WEBVTT - Take The Courage Challenge 0:00:08.300 --> 0:00:13.210 December 14th, 2025. Welcome everybody to the Women and Money 0:00:13.210 --> 0:00:17.379 podcast as well as everybody smart enough to listen. And yes, 0:00:17.620 --> 0:00:21.180 today is another Suze School, and we're almost coming down 0:00:21.180 --> 0:00:25.619 to the end of another year. Last Sunday, I did 0:00:25.620 --> 0:00:29.659 a Suze School about a woman that we decided to 0:00:29.659 --> 0:00:33.180 call Susan and what happened to her in terms of 0:00:33.180 --> 0:00:34.979 her very good friend 0:00:35.389 --> 0:00:38.869 asking her to take her money from a successful financial 0:00:38.869 --> 0:00:41.619 adviser where she was making money and give it to 0:00:41.619 --> 0:00:45.020 this woman's son who was a brand new financial adviser 0:00:45.020 --> 0:00:48.349 just so he could look like he was doing well 0:00:48.348 --> 0:00:52.299 and attracting big clients and cause her son was only 0:00:52.299 --> 0:00:56.029 going to charge her 1% versus this extraordinary adviser that 0:00:56.029 --> 0:00:58.709 was charging her 1.5%. If you don't know what I'm 0:00:58.709 --> 0:01:01.669 talking about, go back to last Sunday and listen to it. 0:01:02.419 --> 0:01:08.699 Well, I have to tell you that podcast generated more email. 0:01:09.370 --> 0:01:10.989 In a way that I didn't expect. 0:01:12.199 --> 0:01:15.800 So many of you wrote and said, Suze, that happens 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:20.239 to me all the time, not necessarily about me transferring 0:01:20.239 --> 0:01:24.040 my account, but I just get so afraid. One friend 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:26.199 tells me to do this, another friend tells me to 0:01:26.199 --> 0:01:28.720 do that. My spouse tells me to do this. I'm 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.959 just so afraid. And what can you tell me about 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:34.199 being afraid? 0:01:35.209 --> 0:01:39.729 So, what's interesting is that I hear from so many women, 0:01:39.809 --> 0:01:43.529 you would imagine that, the Women in Money podcast, and 0:01:43.529 --> 0:01:46.330 everybody smart enough to listen. But what I love so 0:01:46.330 --> 0:01:50.650 much about this podcast is that really the majority of 0:01:50.650 --> 0:01:55.610 people that are listening are 50, 60, 70, 80, and 0:01:55.610 --> 0:01:56.250 so on. 0:01:56.940 --> 0:02:01.180 I love that, because there's not another podcast out there 0:02:01.180 --> 0:02:06.660 that specializes in getting financially mature, financially older, the decisions 0:02:06.660 --> 0:02:09.339 you have to make and face when you are ill, 0:02:09.419 --> 0:02:12.380 when you are old, you can't work anymore. And I 0:02:12.380 --> 0:02:15.019 remember when I was 45 years of age and my 0:02:15.020 --> 0:02:17.299 first book was "You've Earned It, Don't Lose It, Mistakes 0:02:17.300 --> 0:02:19.580 You Can't Afford to Make When You Retire." But what 0:02:19.580 --> 0:02:24.008 did I know about retirement, really? I was 45. 0:02:24.940 --> 0:02:28.820 Now I am 30 years older than that, and I 0:02:28.820 --> 0:02:32.299 know a lot about retirement. I know about getting ill. 0:02:32.460 --> 0:02:38.059 I know about making mistakes. I know certain things. So 0:02:38.059 --> 0:02:43.809 I love that I have my elderly community, and I 0:02:43.809 --> 0:02:47.169 love the ones that are young enough, 25, 30, that 0:02:47.169 --> 0:02:48.960 are enjoying it as well. 0:02:50.169 --> 0:02:56.630 But what is still true from so many women is this: 0:02:57.369 --> 0:03:01.690 regardless of your age, regardless of your income level, even 0:03:01.690 --> 0:03:06.049 your background, all of your stories sound the same. 0:03:06.919 --> 0:03:11.710 That you're earning more than ever before, you're saving, you're investing, 0:03:11.758 --> 0:03:15.750 you're doing everything that I've told you to do over 0:03:15.750 --> 0:03:22.579 all these years, but deep down you are all still afraid. 0:03:23.279 --> 0:03:27.139 And I got two or three emails about three weeks ago, 0:03:27.679 --> 0:03:31.350 and these women were so accomplished, and the two of 0:03:31.350 --> 0:03:34.919 you know who you are, because I wrote you back 0:03:34.919 --> 0:03:41.039 significant long emails to help you and raise you up, 0:03:41.279 --> 0:03:44.240 not so much from your finances, but out of your 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:46.869 fear and out of your self-doubt. 0:03:48.339 --> 0:03:52.210 But all of you, you're still scared, you're scared that 0:03:52.210 --> 0:03:55.220 the market's gonna crash. You're scared that you're gonna make 0:03:55.220 --> 0:03:58.520 just one mistake and you're gonna lose it all. You're 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:03.550 scared that somehow it's going to all slip away. 0:04:04.419 --> 0:04:06.020 You know, I used to call it that we all 0:04:06.020 --> 0:04:09.979 have this bag lady syndrome that we imagined ourselves, not me, 0:04:10.020 --> 0:04:13.740 by the way, that we imagined ourselves being powerless and 0:04:13.740 --> 0:04:16.399 penniless and living on the streets. 0:04:17.100 --> 0:04:19.779 And the only way that could ever happen. 0:04:20.868 --> 0:04:25.269 It is if you're powerless, because remember you and your 0:04:25.269 --> 0:04:29.579 money are one and when you are powerless you tend 0:04:29.579 --> 0:04:32.967 to make mistakes with your money but when you're powerful 0:04:33.188 --> 0:04:37.188 you always tend to do the right thing and I 0:04:37.188 --> 0:04:40.229 just have to be honest, you know, cause it's starting 0:04:40.229 --> 0:04:43.269 to get to me, for I can teach you what 0:04:43.269 --> 0:04:46.647 to invest in but I have to tell you, everybody, 0:04:46.908 --> 0:04:48.328 that's just not enough. 0:04:49.190 --> 0:04:53.549 But I also need to teach you about fear because 0:04:53.559 --> 0:04:57.540 you can have money and still not have peace, and that, 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:02.570 my dear friends is not the way to live life. Remember, 0:05:02.609 --> 0:05:05.440 as I just said a second ago, you and your 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:09.679 money are one. So if you fear your money, you 0:05:09.678 --> 0:05:12.420 in essence are fearing yourself. 0:05:13.459 --> 0:05:15.820 So, here is what I need you to get once again, 0:05:15.899 --> 0:05:18.940 and I have told you this before, but since this 0:05:18.940 --> 0:05:22.019 is Suze School, how about if we take out our 0:05:22.019 --> 0:05:25.059 Suze notebooks and we write this down. 0:05:26.640 --> 0:05:30.959 Money doesn't erase fear. Do you remember me telling you this? 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:32.149 Courage does. 0:05:34.119 --> 0:05:38.459 Courage, one of the eight qualities of a wealthy woman. 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:45.410 Actually, the third quality, just so you know, courage is 0:05:45.410 --> 0:05:49.670 what shows up when you finally stop running from your 0:05:49.670 --> 0:05:55.070 finances and start standing in your power, when you stop 0:05:55.070 --> 0:05:57.709 running from self-doubt. 0:05:58.488 --> 0:06:01.409 My 2nd book that I ever wrote was "The 9 0:06:01.410 --> 0:06:04.489 Steps to Financial Freedom" and truthfully, in my opinion, the 0:06:04.488 --> 0:06:05.750 best book I ever wrote. 0:06:06.519 --> 0:06:10.049 And I would always say, if you can just take 0:06:10.049 --> 0:06:13.329 one step towards your money, which means taking one step 0:06:13.329 --> 0:06:16.049 towards yourself, since you and your money are one. 0:06:17.420 --> 0:06:22.070 You and your money will take nine steps back towards you. 0:06:23.209 --> 0:06:26.190 But you know, the truth is I've seen it over 0:06:26.190 --> 0:06:27.769 and over again. 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:30.099 Women who are brilliant. 0:06:31.049 --> 0:06:33.589 Women who are responsible, hardworking. 0:06:34.589 --> 0:06:41.700 Yet for some reason they carry this quiet anxiety about money. 0:06:43.250 --> 0:06:45.209 And a lot of the women that I've been writing 0:06:45.209 --> 0:06:48.609 back and forth with, not like they're only making 10,000 0:06:48.609 --> 0:06:53.690 a year, they're making 100,000 a year, 150,000, one's making 350,000, 0:06:53.730 --> 0:06:56.010 and she's still scared to death. 0:06:57.200 --> 0:06:58.290 So what do they do? 0:06:59.140 --> 0:07:04.589 They check their accounts constantly. They second guess every decision. 0:07:04.980 --> 0:07:09.799 They feel guilty for spending and worried about not saving enough. 0:07:10.700 --> 0:07:14.700 And here's the truth, the fear isn't about numbers. It's 0:07:14.700 --> 0:07:15.660 about trust. 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:20.630 Trusting yourself, trusting that you know what's right for you, 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:25.309 trusting that you can handle everything and whatever comes next. 0:07:26.630 --> 0:07:30.730 And when you build everybody that kind of trust with yourself. 0:07:31.519 --> 0:07:37.380 That's when your relationship with money and who you are transforms, 0:07:38.239 --> 0:07:43.559 because fear can't survive where confidence lives, you know, I 0:07:43.559 --> 0:07:45.230 just want to say this a little and then I'll 0:07:45.230 --> 0:07:50.190 go on with this. I have a sister-in-law, KT's twin sister, 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:52.920 and Lynn, I know you're gonna hear this, and I'm 0:07:52.920 --> 0:07:55.040 so proud of her. 0:07:55.769 --> 0:07:58.200 And I may have told you this again a little 0:07:58.200 --> 0:07:59.970 bit ago because I never know what I say or 0:07:59.970 --> 0:08:01.649 I don't because I just kind of speak in the 0:08:01.649 --> 0:08:05.140 microphone and I never remember what I've said after I 0:08:05.140 --> 0:08:07.709 said it, so excuse me if I already told you this, 0:08:08.290 --> 0:08:11.209 but I'm so proud of her and her husband Tom, 0:08:11.309 --> 0:08:15.529 by the way, and Lynn is starting to really learn 0:08:15.529 --> 0:08:21.809 about stocks and feeling confident enough about deciding what stocks 0:08:21.809 --> 0:08:25.070 she wants to buy with their money. 0:08:25.859 --> 0:08:29.140 I love that. I love that. I love that. 0:08:30.179 --> 0:08:35.369 But here's the truth. What I find fascinating is that, 0:08:35.619 --> 0:08:40.359 do you know that women today, women, women control nearly 0:08:40.359 --> 0:08:43.979 1/3 of all the wealth in this country? Can you 0:08:43.979 --> 0:08:48.650 just imagine that? And that number is growing every single year. 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:51.659 But still, 0:08:52.679 --> 0:09:00.559 Most women say they don't feel confident making financial decisions, really, everybody? 0:09:01.669 --> 0:09:02.309 Really? 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:07.260 But, you know what's so funny, when women do invest, 0:09:07.799 --> 0:09:13.780 studies show that they all outperform men, because women are steady, 0:09:14.119 --> 0:09:17.140 they're thoughtful, and they think long term. 0:09:18.390 --> 0:09:21.468 So maybe we need to stop calling this and where 0:09:21.469 --> 0:09:25.190 everybody says, Suze, I wanna be risk averse. Please, I 0:09:25.190 --> 0:09:28.210 don't want to invest my money. I wanna be risk averse, 0:09:28.830 --> 0:09:31.929 and I keep telling them that's not what you wanna be, 0:09:32.429 --> 0:09:34.619 you wanna be what I call risk aware. 0:09:36.150 --> 0:09:40.250 Write it down. Where you are aware of the risk 0:09:40.250 --> 0:09:43.750 that you are taking. Is it a big risk? Is 0:09:43.750 --> 0:09:46.630 it a small risk? It is a risk to do 0:09:46.630 --> 0:09:51.869 absolutely nothing. I want you to be risk aware, and 0:09:51.869 --> 0:09:59.950 that's exactly what will build wealth that lasts you forever. Awareness, preparation, 0:10:00.020 --> 0:10:03.830 and courage. That's the real power trio, everybody. 0:10:04.659 --> 0:10:07.429 Those are the three things I want you to be 0:10:07.429 --> 0:10:11.090 now in this coming year. I want you to be aware. 0:10:11.349 --> 0:10:13.630 I want you to prepare, and I want you to 0:10:13.630 --> 0:10:14.650 have courage. 0:10:15.900 --> 0:10:18.108 But let's be honest, and let me go back a 0:10:18.109 --> 0:10:19.109 second here. 0:10:20.030 --> 0:10:25.500 Because fear has been following women and money for generations, 0:10:25.750 --> 0:10:30.090 which is why I wrote the book Women and Money, 0:10:30.590 --> 0:10:34.750 maybe the second greatest book I ever wrote. 0:10:35.760 --> 0:10:38.478 Cause you know, women, it's true, and if you think 0:10:38.479 --> 0:10:41.580 that we're not socialized to think this, you are wrong 0:10:42.080 --> 0:10:44.119 because I know when I'm in a room with people 0:10:44.119 --> 0:10:46.559 and I just freely talk about money, you know, how 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:48.719 much was that? How much do you make? How much 0:10:48.719 --> 0:10:52.140 did you spend? What's your real estate commission, all of that. 0:10:52.719 --> 0:10:56.400 They look at me like I am nuts, and that's 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:57.299 because women. 0:10:58.109 --> 0:11:02.359 We were taught that talking about money was impolite, that 0:11:02.359 --> 0:11:08.900 asking questions made us difficult, that wanting independence made us selfish. 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:13.900 But I got news for you, everybody. Starting with this podcast, 0:11:14.359 --> 0:11:19.598 those days are over. Financial fear is not your inheritance, 0:11:19.719 --> 0:11:23.119 do you hear me? It's a habit, and habits can 0:11:23.119 --> 0:11:24.080 be broken. 0:11:24.690 --> 0:11:27.820 And the way you break it is with knowledge. You 0:11:27.820 --> 0:11:31.659 learn to plan. You take small actions, and before you 0:11:31.659 --> 0:11:36.809 know it, you have built confidence. And when confidence shows up, 0:11:36.859 --> 0:11:41.500 I'm here to tell you everybody, fear packs up and leaves. 0:11:42.539 --> 0:11:45.978 So, here's your courage challenge for the week, and I 0:11:45.979 --> 0:11:47.840 may have given this to you before. 0:11:48.609 --> 0:11:51.179 But if I have, you need to still do it. 0:11:52.190 --> 0:11:56.270 Step one, I want you to name the fear. What 0:11:56.270 --> 0:11:59.589 are you afraid of? And I want you to write 0:11:59.590 --> 0:12:02.710 it down, and I don't want you to sugarcoat it. 0:12:05.700 --> 0:12:09.260 Then, I want you to just face the facts. I 0:12:09.260 --> 0:12:12.280 want you to look at your numbers. You can't change 0:12:12.820 --> 0:12:15.820 what you won't confront. And the reason that I want 0:12:15.820 --> 0:12:18.739 you to do that is, given the women that I've 0:12:18.739 --> 0:12:21.619 been doing plans with who have written me that touched 0:12:21.619 --> 0:12:25.799 my heart, so I answered them personally, once they saw 0:12:25.979 --> 0:12:27.659 the numbers really. 0:12:28.539 --> 0:12:33.140 They weren't afraid any more. They weren't afraid cause they 0:12:33.140 --> 0:12:38.340 saw the truth, the truth that they weren't willing to 0:12:38.340 --> 0:12:38.900 look at. 0:12:39.580 --> 0:12:43.989 And step three, can you just make one small move, 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:44.710 just one. 0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:49.520 Whether it's increase your automatic savings, or maybe you're adjusting 0:12:49.520 --> 0:12:53.760 your investment allocation up to you, or maybe you're asking 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:56.799 one financial question you've been afraid to ask. 0:12:57.809 --> 0:13:03.809 But just take one small move and step four, rinse 0:13:03.809 --> 0:13:04.590 and repeat. 0:13:05.450 --> 0:13:10.450 Because courage isn't built in a moment, it's not. It's 0:13:10.450 --> 0:13:11.789 built in motion. 0:13:12.590 --> 0:13:16.179 And here again is what I want you to remember 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:18.299 from this podcast. 0:13:19.049 --> 0:13:23.890 Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the decision to 0:13:23.890 --> 0:13:28.770 move forward despite it. Did you hear me? Courage isn't 0:13:28.770 --> 0:13:33.530 the absence of fear. It's the decision to move forward 0:13:33.530 --> 0:13:37.750 despite it. Remember, you don't need permission to be powerful 0:13:37.750 --> 0:13:40.809 cause you already are. You know I've said this before, 0:13:40.849 --> 0:13:45.150 that in China they say women hold up half the sky. 0:13:45.989 --> 0:13:49.349 And I've always said, but in the United States of America, 0:13:49.719 --> 0:13:54.359 women hold up the entire sky. I believe from the 0:13:54.359 --> 0:13:56.640 bottom of my heart that you have more power in 0:13:56.640 --> 0:14:00.960 your little finger women than everybody else, and I'll let 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:05.380 you decide who that is, have in both of their hands. 0:14:06.239 --> 0:14:08.799 So don't wait for the right time. I don't want 0:14:08.799 --> 0:14:11.320 you to wait for the right market. I don't want 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:14.179 you to wait for someone to come and rescue you. 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:18.960 You've got the money, now it's time to get the courage. 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:25.520 All right, a very short podcast, just 10 days from 0:14:25.679 --> 0:14:27.179 the holiday season. 0:14:28.090 --> 0:14:30.450 However, there's only one thing that I want you to 0:14:30.450 --> 0:14:33.250 remember when it comes to your money, and it is this: 0:14:33.690 --> 0:14:39.840 people first, then money, then things. Now you stay safe. 0:14:40.130 --> 0:14:40.789 Bye bye.