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.