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What does it actually take to build a good life? Dr. Robert Waldinger has spent decades studying that question—and he has 85 years of data to back up his answer. As director of one of the longest-running studies of human life ever conducted, the esteemed Harvard professor joins host Jennifer Borget to unpack what actually makes people thrive: why relationships matter more than your résumé, how chronic stress—including financial stress—does real damage to the body, and why it's never too late to change course. This is the season finale of A Better Way to Money, and it's the conversation we've been building toward all season. Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building a life you actually love TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect with Dr. Robert Waldinger Robert’s book: https://www.robertwaldinger.com/the-good-life/Robert’s TED Talk: What Makes a Good Life?  Connect with Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/what-the-harvard-happiness-study-teaches-us-about-money-and-living-well LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

We spend a lot of time on this show talking about how to grow, protect, and plan with your money. But today’s guest has spent most of his career asking a different question: Once you have money, can the way you spend it actually change how happy you are? Harvard Business School Professor Michael Norton’s research points to something most of us have backward—it’s not how much money you have; it’s how you use it to help and connect with the people around you. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with Norton, co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, to unpack why giving to others tends to outperform spending on ourselves and why the smallest habits—like buying someone else’s coffee—might matter more than the size of the gesture, plus a golden rule of spending Norton says most of us should incorporate for a happier life. Whether you’re already generous by nature or are looking for ways to live a better life in the long run, this episode might change how you prioritize your spending. Download your free Family Finances Workbook and start building spending habits that actually make you happier TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ And one more thing—this episode drops during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Northwestern Mutual is marking it with action. For every new follower of A Better Way to Money in September, they’ll donate $10 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation—a leader in advancing innovative childhood cancer research (up to $5,000).  This supports Northwestern Mutual’s larger commitment to accelerating the search for better treatments and cures for childhood cancer, while also supporting families and survivors living with long-term side effects. Since 2012, Northwestern Mutual has funded more than 860,000 hours of childhood cancer research and contributed more than $75 million to the cause overall. With more than 1,000 children worldwide diagnosed each day, this work is helping drive real breakthroughs to bring us closer to a cancer-free future. Connect With Michael Norton Michael’s website: https://michaelnorton.com/Michael’s book: Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending Connect With Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/plan-your-spending-for-a-better-life LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Everyone tells you childcare is expensive. But knowing that and actually living it are two very different things. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with author and childcare expert Christina Eaglin—author of Who's Watching My Baby? and expert on navigating the childcare maze —to talk through the stuff nobody prepares you for: what childcare really costs beyond the monthly invoice, how to vet a provider before you're already attached, why you need a backup plan before you ever need to use it, and how to have the money conversations with your partner before the pressure is on. Think of it as the conversation you'd want to have with a friend who's already been through it, so the chaos of childcare doesn't hold back your finances—or your future. Download your free Family Finances workbook and start making your childcare plan work better TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect With Christina Eaglin Christina’s book: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Whos-Watching-My-Baby/Christina-D-Eaglin/9798218378714 Connect With Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-budget-for-childcare-costs-and-build-a-backup-plan-that-works LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Thinking about a career pause to take care of your growing family? Host Jennifer Borget sits down with Neha Ruch–Stanford MBA, founder of The Power Pause, and USA Today bestselling author—to talk through the benefits of a pause when you plan it out with purpose. We cover the budgeting conversations, the identity shift, and how to come back stronger on your own terms. Download your free Family Finances workbook and start planning your career pause with confidence TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect With Neha Ruch Neha’s website: https://www.thepowerpause.com/Neha’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Pause-Career-Kids-Stronger/dp/0593716183Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch/ Connect With Northwestern Mutual Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutal.com/life-and-money/how-to-plan-a-career-pause-with-intention LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Most people picture a financial advisor behind a mahogany desk, running spreadsheets for people with serious money. Jonathon Gais grew up thinking the same thing—until he became one. Now, as VP of Client Experience and Personalized Planning at Northwestern Mutual, Jonathon shapes how NM advisors across the country think about financial planning. His core message: You don’t need to have it all figured out before you talk to an advisor. The right one helps you make smarter choices—and becomes the reason you finally start. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with Jonathon for an honest look at what a real planning conversation sounds like; why starting to plan today, even when everything isn’t perfectly in place, is always better than waiting; why protection is the blind spot most people in their 30s miss; and what it takes to close the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. The right time to start isn’t when everything lines up. It’s now.  Download your free Family Finances workbook and start preparing for your first financial advisor session TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect With Jonathon Gais LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathongais/ Connect With Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/a-sneak-peek-into-what-a-real-financial-advisor-conversation-looks-like LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Most people dealing with debt don’t talk about it. They rationalize, minimize, or wait for a “better time” that never seems to arrive. Lynnette Khalfani-Cox did the same—reporting on personal finance for a living the whole time—before she confronted it, paid it all off, and built the kind of financial stability she now helps others find. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with  New York Times bestselling author of Bounce Back: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Resilience to explain how anyone can recover from a financial curveball. Lynnette shares how debt creeps in and takes over, why the standard advice doesn’t always work, what it takes to get out, and ways to build a better financial future. And debt is just one thing that can knock people off course. Lynnette’s Dreaded D’s cover the full list—divorce, death, disability, downsizing, and more. Listen here to get a game plan for when life takes a turn.  Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building a plan that holds up when life knocks you off course TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect With Lynnette Khalfani-Cox Lynnette’s website: https://lynnettekhalfanicox.com/about/Lynnette’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Bounce-Back-Ultimate-Financial-Resilience/dp/1394205163/ Connect With Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-pay-off-debt-and-recover-from-financial-setbacks Digital Asset: 29-5697-10 Getting Family Finances Right: A Workbook LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Great news! AI will answer any financial question you have. The catch? It learned everything it knows from strangers on the internet. And despite that fact, a surprising number of millennials are using it to tell them how to manage their money. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with research scientist and author Janelle Shane, one of the clearest minds on how AI actually works behind the screen, to figure out when it’s a genuinely useful starting point and when trusting it with your financial questions is the most expensive shortcut you’ll ever take. Download your free Family Finances workbook and start asking better questions about AI and your money TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect with Janelle Janelle’s blog: https://www.aiweirdness.com/Janelle’s book, You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: https://www.amazon.com/You-Look-Like-Thing-Love/dp/0316525243 Connect with Northwestern Mutual Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/ TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/can-you-trust-ai-for-financial-advice-what-an-expert-says LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

If you’re raising kids while also keeping an eye on your aging parents, you’re in good company—about half* of middle-aged Americans are right there with you. But most are figuring it out on the fly, making the squeeze that much harder. Host Jennifer Borget sits down with estate planning attorney and Sandwich Generation Survival Guide podcast host Candace Dellacona to unpack what the sandwich generation is really facing: what eldercare actually costs, where the planning gaps hurt the most, and how one honest conversation with your aging loved ones can give them back their voice and give you a real path forward. Whether you’re already in the thick of it or trying to get ahead of it, this episode is your survival guide.  *Pew Research  Download our free Family Financial Planning workbook and start building better habits TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/    Connect with Candace  Candace’s website: https://www.offitkurman.com/candace-dellacona Candace's podcast, The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sandwich-generation-survival-guide/id1687970739  Connect with Northwestern Mutual  Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/ TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual  Episode Page: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-plan-financially-for-aging-parents-while-raising-kids  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Want your relationship to go the distance? One of the best things you can do—especially if you’re getting married—is have an honest money conversation. Family law attorney and HelloPrenup founder Julia Rodgers joins host Jennifer Borget to show how prenuptial and postnuptial agreements give couples a powerful framework for doing exactly that. Julia reframes these contracts from top to bottom: not as legal protection against failure but as one of the most loving, intentional steps two people can take together. Plus: what they actually cover, and how to start a money conversation with your partner—wherever you are in your relationship. Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building your future TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect with Julia Julia’s website: https://helloprenup.com Connect with Northwestern Mutual Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

The career ladder you planned to climb? It’s looking a lot shakier these days. Host Jennifer Borget is joined by author Simone Stolzoff—author of The Good Enough Job and How to Not Know—to explore what building a career looks like when the old rules no longer apply and why learning to thrive in uncertainty might be the single most valuable skill you can build. Together, they unpack how to stay grounded when your work life shifts; why over-identifying with your job title is a liability; and how a strong financial plan gives you the foundation to take risks, make moves, and land on your feet. How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands AnswersThe Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work Download your free Family Finances workbook and plan for a future you can’t predict TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect with Simone Simone’s website: https://simonestolzoff.com/ Connect with Northwestern Mutual Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/ TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

Buying a home has never felt more daunting—and for a lot of people, it feels impossible to buy the right property for the right price. Real estate investor and podcast host Henry Washington has been there. He went from living paycheck to paycheck to building a portfolio of 100+ properties. He’s not here to make it sound easy; he’s here to make it feel possible. In this episode, Henry walks you through the “Investor Mindset” and the real-world cheat codes that help any buyer make a smarter move—wherever you are in the journey. First home or third, just starting to look or ready to sign: Henry has something for you. Download our free Family Finances Workbook and start mapping out your path to homeownership TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/  Connect with Henry Washington: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehenrywashington/ Real Estate Deal Maker - https://store.biggerpockets.com/products/real-estate-deal-maker? On the Market Podcast - https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcasts/on-the-market Connect with Northwestern Mutual: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutual Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

How is it that we can know exactly what to do with our money, and still not do it? Host Jennifer Borget sits down with behavioral scientist Dr. Wendy De La Rosa to shed light on the structural forces that make it so much easier to spend than save—and what to do about it. From blocking off a “Financial Health Day” to changing your credit card due date, you’ll learn how to change your psychology, habits and environment to build a more secure future.  Download your free Family Finances workbook and start building better habits TODAY: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/podcast/ Connect with Northwestern Mutual Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northwesternmutualInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwesternmutual/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/northwestern-mutual/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northwesternmutual

The world is changing fast, and your financial life is changing with it.  In Season 3 of A Better Way to Money, host Jennifer Borget and a lineup of renowned experts help you navigate your next several money moves. From AI reshaping careers to evolving ideas about retirement and what "enough" really means, we're leaning into the uncertainty of modern life and finding new opportunities to build something better—for right now and the future ahead.  New season kicks off April 16th.   Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-better-way-to-money/id1765519164 https://open.spotify.com/show/3Xl6IC9kkfx5DYD05tL1FS https://www.youtube.com/c/northwesternmutual

Money isn’t just math, it’s emotions, values, and tough conversations. In this bonus episode, financial therapist Aja Evans and Northwestern Mutual’s Lauren Yoder join host Jennifer to unpack two common money challenges: balancing priorities while raising kids and navigating financial secrets in relationships. They explore why emotions run high with money, how values shape decisions, and how planning with an advisor can ease stress and build alignment.  Listen to this episode and more on our website:https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-to-resolve-financial-conflict Connect with A Better Way to Money® on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/

Have you ever felt anxious that you’re not living out your life’s purpose... or worried you don’t even know what it is? Jordan Grumet, author of Taking Stock and The Purpose Code, is a hospice physician who left private practice to follow his passion for conversations about money, purpose and life. He joins Jennifer Borget to explore why purpose doesn’t have to be one big “what” but can be a series of meaningful “whys.” Jordan shares how you can define purpose on your own terms and align your financial life to support it.  Listen to this episode and more on our website: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/how-to-identify-your-purpose-and-build-your-life-around-it Link to No Regrets Bingo Card: https://www.northwesternmutual.com/assets/pdf/no-regrets-bingo-card.pdf Connect with A Better Way to Money® on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a-better-way-to-money-podcast/