WEBVTT - Taking The Courage Challenge 0:00:08.810 --> 0:00:13.250 June 14th, 2026. Welcome to the Women and Money podcast, 0:00:13.289 --> 0:00:16.360 as well as everyone smart enough to listen. Hi everybody, Robert, 0:00:16.489 --> 0:00:19.259 the producer here. Now, I know that on the last 0:00:19.260 --> 0:00:22.290 Ask KT and Suze Anything episode, Suze mentioned that she 0:00:22.290 --> 0:00:24.909 was thinking about going over her faves today. 0:00:25.790 --> 0:00:28.670 But see, I needed to travel this weekend, and I 0:00:28.670 --> 0:00:30.870 asked Suze if we could do a best of today 0:00:30.870 --> 0:00:32.950 as a favor to me, since I'm gonna be in 0:00:32.950 --> 0:00:36.229 a place with kind of dodgy internet and editing might 0:00:36.229 --> 0:00:39.150 be a little tough. And Suze Orman, being the best 0:00:39.150 --> 0:00:42.348 boss and friend ever, said that was OK. 0:00:42.939 --> 0:00:45.729 So what we're gonna do today is revisit an episode 0:00:45.729 --> 0:00:49.020 from late last year, which is also really good to 0:00:49.020 --> 0:00:51.740 have at the top of your feed right now. It's 0:00:51.740 --> 0:00:55.180 called Taking the Courage Challenge. Suze and KT will be 0:00:55.180 --> 0:00:58.459 back with a brand new podcast this coming Thursday. 0:00:59.209 --> 0:00:59.909 Enjoy. 0:01:03.349 --> 0:01:07.230 I did a Suze School about a woman that we 0:01:07.230 --> 0:01:08.550 decided to call Susan. 0:01:09.019 --> 0:01:12.110 And what happened to her in terms of her very 0:01:12.110 --> 0:01:15.980 good friend asking her to take her money from a 0:01:15.980 --> 0:01:19.339 successful financial adviser where she was making money and give 0:01:19.339 --> 0:01:21.580 it to this woman's son who was a brand new 0:01:21.580 --> 0:01:25.809 financial adviser just so he could look like he was 0:01:25.809 --> 0:01:29.819 doing well and attracting big clients and because her son 0:01:29.819 --> 0:01:33.339 was only going to charge her 1% versus this extraordinary 0:01:33.339 --> 0:01:35.569 adviser that was charging her 1.5%. 0:01:36.410 --> 0:01:42.669 Well, I have to tell you that podcast generated more email, 0:01:43.360 --> 0:01:44.980 in a way that I didn't expect. 0:01:46.180 --> 0:01:49.779 So many of you wrote and said, Suze, that happens 0:01:49.779 --> 0:01:54.220 to me all the time, not necessarily about me transferring 0:01:54.220 --> 0:01:58.019 my account, but I just get so afraid. One friend 0:01:58.019 --> 0:02:00.180 tells me to do this, another friend tells me to 0:02:00.180 --> 0:02:02.699 do that. My spouse tells me to do this. I'm 0:02:02.699 --> 0:02:06.959 just so afraid. And what can you tell me about 0:02:06.959 --> 0:02:08.179 being afraid? 0:02:09.199 --> 0:02:13.720 So, what's interesting is that I hear from so many women, 0:02:13.800 --> 0:02:17.519 you would imagine that, the Women and Money podcast, and 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.320 everybody's smart enough to listen. But what I love so 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:24.638 much about this podcast is that really the majority of 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:29.600 people that are listening are 50, 60, 70, 80, and 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:30.240 so on. 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:35.020 I love that because there's not another podcast out there 0:02:35.139 --> 0:02:40.639 that specializes in getting financially mature, financially older, the decisions 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.320 you have to make and face when you are ill, 0:02:43.399 --> 0:02:46.360 when you are old, you can't work anymore. And I 0:02:46.360 --> 0:02:49.000 remember when I was 45 years of age and my 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:51.279 first book was You've Earned It, Don't Lose It, Mistakes 0:02:51.279 --> 0:02:53.589 You Can't Afford to Make When You Retire. But what 0:02:53.589 --> 0:02:57.978 did I know about retirement, really? I was 45. 0:02:58.929 --> 0:03:02.809 Now I am 30 years older than that, and I 0:03:02.809 --> 0:03:06.289 know a lot about retirement. I know about getting ill. 0:03:06.449 --> 0:03:12.000 I know about making mistakes. I know certain things. So, 0:03:12.008 --> 0:03:17.770 I love that I have my elderly community, and I 0:03:17.770 --> 0:03:21.160 love the ones that are young enough, 25, 30, that 0:03:21.160 --> 0:03:22.948 are enjoying it as well. 0:03:24.149 --> 0:03:30.609 But what is still true from so many women is this... 0:03:31.270 --> 0:03:35.669 Regardless of your age, regardless of your income level, even 0:03:35.669 --> 0:03:40.029 your background, all of your stories sound the same. 0:03:40.910 --> 0:03:45.699 That you're earning more than ever before, you're saving, you're investing, 0:03:45.750 --> 0:03:49.710 you're doing everything that I've told you to do over 0:03:49.710 --> 0:03:56.570 all these years, but deep down you are all still afraid. 0:03:57.270 --> 0:04:01.210 And I got two or three emails about three weeks ago, 0:04:01.669 --> 0:04:05.339 and these women were so accomplished, and the two of 0:04:05.339 --> 0:04:08.889 you know who you are, because I wrote you back 0:04:08.889 --> 0:04:15.029 significant long emails to help you and raise you up, 0:04:15.270 --> 0:04:18.230 not so much from your finances, but out of your 0:04:18.230 --> 0:04:20.829 fear and out of your self-doubt. 0:04:22.329 --> 0:04:26.200 But all of you, you're still scared, you're scared that 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:29.209 the market's gonna crash. You're scared that you're gonna make 0:04:29.209 --> 0:04:32.489 just one mistake and you're gonna lose it all. You're 0:04:32.488 --> 0:04:37.529 scared that somehow it's going to all slip away. 0:04:38.428 --> 0:04:39.988 You know, I used to call it that we all 0:04:39.988 --> 0:04:43.950 have this bag lady syndrome that we imagined ourselves, not me, 0:04:44.029 --> 0:04:47.708 by the way, that we imagined ourselves being powerless and 0:04:47.709 --> 0:04:50.450 penniless and living on the streets. 0:04:51.089 --> 0:04:53.769 And the only way that could ever happen. 0:04:54.859 --> 0:04:59.260 It is if you're powerless cause remember you and your 0:04:59.260 --> 0:05:03.579 money are one and when you are powerless you tend 0:05:03.579 --> 0:05:06.959 to make mistakes with your money but when you're powerful 0:05:07.178 --> 0:05:11.140 you always tend to do the right thing and I 0:05:11.140 --> 0:05:14.178 just have to be honest, you know, cause it's starting 0:05:14.178 --> 0:05:17.260 to get to me, for I can teach you what 0:05:17.260 --> 0:05:20.640 to invest in, but I have to tell you, everybody, 0:05:20.899 --> 0:05:22.320 that's just not enough. 0:05:23.170 --> 0:05:27.529 But I also need to teach you about fear because 0:05:27.540 --> 0:05:31.539 you can have money and still not have peace, and that, 0:05:31.579 --> 0:05:36.579 my dear friends is not the way to live life. Remember, 0:05:36.619 --> 0:05:39.420 as I just said a second ago you and your 0:05:39.420 --> 0:05:43.660 money are one. So if you fear your money, you 0:05:43.660 --> 0:05:46.480 in essence are fearing yourself. 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:49.828 So, here is what I need you to get once again, 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:52.920 and I have told you this before, but since this 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:56.000 is Suze School, how about if we take out our 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:59.039 Suze notebooks and we write this down. 0:06:00.619 --> 0:06:04.979 Money doesn't erase fear. Do you remember me telling you this? 0:06:05.459 --> 0:06:06.980 Courage does. 0:06:08.109 --> 0:06:12.450 Courage, one of the eight qualities of a wealthy woman. 0:06:13.829 --> 0:06:19.380 Actually, the third quality, just so you know, courage is 0:06:19.380 --> 0:06:23.659 what shows up when you finally stop running from your 0:06:23.660 --> 0:06:29.058 finances and start standing in your power, when you stop 0:06:29.059 --> 0:06:31.660 running from self-doubt. 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.399 My second book that I ever wrote was The 9 0:06:35.399 --> 0:06:38.479 Steps to Financial Freedom, and truthfully, in my opinion, the 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:39.719 best book I ever wrote. 0:06:40.500 --> 0:06:44.029 And I would always say, if you can just take 0:06:44.029 --> 0:06:47.308 one step towards your money, which means taking one step 0:06:47.309 --> 0:06:50.029 towards yourself, since you and your money are one. 0:06:51.380 --> 0:06:56.059 You and your money will take 9 steps back towards you. 0:06:57.209 --> 0:07:00.200 But you know, the truth is I've seen it over 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:01.779 and over again. 0:07:02.738 --> 0:07:04.118 Women who are brilliant. 0:07:05.070 --> 0:07:07.589 Women who are responsible, hardworking. 0:07:08.579 --> 0:07:15.730 Yet for some reason they carry this quiet anxiety about money. 0:07:17.209 --> 0:07:19.170 And a lot of the women that I've been writing 0:07:19.170 --> 0:07:22.609 back and forth with, not like they're only making 10,000 0:07:22.609 --> 0:07:27.690 a year, they're making 100,000 a year, 150,000, one's making 350,000, 0:07:27.709 --> 0:07:29.989 and she's still scared to death. 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:32.250 So what do they do? 0:07:33.089 --> 0:07:38.589 They check their accounts constantly. They second guess every decision. 0:07:38.970 --> 0:07:43.750 They feel guilty for spending and worried about not saving enough. 0:07:44.679 --> 0:07:48.679 And here's the truth, the fear isn't about numbers. It's 0:07:48.679 --> 0:07:49.640 about trust. 0:07:50.459 --> 0:07:54.619 Trusting yourself, trusting that you know what's right for you, 0:07:54.980 --> 0:07:59.309 trusting that you can handle everything and whatever comes next. 0:08:00.630 --> 0:08:04.839 And when you build everybody that kind of trust with yourself, 0:08:05.559 --> 0:08:11.649 that's when your relationship with money and who you are transforms, 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:17.519 because fear can't survive where confidence lives. You know, I 0:08:17.519 --> 0:08:19.190 just want to say this a little, and then I'll 0:08:19.190 --> 0:08:20.260 go on with this. 0:08:21.109 --> 0:08:24.709 I have a sister-in-law, KT's twin sister, and Lynn, I 0:08:24.709 --> 0:08:28.329 know you're going to hear this, and I'm so proud 0:08:28.339 --> 0:08:29.029 of her. 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:32.190 And I may have told you this again a little 0:08:32.190 --> 0:08:33.959 bit ago because I never know what I say or 0:08:33.960 --> 0:08:35.640 I don't cause I just kind of speak in the 0:08:35.640 --> 0:08:39.119 microphone and I never remember what I've said after I 0:08:39.119 --> 0:08:41.739 said it, so excuse me if I already told you this, 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:45.200 but I'm so proud of her and her husband Tom, 0:08:45.289 --> 0:08:49.520 by the way, and Lynn is starting to really learn 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:55.799 about stocks and feeling confident enough about deciding what stocks 0:08:55.799 --> 0:08:59.059 she wants to buy with their money. 0:08:59.830 --> 0:09:03.109 I love that. I love that. I love that. 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:09.329 But here's the truth. What I find fascinating is that, 0:09:09.609 --> 0:09:14.349 do you know that women today, women, women control nearly 0:09:14.349 --> 0:09:17.968 a third of all the wealth in this country? Can you 0:09:17.969 --> 0:09:22.640 just imagine that? And that number is growing every single year. 0:09:24.500 --> 0:09:30.760 But still, most women say they don't feel confident making 0:09:31.140 --> 0:09:34.580 financial decisions, really, everybody. 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:35.409 Really. 0:09:37.859 --> 0:09:41.239 But, you know what's so funny, when women do invest, 0:09:41.780 --> 0:09:47.789 studies show that they all outperform men, because women are steady, 0:09:48.099 --> 0:09:51.280 they're thoughtful, and they think long term. 0:09:52.380 --> 0:09:55.460 So maybe we need to stop calling this and where 0:09:55.460 --> 0:09:58.880 everybody says, Suze, I want to be risk averse. Please, 0:09:59.020 --> 0:10:00.820 I don't want to invest my money. I want to 0:10:00.820 --> 0:10:02.098 be risk averse. 0:10:02.830 --> 0:10:05.320 And I keep telling them that's not what you want 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:09.569 to be. You want to be what I call risk aware. 0:10:10.200 --> 0:10:14.299 Write it down. Where you are aware of the risk 0:10:14.299 --> 0:10:17.718 that you are taking. Is it a big risk? Is 0:10:17.719 --> 0:10:20.598 it a small risk? It is a risk to do 0:10:20.599 --> 0:10:25.840 absolutely nothing. I want you to be risk aware, and 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:31.049 that's exactly what will build wealth that lasts you forever. 0:10:31.770 --> 0:10:37.809 Awareness, preparation, and courage, that's the real power trio, everybody. 0:10:38.650 --> 0:10:41.799 Those are the three things I want you to be now. 0:10:41.929 --> 0:10:44.960 I want you to be aware. I want you to prepare, 0:10:45.130 --> 0:10:47.049 and I want you to have courage. 0:10:48.309 --> 0:10:50.520 But let's be honest, and let me go back a 0:10:50.520 --> 0:10:51.520 second here. 0:10:52.359 --> 0:10:57.869 Because fear has been following women and money for generations, 0:10:58.159 --> 0:11:02.478 which is why I wrote the book Women and Money, 0:11:03.000 --> 0:11:07.159 maybe the second greatest book I ever wrote. 0:11:08.169 --> 0:11:10.890 'Cause, you know, women, it's true, and if you think 0:11:10.890 --> 0:11:14.070 that we're not socialized to think this, you are wrong, 0:11:14.489 --> 0:11:16.530 because I know when I'm in a room with people 0:11:16.530 --> 0:11:18.969 and I just freely talk about money, I know, how 0:11:18.969 --> 0:11:21.130 much was that? How much do you make? How much 0:11:21.130 --> 0:11:24.549 did you spend? What's your real estate commission, all of that, 0:11:25.130 --> 0:11:28.809 they look at me like I am nuts, and that's 0:11:28.809 --> 0:11:29.710 because women. 0:11:30.520 --> 0:11:34.770 We were taught that talking about money was impolite, that 0:11:34.770 --> 0:11:41.309 asking questions made us difficult, that wanting independence made us selfish. 0:11:41.489 --> 0:11:46.309 But I got news for you, everybody. Starting with this podcast, 0:11:46.770 --> 0:11:52.010 those days are over. Financial fear is not your inheritance, 0:11:52.130 --> 0:11:55.530 do you hear me? It's a habit, and habits can 0:11:55.530 --> 0:11:56.489 be broken. 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:00.239 And the way you break it is with knowledge. You 0:12:00.239 --> 0:12:04.080 learn to plan. You take small actions, and before you 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:09.159 know it, you have built confidence. And when confidence shows up, 0:12:09.239 --> 0:12:13.900 I'm here to tell you, everybody, fear packs up and leaves. 0:12:14.929 --> 0:12:18.409 So, here's your courage challenge for the week, and I 0:12:18.409 --> 0:12:20.228 may have given this to you before. 0:12:21.020 --> 0:12:23.590 But if I have, you need to still do it. 0:12:24.609 --> 0:12:28.679 Step one, I want you to name the fear. What 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:32.000 are you afraid of? And I want you to write 0:12:32.000 --> 0:12:35.079 it down, and I don't want you to sugarcoat it. 0:12:36.369 --> 0:12:41.690 Then, I want you to just face the facts. I 0:12:41.690 --> 0:12:44.679 want you to look at your numbers. You can't change 0:12:45.219 --> 0:12:48.218 what you won't confront. And the reason that I want 0:12:48.219 --> 0:12:51.140 you to do that is, given the women that I've 0:12:51.140 --> 0:12:54.020 been doing plans with who have written me that touched 0:12:54.020 --> 0:12:58.239 my heart, so I answered them personally, once they saw 0:12:58.409 --> 0:13:00.098 the numbers really. 0:13:00.950 --> 0:13:05.549 They weren't afraid any more. They weren't afraid cause they 0:13:05.549 --> 0:13:10.750 saw the truth, the truth that they weren't willing to 0:13:10.750 --> 0:13:11.309 look at. 0:13:11.989 --> 0:13:16.400 And step three, can you just make one small move, 0:13:16.479 --> 0:13:17.119 just one. 0:13:17.919 --> 0:13:21.919 Whether it's increase your automatic savings, or maybe you're adjusting 0:13:21.919 --> 0:13:24.020 your investment allocation up to you. 0:13:24.849 --> 0:13:28.330 Or maybe you're asking one financial question you've been afraid 0:13:28.330 --> 0:13:29.210 to ask. 0:13:30.210 --> 0:13:36.218 But just take one small move and step four, rinse 0:13:36.219 --> 0:13:36.880 and repeat. 0:13:37.869 --> 0:13:42.829 Because courage isn't built in a moment, it's not. It's 0:13:42.830 --> 0:13:44.189 built in motion. 0:13:44.979 --> 0:13:48.609 And here again is what I want you to remember 0:13:49.150 --> 0:13:55.150 from this podcast. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's 0:13:55.150 --> 0:13:59.690 the decision to move forward despite it. Did you hear me? 0:14:00.349 --> 0:14:04.630 Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the decision to 0:14:04.630 --> 0:14:06.989 move forward despite it. 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:10.709 Remember, you don't need permission to be powerful cause you 0:14:10.710 --> 0:14:14.819 already are. You know, I've said this before that in China, 0:14:14.989 --> 0:14:17.559 they say women hold up half the sky. 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:21.760 And I've always said, but in the United States of America, 0:14:22.130 --> 0:14:26.770 women hold up the entire sky. I believe from the 0:14:26.770 --> 0:14:29.049 bottom of my heart that you have more power in 0:14:29.049 --> 0:14:33.369 your little finger women than everybody else, and I'll let 0:14:33.369 --> 0:14:37.789 you decide who that is, have in both of their hands. 0:14:38.650 --> 0:14:41.210 So don't wait for the right time. I don't want 0:14:41.210 --> 0:14:43.729 you to wait for the right market. I don't want 0:14:43.729 --> 0:14:46.590 you to wait for someone to come and rescue you. 0:14:47.010 --> 0:14:51.380 You've got the money now. It's time to get the courage. 0:14:52.179 --> 0:14:55.059 All right, there's only one thing that I want you 0:14:55.059 --> 0:14:57.210 to remember when it comes to your money, and it 0:14:57.210 --> 0:15:03.159 is this people first, then money, then things. Now you 0:15:03.580 --> 0:15:05.599 stay safe. Bye-bye.