1917: Ask Farnoosh: Invest in Gold? 401(k) Changes? Buying a Home Without Raiding Retirement?

So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Farnoosh Torabi

Entrepreneurship, Business

4.7 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 12 December 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Markets feel jittery, interest rates are in flux, and many listeners are wondering how to plan for 2026 with confidence. In this Ask Farnoosh episode, Farnoosh Torabi breaks down the biggest financial headlines of the week and tackles real listener questions about investing, saving, and navigating major life decisions during uncertain economic times.

Farnoosh starts with a clear, no-nonsense explanation of the Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut and what the split decision inside the Fed signals about inflation, the labor market, and the likelihood of future cuts. She explains why mortgage rates may not move much in the near term, what the Fed’s return to buying Treasury securities really means, and why now is not the time to make big financial moves based solely on headlines.

Next, Farnoosh walks through important 401(k) changes coming in 2026, including higher contribution limits, expanded catch-up contributions for older workers, and increased employer contribution caps. She outlines who benefits most from these changes and shares practical steps listeners can take now to maximize retirement savings and avoid leaving money on the table.

In the mailbag, Farnoosh answers listener questions on:

Whether gold makes sense as a “safe haven” investment, how to buy it, and how much is too much
When high-yield online savings accounts are a smart place to park money, especially after receiving an inheritance
What to do with an old employer’s 401(k) and when rolling it over is the better move
And one of the toughest questions many first-time buyers face today: whether it’s ever worth tapping a 401(k) to buy a home

Learn more about Farnoosh's upcoming literary workshop Book to Brand. Early bird registration is now open!

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Transcript

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0:00.0	So Money episode 1917 Ask Farnoche.
0:04.1	You're listening to So Money with award-winning money guru Farnoosh Torabi.
0:09.0	Each day, get a 30-minute dose of financial inspiration from the world's top business minds, authors, influencers, and from Farnoose yourself.
0:18.3	Looking for ways to save on gas or double your double coupons? Sorry. You're in the wrong
0:23.6	place. Seeking profound ways to live a richer, happier life. Welcome to So Money. Welcome back to
0:31.5	So Money, everybody. I'm Farnush Tarabi Friday, December 12th, 2025. We're going to be tackling your biggest money questions that have
0:38.8	come through this week. We're going to also make sense of some of the big financial
0:42.5	storylines that are shaping our lives. I know that a lot of us are feeling uncertain at this
0:49.1	moment because the markets are twitchy. We're talking about a tech bubble that may or may not keep
0:55.9	inflating. And we're trying to plan for 2026 with only a little bit of visibility into what
1:01.9	the economy is going to even look like. So we're going to get grounded a little bit today
1:06.9	and what we actually know what the latest data is telling us and how we can take some
1:12.0	concrete steps to protect our money. So we're going to first start with a breakdown of the
1:17.3	latest Federal Reserve news that came out this week and what it may mean for us. We're also going to
1:23.5	look at some of the important 401k changes that are happening next year that is important
1:29.5	to know about. I'm also going to jump into your questions, of course, including one about gold
1:34.2	and how to buy it, how much to buy, why we should think about buying gold. You can get it beyond
1:41.4	just at Costco, FYI. And also someone in the audience is wondering whether to pull money out of their 401k to buy
1:49.6	their first home.
1:50.8	Because that's where we're at, everybody.
1:52.9	Homes are not very affordable in case you didn't know that.
1:56.7	And so we're just, we're desperate times call for desperate measures.
	...

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