👩‍🏫 Lessons For Entrepreneurs From Taylor Swift, Beyonce And Greta Gerwig

From Taylor Swift and her Era’s Tour to Greta Gerwig’s directing of the Barbie Blockbuster, 2023 was filled with examples of the economic power of women. And, the proof is in the numbers…according to a recent report, women-owned businesses contribute $28 trillion to the global economy each year (that’s equivalent to the third largest economy in the world).

This week on HerMoney.com, Jennifer Palmer of JPalmer Collective–a firm specializing in investing in women-led companies–breaks down the lessons women entrepreneurs can learn from those who continue to break glass ceilings, or as Beyonce puts it…”run the world.” One of the biggest? Don’t be afraid to be yourself. “Being your authentic self will help connect you with your consumers and build a genuine brand,” writes Palmer. “Why did you start your business, what is your story, and what experiences have you had that women may relate to? Don’t be afraid to share.” Find more of her tips, here.

What You Should Know To Get Started Investing In ETFs

In the 1990s, investors talked about mutual funds…In the 2000s, they talked about index funds…And since 2010, investors have been all-in on exchange traded funds, or ETFs. ETFs are a package that has proven appeal for investors. That’s because ETFs are pools of many investments (stocks, bonds, or both) that you buy as a single investment, just as you would a stock. And while mutual funds and ETFs have a lot in common, there are also some important (and major!) differences. Mutual funds can be either active or index, stocks, bonds or both. So can ETFs — they just operate under a more modern regulatory framework, which means that in reality they can function like a stock: They are bought and sold on exchange, any time the market is open, unlike a mutual fund, which must be bought and sold through a fund company at end-of-day valuations… There are also big differences when it comes to taxes. Here’s a rundown on everything you need to know to get started investing in ETFs today — and why you should!**

Shaping Your Authentic Self With Dr. Sara Kuburic

How many times have you met up with a friend for coffee or over dinner and been asked, “How are you doing?” We all know the response we’re supposed to give – Fine! Good! – but what if you’re really not doing okay at all? For many people who suffer from depression, Dr. Sarah Kuburic says it can be tough to share how you’re really feeling — for a whole host of reasons. Truthfully, it’s sometimes even more difficult to acknowledge it ourselves.

Kuburic, author of the new book: “It’s On Me: Accept Hard Truths, Discover Yourself, and Change Your Life” knows all about this feeling because she experienced it firsthand. This week, she joins Jean Chatzky on the HerMoney Podcast* to share her advice for getting closer to your authentic self.

Dr. Kuburic says one of the keys is being open to making mistakes. “Whatever you choose to do to save your money, to spend your money, to become a minimalist, to buy that house, all of that shapes who you're becoming…And either that's an authentic self or that's an inauthentic self,” she says. “So it's not just about ‘I'm making a bunch of mistakes.’ It's actually using them to your advantage to get you a bit closer to creating the sense of self that you want to be.” For more advice from their not-to-be missed conversation, click here.

The Best Preventive Care For Dogs, For Every Life Stage

We all tend to think about preventive care when it comes to our own health. But what about our dogs? Wellness plans are not only a smart option for staying on top of your dog’s preventive care throughout his or her life, they can also help with budgeting.

One way to help make preventive care more accessible and affordable are “wellness plans'' for pets. These plans can help veterinarians catch problems earlier, before they are more serious–and more expensive. For example, Banfield Pet Hospital offers what they call “Optimum Wellness Plans,” or OWPs. OWPs are not insurance, rather they are customizable packages of preventive services that allow you to budget the routinely recommended care a pet needs each year, including annual comprehensive examinations, all office visits, regular blood work, vaccines, dental cleanings and more – all at a predictable and discounted monthly price. In other words, they’re like an annual subscription for your pet’s preventive health care needs that you can pay upfront for or break up into monthly payments.

According to Banfield Pet Hospital, OWPs provide pets with smart, affordable and high-quality packages of preventive care that are designed for different needs, ages, and lifestyles. And while wellness plan services are limited to preventive care, OWPs do provide pet owners with a discount on goods and services outside of the plan.

Busting The Biggest Breast Cancer Myths With Dr. Elisa Port

It’s estimated one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her life. For those affected, one of the most important decisions you will make is who to choose as a doctor. There’s perhaps no one better to help women with advice on making that decision than Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery and the Director of the Dubin Breast Cancer Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. This week on the How She Does It Podcast, proudly supported by iShares, Dr. Port sits down with Karen Finerman to share her perspective on navigating one of the most vulnerable times of your life.

Dr. Port says not only should your doctor be someone who can provide excellent care, he or she should also be someone you can feel comfortable enough leaning on for support. “The skill sets in the most effective surgeons are really mechanical, systematic, robotic, focused on their hands and their eyes, " she says. “Equally as important, we walk into people’s lives at one of the most critical junctures…after I’ve done my part, the goal is to get them back to their lives and the people who care about them and to fade into the background. And if I’ve done that, then I’ve done my job.”

Listen to hear the biggest myths that Dr. Port hears about breast cancer, what’s changed since she wrote her book: “The New Generation Breast Cancer Book: How to Navigate Your Diagnosis and Treatment Options and Remain Optimistic in an Age of Information Overload” in 2015, and why she’ll always be an eternal optimist.

Navigating The Medicare Maze And Healthcare Costs As We Age

Are you currently enrolled or looking to enroll in Medicare? Selecting a plan to fit your needs is enough to make your head spin, so it’s important to understand exactly what it is you’re signing up for. So what is Medicare? Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and up, certain younger people with disabilities and those with End-Stage Renal Disease. Part of understanding Medicare is grasping all the vocab representing its parts. And remember, just because you have coverage, it doesn't guarantee that you'll be reimbursed for every dollar you spend. In every category and with every plan there are limits you’ll want to investigate. There are about five different plans you can choose from and we’re here to help you understand each one. On this episode of “Your Money Map,” with The Alliance For Lifetime Income, Jean Chatzky sat down with Larry Kotlikoff, a Professor of Economics at Boston University, and Phil Moeller, author of Get What’s Yours for Medicare: Maximize Your Coverage, Minimize Your Costs, to get you this guide to the medicare maze and healthcare costs as we age.

Have a great week!

The HerMoney Team

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