Money Girl – Details, episodes & analysis

With U.S. consumer debt hitting a record $18.8 trillion, it’s time to see how your balances measure up. In this episode, Laura breaks down average debt by age group and type—from Gen Z’s $35k average to Gen X’s $158k peak—to help you determine if your debt is "healthy" or a hurdle to retirement.

Key Takeaways:

• The Big 4: Current averages for mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards.
• Debt Rules of Thumb: Learn the 30/30/3 rule for housing and the 20/4/10 rule for car buying.
• Know Your Ratios: How to calculate your Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio like a lender.
• Payoff Strategies: Why high-interest debt is "bad" and how to use consolidation or balance transfers to escape it.

Whether you're looking to buy a home or just sleep better at night, learn how to stop being "average" and start building wealth.

Find a transcript on your podcast player. 

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1005. Is your company "returning" your retirement savings? In this episode, Laura answers a listener question from Jay P., who is frustrated that his contributions keep getting bounced back as taxable income.

If you’re a high earner or a diligent saver, nothing is more frustrating than seeing your hard-earned 401(k) contributions returned to your checking account. But why does the IRS penalize you just because your coworkers aren’t saving enough?

In this episode, Laura breaks down the "Highly Compensated Employee" (HCE) rules and explains exactly why your retirement plan might be failing its annual nondiscrimination tests. More importantly, she shares the specific steps you can take to keep your momentum going even when your workplace plan hits a ceiling.

Laura goes over:

• The HCE Threshold: The specific 2026 income and ownership limits that trigger these IRS rules.
• The "Safe Harbor" Solution: How to pitch a plan upgrade to your HR department that eliminates testing forever.
• Tax Fallout: How to handle the tax liability of returned pre-tax vs. Roth contributions.
• Pivot Strategies: Three powerful "Plan B" accounts—including HSAs and Roth IRAs—to house your returned cash so it stays invested for the long haul.

Find a transcript here. 

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

996. This week, Laura reviews nine things you should never carry in your wallet to protect your identity and finances. 

Find a transcript here. 

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura reviews the differences between two popular retirement accounts for business owners, a solo 401(k) and SEP-IRA.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura answers a listener's question about whether to focus on eliminating mortgage PMI or paying down other debts first.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura reviews what you should know about homeowners and renters insurance to maximize benefits and cut costs.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura answers a listener's question about how to know if it's better to refinance a high-interest mortgage or to prepay it over time.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that Americans donate over $374 billion annually to charities? Giving back feels great, but did you know you can also maximize your tax savings in the process? In this episode, Laura shares nine expert tips to help you give smarter, whether it’s understanding IRS rules, choosing the right organizations, or leveraging tax-efficient strategies like donor-advised funds.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura answers a listener's question about finding the right digital savings account and gives tips for easily switching banks.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura reviews what happens to your assets and debts after your death, depending on your estate, marital status, and home state.

Money Girl is hosted by Laura Adams. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

Have a money question? Send an email to money@quickanddirtytips.com or leave a voicemail at (302) 364-0308.

Find Money Girl on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more personal finance tips.

Money Girl is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.

Links:

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/money-girl-newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/MoneyGirlQDT

https://twitter.com/LauraAdams

https://lauradadams.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.