Hi! I’m Ally-Jane, and this is Moneysplained.

This is a place for the tired, the weary, the skeptical, the broken, the rich, the dreamers, the schemers, and yes, you—the brave and the broke. Moneysplained has one purpose: clarity. Like Jeopardy, You will not become rich from listening to this podcast but I guarantee you will learn something. Whether it’s what an insurance deductible is or how to invest your first thousand dollars.

This is the s%&* no one talks about, that they assume you know.

I’m Ally-Jane, your host—writer, editor, chef and first time podcaster. I have a tumultuous relationship with money. Right now I’d say we’re happily dating but about to hit that year period where we’re not sure about what we want for the future. I don’t want to talk a whole lot about myself on this podcast but I think it’s useful to know where I’m coming from.

I’m employed as an editor and writer. I love my job and make a solid income to support myself comfortably in the greatest city in the world: Brooklyn, New York. I have a supplemental income in freelance recipe development and food writing. I’m at a point where I feel financially stable for the first time and still, I’m terrified of my money.

I don’t like talking about money because I’m afraid of admitting what I don’t know. Maybe you feel the same way?

I have a 401(k) but I only have a vague idea of what that means. Actually I have two 401(k)s and am thinking it might be time to roll one of them over, which is something I’m going to explore on Moneysplained. A 401(k) is an example of something that I understand but I’m hazy on the details. I get that it’s a pot of money that I contribute to out of my paycheck, and that it’s invested somewhere, and that I’m not supposed to touch it until I’m like 60, but beyond that, I’m lost. That’s why I’m doing a whole episode about retirement savings.

If you’ve had an excellent financial education and work in business, this podcast might not be for you. But if you’ve ever been terrified of filling out an apartment rental application, filing your taxes, negotiating a salary, or are simply scared to admit you don’t have a clue how investing actually works, then this podcast is for you.

I want to make a few promises to you. First of all, I won’t talk about investing and saving in abstract terms and will do my best to tackle the simplest concepts to help you better understand how to navigate the world of finance. I won’t spend 45 boring minutes interviewing financial gurus about their lucky stock tips. What I will do is talk to experts about things that I don’t understand, and I promise to interrupt my guests when they use a term that needs further investigation.

In future episodes I’ll cover things like making ends meet at a freelancer, student loan debt, investing in restaurants, credit scores and credit cards, and health insurance deductibles. We’re going to break things down into tiny little pieces and define very simple terms and institutions that you probably learned about in 8th grade but have entirely forgotten the meaning of.

—Ally-Jane

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