Episode 593: Jean Chatzky: Personal Finance Strategies for Building Wealth Without Overcomplicating Money

You can make a lot of money and still have no idea if you are actually financially secure. A bigger paycheck does not automatically mean you are building wealth, making smart decisions, or setting yourself up for the future.

We dive deeper into this in Habits & Hustle with Jean Chatzky. We talk about the habits that actually build wealth, how much you should be saving, and why getting control of your money often comes down to a few simple decisions you repeat consistently.

Jean Chatzky is a financial journalist, the founder of HerMoney, and spent 25 years as the financial editor of the Today Show. She has also made plenty of money mistakes herself, which is part of what makes her advice so practical. Her approach is about taking something that feels intimidating and breaking it down into choices people can actually understand and use.

What's Discussed:

(3:18) Why personal finance is usually much simpler than people make it seem.

(8:25) Why automating your money can prevent some of your biggest financial mistakes.

(18:05) The one thing everyone should do this month to improve their finances.

(19:09) The money habit that separates people building wealth from people who simply earn a good income.

(26:24) Why your 50s or even 60s may not be too late to seriously improve your retirement.

(31:19) Why making kids spend their own money may be one of the best ways to teach them its value.

(40:49) Why everyone in a relationship should have money of their own.

(45:55) How everyday purchases like coffee can quietly add up to thousands of dollars a year.

(1:03:48) The simplest way to start investing in 2026 if you have absolutely no idea where to begin.

(1:08:58) Why the boring basics still beat most of the flashy financial advice people chase.

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Find more from Jen Cohen:

Website: jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen

Books: jennifercohen.com/books

Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Find more from Jean Chatzky & HerMoney:

Website: hermoney.com

Instagram: @jeanchatzky

Facebook: Jean Chatzky

LinkedIn: Jean Chatzky

YouTube: HerMoney

Book: The Forever Paycheck