Jean Chatzky
Experience
“When I look back on my life as a whole, the work I do makes perfect sense. Take it piece by piece, though, and you might be surprised…”
Jean has been working with real people and their real money for over two decades. And her basic philosophy is still the same:
“If you want to own your life, you have to own your money.”
NBC TODAY's financial editor believes that money is an important life skill for people of all ages. She has dedicated most of her professional life to helping people understand money issues and promote financial literacy. And Jean attributes much of her career success as the financial editor for NBC TODAY to her ability to make difficult subjects understandable— "lay them out in plain English.”
Jean also speaks to groups—big and small—and moderates panels that discuss financial and workplace issues.
She now lives in a New York suburb, following the money rules that have made her successful—“in a smaller house than we could afford and we do it by choice.”
Education
Jean graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature/Letters from the University of Pennsylvania.
About The Balance and Dotdash
The Balance makes personal finance easy to understand. It is home to experts who provide clear, practical advice on managing your money. Whether you’re looking to invest, buy a home, save for retirement, or achieve another financial goal, The Balance will answer your questions with straightforward personal financial advice.
The Balance is part of the Dotdash publishing family. For more than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content publishers on the internet, according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of the U.S. population every month. Most recently, Dotdash was named Publisher of the year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.