There is Something I Want to Say to You Older Folks

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Suze Orman's Women & Money (And Everyone Smart Enough to Listen)
Episode Title: There is Something I Want to Say to You Older Folks
Release Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Suze Orman (with frequent guest and partner, KT)

This heartfelt episode sees Suze Orman and KT reflect on the emotional and practical facets of aging, change, letting go, and embracing new chapters in life. Centered around their own experiences—particularly their decision to downsize and sell their beloved private island home after 14 years—the conversation is both personal and rich with financial and life wisdom directed at “older folks,” though valuable for all listeners. The episode culminates with an inspiring historic audio clip from Sophie Tucker, encouraging listeners of any age to “stay in the business of staying young.”

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Key Themes & Takeaways

1. A Season of Change: Letting Go and New Beginnings

• Personal Story: Suze and KT open up about their emotional Christmas, transitioning from their cherished private island home to a much smaller condo in Florida.
  • KT describes the bittersweet experience of working in storage units, preparing for the move, and feeling the absence of Christmas spirit—until Suze surprises her with a meaningful, hand-decorated tree.

    “There in front of me is a beautiful live Christmas tree decorated with little baby lights, little crystals hanging on ornaments… and photographs all over the tree. And I burst into tears.” — KT (03:00)

• Letting Go: Both admit the difficulty in moving on from what was their version of “perfection”—a life built specifically for them, full of memories, traditions, and meaning (06:09).

2. A Lifetime of Homes and the Logic of Downsizing

• Suze recounts their journey: five homes at one point (in New York, San Francisco, South Africa, the island, and Florida), eventually consolidating to just the Florida condo for practical and emotional reasons.
  • The Florida condo was initially bought to encourage Suze’s mother to move out of Chicago, an anecdote that illustrates how life's changes often begin from acts of family support. (10:39)
  • Cost and convenience play a role:

    “What we saved on California income tax paid for the condo outright the next year. So it was fabulous, everybody, in every possible way.” — Suze (12:09)

3. The Emotional Impact of Change

• While the move brought tears (particularly as they had to say goodbye to Kolo, their beloved island caretaker), both Suze and KT focus on gratitude and new possibilities.
  • Kolo, an integral part of their island life, stays as caretaker and is happy with the new owners, continuing his own traditions. (08:33)

    • “Colo, I know that you're listening to this. You know we miss you, you know we love you.” — Suze (09:14)

• Despite the loss, they feel rejuvenated by the simplicity of their new life:

  “KT and I feel young again. Honeymoon young in a different way. Like we're going to be forever young.” — Suze (16:00)

4. The Wisdom and Freedom of Downsizing

• The episode’s core message is that smart financial and lifestyle choices—especially when older—are about adapting, simplifying, and following your own advice.
  • Suze emphasizes the financial power and peace of having “no expenses, no debt,” and being able to live off Social Security if necessary, reflecting on financial independence even for “the money lady.” (16:59)

    • “If we had to, if we hadn’t amassed everything that we have... Just me and Susie, we can live on our Social Security checks in this little condo…” — KT (16:59)

• Suze stresses that downsizing is not a defeat, but a gateway to freedom, youthfulness, and opportunity.

  • “There comes a time when it makes sense emotionally, physically, and financially to downsize… so that we can make the most out of every moment of the rest of our lives…” — Suze (18:38)

5. Advice for Listeners of All Ages

• By sharing their own journey, Suze models her own advice from The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+—urging listeners to consider downsizing and embracing change for a more fulfilling and secure life.
• KT’s metaphor about high school graduation encapsulates the bittersweet nature of moving on:

  “It’s new and it’s time.” — KT (15:26)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Youthfulness and Mindset:

  “But how about your heart?”
  “Oh, my heart is as young, as young and feisty and loving as possible.”
  — KT & Suze (05:21-05:23)

• On the Perfection of Past Life:

  “The name of our home, our boat, even our… everything around us is what—KT, tell everybody what ‘pranata’ means.”
  “Pranata means perfection.”
  — Suze & KT (07:04-07:06)

• On Adapting to Change:

  "Sometimes no matter how much you love something... sometimes there’s a time that things just need to come to an end." — Suze (05:36)

• On Their Financial Values:

  “Just knowing that she can do that, being the money lady, that means a great deal to Susie. Not to me, but to Susie.” — KT (17:21)

• On the Essence of the Episode:

  “We wish you all a life that you really feel forever young.” — Suze (19:44)

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[19:47] The Sophie Tucker Moment: “Staying Young is a Career”

(19:47-23:53)

The episode closes with a moving 1960 recording by Sophie Tucker delivered on the Ed Sullivan Show, which perfectly echoes Suze’s message:

“Be in the business of staying young. Make staying young a career… Don’t sit around and sigh and let the world pass you by but get with it, stay with it as long as you’re here and don’t be living in the past. … Age can be a frightening thing if you let yourself fear it. … So you get busy and be useful every day that you’re on earth... And you too can be youthful if you’ll think and live that way.” — Sophie Tucker (19:47-23:53)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Holiday Stories, the Christmas Tree Surprise — 00:00–04:12
• Introducing the Theme & Their Age — 04:22–05:36
• Life on the Island & Decision to Sell — 06:09–08:17
• Saying Goodbye to Kolo & the Island — 08:17–09:43
• History of Their Different Homes — 10:26–13:34
• Downsizing, Feeling Young Again, Financial Security — 16:00–17:29
• Suze’s Core Advice on Downsizing — 18:38–19:46
• Sophie Tucker’s “Staying Young” Monologue — 19:47–23:53
• Empowering Closing Statements — 23:53–end

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Final Words

Tone: Warm, candid, vulnerable, encouraging, and empowering.

This episode reiterates Suze’s long-standing ethos: money isn’t just about numbers, but about using it to foster joy, security, and a life that remains “forever young.” By sharing their own real transitions, Suze and KT invite listeners of all ages to embrace change and cherish the freedom and renewal it can bring.

Core message:
"Be in the business of staying young. Make staying young a career."
— Sophie Tucker (19:47)

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Transcript

[Sophie Tucker]

Foreign.

[Susie Orman]

December 25, 2025. What do you want to say?

[KT]

Happy Christmas. Happy Christmas. Happy Christmas.

[Susie Orman]

It's here. It's here. She says, happy. I say, merry, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.

[KT]

For those of you that enjoyed that week of lighting candles, playing the dreidel game. Susie, tell them what the dreidel is.

[Susie Orman]

I was just going to say, and we hope all of you had a great Hanukkah. And what's so strange about the dreidel game that KT just talked about, which is literally just a game, little wooden.

[KT]

Tops and you spin them, and depending.

[Susie Orman]

On what comes up on the top, when it lands, you either win money, you. Whatever it is. Every time she did it, I won.

[KT]

I won. I won.

[Susie Orman]

I'm telling you, she fixed it. I don't know how she did that, but it's impossible that that little top landed on winning every single time. But anyway, what else were you going to say? Katie?

[KT]

I've been working the past few days, everyone in our storage unit here in Florida, and we'll tell you why in a moment. But I get a phone call yesterday. It's late in the afternoon, Christmas Eve. Susie said, kt, come home, Come home. I miss you. I said, all right. I have to make one stop at FedEx. I stopped at FedEx. I'm shipping all these things. And the two guys I work with, Rodney and Gavin, look at me and say, katie, you don't look very happy. It's Christmas. I said, you know what, boys? I don't know even have a tree yet. I don't have a Christmas tree. I think I'll stop and get some clippings and put them in a vase like Susie and I do all the time and put lights on it and try to make it a Merry Christmas. And they said, kt, forget about it. It's already, you know, Christmas Eve. It's over.

[Susie Orman]

Anyway, wait, before she goes on on the island, because it's not easy to get Christmas trees on and off an island. We had this big tree, as all of you saw over all the years. It was artificial, and that was that.

[KT]

Nicolo and I would decorate it, as.

[Susie Orman]

You also would see, but in Florida, which is where we are, we don't have that tree. And so therefore. Go on, kt.

[KT]

Okay? So I said, all right. So I go home. I get home, and the door in the foyer of our condo is closed. And it's so. Smells delicious. It smells like mulling spices and cloves and cinnamon. And Susie's greeting me at the door. Which is rare. And she said, kt, I'm so glad you're home. I said, susie, it smells delicious. It smells like Christmas. And she said, kt, merry Christmas. And she opens the door, and there in front of me is a beautiful live Christmas tree decorated with little baby lights, little crystals hanging on ornaments. Yeah, crystal ornaments and photographs all over the tree. And I burst into tears. I was crying and crying. And I told her how I was telling the boys at FedEx, I don't have a tree. Anyway, Susie, when I was working all day, did this by herself. A huge surprise to both of us. For both of us.

[Susie Orman]

I didn't know how to wrap lights on a tree because the one in.

[KT]

The island, everything was automatic.

[Susie Orman]

Yeah, you opened up the things and there were the lights. I mean, it was quite something.

[KT]

So Susie did this by herself. No one could believe she put this all together. She had a stand. She had a beautiful red satin. We'll have to send a picture to everyone. We'll send. We'll post a photo tomorrow. We'll post it tomorrow.

[Susie Orman]

That was my.

[KT]

Wait, can I tell them the photo? Yeah, the photos on the tree. Every one was significant and meaningful. And I'm not going to share the details, but she wrote a personal note on the back of each photograph. And I cried and cried and cried. And I said, this is the best Christmas gift of all time. And the house smells like pine.

[Susie Orman]

I was so happy because I was able to give her something that she really, really wanted. So that's how Christmas started.

[KT]

Began. That's how it began on Christmas Eve, which is really the most significant night that we celebrate. Being Italians.

[Susie Orman]

Yeah. So, you know, kt, I don't know if we ever even finished the beginning of this podcast, which is welcome, everybody, to the Women and Money podcast, as well as everybody smart enough to listen. We just went straight into Christmas, kt, and I'll maybe all of you notice that the title of this podcast is there's something I want to say to you older folks. And the truth of the matter is, KT and I are older folks now. I'm going to be 75. KT is going to be 74. So many of you out there are older than us, are our same age, are 10 years younger than us, and a few of you who are smart enough to listen are a lot younger than that.

[KT]

Do you feel older? Do you feel like an older folk?

[Susie Orman]

It depends how my body feels, honestly.

[KT]

But how about your heart?

[Susie Orman]

Oh, my heart is as young, as young and feisty and loving as possible.

[KT]

We're having a honeymoon here.

[Susie Orman]

Yeah, we are.

[KT]

And what about your head, how you think?

[Susie Orman]

Oh, of course. I think like a 2 year old. Are you kidding me? But. But there's a reason why I wanted to call this podcast that. Because when you get older, sometimes no matter how much you love something, no matter what's going on in your life that you hope goes on forever, sometimes there's a time that things just need to come to an end.

[KT]

It's called change.

[Susie Orman]

And. It's called change. And as many of you know, for the past 14 years, KT and I have lived on the most magnificent private island in an extraordinary home that I built for KT from the ground up. I designed every aspect of that home to be called pure perfection for kt. And that was a gift. The island, truthfully, everybody, was a gift to kt. We had Kolo there, as you know. We had a dock, we had a boat, we had fishing equipment. We had it all. The name of our home, our boat, even our. Everything around us is what Katie Pernata, tell everybody what pranata means.

[KT]

Pranata means perfection.

[Susie Orman]

And in actuality, it was a perfect life, a perfect time, and we lived in pure perfection. All right, KT, you're on.

[KT]

So after 14 years of living perfection, honestly, pure perfection, every day, loving every minute, except for hurricane season, loving every minute of our experience together.

[Susie Orman]

The truth is, we really loved hurricane season together.

[KT]

Well, you. You were petrified of hurricane season.

[Susie Orman]

Yes, but I loved the wind.

[KT]

She liked the wind.

[Susie Orman]

That doesn't mean I wasn't afraid, but I was.

[KT]

She liked the mother Nature. We never knew when she was going to deliver and what she was going to deliver. So anyway, we both looked at each other, and after all these years, after over a decade of our life, we knew it was time for change. And as difficult as it might seem, and as people wonder, like, well, why, sometimes you just need change. Everybody. So we sold our island home. Yes. And it just closed last week with a lot of tears and a lot of work to take all of your life and move.

[Susie Orman]

And which is why KT was. Was in the storage unit where many of the things went. But Colo, everybody. And I know you're all wondering about, but what is Kolo going to do?

[KT]

Did he come with you?

[Susie Orman]

Is he living there with you? What about Colo?

[KT]

Yeah, everyone doesn't care that we sold our home. They're saying, well, what'd you do with Colo?

[Susie Orman]

The truth of the matter is Kolo is staying on the island, that he actually has Been on for over 25 years, 20 some odd years now. And he's going to stay with the home. He loves the new owner. He loves the new owner's wife. It is so perfect for him. And you know what he loves more than anything?

[KT]

His wife.

[Susie Orman]

His wife Annie is going to be.

[KT]

With him and she's there now having Christmas with him.

[Susie Orman]

Right.

[KT]

And so he really doesn't miss us. Them, no.

[Susie Orman]

But they're going to work it out that they can have a life together. Together as time goes on. And so, Kolo, I know that you're listening to this. You know we miss you, you know we love you. KT is now crying.

[KT]

Colo. Susie got me a real tree and I, I wish you were here to decorate it with us.

[Susie Orman]

It's decorated. I did a great job.

[KT]

I know, but Cola, we decorated our tree together for so many years.

[Susie Orman]

All right, so why she's now crying? Because obviously you can all imagine what it's like leaving a home like that. But the truth of the matter is that we're so happy now in our little condo. And what I love most about it, everybody, is that over the years, KT and I have owned many, many homes. At one point, not so long ago, we had five homes. We had a magnificent home in South Africa where I worked. We actually had two in New York City, in New York. One in the Plaza Hotel, everybody.

[KT]

San Francisco, San Francisco, Pacific Heights.

[Susie Orman]

Magnificent, magnificent. And the island, it was.

[KT]

And the island was like the cherry on top.

[Susie Orman]

And the condo in Florida, which is.

[KT]

Where we are now, which we got.

[Susie Orman]

In 2004 simply because my mother, who lived in Chicago, refused to move here unless KT and I moved here. So one day we went, fine.

[KT]

And we tell them what we did. We called my sister Lynn and said, find us a condo. We can just fly down and buy something on the beach, something small, something easy. So she said, okay. We flew from New York. We were working like every day doing shows and really busy. We, we flew down early in the morning, got off the plane, came and looked at with a realtor at a couple condos, found this one, said, done. Susie wrote a check, got back on the plane at lunchtime and went back to New York to work. That was our little Florida condo. And that's why her mom decided and agreed to move out of Chicago to Florida.

[Susie Orman]

And to our surprise, honestly, we fell in love with Florida.

[KT]

We loved it here.

[Susie Orman]

We were in shock.

[KT]

First of all, everything was easy. Driving here, didn't need a driver. Here, we didn't need a driver. We actually shipped our San Francisco car here. So we had a car. Long story short, we couldn't believe how easy it was to drive around and park. For all of you New Yorkers, you know what it means to, to try and park a car in New York City.

[Susie Orman]

But what was fascinating is we go out to eat sushi, $32, the exact same meal because we always order the same thing was like $200 in New York. So little by little we fell in love with it and we changed our residency from California to Florida because we now are in Florida all the time. And truthfully. Want to hear something that was great. It's warm. Besides that, what we saved on California income tax paid for the condo outright the next year. So it was fabulous, everybody in every possible way. And again, California is really where we lived most of the time, but not anymore. As soon as we moved here, then as time went on, just so you know, our history of homes, because we were never in California anymore really, because we loved it here so much, we sold the California residency.

[KT]

And the Susie Orman show was always taped in New York City, but we.

[Susie Orman]

Were never in New York long enough to become New York residents because we were Florida residents. So then as time went on, we ended the Susie orman show in 2015.

[KT]

So after Susie said KT, we're going to get rid of everything. Sold New York, sold California, sold South Africa. So here we are in Florida and Susie decides we need to travel. We can't just stay in this little condo. So she buys a big yacht. And I think all of you that know us know that we lived on a beautiful, large asmit. We had a captain, a big yacht, and we had it right here in the Florida condo in a, a little marina that this condo has. So everyone, we traveled all throughout the Bahamas loving our life on a yacht, our little condo in Florida. And when I say little, it's little. It's a little two bedroom and one room is now her recording studio, which we're in right now. We love it. And we lived on that yacht and then discovered our little private island, which then we bought land, built the home. And that's what we've done, I guess, in the past 25 years together. Yeah. So now it's time for a new chapter. It's 2025. It's our 25th anniversary. Susie's turning 75. It's the perfect time for something different and new.

[Susie Orman]

However, the little boat that we had is over here as well in a little marina here. So life will go on in Certain ways.

[KT]

But we can't wait to explore again and travel. We cannot wait to do that. We're actually really excited as much as you, my friends. Everyone's saying, Kate, tonight, how can you leave your island? How can you and Susie leave such an amazing, one of a kind lifestyle? And I said, you know what? It was just time.

[Susie Orman]

Yeah.

[KT]

And I keep using a metaphor that you'll all relate to. Remember when you're in high school and it's time to either go and get a job or go to college or do whatever you're doing, but you left high school and those friends that you grew up with for four years and loved every minute of it, and you're still pretty much single and it's time for something new that is exciting. But at the same time, you're so sad to leave what you knew and loved all those years. That's what it feels like. It's new and it's time.

[Susie Orman]

Yeah. And the reason why I wanted to call this podcast that there are things that I want to say to you older folks is that now that we've actually done this, I have to tell you, KT and I feel young again. Honeymoon young in a different way. Like we're going to be forever young. And I finally, I know everybody's going to think we're crazy. That I achieved a dream that I've always had. Do you remember what that dream is, kt?

[KT]

It makes me laugh because it's kind of funny. She's setting it up like this romantic dream, but want to hear what it really is?

[Susie Orman]

That if we had to, if we hadn't amassed everything that we have, and you can imagine it doesn't even matter. But if we were like, just, just.

[KT]

Just me and Susie, we can live on our Social Security checks in this little condo without.

[Susie Orman]

Because we don't own anything.

[KT]

We have no expenses, we have no debt. We have a free life.

[Susie Orman]

Are we going to live like that? Are you crazy? Everybody, There's a few luxuries that we are not going to give up. Trust me on that one.

[KT]

But just knowing that she can do that, being the money lady, that means a great deal to Susie. Not to me, but to Susie.

[Susie Orman]

However, more than that, both of us are so happy. Like yesterday and early this morning, I have to tell you, when we were talking to KT's brother and we said, we feel so young again. We feel so free. But here's the point of what I want to say to everybody out there. There comes a time when it makes sense emotionally, physically, and financially to downsize. It just does. And we have significantly now downsized our life, and I mean significantly. And in the way that I tell all of you, and I've written in the ultimate retirement guide for 50 plus, that as you're getting older, those are the things that I want you to think about doing. And actually, and I want you to know that KT and I both follow the advice that I have been giving to all of you, and we've done that so that we can feel forever young, so that we can make the most out of every moment of the rest of our lives. And with that said, that brings us to the end of this podcast. And I want to end this podcast with an audio recording that was actually done on November 20, 1960, 65 years ago on the Ed Sullivan Show. And it's from a woman by the name of Sophie Tucker. Now, many of you are going to remember who she is. Many of you may never have even heard of her, but the title of it is there's something I want to say to you older folks. So with that, we wish you all a very merry Christmas, a very happy Christmas. We wish you all a life that you really feel forever young.

[Sophie Tucker]

Something that I want to say to you older folks, you young people, you can listen to, because what I'm going to say will someday apply to you. I know that a lot of you older folks are comfortably retired. You've no ties of any kind and work independent, no longer required. So you're sitting around in idleness. Each day becomes a bore and you're beginning to start thinking that there's nothing worth living for. You'd like to get into some little business but you feel you're too old to begin well, I'm going to tell you about a business I'm sure all of you can be. You be in the business of staying young. Make staying young a career. Don't sit around and sigh and let the world pass you by but get with it, stay with it as long as you're here and don't be living in the past. You plan a future and look forward to each added year. I tell you there's no greater thrill, no greater satisfaction when you can say yes, I'm up in years but I'm still an itch. You'll be in the business of staying young. Make staying young a career. And ladies and gentlemen, I practice what I preach. I've been in the business of stay, staying young ever since I hit the 50 mark and believe me, it's a wonderful business in which all of you can embark. It gives you that happy feeling of starting life anew. And like any business, it requires your time and attention to its compensations are many and it pays big dividends. And you'll find as you go along, you accumulate a fortune in new friends. You'll profit by accomplishment. Find something new to do. Just give it a try. And remember, all you risk is a bit of you. There's a place for you in this world and jobs that can be done. Just make up your mind. You're never too old to try and help someone. It will help you face those coming years with courage and a smile. If each day you can honestly say I'm doing something worthwhile. Age can be a frightening thing if you let yourself fear it. You can't help it if you're up in years. But you don't have to be down in stock spirit. Take pride in your appearance. Try to look up to Pa. That's the only way of having people forget how old you really are. My friends, I've told you time and again in songs that I have sung that I will always be engaged in the business of staying young. I know I'm not indestructible. Time is exacting its toll. But I had a goal I wanted to reach. And I think I've reached my goal. So you get busy and be useful every day that you're on earth. And with your talents or your efforts, go ahead and prove your worth. And be grateful that you're living in the world of youth today. And you too can be youthful if you'll think and live that way. So you be in the business of staying young. Make staying young a career.

[Susie Orman]

We are strong, we are wise we will not apologize.

[KT]

We are here, we will thrive.

[Sophie Tucker]

Together we will rise.

[KT]

We're the little man of faith and everything it takes.

[Sophie Tucker]

We are strong, we are wise.

[KT]

Together we will rise.