Personal Finance With Molly

Molly Ford-Coates
  • 3.0 (2)
  • Investing

What if the biggest obstacle to your financial success isn't your income — it's your mind? Personal Finance With Molly is the podcast where money, mindset, and behavior intersect. Each week, I, Molly, break down the psychology behind your financial decisions, helping you understand why you spend, save, and invest the way you do — and how to make smarter choices starting today. From unpacking cognitive biases that quietly drain your wallet to exploring the emotional patterns behind debt and wealth-building, this show turns behavioral finance research into real, actionable guidance for everyday people. Whether you're just starting your financial journey or looking to break habits that have held you back for years, Personal Finance With Molly gives you the tools to rewire your relationship with money — one episode at a time. Subscribe, and start thinking differently about your finances.

  1. 2d ago

    The $40,000 Raise That Changed Nothing

    Send us Fan Mail The Raise You Never Actually Got: Why Your Bank Account Feels the Same (Or Worse) at Every Income Level Episode Description You got the raise. You got the bonus. You got the big win. So why does your bank account still feel the same — or somehow tighter? This episode is a fun, funny, deeply honest look at lifestyle creep: the sneaky, universal way our spending rises to meet (and sprint past) our income, without us ever really "deciding" it should. We'll cover the psychology behind it (hello, hedonic treadmill), a full confession from the host's own life, the disguises lifestyle creep loves to wear, and — most importantly — four real tools to keep more of the raise you worked so hard for, without giving up the things that actually make life feel good. Key Takeaways Lifestyle creep isn't a discipline problem — it's a natural result of how brains adapt, compare, and rationalize. It happens to financially savvy people too.The problem isn't spending more. It's spending more without noticing, so a rising income never actually translates into more security or progress.Not all lifestyle creep is bad. The real test is whether a purchase was consciously chosen or just quietly accreted.Small, individually "reasonable" purchases are often where creep hides best — subscriptions, treats, travel upgrades, and housing lead the list.You don't have to choose between enjoying your money and building your future. A little structure lets you do both.Four Tools From This Episode Automate the raise before you feel it — redirect a set portion of any raise or bonus to savings/investing immediately, and let yourself freely enjoy the rest.Give upgrades a waiting period, not a ban — a short pause before any new recurring expense becomes permanent.Run a values audit, not a guilt audit — a quarterly, judgment-free look at what spending felt worth it, and what didn't.Name your personal creep triggers — the specific moments (promotions, moves, hard weeks) when your spending is most likely to drift. Share This Episode Know someone who just got a promotion, raise, or big win? Send them this one — it's the episode that helps you actually keep the benefit of good news, instead of watching it quietly evaporate. Support the show

  2. Aug 3

    The 2-Second Money Habit That Changes Everything

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary Willpower is unreliable — especially by the end of a long day. This episode explores habit stacking, a behavior-change technique that attaches a new money habit to an existing automatic routine so it runs on autopilot instead of motivation. We unpack the behavioral science behind why this works (habit loops, implementation intentions, decision fatigue, and choice architecture), walk through real money habit stacks you can use immediately, and build a simple, repeatable four-step formula for creating your own. Key Takeaways •      Habit stacking = "After [current habit], I will [new habit]." Borrow the momentum of something you already do automatically. •      Money habits often lack a natural cue — habit stacking gives them one, which removes the need for memory or willpower. •      Small, specific, and consistently placed beats big, vague, and occasional — every time. •      A skipped day doesn't break the loop. Just return to the anchor next time it comes around. Academic & Book References •      Clear, J. Atomic Habits. Avery, 2018. •      Fogg, BJ. Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. •      Duhigg, C. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House, 2012. •      Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503. •      Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Muraven, M., & Tice, D. M. (1998). Ego depletion: Is the active self a limited resource? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(5), 1252–1265. •      Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale University Press, 2008. Reflection Prompts * What's one thing I already do every single day, without fail, that I could anchor a small money habit to? * What's the smallest possible version of a money habit I've been meaning to start — small enough that I'd genuinely do it tomorrow? * Where in my day am I currently relying on memory or motivation to make a money decision happen? What existing routine could carry that instead? Support the show

  3. Jul 2

    The Illusion of Control: How to Trust Yourself With Money — the Smart Way

    Send us Fan Mail You're not as in control as you think — and that's actually okay. In this episode of Personal Finance With Molly, we're unpacking two of the most fascinating and financially costly cognitive biases: the Illusion of Control and Overconfidence Bias. From casino chips to stock picks to home renovation budgets, our brains consistently overestimate how much we're steering the ship. But here's the good news: understanding these patterns is genuinely empowering. Tune in to learn why your brain does this (hint: it's trying to help you), how it shows up in your financial life, and six practical tools to make smarter decisions under uncertainty. What You'll Learn What the Illusion of Control is — and the classic Ellen Langer experiments that first revealed itWhy overconfidence is consistently called the most significant cognitive bias in financial decision-makingHow these biases show up in stock trading, real estate timing, entrepreneurship, debt plans, and DIY investingThe neuroscience behind why our pattern-seeking brains can lead us astray in complex financial systemsSix practical tools: pre-mortems, seeking disconfirming evidence, widening planning ranges, diversification as humility, and moreWhy calibrated confidence is more durable — and more powerful — than overconfidence Key Concepts & Glossary Illusion of Control The tendency to believe we have influence over outcomes that are actually determined by chance or forces outside our control. First systematically studied by psychologist Ellen Langer (1975). Overconfidence Bias A well-documented cognitive bias in which people overestimate their own abilities, the accuracy of their knowledge, and the likelihood of positive outcomes. Closely related to the Dunning-Kruger effect. Planning Fallacy The tendency to underestimate how long tasks will take, how much they will cost, and how many obstacles will arise — while overestimating how smoothly things will go. First identified by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. Attribution Error (Self-Serving Bias) The tendency to attribute successes to our own skill or judgment and failures to external factors or bad luck — preventing accurate learning from experience. Confirmation Bias The tendency to seek out, favor, and remember information that confirms our existing beliefs, while discounting or ignoring contradictory evidence. Outcome Bias Judging the quality of a decision based on its outcome rather than on the quality of the reasoning at the time the decision was made. Apophenia The tendency to perceive meaningful patterns, connections, or relationships in random or unrelated information. Calibrated Confidence A more accurate and durable form of confidence that matches the actual evidence and acknowledges genuine uncertainty — as opposed to overconfidence, which systematically overstates certainty. Pre-Mortem A decision-making technique in which you imagine, in advance, that a decision has already failed and then reason backward to identify what went wrong — used to surface overlooked risks before committing to a course of action. Diversification An investment strategy of spreading assets across a variety of investments to reduce exposure to any single risk — an acknowledgment that the future is uncertain and no single prediction is reliable enough to concentrate on. Research & References Langer, E. J. (1975). "The illusion of control." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32(2), 311–328. The foundational paper introducing the concept.Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. — Overconfidence as "the most significant of the cognitive biases"; System 1 vs. System 2 thinking.Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). "Intuitive prediction: Biases and corrective procedures." — Origin of the planning fallacy concept.Barber, B. M., & Odean, T. (2000). "Trading is hazardous to your wealth: The common stock investment performance of individual investors." Journal of Finance, 55(2), 773–806. — Landmark study showing overconfident individual investors underperform through excessive trading.Moore, D. A., & Healy, P. J. (2008). "The trouble with overconfidence." Psychological Review, 115(2), 502–517. — Comprehensive review of overconfidence research.Klein, G. (2007). "Performing a project premortem." Harvard Business Review. — Practical introduction to the pre-mortem technique.Duke, A. (2018). Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts. Portfolio/Penguin. — Excellent accessible treatment of decision-making under uncertainty. Reflection Prompts Use these for journaling, conversations with a financial partner or coach, or just quiet thinking: Think of a financial decision that turned out well. How much of that outcome do you attribute to skill? To timing or luck? Is that split honest?Where in your financial life do you feel most confident? Is that confidence grounded in evidence — or in familiarity and pattern-seeking?Have you ever experienced the planning fallacy with a financial goal? What would you tell your past self about building in more buffer?What financial belief do you hold most strongly right now? What's the best argument against it?If a close friend came to you with the same financial plan you're currently considering, what risks would you point out to them?Support the show

  4. Jun 25

    Her Money, Her Way: The Psychology Behind How Women Save, Spend, and Build Wealth

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Overview This episode explores the behavioral finance forces that shape how women relate to money — from the money messages absorbed in childhood, to the psychological patterns that influence saving, investing, and negotiating today. We examine five key forces at work and offer seven research-backed habits designed specifically to work with women’s psychology, not against it.  This isn’t about what women do wrong with money. It’s about understanding the full picture — structural, psychological, and behavioral — and discovering what becomes possible when that picture comes into focus. Key Concepts Covered FINANCIAL SOCIALIZATION The process through which we learn money beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes from our early environment. Research shows girls and boys often receive different implicit messages about money, investing, and financial authority. FINANCIAL SELF-EFFICACY A person’s belief in their own ability to manage financial tasks successfully. Studies show women often rate their financial confidence lower than men, even when their actual knowledge is comparable. This gap drives avoidance and delay more than any knowledge deficit. EMOTIONAL LABOR & MENTAL LOAD The invisible cognitive and organizational work that falls disproportionately on women. Understanding how mental bandwidth works helps explain why financial tasks are often deprioritized — and why automation is a form of brilliant self-care, not a shortcut.  LOSS AVERSION A foundational behavioral economics concept from Kahneman & Tversky: the pain of losing something is psychologically approximately twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining an equivalent amount. Amplified by financial anxiety, loss aversion can lead to avoidance, under-investing, and under-negotiating. FINANCIAL PERFECTIONISM The pattern of waiting to take financial action until we feel fully informed or ready. Rooted in the ‘superwoman script,’ financial perfectionism is one of the most common reasons women delay high-impact financial decisions. CHOICE ARCHITECTURE The behavioral economics concept of designing environments so that beneficial choices happen by default. Automating savings and investments is a direct application of choice architecture. IDENTITY-BASED HABITS From James Clear’s Atomic Habits: the most durable behavior change comes from shifting how we see ourselves, not just what we do. Cultivating a financial identity is as important as any individual money action. VALUES-BASED SPENDING An intentional alignment practice: comparing where money actually goes with what a person genuinely values. Reframes budgeting from restriction to self-expression and financial agency.   The Seven Habits — Quick Reference   •       Write your money autobiography — uncover the story you’ve inherited •       Build a ‘Money Proof’ list — document your wins to build financial self-efficacy •       Automate before you optimize — remove decisions from the equation •       Hold a monthly Money Date — solo or with a partner, regular exposure reduces anxiety •       Negotiate something every quarter — build the muscle before the high-stakes moments •       Invest in your financial identity — community, role models, and belonging matter •       Practice values-based spending audits — align your money with what actually matters to you   Research & References   Kahneman, D. & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk. Econometrica. Lusardi, A. & Mitchell, O.S. (2014). The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy. Journal of Economic Literature. Barber, B. & Odean, T. (2001). Boys Will Be Boys: Gender, Overconfidence, and Common Stock Investment. Quarterly Journal of Economics. Babcock, L. & Laschever, S. Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide. Princeton University Press. Klontz, B., Britt, S.L., & Archuleta, K.L. Financial Therapy: Theory, Research & Practice. Springer. Clear, J. Atomic Habits. Avery Publishing Group. Thaler, R. & Sunstein, C. Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Penguin Books.   Resources & Community   Financial Therapy Association — financialtherapyassociation.org National Financial Educators Council — nfec.org Ellevest — ellevest.com (investing platform built for women) HerMoney — hermoney.com (financial media for women) Feminist Financial Handbook by Brynne Conroy Get Good with Money by Tiffany ‘The Budgetnista’ Aliche   Reflection Prompts for Listeners   Use these for your own journaling, a money date, or share with a community:   •       What is the earliest money memory you have, and what belief did it create? •       Where in your financial life do you tend to avoid or delay? What emotion shows up when you do? •       What is one financial decision you’ve been putting off that you could take a first small step on this week? •       Who in your life talks openly about money? How might you expand that circle? •       If you looked at your last 30 days of spending, what story does it tell about what you value? Connect & Share   If this episode resonated with you, the most generous thing you can do is share it with a woman in your life who you think could use it. Money conversations among women are still too rare — and every one of them matters. Support the show

  5. Jun 18

    Are We In a Loop? How Thoughts, Feelings, and Money Habits Feed Each Other

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Overview Ever wonder why you keep doing the money things you swore you'd stop doing? In this episode, we dig into the CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) framework to show you exactly how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors form a self-reinforcing cycle — and, more importantly, how to build a better one. Packed with real-life examples, four practical tools, and zero judgment. Key Concepts Covered The CBT Triangle Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (developed by Aaron Beck) identifies three interconnected elements — thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — that form a continuous feedback loop. Each influences the others. The goal isn't to break the cycle but to build a healthier one. Three Entry Points •       Thought Trigger: Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) that fire before conscious awareness •       Feeling Trigger: Emotional states (stress, boredom, loneliness) that drive spending as regulation •       Behavior Trigger: Impulsive actions that generate guilt/shame thoughts and avoidance behaviors afterward Four Cognitive Distortions in Money Life •       All-or-Nothing Thinking: "The budget is ruined — might as well keep spending." •       Mind Reading: Predicting what others will think about your finances and letting that prediction drive decisions •       Fortune Telling: Treating fear-based predictions as facts ("there's no point in investing") •       Emotional Reasoning: "I feel broke, therefore I am bad with money" The Four Tools •       The Thought Record: Five questions to challenge and reframe automatic money beliefs •       Behavioral Activation: Scheduling avoided financial tasks before you feel ready — action changes feelings •       The Pause-and-Name Protocol: Naming the emotion to activate the prefrontal cortex and create response choice •       Values-Based Spending Anchors: Connecting discretionary spending to your top three core values This Week's Action Items •       1. Identify your entry point — thought, feeling, or behavior? •       2. Run a Thought Record on one money belief this week (5 questions, 5 minutes) •       3. Schedule a 15-minute money date — your favorite drink, a comfortable spot, and just look at the numbers Reflection Questions Use these for journaling, a money date, or discussion with a financial coach or partner: •       What is the "story" I tell myself most often about my relationship with money? •       When did I first learn to think that way? Where might it have come from? •       What would I tell a close friend who shared that belief with me? •       What is one small behavior I could try this week that would create a slightly better thought afterward? •       What are my top three financial values — the things money is actually for in my life? Recommended Reading & Resources •       Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, MD — the definitive accessible guide to CBT and cognitive distortions •       Mind Over Money by Brad Klontz & Ted Klontz — CBT principles applied directly to financial behavior •       Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman — foundational behavioral economics, beautifully accessible •       The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel — behavioral finance storytelling at its best •       Financial Therapy Association (financialtherapy.org) — find a certified financial therapist near you Support the show

  6. Jun 11

    From the Inside Out: How Your Emotional Life Powers Your Financial Life

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Summary In this episode, we explore the powerful and often underestimated connection between mental health and financial decision-making. Drawing on behavioral economics, neuroscience, and financial therapy research, we break down why financial stress doesn't just feel bad — it biologically changes how your brain makes decisions. We unpack the anxiety-avoidance-shame cycle, explore what emotional spending is really about, and offer practical tools for building a healthier, more compassionate relationship with your money. What We Cover Why traditional personal finance advice misses the human behind the budgetWhat amygdala hijack is and how financial stress triggers itHyperbolic discounting: why stressed brains are wired for "right now"The scarcity/cognitive bandwidth research from Mullainathan & ShafirThe anxiety → avoidance → shame cycle and how to interrupt itWhy shame doesn't motivate financial change — and what doesFive actionable tools for bridging emotional and financial wellnessWhere the field of financial therapy is heading Key Concepts from This Episode Amygdala Hijack — A term coined by psychologist Daniel Goleman describing the brain's threat-response system overriding higher-order thinking. Financial stress can trigger this cascade in the same way physical threats do. Hyperbolic Discounting — A cognitive bias in which people dramatically overvalue immediate rewards compared to future ones, an effect that is significantly amplified under stress. Cognitive Tunneling / Scarcity Effect — Research by economists Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir showing that people experiencing financial scarcity have significantly reduced cognitive bandwidth — narrowing focus in ways that cause them to miss longer-term opportunities and solutions. Affect Labeling — A neuroscience-backed technique in which naming an emotional state reduces its neurological intensity and reactivates prefrontal cortex functioning. Essentially: naming what you feel helps you think more clearly. Financial Avoidance — Behavioral pattern of avoiding engagement with finances due to the emotional distress it creates. Distinct from laziness; rooted in nervous system regulation. Financial Self-Compassion — The practice of acknowledging financial mistakes or struggles without collapsing them into a narrative of personal failure. Supported by financial therapy research as a prerequisite for behavioral change. Research & Sources Referenced Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books. [Amygdala hijack]Mullainathan, S. & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much. Times Books.Rick, S. & Loewenstein, G. (2008). The role of emotion in economic behavior. Handbook of Emotions.Klontz, B. & Klontz, T. (2009). Mind Over Money. Broadway Books.Financial Therapy Association: www.financialtherapyassociation.orgBrown, B. (2010). The Gifts of Imperfection. Hazelden Publishing. Practical Tools from This Episode Emotional check-in before purchases — Pause and name your emotional state before any non-essential purchase above your threshold. Takes 60 seconds. Activates prefrontal cortex.Scheduled money dates — A recurring, low-pressure block of time dedicated to reviewing finances. Make the environment comfortable. Build positive association over time.Curiosity over judgment — When reviewing past spending, ask what was I reaching for? rather than why did I do that? Curiosity produces insight; judgment produces avoidance.Somatic awareness — Notice physical sensations when engaging with different financial topics. Tightness, shallow breathing, and stomach tension are data points about where emotional charge lives.Address underlying mental health — For many people, treating anxiety or depression has a meaningful positive effect on financial behavior. Your mental health and your financial health are not separate systems. Want to Go Deeper? Check out the Financial Therapy Association for a directory of financial therapists: www.financialtherapyassociation.orgMind Over Money by Brad Klontz & Ted Klontz — foundational work on financial psychologyScarcity by Mullainathan & Shafir — the cognitive bandwidth research explained accessiblyThe Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel — approachable read on how behavior shapes financial outcomesSupport the show

  7. Jun 4

    Why Your Next Raise Won't Make You Happy (And What Will)

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Description: You worked hard for that promotion. You earned the raise. So why does it feel like... not enough? In this episode, we dig into one of the most powerful — and most overlooked — forces in personal finance: the hedonic treadmill. We explore why lifestyle inflation is wired into human psychology, how social comparison quietly hijacks your spending decisions, and what behavioral finance research tells us about actually building a life that feels like "enough." Spoiler: it's not about earning more. Key Topics Covered: What lifestyle inflation really is (and why traditional advice gets it wrong)The hedonic treadmill: why your brain always resets to baselineHow social comparison ("keeping up with the Joneses") drives unnecessary spendingThe difference between experiential and material spending — and what the research saysPractical frameworks for defining YOUR version of "enough"The concept of "enough number" and values-based budgetingKey Concepts & Terms: Hedonic Adaptation – The psychological phenomenon where people quickly return to a baseline level of happiness after positive (or negative) life changesLifestyle Inflation – The tendency to increase spending as income rises, often leaving savings rates stagnantSocial Comparison Theory – Leon Festinger's 1954 theory that humans evaluate themselves relative to othersReference Point – In behavioral finance (Kahneman & Tversky), the baseline against which gains and losses are measuredLoss Aversion – The tendency to feel losses more acutely than equivalent gains; once lifestyle inflates, downgrading feels like a lossThe Enough Number – A personally defined income or wealth threshold beyond which additional money adds little to life satisfactionResearch Referenced: Brickman, Coates & Janoff-Bulman (1978) – Lottery winners vs. paraplegics happiness studyKahneman & Deaton (2010) – Princeton study suggesting emotional wellbeing plateaus around $75,000/year (updated 2021 by Killingsworth)Gilovich, Kumar & Jampol (2015) – "A Wonderful Life": experiences vs. material goods and long-term happinessRobert Cialdini – Influence (social proof and conformity)Bill Perkins – Die With Zero (optimizing for life energy, not net worth)Actionable Takeaways: Do a "Lifestyle Audit" — track what you actually spent money on in the last 90 days and rate each category by how much joy it broughtIdentify your personal "enough number" — the income/net worth floor where you feel secure, not the ceiling you're chasingPractice a 30-day "hold" before lifestyle upgrades after a raiseRedirect at least 50% of every raise to savings before it hits your checking accountReplace comparison spending with "identity spending" — buying in alignment with your stated valuesBooks & Resources: Your Money or Your Life — Vicki Robin & Joe DominguezDie With Zero — Bill PerkinsHappy Money — Elizabeth Dunn & Michael NortonThe Psychology of Money — Morgan HouselStumbling on Happiness — Daniel GilbertSupport the show

  8. Jun 1

    First Paycheck Energy: The Behavioral Finance Secrets That Change Everything

    Send us Fan Mail Episode Description Your first paycheck hits and suddenly you feel invincible. But lurking beneath every "I'll deal with it later" and every lifestyle upgrade is a set of mental traps that behavioral economists have studied for decades — and that cost most people tens of thousands of dollars before they even realize what happened. In this episode, we break down the brain glitches behind your financial decisions and give you the exact reframes and habits to outsmart them from Day 1. 🧠 Key Concepts Covered Present Bias — The tendency to overweight immediate rewards and underweight future consequences; rooted in how the brain represents the "future self."Hedonic Adaptation / Lifestyle Inflation — The brain's ability to rapidly normalize positive changes, causing the happiness from upgrades to fade while costs remain.Mental Accounting — Treating money differently based on its source or designated purpose, even though money is fungible (concept by Nobel laureate Richard Thaler).Loss Aversion — Losses feel approximately twice as painful as equivalent gains feel pleasurable (Kahneman & Tversky, Prospect Theory).Social Comparison Bias — Evaluating one's own situation relative to peers, often inaccurately.The IKEA Effect — We place greater value on things we've helped create, making self-built financial plans more durable.The Endowment Effect — We overvalue things we already own, making it hard to sell bad investments.Sunk Cost Fallacy (mentioned) — Letting past, unrecoverable costs influence current decisions. ✅ Actionable Takeaways Enroll in your 401(k) today — even at 1–3%. Set it to auto-increase by 1% annually.Apply the Raise Rule — commit to saving ≥50% of every after-tax raise increase before it hits your spending account.Earmark windfalls before you spend them — transfer a percentage to savings the day a bonus or tax refund lands.Reduce portfolio check-ins — log in quarterly, not daily. Less visibility = fewer panic moves.Unfollow or mute accounts that trigger spending envy — curate your comparison environment.Build your own budget — a customized plan you built yourself has far more staying power than a generic template. 📚 Research & Further Reading Kahneman, D. & Tversky, A. — Prospect Theory (1979) — The foundational paper on loss aversion and decision-making under risk.Thaler, R.H. — Mental Accounting Matters (1999) — A classic and accessible paper on how we categorize money.Thaler, R.H. & Benartzi, S. — Save More Tomorrow (SMarT) program research — Showed how automated, gradually increasing savings contributions change behavior.Kahneman, D. — Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011) — The essential book on the two systems of thought driving all our decisions, including financial ones.Thaler, R.H. & Sunstein, C.R. — Nudge (2008) — How default settings and choice architecture shape financial behavior.Ariely, D. — Predictably Irrational (2008) — Engaging, pop-science look at the hidden forces shaping our choices. 🔗 Resources Mentioned / Recommended IRS Roth IRA Contribution Limits — irs.gov (search "Roth IRA limits")Your employer's 401(k) plan portal — Check your HR onboarding docs or benefits websitePersonal Capital / Empower — Free net worth tracking toolYNAB (You Need A Budget) — Budgeting app that encourages active mental engagement with your money (good for the IKEA Effect!)Investor.gov Compound Interest Calculator — See what your contributions look like 30–40 years from nowSupport the show

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out of 5
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About

What if the biggest obstacle to your financial success isn't your income — it's your mind? Personal Finance With Molly is the podcast where money, mindset, and behavior intersect. Each week, I, Molly, break down the psychology behind your financial decisions, helping you understand why you spend, save, and invest the way you do — and how to make smarter choices starting today. From unpacking cognitive biases that quietly drain your wallet to exploring the emotional patterns behind debt and wealth-building, this show turns behavioral finance research into real, actionable guidance for everyday people. Whether you're just starting your financial journey or looking to break habits that have held you back for years, Personal Finance With Molly gives you the tools to rewire your relationship with money — one episode at a time. Subscribe, and start thinking differently about your finances.

Information

  • Creator
    Molly Ford-Coates
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Personal Finance With Molly
  • Show Website
    Personal Finance With Molly