Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor, October 12, 2025
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. "The Money Doctor"
MTRS, Protecting Your Retirement Must Do's and Don'ts
In this episode of Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor, Dr. Frances Rahaim takes a clear, high-road look at the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System (MTRS) — what it offers, what it doesn’t, and how to stay safe when seeking advice about your pension.
You’ll learn:
-How MTRS actually works and why it’s a defined-benefit plan, not an investment account.
-What the law says MTRS cannot do — including selling or endorsing products.
-How look-alike “teacher retirement” sites can mislead even savvy educators.
-Questions to ask any advisor before you make a change.
Even if you’re not in Massachusetts, most state plans run on the same principles — so this episode is a must-listen for educators nationwide.
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59:42
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59:42
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor, October 5, 2025
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. "The Money Doctor"
Guest, Joy Slabaugh - Money Mindset part 2 of 2 -
In this part 2 of 2, Dr. Frances Rahaim — The Money Doctor — sits down with Joy Slabaugh, therapist and former CFP, to uncover the powerful lessons behind her financial journey. The conversation continues in the second half of our 2 part series with Joy Slabaugh. Together with Dr. Frances Rahaim, Joy dives deeper into overcoming financial stress, staying motivated, and setting the stage for a secure retirement. You’ll hear practical takeaways, real examples, and encouragement to take the next step toward your own financial freedom.
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58:29
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58:29
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor, September 28, 2025
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. "The Money Doctor"
Guest, Joy Slabaugh - Money Mindset part 1 of 2
In this part 1 of 2, Dr. Frances Rahaim — The Money Doctor — sits down with Joy Slabaugh, therapist and former CFP, to uncover the powerful lessons behind her financial journey. Joy shares candid stories about navigating debt, managing household money decisions, and the importance of planning ahead with confidence. This episode highlights the emotional side of money and the real strategies that make financial wellness possible for everyone.
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58:09
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58:09
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor, September 21, 2025
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. "The Money Doctor"
Navigating Fertility with Dr. Alexander Kucherov of Illume
In this episode of Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor, Dr. Alexander Kucherov—board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at Illume Fertility—joins us to demystify the fertility journey for individuals and couples of all kinds. We begin with a brief look into Dr. Kucherov’s personal experience as both doctor and patient, then dive into practical guidance on navigating fertility care—from lifestyle changes to advanced treatments like IVF. Whether you're in a same-sex or heterosexual relationship, just starting out or already facing challenges, Dr. Kucherov offers clarity on what to expect, how to access financial assistance, and how to work with insurance to make fertility care more affordable and less overwhelming.
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59:12
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59:12
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor, September 7, 2025
Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. "The Money Doctor"
Pablo, the Pirate Cat - Behind the Scenes with Jay Deane!
Pablo, the Pirate Cat teaches kids about money matters straight from his pirate cove with the engaging voice narration by Jay Deane and Dr. FinWell. Kids will learn without feeling lectured to. There's even a fun pirate cat theme song to sing along with and learn! Spend, Save, Share. Just the beginning of Pablo's wisdom :).
About Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim PhD
Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor is a weekly, hour-long National radio show devoted to helping individuals and small business owners better understand their finances and the psychology involved in why we make the decisions we do, how it affects our relationships, our sense of self-worth, and most importantly what we have the power to DO about it! Even prior to this current, highly timely expansion including with BBS Radio TV, which is syndicated to every major audio portal on the world wide web (150 locations reaching every corner of the world), including iHeart, Google, Apple, Amazon, Alexa, etc..., the show enjoyed long-term success in Western MA, Southern VT and NH on WHMP, WHAI, BEAR Country and other SAGA stations, with Dr. Rahaim as a sought-after guest and contributor on News and other talk programs.
Dr. Frances Rahaim's loyal audience loves her no-nonsense, diplomatic, if sometimes controversial approach to helping sort out difficult issues surrounding effective debt management, successful budgeting, and truly holistic retirement planning and beyond. She has an uncanny ability to translate financial jargon and confusing topics into every-day easy language, engaging her listeners and disarming the stigma around talking openly about money. Rahaim, and her cohost Jess Tyler, Program Director/Morning Show Host WHMP Northampton, banter passionately about real-life, everyday money matters. Nothing is off limits! College, student loan crisis, 401k dos and don'ts, marriage, divorce, insurance, going solar, buying a car, starting a business, you name it. It's all fair game -- political, economic, and social topics that affect us all, and ALWAYS, what you can DO to give yourself the edge.
In 2008 Rahaim started PowerDownDebt, Inc. right in the middle of the housing bubble. Four years later, she formed HUG Your Student Debt, Inc. to address the crisis not only for students but for parents struggling to retire under the weight of their children's and often their own college loans still. At 43, with 20 years of experience as an Independent Broker / Registered Investment Advisor, Frances developed a way to address the elephant in the retirement room - becoming 100% debt-free including mortgage, student loans, credit cards, every type of debt, has broad reaching effects on RETIREMENT! Nest-eggs grow faster and last longer without the burden of debt. Today, Dr. Rahaim's fully dynamic HUG Your MoneyTM software is patented, and she is continuously working on new developments and financial tools to help the public.
What led a top Investment professional to shift her focus toward debt? $10,800 monthly going out in mortgages and business loans, throwing extra money at it and still no real light at the end of the tunnel. In solving her own problem, she found the missing link to retirement planning - the one thing no advisor wants to talk about. The key element that changes everything you THOUGHT you knew about retirement -- liabilities. Now, financial advisors train with her to utilize this path to retirement dollars and help clients, even ones who thought the ship had sailed, get a second chance to reach their goals.
Frances doesn't just talk the talk, she LIVED this stuff and her listeners get that. They FEEL it! Their comfort level with her non-judgemental approach and down-to-earth demeanor invites questions you never thought you'd hear anyone admit to or ask on the air!
Whether her listeners are interacting or listening in on their neighbors' stories, this lively show holds their interest and fosters a loyalty rarely found in radio. Part financial, part domestic, part political, part entertainment, always ear-opening, informative and pragmatic.
Listen to Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim PhD, Better With Money and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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