Podcast Summary: Suze Orman's Women & Money (And Everyone Smart Enough To Listen)

Episode: Nooo! Don’t Do That!

Release Date: August 17, 2025
Host: Suze Orman

Overview of the Episode's Main Theme

In this episode titled "Nooo! Don’t Do That!", Suze Orman uses her decades of financial expertise to address crucial mistakes investors are making in their portfolios—chiefly, abandoning solid, steady stocks in favor of high-flying, trendy companies, especially those centered around AI and other rapidly growing sectors. She draws on historic bubbles, personal stories, and current trends to caution listeners against over-concentration and emphasizes the need for security, diversification, and sound judgment when it comes to money—especially in a time of investment hype.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Security and Financial Foundations

• [00:00] Suze stresses the primary goal of money: security.
  • Recommends an emergency savings account as a must-have foundational step.
  • "The goal of money is for you to be secure. And there is no better way for you to be secure than having an emergency savings account."
• Promotion of the Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account (at Alliant Credit Union) as a reliable option for listeners.

2. Scammers and Online Fraud

• [02:30] Warning about scammers impersonating Suze and other finance personalities on apps and platforms.
  • "You have to be smarter than that. You have to know that I'm not going to say, hey, let's talk about it on Signal, or whatever the scammer was asking you all to do."
• Suze explains her real communication methods and iterates the importance of vigilance against fraud.

3. The Trump Account Clarification

• [04:50] Revisits prior advice regarding the Trump Account for children’s savings, noting she now has doubts due to unclear tax treatment.
  • "I actually don't think that it's as good of a deal as maybe I once thought... I can't get agreement as to how that money will be taxed when it's withdrawn."
• Suggests alternatives:
  • Roth IRA for children (if they have earned income).
  • Regular investment accounts under the adult’s name earmarked for the child.
  • Recommendation to pause further Trump Account investments until issues are clarified.

4. Suze School: The Dangers of Chasing Trends

• [08:30] Main story: Listener who sold stable stocks (like Walmart and Costco) to invest in “hot” AI/chip stocks (e.g., Palantir).
  • Suze and colleague Keith Fitzgerald react:
    • "No, they can't do that. Those are great stocks. Why would they get out of those stocks?" (Keith Fitzgerald, [10:15])
  • Emphasizes the peril in abandoning high-quality, foundational companies for speculative plays.

5. Lessons from History: The Dot Com Bubble

• [11:45] Suze recounts her experiences during the late 1990s/early 2000s dot com bubble:
  • Shares her (then-controversial) recommendation of QQQs, and discusses how tech stocks soared and crashed.
    • "In 1999, if I were going to buy one thing today, I would buy the QQQs... A year later, March of 2000, they were all the way up to, I think, $100 a share. But come 2001, all of a sudden they were down at 30."
  • Important segment ([14:00–18:00]): Stories of investors (including an elderly woman) who over-concentrated in hot stocks and lost fortunes.
    • “She said, ‘Suze, you'd be so proud. I have 90% of my portfolio invested in dot com stocks.’ And I went, no, you can't do that... I remember wanting to throw up. Seriously, because I, like, oh no. Oh no. You could see it coming.” ([15:45])

6. Recognizing Market Euphoria and Avoiding FOMO

• Suze describes being scouted to launch “SuzeOrman.com” as a sign that the market had peaked.
  • "If I'm being offered something like this, this is the end of the dot com bubble. Seriously. That's when I knew we were in trouble." ([18:22])
• Draws direct parallels to today’s AI and chip-stock mania, with an important caveat:
  • Unlike many dot-coms, major current players (Apple, Nvidia, Meta, etc.) have strong earnings.
  • However, over-concentration and abandoning diversification is still perilous.

7. Portfolio Construction and Diversification

• [20:05] Suze details how listeners should balance their portfolios:
  • Keep “mega caps” (Apple, Meta, Nvidia, AMD) if you already own them and use dollar cost averaging.
  • Do not sell diversified, stable stocks (like Walmart and Costco) to chase “high-flyers”.
  • ETFs such as SMH (semiconductors) are fine, but owning individual winners may outperform—yet never go “all in”.
  • Recommend balancing: 30–40% in strong tech/AI, remainder in broad index funds like VOO (Vanguard S&P 500), SPDR.
  • New idea: S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) as another diversified growth option.

8. Clarifying Crypto and Stablecoin Advice

• [23:00] Some listeners misunderstood her stance on stablecoins.
  • "Did you not hear me say in that podcast that stablecoins are not investments? Bitcoin, ether, those are investments. And I still love bitcoin."
  • Differentiates between cash-equivalents and real investments (Bitcoin/Ether, ETFs like IBIT, companies like MSTR or COIN).
  • Stablecoins and money market funds are not investments, just places to safely park cash.

9. Additional Resources and Closing Notes

• [24:25] Plug for her YouTube channel and an upcoming article on retirement mistakes in Kiplinger (to be published August 19th).
  • "There is an article coming out in kiplinger.com about mistakes I don't want you to make during retirement. You might want to take a read of that."
  • Announcement of a discounted edition of her book, The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On security:
  • “You cannot fix a financial problem with money.” ([00:45])
• On high-flying stock picks:
  • "You cannot have a portfolio of 100% movers and shakers like that. You need a portfolio that also has really great quality stocks like a Costco, like a Walmart. And you would never sell those stocks to put them more into stocks that have been making you more money." ([09:30])
• On cautious investing:
  • "When I can't get a specific answer and one professional tells me one thing and another tells me another, I just don't do it." ([05:35])
• On learning from the past:
  • "TV was very different than it is now. Podcasts weren't around then, so it was more difficult... That's when I learned about being very careful when you tell people to buy something." ([13:30])
• On stablecoins and clarity:
  • "A stablecoin is like cash. I would not be buying it right now. You don't need to put money in it." ([23:55])
• Suze's core reminder:
  • “The goal of the Women and Money podcast and everybody smart enough to listen is to help you make your money, make more money. It is just that simple. But you have to listen closely. You have to do the things that I tell you to do. You have to not do the things that I tell you not to do.” ([25:15])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–02:30| Introduction, emergency savings, Kolo’s birthday, hurricane update | | 02:30–04:50| Scammer warnings and safe communication | | 04:50–08:30| Trump Account update and revised advice | | 08:30–11:45| Listener’s stock switch & the dangers of trend chasing | | 11:45–18:22| Dot com bubble lessons & “Suze Orman.com” as a market warning | | 18:22–20:05| Parallels to today’s AI stock surge; differences from dot-com era | | 20:05–23:00| Portfolio construction: diversification & new ETF tips | | 23:00–24:25| Crypto vs stablecoins: clarifications | | 24:25–25:47| YouTube/Kiplinger plugs, book announcement, closing remarks |

Final Takeaways

Suze Orman’s core messages in this episode can be summarized as:

• Don’t chase fads: Resist the temptation to abandon reliable, quality stocks for trendy high-flyers.
• Diversify: Use broad-based ETFs and keep stable stocks along with growth picks.
• Understand what you own: Know the difference between investments and cash equivalents.
• Be vigilant about scams: Suspect anyone who claims to be Suze (or another financial celebrity) initiating contact on social platforms.
• Keep learning: Absorb financial history—today's trends aren’t unprecedented, and ignoring the past can be costly.

“It is just that simple...You have to not do the things that I tell you not to do.” ([25:15])