
Nikki & Brie sit down with financial powerhouse Vivian Tu, aka @YourRichBFF, for an eye-opening conversation about money, independence, and building real wealth. From surviving the intense world of Wall Street and making six figures at BuzzFeed to becoming one of the internet’s most trusted financial voices, Vivian opens up about her journey, the lessons that shaped her, and why financial literacy is especially important for women today. The trio dives into relationships, debt, budgeting, investing, and the emotional side of money, while Vivian shares practical advice that actually feels doable. Plus, they play an insightful round of “Rich BFF Boot Camp,” tackling chaotic money habits, luxury trips, credit card debt, and holiday overspending with tough love and smart solutions. It’s empowering, honest, and full of gems you’ll want to take notes on. Go ahead and press play.
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Okay, so today is exciting because we're talking to your rich BFF and honestly, we all need this conversation. This Vivian too went from Wall street to becoming one of the most trusted voices in financial education. Breaking things down in a way that feels like you're just talking to your smartest, most honest friend. She's a best selling author, a total boss in the business world, and now she's expanding her empire with her newest book, well Endowed. Basically, she's who we all want in our group chat when we are making money decisions. Everyone please welcome Vivian to to the Nikki and Bri show.
C
Hey you Vivian. Thanks guys. I'm so glad today we get to be triplets instead of twins.
A
Honestly, I know when I saw you I'm like triplet?
B
Yes, that's for sure.
A
Well Vivian, I mean you have an incredible story. You're a daughter of immigrant parents. You found success in so many different ways. But Nikki and I would love to start at the beginning and really dive into your journey where it all started. You worked for J.P. morgan as a trader on Wall Street. Like yeah, that must have been wild because we all saw. What was it Wolf of Wall Street. Oh yeah, you know, yeah, tell us, how was that?
C
Okay, so I will say Wolf of Wall street was even the era before that. So it was very, very dramatized. And all of the craziest moments that said, like some of what you see in that movie is not a dramatization. The fact that it's an absolute boys club. The fact that people are going to say insane things to you that people they could not get away with in any other career. The fact that it is a very dog eat dog world out there. Like you are fighting with other young people who are all just as talented, just as smart as you, maybe even come from better family backgrounds or pedigrees trying to get the same jobs. I remember when I was actually interning at JP Morgan, they hired three interns for my desk. So my specific team and we all knew there was only one full time seat, meaning two people were just not going to get jobs. And it was halfway through the summer, it was pretty clear that the two other young men were not as good of a fit for the team as I was. So they got rotated away and then two new young men got rotated onto the team. And by the end of the summer, five young people had auditioned basically for that job. But only I was the one who had gotten that full time offer. And so one cool bragging rights. Yeah, but stress like that's an incredibly stressful environment to say the least. You have 10 weeks to prove that you're the best, the brightest, the, you know, person that people want to sit next to. And it's an incredible amount of pressure that I think really hardened and formed me like a diamond. And I'm not saying that is always a good thing, but it did teach me a lot. I bet.
B
Now only imagine how was your sleep
A
during that 10 weeks? Or were there things you had to do to decompress?
C
Girl, what?
A
Sleep? Yeah, right, that's what I was thinking.
C
So I worked on an equities desk, which is just another fancy word for stocks. So the job starts very early. I was arriving to the office at 5:35:45 and I probably wasn't leaving until 6 7pm at night. And so you're working a 13, 14 hour day if you're lucky. You're getting invited to client events after work to then, you know, spend more time doing work things, even if it's at a bar or at a restaurant. I would go home and I remember this so vividly, sometimes I would go home to my internship dorm room and I would be so Tired. I'd be tired. More tired than I was hungry. I would eat a handful of pistachios and just go to bed. I lost like £8 that summer.
B
Oh, my God. That's crazy.
A
I mean, I. That's just wild to me. Now, do you get weekends off? Is Saturday Sunday like you get off or no off days, so.
C
Well, the market sort of. Yes and no. They might have to. Technically, when you're in a trading position, you do get the weekends off, but during your internship, you certainly don't. You still have to be doing your intern project that you weren't doing during the week because you were actually trying to, you know, shadow and, like, be around the people who were actually working. But I will say, like, the best traders don't always get the weekends off because they're still reading about the markets, learning about different companies. Like, it's a situation where you could always be doing more. Yeah. So there really isn't that much time off.
B
I totally can see that now. Growing up, were you always into numbers or money?
C
Like, I think I was always into numbers just because. And I hate to like, reinforce like the stereotype, but my parents are Chinese immigrants. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland. And I remember growing up in school, like, my parents really weren't able to help me with my coursework with my, like, know the homework that I would bring home, pass, like, English wise, probably past the fifth grade.
B
Wow.
C
So I was very much on my own in that department. Whereas with math, it felt like I could get a little bit more help from my parents because the numbers were always the same in the same language. And so I will say I've always been good with numbers, but that wasn't why I went into finance. It was just because I wanted a job where I was going to make, excuse my French, a ton of money. Yeah. I didn't. I didn't grow up with a lot of it and I wanted to have it. I wanted to be the shiny, you know, girl with the penthouse apartment. I wanted to have the beautiful closet full of clothes. And I wanted the job for, frankly, all of the wrong reasons. But ultimately, I don't regret the decision making that got me there. Yeah, no.
B
And I love how honest you are about that.
A
Yeah. Now, how was the transition when you went then to buzzfeed? It must be like vacation or. I don't know, maybe not. I don't know about actually. Maybe not. The media world is crazy, so.
C
Not quite. But when I ended up leaving JP Morgan to go to buzzfeed, I was so lucky in that I actually got that job because of a friend. My mentor on Wall street had.
A
Wow.
C
She had a girlfriend who had also started her career on Wall street after four years, left to go into the media world. And that woman became my first boss at BuzzFeed. She took an absolute flyer on me. I didn't have any experience, and I had just convinced her that I was going to work really hard. And ultimately, I felt like my peers, the people sitting next to me, expected this to be a 9 to 5 job, but I had never had a 9 to 5 job before. And so I would always stay an extra hour or write one extra email or make one extra phone call. And being in, you know, like, brand sales, digital media sales, like, if you make that one more call, if you make that one more email, you eat what you kill. Like, you are more likely to close deals when you put more effort in. And so I loved that. It was such a meritocracy. It really did feel like the harder I worked, the more money I was gonna make. And I was very, very lucky. But also, I worked my ass off. And by the end of my career there, my last year at Buzzfeed, I made 6, 625 thousand dollars. Wow.
B
That's amazing.
C
That's a lot of money.
B
That is.
A
That is so great. And, you know, it's interesting because when you so your numbers, you. You love numbers. They're easy. How you're working on Wall street, when you went into media, were you at first like, I don't know if I'm gonna like this, or did you love it?
C
I mean, I think it took a little bit of getting used to. Growing pains. Also, transparently, I felt like when I worked on Wall street, everybody had this urgency to them, right? Whereas when I got to BuzzFeed, sometimes I would ask, like, our research department for something, and they'll be like, okay, I'll get it back to you in 48 hours. I'm like, I'm gonna be dead in 48 hours. Yeah. But I think ultimately I ended up really loving it. I will say I got. I really, really hit the jackpot. My first manager there was amazing. After a restructuring, I got a new manager. She was also amazing. There was another rest, got a third manager, and he was amazing, too. I still keep in contact with all three of them. They're all still a part of my life. And I will say I left JP Morgan because of a bad boss. He made me feel incredibly small, incredibly disrespected. So I knew what it Was like to have a really bad manager and I didn't have any at BuzzFeed. And I think that's what contributed to me working so hard on their behalf because the harder I work, the more they get paid. But like I wanted to do right by them because they had done right by me.
A
Wow. You know, it is crazy how bosses can make such a in your life and for some reason the energy, you're
B
around 20, you know, majority of your days and for some reason five to seven days a week.
A
Yeah. They think it's their protocol to be mean and dictate what I've realized.
B
People get drunk in power or people abuse power. It's. It's always wild to me because even in our industry, when, I mean, we've been there for almost 20 years and when certain people, let's just say, would get bigger and bigger, like their character more famous and a bigger fall and this, it was crazy to see some people who would stay the same and then how some people just got this ego or because they got more power, how they would start to treat people poorly and all that. And I would. It just never made sense to me. I'm like, what makes you think just because you're now this, that you can treat people like that? Do you not remember where you came from? And so it's just always a trip to me when people become that.
C
And I also think that there's like this perpetuating like culture. I will say, like, oh, because when I was a young person, I had a boss who abused me. Now that I'm at the top of the food chain, I'm gonna abuse you. And it's like you can literally stop that trend. You can literally just be better.
A
Totally so agree with you.
C
Convince people that they need to be better.
A
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A
Now, with your experience, you know, I. I'd love to start to get into it, but with your experience, why do you feel financial education is important for women right now?
C
I mean, I am so horrified by some of the content I see online right now of people being like, I want a soft life. I want to be a Pilates princess. I'm just going to marry rich. Like, you know, we all saw the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy love Story show. We watched, you know, all of these shows where women rely on men and women. I think the stats tell an incredibly damning story, which is just the fact that 99% of domestic violence cases include financial abuse. You can't leave if you can't afford to. And I also think that people think that they are going to have this fairy tale of someone taking care of them, when in fact, that fairy tale could come to a very abrupt end one day. And then what? And I think it's. I get too many DMS that are like, I just found out that my husband was cheating. I have relied on him for the past, you know, however many years. I don't even know what to do. Like, can you help me? And that is just heartbreaking. And even on a less negative side, I've gotten a DM that said I have been. I was with my partner for 40 years. The love of my life, he just passed away. I don't even know the login to my bank account. What do I do? And these are such scary stories. And I think that we as women should not be taking a step back from our own lives. But like, you need to be an active participant in your financial health because again, the stats show that for the most part, on average, we outlive our partners. And so at some point, you are going to be alone. At some point you are going to have to manage this without, you know, the help of a father, a husband, maybe even a son. You are going to have to do it. So why not learn now when it's easy and when your mind is sharp and when you have all the facilities and can get the right counsel and can get the right help. Why wait until you're 72, 75, right around those ages where people start to, like, have, you know, people start to pass away and you're in a really precarious situation, then you, you are vulnerable, people will take advantage of you. I don't want that for anybody.
B
Yeah, I agree with you. And I feel like there's such,
C
I
B
hate to use the word power, but power, strength, confidence, whatever may be in having somewhat of your independence, even when you're in a marriage or a relationship or partnership. I always kept my independence. I always kept my bank accounts. There was no need for me to share them. I was like, I make my own money. Yes, I'm in this marriage or I'm in this partnership, but I make my money. I pay for my things. We can talk about what we want to split or who wants to do what, but I never would lose my independence.
A
Yeah, well, and when people are in this situation, like when they, they are dming you these things, what's kind of the first three things or a couple things that you tell them? Like those, the starters of. Okay, well, this is what we got to do.
C
Yeah, yeah. I would say in your relationship, you want to know the four square. And so imagine a four squared box.
B
Yeah.
C
And then there's four items. One. You want to know what both of you make. So what is your income every single year? You want to know what you both have. So what are your assets? What do you own? This could be houses, properties, cars, investments, everything what you owe, so debts, so large debts, things like student loans, credit card debt, you know, maybe you have a mortgage or a car loan, things like that, but also what you spend, so your expenses. What is the consistent burn rate every single month of like, what it costs to be you. And I think once you know those four things from both yourself, because some people don't know those things, they're just kind of willy nilly flying by the seat of their pants. You should know these things about yourself.
A
Right?
C
But also knowing them about your partner. It requires you to get financially naked to ask the ask these questions. And I always joke, in our society, it's so much easier to get naked naked than financially naked. Date one, it doesn't even matter. But like, to ask somebody, what do you make in a year? Feels like the scariest question on earth?
B
So true.
C
But if you are trying to build a life with someone, wouldn't you want to have this conversation now versus finding out at the altar they have six figures of credit card debt that you might now have to help pay down? If you guys want to get your life together going. I don't want to find that out. I don't want to be blindsided. Let's ask now.
A
Yes. No, it's so true. And I do. I mean, just hearing that, I do feel like I hear a lot of horror stories. But do you think that we're not taught properly about these questions or even how we deal with money? Because I feel like so many people have learned the hard way and it's like, why have we learned the hard way?
C
Yeah, of course. I think it's an absolute crying shame that personal finance education is not mandated federally. Certainly there's a couple states here and there who are starting to roll out personal finance education. But the fact that this is not part of our public school curriculum is insane. We spend K through 12. We're doing the math, we're doing the writing, English, the. We're doing the history, we're doing the science. Great. I'm not saying that wasn't worth my time.
B
However.
C
When is the last time you use the Pythagorean theorem?
A
Oh, shoot.
B
Yeah.
C
When is the last time you had to tell somebody that the mitochondria was the powerhouse of the cell? Like, great, these are fun facts, right? I want to know how to, you know, file a tax return because I don't want to go to jail. And so I think we unfortunately. And let me put on my tinfoil hat for a second, but like, we don't teach this stuff in school because it is essentially what helps to keep the consumerism, capitalism, hamster wheel going. Unfortunately, you always need people who are having a hard time, bad with money, struggling, taking the dirty jobs, taking the jobs that nobody wants, the ones that pay very little, with few benefits, to prop up a system that allows things to be affordable, that allows the middle class to be able to spend, that allows the upper class to then be able to really have the private jet and the private island and the private villa, whatever. Like we are not incentivized to teach everybody smart decision making because if we did, they would make smart decisions and then we wouldn't have the person who is willing to work for 750 an hour doing back breaking labor.
A
Right.
C
And I know that sounds pretty tough and pretty crass, but like, but I think it's honest.
A
It's very honest and I feel like we need that. And what about for a woman who's married, her husband does very well and when they look at the family, they want her to be the stay home mom. So when she's kind of like, well I don't need a job, but still, like what would you recommend to her on knowing? I mean, I know the four square question, but what are like the steps she could take?
C
Yeah, I think whether or not you get paid, you have a job. If you're being a stay at home parent, that is one of the hardest jobs on earth. And I think that's something that needs to be discussed with your, your partner who works outside of the home. That's frankly something that I would get written into a prenup of. Oh, if one of us chooses to make this decision to take a step back from our out of the home career, that the person who works out of the home will provide a stipend to the stay at home parent every single month to essentially keep them financially independent. Maybe it's also something that you talk to your partner about, opening up a spousal IRA for you so that you can continue to be saving for retirement even if you don't have the same support system that you necessarily would have had had you stayed in the workforce. There are so many ways to like, you know, slice and dice, slice and dice this like pizza pie. But like I do think that like we need to make sure that even if you are not earning money, you are doing something for the family. Your partner could not go out and have that high powered job and work 80 hours a week if you did not have a hot meal on the table, all of the chores taken care of, the kids are chauffeured to and from school, picked up to and from soccer practice, to and from ballet recitals. You do all of that. And so that has dollar value. Let's make sure that you still have your own money.
A
Yeah, I love that. I didn't even think about that.
B
And so when, let's say like our listeners right now, they're just like, I don't, where do I start? How can I do it should. Is it tuning into your podcast Net worth and chill your books? We started Rich as or Rich af. Sorry. And then welling down. Right. Where does someone start?
C
You know, I think one of the easiest things that you can do to start is to grab a copy of Rich AF from your local library. But I would also encourage people to just take a second and sit down, maybe just with a blank piece of paper and a pen and write down what are your goals and what are the things you want out of your life? Like very simply. Yeah, like how would you feel if you could save $10,000? Would that make a difference to you? What is it that you are trying to get after? Because is it really the lime green Lamborghini? I don't think so. I think it's just being able to wake up and go to the grocery store and not have to look at the price tag to see if you can afford the eggs. So it's what do you want? And then ultimately I encourage people to actually go through the strip method. I talk about this in Rich af but STRIP is always my acronym when people are like, if I want to be rich, what do I do? I'm like, you should strip. And they're like, oh, didn't realize. All right again, no, no, no. STRIP is, you know, strip stands for things. S is savings. I encourage everyone to have three to six months of living expenses saved in a high yield savings account. That is going to be your emergency fund. You need to have that before anything else because if something bad happens to you, then you might go further into debt if you don't have an emergency fund. So that's S. T stands for total debt. So what I encourage people to do when they have debt is to rank your debt from highest to lowest interest rate, make the minimum payment across everything and then you are going to take any additional pay down funds that you have for your debt and put it towards the debt with the highest interest rate. That is how you pay down your debt in the shortest amount of time for while spending the least on interest. Now we're on to our retirement. For retirement. I really encourage people to think about what tax advantaged accounts they have access to. So that could be things like your 401k, your work or a traditional or Roth IRA. These are just advantages that you can get from the government for preparing for retirement. And that leads us right into I investing. You don't just put money into those accounts. That's just cash. You need to actually buy stuff. So what do you Buy. You can buy a target date retirement fund. You just calculate the year that you are closest to turning 65 and you put your money into that. Or you can invest in index funds that track the overall market. And if you really don't want to do any of that, your eyes are glazing over. You're already forgetting what I've just said. You can just use a Robo advisor. You just Google best robo advisor 2026. You can take a quick quiz about your money goals, how much you make, how much you have, what you owe, when you want to retire, yada yada yada, and it'll be and spit out a perfect portfolio that makes sense for you. You can be invested in 45 minutes. I'd rather you do that than wait forever because you're trying to pick the perfect investment. And then last but not least, I would say p plan. You don't get to ride off into the sunset. You don't get to have a happily ever after if you don't know what that looks like. For some of us, that is a more traditional I retire at 60, 65. You know, I have a vacation home. I'm older. Some people, they want to retire at 35 and live in an Airstream. Couldn't be me, but you get to have whatever you want. But you have to decide what that looks like and then you can work backwards on how to get there.
A
Gosh, I love it. I mean, obviously now we see why Rich AF has incredible reviews. But something that's incredible is that it's becoming an Amazon series. Tell us about that.
C
Yes. Okay, so I'm so excited about this. I never saw this in my future or anything that I would ever get to do. Especially because Rich is a nonfiction piece of work.
A
Right.
C
But I was so lucky to have some great conversations with Patrick Moran's production company and his team. They ended up connecting with Sarah Kosherska and Mallory Rosenthal over who are writers and showrunners. And then we connected with the Amazon team. It really just felt like Cinderella. All of the things kind of fell into place. But I tell a lot of stories in Rich AF about every single blunder, pitfall, mistake, steak. Just every single time I put my foot in my mouth financially as a young person, I documented for people to laugh at in Rich af. But the TV show series that's currently in development would focus on a young woman who has a little bit of an opposite story. She's falling from grace. It's a riches to rag story. When things are kind of falling apart. For her and she needs to rebuild herself financially. What are the steps she takes and how does she do that? Obviously, with the needed. Comedy with the needed, you know, love triangle with the needed. All of, you know, all of the cute things make it something that people want to watch. But, like, how essentially do we edutain the masses? How do we blend the broccoli of financial literacy into a show that people can love as much as they love all of the teen heartthrob shows of, you know, the summer I turned pretty, you know, to all the boys I loved before? Like, how do we make this something that people want to watch but are secretly learning and they don't even realize that they're learning and getting smarter each episode?
A
Dang, Vivian, you're nailing it. I mean, girl, when I can do something that is environmentally smart, I am all about it. One thing I believe is that fashion has been hurting our planet. So I'm always trying to be mindful when I go shopping. But I have come across one of the greatest companies. They're called Nuuly, and you could literally rent clothes.
B
I think so many of us have that feeling of just wanting a new wardrobe. So I think Nuuly, which is a subscription clothing rental service, is genius.
A
It is. For just $98 a month, you can rent for whatever you have going on.
B
Access thousands of styles from hundreds of brands with inclusive sizing and the option
A
to buy what you love at a really great discount. Nuuly is a great value at $98 a month for any six styles. But right now, you can get $28 off your first month. When you sign up with the code
B
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A
That's n u u l y.com code twins for $28 off your first month.
B
Newly subscription clothing rental. Change your clothes.
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Sonic believes that even the smallest achievements deserve to be rewarded, preferably with a
B
hydrating sonic refresher made with real fruit and energizing green tea.
A
Cancel the free trial on time. Sip to that with a berry citrus refresher.
B
Remembered your password? Sip to that with a mango peach refresher.
A
Finally, book that oil change. Sip to that with a strawberry passion fruit.
B
Try all new Sonic refreshers in sparkling or still for just $2.99 today.
A
It has to feel so good that your journey in life is taking you here where you are helping millions of women become financially independent. Like, does that just feel so great?
C
I Mean, it's a feeling that's pretty indescribable. I had a woman who crashed one of my speaking events. I was speaking at the University of Delaware, and she comes up to me after I'm done speaking and she was like, hey, I just want to let you know, I'm not even a student here. I had my friend smuggle me in the door. I had to come here. I had to come see you because you made a video about how to negotiate my medical debt. And because of you, I had $5,000 wiped. Like, the bill's gone. She's like, I don't have to pay it. You have single handedly changed my life. And she started crying. And obviously I started crying because I can't watch somebody cry and then not cry. But, like, it's so. I feel so lucky that I wake up every single day and I get to do something that helps so many people. And that is the honor of my lifetime. But let me also add, I am someone who is very much fueled by revenge and spite. And the manager that I ended up leaving at JP Morgan told me that I was too girly for finance.
A
Wow.
C
I think I'm just girly enough. You prick. Yeah.
B
Yeah, I love that.
C
I mean, beyond that, now it feels like I'm probably inescapable to him. Every single store he walks by, he sees my mug. I love it. Every single time he turns on, you know, hopefully in the future, Amazon Prime, I'm gonna be right there, smack dab my show. Every single time he walks through, right now, New York City, my face is on billboards.
B
Yes.
C
Because, I mean, it's just it. It feels like I was driven from a place of spite and wanting revenge, but I ended up in a place where I could help and touch so many people. And, man, don't I feel lucky.
B
So lucky. I feel like sometimes those are the greatest impacts we can have on the world is when something is fueled by true fire and then it like, turns into passion. But I think some of the greatest moments I've had in life and how I became better was because someone pissed me off so bad or try to make me feel less than. And I'm like, now I'm gonna show you my worth and I'm gonna make you hate it for the rest of your life.
A
Well, and when someone tries to point out a weakness, when really it's your strength, it's like because your power, it is. And because you're girly, you're able to touch all of us girls and help us Out. And we're all blessed for that. Your newest book that just came out in February, well Endowed. What do we get out of that book?
C
So, obviously everybody's asking me about the title. What exactly is this? If. If you actually think about the term well endowed, what is it describing? It describes an endowment. And what is an endowment? You've heard the phrase before, Harvard's endowment, or your favorite charities endowment. An endowment is literally just a pile of funds that are then invested, that can grow for the future, so that an organization's mission can be furthered into perpetuity forever and ever and ever. And that is what I want for every single person who reads well Endowed. Well Endowed is. Okay, Rich AF taught you the money basics, but now, how do you orchestrate the best life possible? What are the major swings? When are. When are the moments that really count? And so I cover all of the major purchases, being your car, your home. I help people think about their health care and what they're selecting. I go over the cost of getting married, what a wedding cost, but also prenups, divorces, we walk through children, continuing your family legacy, what that costs, how to think about children and pets. And then last but obviously not least, I want to help people think about estate planning, your legacy. So your trust, your will, your power of attorney, your healthcare directive, all of these things. How can you have the best possible life today? How can you have an amazing tomorrow? And when you leave this mortal earth, how can you leave it better than when you found it and take care of the people you love the most?
A
Yeah. Wow. Amen to that.
B
It sounds like a great book. I'm getting on.
A
I'm like.
B
It's something I. I feel fortunate because. Because I'm able to have a business manager who helps me with all of this and has put me in those situations. And, you know, my son won't have to worry about paying for college when he gets there, and he'll get stuff in his 30s that will be waiting for him. And I've been working, you know, been building up my retirement, and I have my wills and everything. And I always now think always about my son, like, okay, if. When mommy leaves this earth, like, I need to make sure he's okay and he's taken care of. And so it's. I love that.
C
Here's the other thing. I love that you have a business manager that you trust and someone that is taking care of those things. I certainly have a business manager as well. I don't even have the time. But I need you to Be checking those statements by yourself every single month. Because, lest we forget, Rihanna's song Bitch Better have My Money was about her accountant who was skimming money off the top, stealing from her. I'm not saying this is the case with your business manager or my business manager or anybody's business manager, but even if you have trusted representatives making smart decisions on your behalf, at the end of the day, the buck stops with you. We all still have to understand our own money, because when we don't understand something, we are more likely to be taken advantage of.
B
I need to get on that.
A
You know, that would be our wine time.
B
Our wine time be like, okay, okay, looking over, do you have anything else on the bucket list? I mean, you've done so many incredible things. Is there anything else that you hope to do?
C
I mean, there's so many. I guess I think for me, the biggest thing that I'm really excited about right now is actually my app. I hope my team doesn't get mad at me for sharing a little bit, but I am actually building out an app called Ask Dolly. You can check it out@askdolly.com. thank you. It's short for dollar.
A
Oh, I love that.
C
And essentially, I have struggled with the fact that I get a thousand DMS a day. Everybody has their own personalized question, and I cannot get back to every single person. And so what do these people end up doing? They turn to some random AI chat bot that is not licensed, not regulated. I mean, ChatGPT even came out a couple months ago and said that they could no longer provide financial, legal, or medical advice because they were getting sued too much and they were giving out wrong answers. But what I have built with my team is actually a registered, registered investment advisor with the sec. We have all the documentation. We have built a program where you can essentially ask Dolly any of your personal finance questions 247 and get a response right away. If you have something that's a little bit more niche, we connect you with a human CFP so you can get really, really great answers. And then on top of that, we also do holistic personal finance evaluations. Kind of like you go in for your annual physical, you connect to your accounts, and we'll let you know, hey, you're doing a killer job saving, but you might have a little too much in savings. Maybe we should funnel some of that into investing. Or, hey, you're doing a really good job saving. Let's prioritize some debt. Pay down now, but we'll basically help you along your entire financial picture. And give you to do steps to make sure that you are in the healthiest financial position possible. The same way that your doctor's like, hey, I'm going to need you to cut back on red meat. But also, you need to start exercising more. And then you're, you know, you're given advice of what you should be doing the same exact way that Ask Dolly will. So ask dolly.com. check it out.
A
That's incredible.
B
Yes. Everyone go check out Dolly.
A
Yeah. No one.
B
We have no more excuses.
A
No, no more.
B
No more excuses. You have the help right there.
A
Well, and I feel like too, you know, when you have financial freedom and you, you know, those are some of the biggest things. It's just, it makes life so much easier and we all need help with it. Like, not everyone. We're not born knowing the answers. So I think ask dolly.com.
B
and when there's a plan and then you're putting the plan to play, like, there. There's no better feeling than, okay, this is where I want to get to, and this is how I have to get there.
A
Yeah.
B
So maybe for a few years I'm not spending the extras on here, but now I know where I'm going, and there's nothing better than that feeling.
C
And Bri, you brought up a really good point. Like, the greatest gift that rich people get that regular people don't is that. Is that they don't have to think about money.
A
Right?
C
Like, imagine being able to walk into a Walmart and it's back to school season, and you don't have to cost. Compare between the crayon, the Crayola crayons, and the regular crayons, like the crappy ones that nobody wants. Or you don't have to, like, price. Compare the glue sticks and the notebook. What if you could just get your kid whatever they wanted. The weird holographic dolphin notebook that costs an extra $50. Like, that is what I want for people to have that comfort, that stability, that financial breathing room so that they can get the fancy pink backpack and that their kid can have that special Christmas, that really great birthday party. Because it's never been about the designer bag. It's never been about the big, big shiny moments. It's always been about these little moments where having financial stability and security allows you to just move through life a little bit more effortlessly. And there is something to be said about the key memories that are going to be made doing that versus the stress as a parent you might feel. Feel doing those activities if you don't have financial Stability.
B
Yes, I agree.
A
Gosh, I so agree.
B
It's crazy how all that shifts.
A
It really does. It really does. When I can do something that is environmentally smart, I am all about it. One thing I believe is that fashion has been hurting our planet. So I'm always trying to be mindful when I go shopping. But I have come across one of the greatest companies. They're called Nuuly and you could literally rent clothes.
B
I think so many of us have that feeling of just wanting a new wardrobe. So I think Nuuly, which is a subscription clothing rental service, is genius.
A
It is. For just $98 a month, you can rent for whatever you have going on.
B
Access thousands of styles from hundreds of brands with inclusive sizing and the option
A
to buy what you love at a really great discount. Nuuly is a great value at $98 a month for any six styles. But right now you can get 28 off your first month. When you sign up with the code
B
Twins, just go to n u l y.com and enter the code twins at sign up to get 28 off your first month.
A
That's N U-U-L-Y.com code twins for 28 off your first month.
B
Newly subscription clothing rental. Change your clothes.
A
When Nikki and I wanted to start podcasting, we weren't so sure if it would work for us. I mean, we just came off reality television and we were used to everyone seeing us live our lives. But we're like, can we really talk about living our lives? I mean, you know how it is. Starting something new isn't just hard, it can be terrifying.
B
Especially when you're starting a business. That's why it helps to have a partner like Shopify by your side.
A
Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 of all e commerce in the US from household names like Death Wish Coffee and Magic Spoon to brands just getting started.
B
Get started with your own design studio.
A
With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store that matches your brand style.
B
You know, some of my favorite features with Shopify is actually seeing the numbers come in the sales where your customers are from. There's so much incredible data that comes in on Shopify about your company and it honestly gives you such a great opportunity to grow and to really know your consumer for sure.
A
It's time to turn those what ifs into sales with Shopify today.
B
Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com twins.
A
Go to shopify.com twins that's shopify.com twins. Well, we want to play a game with you.
C
Oh, let's play. I love.
A
Yes. It's called rich BFF Boot camp. So Vivian, we're going to need your help with this. This is an intervention for homegirl, your broke BFF money combos can be tough. We have a few chaotic financial situations that she needs help sorting out. And our rich BFF Vivian too is the only voice of reason. So do you think you can help her?
C
Let's do it.
A
Okay. Scenario one. Your broke BFF just got a bonus at work and immediately started planning a new bag, a trip, and a little self care shopping spree. Even though she has zero savings. What does your rich BFF say to her?
C
I say to her that she is allowed to treat herself to roughly 5 to 10% of that bonus. The other 90 to 95% has to go towards first, making sure she bills that emergency fund. Two exact in the order of strip paying down any high interest rate debt first. Then we have to start thinking about investing. I don't know how large the bonus is, but it shouldn't necessarily all be going towards a bag, a trip shopping spree. Here's the thing. Being smart with your money is similar to dieting. If you are eating nothing but iceberg lettuce and lemon, you are going to crash out and then binge on Saturday and eat an entire bag of Cheetos. But if you don't say that, you can't have anything. If you give yourself a little treat but then require the rest of that money to be used wisely, it allows you to have a little bit of taste, of joy, but still make majority smart decisions. And that's why I always recommend when you do have a windfall of money, come in, little treat, big, big smart decisions.
A
Love that.
B
And I mean, at least I think it's kind of fun. Like you look at that 5 to 10% and then you, you see the money, what that number is, and then you get a, like, okay, what, what can I do with this? Can I go on an adventure? Maybe it's just a day trip, or maybe it's a spa thing, or maybe I want to buy this thing. Like it can be fun, you know?
A
Yeah, right.
C
But also, you don't get the, you don't get the spending hangover when you only spend 10%. You spend it and you're like, that was amazing. I deserved every penny. Yeah. If you spent the entirety of your bonus after you spent it, I promise you, you would look back and be like, why did I do that?
A
All right, scenario two. Your broke BFF says it's fine. I'll just put it on my credit card and pay it off later. But later never comes. And now she's juggling multiple balances. How does your rich BFF call her out? With love, of course.
C
Yeah, girly. We got to talk about this. Credit cards are the growiest, scariest form of debt because the APRs, the annual percentage rates on them are so high. Typically, credit cards have interest rates of 20 to 30% versus getting a mortgage right now is 6 to 7%. A car loan, maybe like 10%. Like, it is crazy. Credit cards grow so quickly that you literally cannot out earn them. Like, when people are like, should I invest first or pay off my credit card? I'm like, oh, pay off your credit card because your credit card has a higher interest rate than the one you would likely be able to make in the market. So here is my advice. If you have a credit card problem, first you need to have a long, deep conversation with yourself of what is this overspending situation? Like, how can I wrangle this in? How can I make this manageable? But two, two, then really great options that you have are. One, either using a balance transfer card. I know this sounds a little counterintuitive, but you actually open up another credit card. It's called a balance transfer card. You pay a fee to be able to open up this card. However, you will get an introductory period of 12 to 18 months where there is zero percent interest. You transfer your credit card balances to this one card, and you just literally prioritize paying down this debt as hard as you can. And you want to get this done in 12 to 18 months, however long you get, because you won't be spending any money on interest and you'll be able to wipe the debt faster than just paying it towards your current credit card companies. Alternatively, if you don't think that you can get this done in 12 to 18 months, you can get a personal loan. So you go to a financial institution, a bank, a credit union, and you apply for a personal loan. They will then basically take this sum of money. They'll give it to you, or they'll pay it on your behalf and pay off all of your credit cards cards. You will then cut your credit cards. You are not spending on these while you are paying off this personal loan. That is very key. Yeah, but you're then able to pay back the debt to the bank versus the credit card company and the interest rates on those tend to be closer to 7 to 15%, you know, quite a bit lower than the 20 to 30 we were talking about for a credit card. So you're still spending on interest, but it's quite a lot less.
B
Great advice.
C
That really is.
B
Yeah.
A
All right, scenario number three. Your broke BFF got invited to a luxury birthday trip. Flights, villa, dinner, outfits. And she can't afford it, but wants to miss, but doesn't want to miss out or look broke. How does your rich BFF release her from fomo?
C
Okay, my girl, if, if we're, if we're broke, we need to go ahead and let go of that desire to not look broke because you are. Yeah, Bad. Second, I would say that, like, we have to be really mindful that we should not be going into financial, financially precarious situations for other people's life milestones. This example specifically was a birthday party. But I've, I've heard the story so many times. And you know what? It's always for what? Bachelorette party. It is always for somebody's week long bachelorette party in Cabo. You got to get the flight down there, you got to split the villa down there, you got to pay for the booze and the food, you got to pay for the clubbing, you got to pay for the outfits every single night to coordinate. It's a nightmare. It's crazy. Now this trip could literally be $5,000.
B
Yeah.
C
And if you don't have that kind of money, you're not going to want to go into debt for that. So what I encourage this girl to say to her friend is, hi, thank you so much for inviting me to your special birthday party. I'm so honored. You know, I love being your friend and I'm so grateful for our friendship. Unfortunately, this isn't in the financial cards for me right now. I'm prioritizing a couple other things and I just can't make this work in my budget. Please have so much fun without me. That said, one year back, I would love for us to do a birthday celebration. Let's get pizza and we'll go out that night and go dancing. That is something that is so much more affordable, so much more, you know, manageable for her budget, but also it reminds her birthday friend that it's not you, it's the activity.
B
Yeah, right.
C
The problem with foregoing so many things and not providing a follow up option is you just lose the friendship. And I hope this girl wouldn't want to lose that friendship. So you got to provide an alternative, albeit a much More affordable one.
B
Yeah.
A
I don't know why people don't like bachelor parties in home anymore. I mean, I. It's crazy how it's gone.
B
It is wild birthday for all of it.
A
All of it. It's all. But, you know, okay, last one. Your broke BFF goes all out every holiday. Gifts, decor, outfits, travel. And ends up starting the new year in debt every single time. How does your rich BFF prepare with. Prepare her without losing the holiday spirit?
C
Here is one of my favorite things, and I always say this. I just did a post about this and I said, you guys, it's almost Christmas and it's like May, and people are like, why am I hearing rocking around the Christmas tree on this girl's page? Winter holiday joy is made in the summer. I actually encourage people to start a sinking fund, which is just a dedicated pile of money for something far in advance of the winter holidays. The average American spends about $1,000 on the winter holidays. So this is. This could be Christmas gifts, this could be decor, this could be hosting. So entertaining, booze, food, whatever. And that is so much money.
B
Yeah.
C
Yeah. It's not so much money if you are actually saving for it starting in January. It's not so much money if you start saving for it in June. You actually only need to set aside 30, 40 bucks a week to start hitting those numbers to actually make the math. Math to have that money and not feel guilty about spending it because you've already preset it aside. So this is to say halfway through the year, roughly around, you know, when we're recording this. I don't 100 know when the episode's going out, but we are going to start setting aside 40 bucks a week. Okay, that 40 bucks is just your Starbucks latte every single morning. Maybe we're not doing that. Maybe we are choosing to take public transportation twice a week instead of taking an Uber. Maybe that one top you have to have, you just don't get. Maybe that one trip to the nail salon, you just do your toes yourself. Just cut out one little thing. It doesn't have to be every week. It can be something different every week. Yeah, but when you set that money aside, you actually prioritize that sinking fund. And then come December time, you have the money and so you get to be Santa Claus. You get to be the person who makes that Christmas cheer happen. And there's no stress and there's no hangover. January 1st.
A
Oh, my gosh, Vivian.
B
So good.
A
Everyone start. Enjoy this week.
B
That was all such great advice.
A
Such great advice. Oh, my gosh, Vivian, you're such a j. Well, diamond, you are.
B
Diamond. Diamond.
C
You know it.
A
We always love to end our episode. Episode's little inspiration affirmation. Is there a quote or a motto you could leave our listeners with?
C
Yeah, my favorite is Francis Picabia. He said, our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction. I think that we are at a point in our society where everyone is so married to their own beliefs, so married to what they think is right. Everything is like, I am a genius, everyone else is a. And I just don't think that's true. I think we are allowed to change our minds if we all had less of an ego about the fact that, oh, I was wrong. I have now been presented with new information. I am just going to change my mind. You are allowed to do that no matter how long you've believed something, no matter how long that you have thought a certain way. If you are presented with information that change your. Changes your opinion, you are allowed to improve yourself in the same way that, like, I have sought. I have had certain thoughts for so long, and then it's like, oh, well, actually I had an experience that made me feel like maybe that wasn't true, right? Maybe that was just bias that I held. And so I think we could all afford to be a little bit kinder to ourselves, but also a little kinder to everyone around us and just know that we're allowed to change our minds. Right?
B
I think that's probably one of my favorites of inspiration affirmation so far. Because even at times, and I don't know if you feel this way, even as a podcaster, sometimes I will hear my. Of what I've said, and I'm like, ew, I didn't like that. And I've changed my mind just listening to myself. And then of course, like, experiences, but it is true. Like, people just do not want to give you grace at all with that. And it's like, hey, we're living and learning, too. We all are just living and learning every second of every day, every moment. And we go through things and it's like, wow, now I feel that. Or maybe I've become friends with someone and it makes me more understanding towards something else. So I really, I think that's such great inspiration. And it is so true. So, so true.
A
Yeah, it really is. Oh, my gosh, Vivian, thank you so much. Been an incredible interview, honestly. I mean, girl, I'm going on and I'm getting. I mean, I'm rich, I'm getting well
B
endowed Subscribing to your podcast.
A
Yes, Net worth and chill, everyone. Also ask dolly.com and the work. So make sure to, you know, follow Vivian on social media so you can see when it's officially launched. And I can't wait for your series to come out on Amazon.
C
I know it's all in the work, but it's still in development. I don't want to juice anything out,
A
but oh my, it just sounds up my alley.
B
Mine too.
A
Like I'm like, that is a show I would love. I would actually be.
B
I'm all about vibes and people like learning and it's giving impact.
A
Do you know what I mean?
B
Like my jam it ever.
A
And I bet the fashion will be good in there too. Like just hearing the concept.
C
Hot mess main character who's just figuring it out.
A
Gosh, it sounds like me. I love it. Hot mess. Even I know. I'm just kidding. All right, everyone. Well, you could find today's episode on our YouTube. Well, you can see today's episode on our YouTube channel. You can also find out on our social media platforms. You know, tik tok, Instagram, Facebook, you name it, we're on it. And also you can leave us a message at our hotline, 833 Garcia 2. You can also find us on Sierra XM Stars at 109. The list goes on. And please, Vivian, what's your Instagram handle
B
at your rich bff.
A
Yeah, easy at your rich bff. Everyone, please start today. Follow Vivian. It is. You know, it's always scary to make that big step when it comes to your finances, but you will be forever grateful.
B
Go strip. If you know what I mean.
A
Do you know? Thank you so much, Vivian.
B
Yes, thank you.
C
Thank you guys so much for having me.
D
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E
And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
A
Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this your first date?
E
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Together we're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
A
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
E
Anyways, get a quote@libertymutual.com or with your local agent.
D
Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.
Episode: Vivian Tu: Wallet Wisdom from Your Rich BFF
Host: SiriusXM
Release Date: May 11, 2026
Guest: Vivian Tu (@YourRichBFF—author, educator, and founder)
In this lively and motivating episode, Nikki and Brie Garcia welcome Vivian Tu—aka "Your Rich BFF"—for a deep, candid conversation on women’s financial empowerment. Vivian shares her journey from Wall Street to media, gives practical money wisdom, and discusses her mission to demystify financial literacy—especially for women. With humor, honesty, and actionable tips, Vivian covers the importance of financial independence, her STRIP method for building wealth, and encourages everyone, no matter their current circumstances, to take charge of their money story.
Financial Dependence & Abuse:
Long-term Security:
Vivian answers real-life “broke BFF” scenarios with firm, loving advice:
Quote:
“Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction.” — Francis Picabia
“You are allowed to change your mind, no matter how long you’ve believed something. We could all afford to be a little kinder to ourselves and everyone around us.” (53:26, Vivian)
For more:
Watch the episode on YouTube, follow Nikki & Brie on socials, and check out SiriusXM Stars Channel 109.