Jewish Money Matters

B”H Today we’re getting rid of uncertainty, lack of confidence, and underpricing. Sound familiar? These might be exactly the limitations you’re trying to break free from this time of year. Well, my guest is here to help. Joining me today is Miriam Schulman, and she says you don’t need to be cheaper—you need to be reassuringly expensive. Creatives, this one’s for you… although honestly, these lessons apply across the board. Miriam is a luxury-market messaging and pricing strategist for creative entrepreneurs. She’s the author of Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your Creativity and host of The Inspiration Place podcast. She’s been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Igniting Creativity, and Where Women Create. Miriam helps creative entrepreneurs position their work as premium—what she calls “reassuringly expensive”—so they attract clients who value taste, certainty, and execution, not discounts. Today we break down what’s really holding you back from charging more, how to step into certainty, and what it takes to become—yes—reassuringly expensive. Here’s Miriam Schulman.   The post 461: Be Reassuringly Expensive: How to Price, Sell, and Build Confidence as a Creative appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H Today on Jewish Money Matters, Host Yael Trusch answers listener’s questions on: Investing on the growth of your side hustle when the reason you started it was to pay down debt – how do you do that without risking getting into more debt? A yeshiva student has twelve thousand dollars invested in Real Estate and fifteen thousand dollars sitting in a bank account and wants to know what to do with that cash. Finally, a listener is really skeptical about Trump accounts. What are they? And are they all they’re hyped up to be? The post 460: Ask Yael: Are Trump Accounts All They’re Hyped Up to Be appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H We’re challenging some communal norms today on Jewish Money Matters. Stay with me, because this conversation may be uncomfortable in the best possible way. My guest today is Rabbi Moshe Bane, president emeritus of the Orthodox Union. Rabbi Bane is also a retired senior partner at the international law firm of Ropes & Gray where he headed its department of Corporate Restructuring. Rabbi Bane has lectured and written extensively on issues relating to the American Jewish community, and was a co-founding editor of the journal, Klal Perspectives. In this episode, we talk about why the problem isn’t always the strategy—it might be the objective. And of course we relate that to money. Rabbi Bane shares insights from his popular Yeshiva University course, Designing Your Jewish Life, including the pursuit of wealth versus the pursuit of lifestyle, the “glory of failure,” and the money conversations husbands and wives need to be having. This is one insightful episode. Here’s Rabbi Moshe Bane. The post 459: Designing Your Jewish Life with Rabbi Moshe Bane appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H Today, you’ll hear what happens when a successful financial professional is helping others build wealth… while secretly drowning in debt and avoiding his own bill collectors. Yes — that’s part of my guest’s story. In this deeply honest and eye-opening conversation, financial trainer Avraham Byers shares his personal journey — from credit card chaos and financial avoidance to clarity, responsibility, and financial confidence. And in an unexpected plot twist, Avraham shares how choosing Judaism, despite his Catholic upbringing, reshaped not just his faith, but how he related to money. We explore why traditional budgeting often fails, how emotional and spiritual emptiness shows up in spending, and why true financial change begins inside — not in a spreadsheet. Avraham also introduces what he calls the “Magic Number,” his system for finally knowing how much you can actually spend. He explains why couples fight about money even when the numbers make sense, and shares how bitachon, responsibility, and values-based decision-making can transform not just your finances — but your life. Here’s Avraham Byers. The post 458: From Financial Shame to Financial Strength with Avraham Byers appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H Today’s episode is with Emily Guy Birken — Plutus Award–winning financial writer, author of five personal finance books, and a longtime friend of the show. Emily is back with a story you need to hear. If you’ve followed Emily’s work — from The 5 Years Before You Retire to End Financial Stress Now — you know she makes complex financial topics feel clear, relatable, even comforting. She’s written for AARP, Fast Company, Yahoo Finance… and she’s been helping readers make smart money decisions for over a decade. But today, Emily’s not here to talk about retirement, Social Security, or gamification. Today, she’s here to share something far more personal — and honestly, shocking. Because despite being raised by a financial planner… despite knowing estate planning backwards and forwards… despite doing everything “right”… Emily lived through a $5.5 million inheritance nightmare that will make you rethink how you set up your own estate plan. What went wrong, how it could’ve been prevented, and the lessons we all need to hear — that’s what this conversation is about. Here’s Emily Guy Birken. You can find Emily at emilyguybirken.com and all of her books on Amazon or anywhere books are sold.   The post 457: The $5.5 Million Inheritance Theft You Need to Know About with Emily Guy Birken appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H If you’re married — or if you ever plan to be, which I hope you do — today’s conversation is a must-listen. I’m in conversation with  Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier of Lakewood, New Jersey — author of Ten Really Dumb Mistakes That Very Smart Couples Make. You might know Rabbi Shafier already from TheShmuz.com, or from some of his books. Today we bring you an incredibly practical, eye-opening conversation. Here’s something you’ve asked many times and Rabbi Shafier addresses head on: Whose responsibility is it to provide financially for the family? And what about when the husband is in kollel?  Rabbi Shafier also boils the 10 Really Dumb Mistakes that very smart couples make down to just two. And trust me, you’ve probably made them. We get into the one thing that causes every single fight in marriage. Spoiler: it’s not money. The three pillars of a successful marriage. The two most important words in marriage. And ladies, the one thing that will absolutely shatter your husband. (So you can avoid it!) We discuss the role of financial provision and the role of managing the finances — and who should really be doing what. The answer may surprise you. And if you want to improve communication with your spouse, Rabbi Shafier gives you the exact question to ask yourself before you speak — plus the acronym that will transform your shalom bayit (and honestly, every relationship in your life). Here’s Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier.   The post 456: The 2 Dumb Mistakes Smart Couples Make, & Why Money Isn’t the Problem with Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H Is Astrology part of Judaism? Are we allowed to use it? If so, how do we use it? In today’s conversation we explore: What is kosher astrology, and of course, what isn’t it? How can you use it to maximize your potential, and live a life of real alignment with your soul’s mission? And of course — that leads us right into our money — can kosher astrology tell you how much money you or your business is going to make? No. But, don’t give up on me just yet, because what astrology can do for you, is going to be so much more valuable; and might actually give you the push to unleash your earnings potential. Rabbi Yitzchok Pinkesz is the Author of Kosher Astrology: A Jewish Guide to Celestial Wisdom. Rabbi Pinkesz is a Torah-observant astrologer who has been practicing astrology in accordance with the Torah for over 15 years. His fascination with personal transformation led to extensive research in Jewish philosophy, psychology, and astrology. Buckle up because the topic of this conversation is on the one hand really out there, and on the other hand it can be something that really grounds us. So if you’re going through a time where you feel like you’re all over the place, or you’re stumbling, or feeling like you’re fumbling in the dark, or you’re being really challenged in a particular way, I think you will find this conversation really comforting. I never imagined saying those words about astrology. But, alas here we are. Here’s Rabbi Yitzchok Pinkesz. You can find the book on Amazon or on his website kosherastro.com where you can also learn more, and even sign up for a Birth Chart Reading. The post 455: Kosher Astrology on Mazel, Mission & Money with Rabbi Yitzchok Pinkesz appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H Download the Mindful Spending Plan at yaeltrusch.com/msp Download the 10-Day Marriage Reset at offers.yaeltrusch.com/reset This week Yael Trusch will help listeners with the following questions on Ask Yael: How to make her husband feel like the provider when he’s learning in kollel full time and she’s the one earning the money. A listener is single and earning money but seems to be spending more than she feels she should. She’s feeling guilty about not having more saved up or invested. Another listener has the skill sets to bring in more money to her household, but is feeling torn about doing so. Should she? How should she think about this? The post 454: Ask Yael: I’m single and all my money is going on milkshakes and vacations! appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H This episode is brought to you by The Zionista Project. Check out the collection and join the community of proud zionistas at thezionistaproject.org. Today I’m joined by Rabbi Zalman Duchman, Executive Director of Colel Chabad. We’re talking about tzedakah and the many ways in which Colel Chabad has revolutionized tzedakah, including bringing the tzedakah pushka to your pocket through the MyPushka App. We speak about the origins of Colel Chabad and the tzedakah that Colel Chabad provides in the Land of Israel. Colel Chabad is the oldest continuously operating tzedakah organization in Eretz Israel. You won’t only learn about Colel Chabad and its activities, but you’ll learn about tzedakah itself. Rabbi Duchman shares some beautiful insights from the book of Tanya and from the different Chabad Rebbes that I hope will have a positive impact on your relationship with money, infuse your tzedakah with meaning, and with a sense of urgency. Stay tuned for a fun fact regarding what’s become a Jewish household staple, the pushkah. And of course, I truly hope that after listening to this interview, you download the MyPushkah app immediately on your phone and make use of it on a daily basis, as you’ll hear today about the power of continuous giving. To download the My Pushkah App, request a pushkah for your home or office, donate to Colel Chabad, and learn more head over to colelchabad.org The post 453: Revolutionizing Tzedaka with Rabbi Zalman Duchman Executive Director of Colel Chabad appeared first on Yael Trusch.

B”H This episode is brought to you by The Zionista Project. Check out the collection and join the community of proud zionistas at thezionistaproject.org. Today on Ask Yael, Jewish Money Matters Host Yael Trusch answers a listener whose getting stressed about her husband’s financial stress. Another listener heard that there are tax benefits to saving for kids’ weddings through custodial investment accounts. Is that the best way for her to save for her kids weddings? Sign up for the Ten Day Marriage Reset HERE. Sign up for The Art of The Money Date HERE. The post 452: Ask Yael: Should I use a custodial investment account to save for my kids’ weddings? appeared first on Yael Trusch.