both."
— Farnoosh Torabi [25:50]
Farnoosh wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to leave reviews on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win a free 15-minute money session. She also promotes the So Money Members Club, offering access to workshops, office hours, and an ad-free podcast experience.
Notable Quote:
"Share the episode with a friend. Share the podcast with a friend. It's the best way to support the show."
— Farnoosh Torabi [34:30]
The latter portion of the episode includes brief advertisements and promotions for other podcasts and sponsors, which are not part of the core financial discussions.
Overall Insights: Episode 1794 provides a wealth of actionable financial advice tailored to current economic challenges. Farnoosh Torabi adeptly navigates listener questions, offering balanced perspectives on debt relief, investment strategies, and career planning. Her emphasis on research, diversification, and adaptive financial planning equips listeners with the tools needed to navigate an uncertain economic environment.