So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Episode 1924: Best of So Money 2025 – Money, Health, and Big Transitions in Midlife

Date: December 29, 2025

Overview:

In this "Best of" 2025 episode, host Farnoosh Torabi revisits some of the most impactful conversations from the past year, focused on managing money during midlife—a stage when life accelerates and financial, health, and caregiving transitions intersect. Through standout moments from interviews with experts on menopause, divorce, ADHD, and caregiving, the episode dives deep into practical advice and personal stories relevant to those navigating the complexities of midlife.

Main Themes & Key Takeaways

• Navigating Health and Menopause: The challenges and unpreparedness women face during menopause, the healthcare system’s gaps, and advocating for better care and education.
• Rebuilding Finances After Divorce: The psychological and practical side of financial recovery, creating a foundation from crisis, and teaching money skills to the next generation.
• Managing Money with ADHD: Understanding neurodiverse money brains, adapting systems, and the importance of designing structures that work for you.
• The Sandwich Generation & Caregiving: Essential steps for managing parents’ finances, focusing on the power of attorney and persistent advocacy in complex financial situations.

Notable Segments, Insights, and Quotes

1. Menopause, Money, and Medical Gaps

Guest: Tamsen Fadal, Emmy-winning journalist & menopause advocate
Original Episode: 1799
Segment Start: 02:55

Key Points:

• Over a million U.S. women enter menopause each year; most face it unprepared with inadequate medical support.
• The medical community has significant gaps in menopause education.
• The 2002 WHI study led to widespread fear and plummeting use of hormone therapy, leaving women without proper options.
• Ageism compounds the issue, diminishing support for women after their reproductive years.

Memorable Quotes:

“We have to take control of that narrative…Most doctors are very clear up until we get to midlife and then women just drop off that.”
— Tamsen Fadal, 04:35

“There are a lot of issues with that [WHI] study that have since come forward. But we have never been able to walk back the damage that study has done of scaring women.”
— Tamsen Fadal, 07:12

Advice & Advocacy:

• Start by tracking symptoms and knowing they are valid.
• Seek out healthcare providers versed in menopause.
• Focus on mindset, workplace, and lifestyle changes.
• Recognize that systemic improvements are slowly happening—but self-advocacy remains key.

2. Rebuilding After Divorce

Guest: Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, former Wall Street lawyer & leadership consultant
Original Episode: 1835
Segment Start: 10:04

Key Points:

• Emotional healing is central to financial recovery; shame and unworthiness can block progress.
• Financial therapy introduced the power of mantras and self-worth in rebuilding stability.
• Tangible progress: Paid off $50k debt in 6 months, built savings, and educated her children about money.
• Open family discussions around budgeting, saving, investment, and financial realities shape confident kids.

Memorable Quotes:

“Saying to yourself, I can build a complete financial foundation. I am worthy of having money, my children are worthy of stability, and so am I… It really does have an impact.”
— Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, 12:05

“I want to cultivate an environment where you don’t have to be ashamed to talk about money…and it’s also something that is foundational to taking care of yourself.”
— Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin, 18:43

Insights:

• Open intergenerational discussions break cycles of shame.
• Teaching practical money management from a young age builds confidence and resilience.
• Healing money trauma is an ongoing and courageous journey—“choose to create your own courage.”

3. Money and ADHD in Midlife

Guest: Nicole Stanley, financial coach and founder of Arise Financial Coaching
Original Episode: 1841
Segment Start: 24:07

Key Points:

• Many women receive an ADHD diagnosis late in life, totally reframing past challenges.
• ADHD brains struggle with impulse control, executive function, and working memory; this affects traditional money management strategies.
• Motivation for those with ADHD comes from emotional connection and “dopamine hits,” not just logic or should-based advice.

Memorable Quotes:

“When you tell someone with ADHD you should do this thing, because you should, it really doesn’t hit for us.”
— Nicole Stanley, 30:37

“If traditional financial advice has not worked for you…it just may mean that the system you’re trying to use isn’t designed for you.”
— Farnoosh Torabi, 37:00

Tools & Strategies:

• Build systems with built-in rewards and automation.
• Focus on exciting, emotionally resonant goals (“the juicy carrot”).
• Normalize neurodiversity—“ADHD is not a dysfunction…it’s actually an evolutionary trait.”
• Connect financial structure to self-esteem, not shame.

4. The Sandwich Generation: Financial Caregiving

Guest: Beth Pinsker, financial columnist and author
Original Episode: 1874
Segment Start: 37:30

Key Points:

• Power of attorney is the most critical document for family caregiving—get it for all adults, keep it updated, and know that it’s often not accepted easily by institutions.
• Outdated paperwork or lost documents can cause expensive delays and legal hurdles.
• Expect to be “relentlessly tenacious” in advocating for your loved ones; even correct documentation can face resistance from banks and service providers.

Memorable Quotes:

“The very first thing you need is power of attorney. It is absolutely the most important thing that you need, and you need it now for everybody in your family.”
— Beth Pinsker, 38:44

“You just have to be relentlessly tenacious... you need these things and they’re important.”
— Beth Pinsker, 45:36

Lessons:

• Get all key documents in order (power of attorney, health care proxy, HIPAA waiver) before a crisis.
• Persist, prepare for institutional pushback, and don’t lock documents away in inaccessible places.
• Advocacy is ongoing—no one will care more about your family’s money than you.

Episode Reflection

Farnoosh closes by noting that midlife is about balancing “the life you’re building, the life you’re supporting, and the life you’re trying to protect.” Preparation and advocacy open options and provide protection during times of change.

Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 03:06 — Introducing the Menopause conversation with Tamsen Fadal
• 04:35 – 09:52 — Tamsen Fadal on medical gaps & self-advocacy in menopause
• 10:04 – 18:58 — Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin on financial rebuilding post-divorce and teaching kids about money
• 24:07 – 37:00 — Nicole Stanley on ADHD and financial management
• 38:44 – 46:26 — Beth Pinsker on power of attorney and caregiving for aging parents

Memorable Quotes

• “I wanted to create some kind of template for women so that they could be able to go, okay, here's what's happening to me. I get it. I'm not alone, I'm not crazy and I know what I need to do.” — Tamsen Fadal (06:01)
• “I can build a solid financial foundation. I’m doing the work.” — Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin (15:07)
• “ADHD is not a dysfunction... it’s actually an evolutionary trait that we need as humans to survive.” — Nicole Stanley (33:32)
• “Power of attorney does not work for a person who is deceased. That's when you need the will or the trust. My mom had all of these things, but that didn't make it any easier for me.” — Beth Pinsker (41:19)

Conclusion

This rich “Best of” episode underscores that midlife is about adapting to health, money, and family transitions with preparation, self-compassion, and tenacity. Listeners are encouraged to revisit the full guest episodes for deeper dives on these essential topics.