Curtain Call: All Stars Return to Talk Financial Independence, Fear, and Growth

December 31, 2025

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: This finale episode blends heartfelt host monologue with serialized interviews of past guests, reflecting on four years of personal finance evolution amid Katie's pivot to independent publishing, delivered in an intimate, nostalgic, and optimistic tone.
The Key Players:
- Host Katie Gatti Tassin: Creator of Money with Katie, wrapping the show with gratitude and announcements like her newsletter relaunch on January 7th.
- Guests - All-Stars: Brad Barrett (ChooseFI host, FI pioneer); Catherine Edwards (economist, postpartum insights); Ramit Sethi (personal finance legend, Rich Life advocate); Megan Day (Jacobin editor, political discourse critic); Grace Blakely (Vulture Capitalism author, anti-individualism thinker).

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introduction: Money with Katie All-Stars**
2 (07:38) **Brad Barrett (ChooseFI Host): Renting Revelation & FI Flex**
3 (24:03) **Catherine Edwards (Optimist Economist): Postpartum Passes & Economic Slowdown**
4 (36:47) **Debating Michael Green's "Poverty at $140k" Piece**
5 (55:56) **Ramit Sethi (I Will Teach You to Be Rich Author): Mundanity of Excellence & Money Dials**
6 (71:14) **Megan Day (Jacobin Editor): Ditch Discourse Goblinry**
7 (90:53) **Grace Blakely (Vulture Capitalism Author): Competitive Individualism & AI Bubble**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Well, here we are—for the last time, for now. A couple weeks ago, I wrote an end-of-year letter that functioned like a little “status update” on how I’m feeling moving into 2026. In this episode, I invite back five of my favorite guests for their own check-ins. We talk about:

What it feels like to finally pull the “F.I.” rip cord (and whether it “works”)
How money changes relationships, and vice versa
Marriage between entrepreneurs
An economic diagnosis of our present moment
Things we’ve changed our minds about in 2025

This felt like the most fitting possible capstone for the year and this chapter of the show. Thank you for tuning in week after week; thank you for being along for the ride as this show has evolved over the years and as I have evolved over the years; thank you for arguing with me in good faith and expanding my worldview; thank you for engaging with this show so earnestly and consistently. Until next time!

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://moneywithkatie.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get your copy of Rich Girl Nation, one of Barnes & Noble's Best Business Books of 2025:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.moneywithkatie.com/rich-girl-nation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Transcripts, show notes, resources, and credits at: https://moneywithkatie.com/the_mwk_show/curtain-call/

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