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This week, we meet Kayla, a 35-year-old single mother from Nashville who is stretching her income to cover everything from her mortgage to her son’s preschool tuition - while also trying to pay off debt and save for the future. To help Kayla and all the other single parents in her situation, Stefanie talks to financial expert and fellow single mom, Bridget Casey, about prioritizing and balancing it all - financially and emotionally.

This week, Elaine, a 29-year-old listener from Queens, New York, is completely overwhelmed by her massive student loan debt, and is struggling to balance her goal of becoming debt free with all her other financial goals, from buying a house and starting a family to saving for retirement. To help get Elaine--and everyone else out there struggling with a similar problem--get on track, host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez and personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox delve into how to manage paying student loans off without becoming overwhelmed, including balancing student loan repayment so that it doesn’t get in the way of realizing your dreams of meeting other financial and life goals.

You know you need to save for retirement, but how do you get started when you’re still paying off student loan debt? or perhaps you don’t even have access to an employer 401k account because you’re trying to launch a business - like today’s featured listener. To get you on the right track no matter what your saving situation is, and break down how saving for retirement has changed since your parents and even grandparents were planning their retirement, Stefanie talks to investing expert Amanda Holden and Real Simple features editor Brandi Broxson about The New Rules of Retirement.

How do you talk about money in your relationship when the fact that you earn more than your partner is a constant source of underlying tension? Stefanie talks to a 26-year-old woman based in Chicago who outearns her boyfriend by $35,000 a year, as well as financial expert Farnoosh Torabi, who reveals how breadwinning women can maximize fulfillment at work, at home, and in their financial lives.

A 28-year-old social media manager wants to quit her job and turn her growing side hustle into a full-time business, but to do it, she has to stop overspending. Host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez and personal finance expert Bola Sokunbi share practical strategies for managing the root causes of overspending, including-the impulse buys and emotional spending that many of us are doing to cope with the pandemic.

A 28-year-old on the corporate career track asks if now is the right time to walk away from the financial security of a steady paycheck to pursue an entrepreneurial dream.Host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez talks to money expert Paco de Leon about what ‘enough’ money means when we’re talking about starting a business — in a pandemic no less.

A 32-year-old woman based in London considers telling her boyfriend she’s back in debt after he helped pay off her credit card three years ago. Stefanie talks to financial psychologist Dr. Brad Klontz about the challenges of navigating money in relationships, and what secrets (if any) are ok to keep.

This week on Money Confidential we meet a 39-year-old mom from Illinois who feels stuck in a cycle of financial feast or famine. Host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez and money expert Tiffany Aliche ‘The Budgetnista’ walk through the practical steps that our guest--and everyone else who can relate with her struggles--can use to become more financially savvy. 

Money Confidential is a new podcast from Real Simple about our money stories, struggles, and secrets. When it comes to money, it can feel like everyone else has it all figured out, and you’re the only one with questions. So where do you go to talk about mistakes you’ve made, or to admit what you don’t know about money matters? Each week, host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez talks to a listener about their real money problem, and gets real answers from financial experts.⁠ Because we all have money secrets. We just need more space to talk about them.