Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin

Today, Nicole is teaming up with U.S. Bank to unpack the state of small businesses and what entrepreneurs can do right now to get ahead.

Nicole sits down with Shruti Patel, U.S. Bank's Chief Product Officer for the Business Banking segment, to unpack the findings from the bank's fourth annual Small Business Survey and what they reveal about the state of entrepreneurship right now. Shruti breaks down why small business optimism dipped from 93% to 83% this year even as resilience holds strong, why only 3% of owners are currently considering a sale or exit, and what that signals about the massive wealth transfer coming as Boomer-aged owners hand off their businesses to the next generation over the next decade.

Then the conversation turns to Gen Z founders specifically: their appetite for bold, calculated risk, and the surprising trend of delaying life milestones like marriage and family to build their businesses… a bet that, according to the data, is actually paying off in faster growth.

Nicole and Shruti also get tactical: how business credit actually works (and why your personal credit score matters more than you'd think) and the real documentation lenders want to see. Plus: how small businesses are using AI to cut costs (even when the ROI math gets murky), where digital currency payments stand today, and why frictionless checkout is a bigger deal than most owners realize.



Learn more about U.S. Bank's Small Business Banking solutions at: usbank.com

Check-out the results of U.S. Bank’s Small Business Survey: https://www.usbank.com/business-banking/business-resource-center/small-business-survey.html

Here's what Nicole covers with Shruti:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

00:43 Meet Shruti Patel, U.S. Bank's Chief Product Officer

01:20 Inside U.S. Bank's 4th Annual Small Business Survey

02:16 Why Optimism Dropped from 93% to 83%

04:45 Why Only 3% of Owners Are Considering an Exit

05:18 The Great Wealth Transfer and Succession Planning for the Next Decade

06:31 Inside Gen Z's Bold, Calculated Approach to Risk

07:37 Delaying Marriage and Family to Build a Business

09:03 "You Can Have It All, Just Not All at Once"

11:07 How Gen Z Defines Success

12:10 The Death of the "Shark Tank" Fundraising Dream

13:45 Debt vs. Equity: Rethinking How to Finance Growth

14:17 What Banks Look for Before Approving a Loan

16:08 Do Businesses Have Their Own Credit Score?

17:38 Personal Guarantees and the Documentation You'll Need

19:06 The SBA Loan Process

19:38 How Small Businesses Are Actually Using AI to Save Money

21:16 The "Digital Target Checkout" Problem with AI Costs

22:39 Where Digital Currency and Crypto Payments Stand Today

24:15 Why Frictionless Checkout Is Everything

26:03 Inside U.S. Bank's Business Essentials Launch

29:32 U.S. Bank's Partnership with the NFL and the Financial Edge Program

33:45 Shruti Patel's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Kevin O'Leary is back on Money Rehab, and this time he's changed his tune on crypto. Nicole presses "Mr. Wonderful" on his wild reversal: from owning 27 coins to just two, why he thinks the real money is now in power infrastructure, and why the Clarity Act could break Bitcoin’s price ceiling.

Kevin also gets into the messy, litigious world of data centers, including the lawsuits, the death threats against his own family, and where he thinks the money trail leads. Then things get personal: his $5 million "you're not wealthy until" rule, the eye-popping story behind the $35 million outfit he wore to the Oscars, and which Shark he’d call to bail him out of jail.

Of course, no Kevin O'Leary episode is complete without a fight, so Nicole and Kevin reignite their $28 sandwich debate and reach a truce… Almost.

Start investing investing at SoFi.com/MNN

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠

Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠

Here's what Nicole covers with Kevin:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:25 Kevin O'Leary Returns (RIP Labubu)

02:05 Confessions of a "Social Media Whore"

04:33 Buying Longevity: The Ozempic Debate

07:30 Wealth, Health, and Sleep Optimization

08:45 Inside Kevin's Lawsuit Playbook

14:00 Foreign Adversaries and the Data Center Wars

15:19 Debunking the Data Center Water Myth

19:19 From 27 Coins to Just Two: Kevin's Crypto Reset

23:55 The Quantum Computing Threat to Bitcoin

26:36 Kevin's New Bitcoin Price Target

29:01 Why Power, Not Crypto, Is the Real Trade

33:07 Should You Still Buy Crypto Right Now?

34:41 The Kidnapping Risk Nobody Talks About

36:28 The Money Bag: Financial Envy

38:01 The $5 Million Rule for Feeling Wealthy

40:15 Why Kevin Refuses to Google His Net Worth

42:23 The $35 Million Oscars Outfit

49:19 Passing Down Collectibles (and the Tax Trap)

51:40 Who Bails Kevin Out of Jail?

58:56 Kill, Marry, Fire: Pelosi, Holmes, and Cathy Wood

1:03:55 Data Center Death Threats

1:04:16 Round Two: The $28 Sandwich Fight

1:10:42 Kevin O'Leary's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions.

Bill Ackman built one of the most closely watched hedge funds on Wall Street; when he speaks, markets move. Literally. Today, he joins Nicole to break down the opportunities he’s seeing in the market, which companies are in his portfolio, and what could trigger the next 2008.

Bill walks Nicole through his investing playbook, the biggest mistake new investors make, and whether we’re in an AI bubble. Then, Nicole and Bill play a rapid-fire round of Bullish or Bearish where Bill gives his takes on gold, Bitcoin, Chipotle, Starbucks, T-bills, Trump, and Mamdani. Bill also gets personal about his inheritance plans for his four daughters, what he actually thinks makes someone successful in business, and whether he would run for office.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course⁠ ⁠The Money School⁠⁠

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company⁠ ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠⁠

Watch video clips from the pod on⁠ ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠⁠

⁠Follow Bill Ackman⁠ on X

Learn about ⁠Pershing Square⁠

Here's what Nicole covers with Bill:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:14 Bill Ackman on the State of the Economy Right Now

03:00 Who Wins the AI Race: OpenAI vs. Anthropic vs. SpaceX

04:31 Why a Great Business Is Like a Bond

05:56 Is the Stock Market Too Expensive Right Now?

07:01 Where to Put Your First $1,0000

7:39 Inside Pershing Square's 12-15 Stock Portfolio

09:22 Democratizing Hedge Funds with PSUS

10:39 Buying Stocks at a Discount

11:18 Apple's Innovation Problem and Life After the iPhone

12:33 The Best Advice for New Investors

14:06 Are We in an AI Bubble?

16:46 Predicting the Future and the Next Financial Crisis

17:52 Why You Should Never Borrow Against Your Stocks

19:20 Carl Icahn's Billion-Dollar Leverage Cautionary Tale

20:16 The Worst Investing Advice He's Ever Heard

23:00 Fixing the Retirement Crisis

25:48 Bullish or Bearish: Gold, Bitcoin, Chipotle, Starbucks, Trump and Mamdani

33:30 What It's Like When Your Tweets Move Markets

35:15 Would Ackman Ever Run for Mayor of NYC?

38:01 The World He Wants for His Four Daughters (and His Inheritance Plan)

42:25 The Real Formula for Success in Business

44:21 Bill Ackman's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Comedian and creator Laura Clery built a media empire of 26 million followers, and then watched her marriage and her bank account collapse at the same time.

Laura opens up about the financial wreckage of her divorce: how her ex-husband's relapse and addiction affected their financial lives, how she ended up paying two mortgages at once without fully understanding why, and the surreal moment she realized her water had been shut off. She walks Nicole through the costly mistake of choosing mediation over hiring a lawyer, why she couldn't afford the retainer when she finally needed one, and the moment her ex hacked her YouTube and Facebook accounts, deleting years of content and her entire livelihood in the process.

Nicole and Laura also get into the bigger financial lessons: why Laura now insists every woman keep her own separate bank account, how watching her mother stay in a difficult marriage without financial independence shaped her own choices, and how she rebuilt. But first, Laura shares about the freak accident that almost killed her.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠

Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠

Get What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Hotter

If you or someone you know is struggling with the same issues Laura speaks of today, here are resources for addiction and domestic abuse

Here's what Nicole covers with Laura:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

02:03 The Freak Refrigerator Accident

12:24 The Inside Job Conspiracy

14:35 Writing What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Hotter

16:12 Early Money Dynamics With Her Ex

18:31 Booking TV Commercials

21:52 Becoming Facebook's Biggest Comedy Star

23:45 Who Really Controlled the Money

25:01 The First Relapse and Years in Recovery

27:00 Catching the Infidelity

29:53 When It All Went Public

32:00 "You're Not a Victim, You're a Volunteer"

37:08 No Prenup and Two Mortgages

39:53 The Day Her Water Got Shut Off

42:27 Choosing Mediation Over a Lawyer

47:00 The Hack51:14 Post-Separation Abuse

54:47 Why She'll Never Live With a Man Again

58:37 Her Parents' Marriage and the Cost of Staying

1:01:01 Why Every Woman Needs Her Own Bank Account

1:01:51 "Mommy Has Money Again"

1:02:39 Money Fixes Money Problems, Not Everything Else

1:05:54 Reframing the Mental Block

1:09:41 Laura Clery's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

As Chief Investment Strategist at Hightower Advisors, Stephanie Link spends her days researching the market’s winners. Today, she's breaking it all down for us. Stephanie explains why the economy keeps defying the doom-and-gloom headlines, which stocks she thinks will champion the next decade, and why she believes we're only in the third inning of the AI revolution.

Nicole and Stephanie get tactical fast: the difference between the Mag 7 and the "S&P 493," which stocks are not worth the hype, and Stephanie's thesis that cybersecurity stocks will end up being bigger than AI. She names her favorite tickers across cybersecurity, data centers, robotics, and quantum computing, and explains whether it’s too late to buy NVIDIA. Stephanie also gets real about the so-called "AI bubble," the circular spending debate freaking out investors, and why she bought SpaceX but capped it at just 2% of her portfolio.

Plus: what her 19-year-old daughter is investing in, why "FAANG" just got a 2026 update, and the one boring, unsexy ETF Stephanie says every new investor should consider.

Check out Nicole's financial literacy course ⁠The Money School⁠

Find a Financial Advisor or Financial Coach from Nicole's company ⁠Private Wealth Collective⁠

Watch video clips from the pod on ⁠Money Rehab's Instagram⁠ and ⁠Nicole Lapin's Instagram⁠ 

Read more about Stephanie’s work

Here's what Nicole covers with Stephanie:

00:00 Are You Ready for Some Money Rehab?

01:12 Stephanie Link Joins Money Rehab

01:41 Why the Market Keeps Defying the Doom and Gloom

04:07 CapEx, Decoded

06:58 The K-Shaped Economy: Why the Vibes Don't Match the Numbers

09:49 Inflation, Oil Prices, and the War's Ripple Effect

11:41 Mag 7 vs. the S&P 493: Which ETF Should You Buy?

16:16 Why Stephanie Says No to Leveraged ETFs

17:32 Cybersecurity Will Be Bigger Than AI

20:16 The Best Cybersecurity Stocks on Stephanie's List

23:15 How to Vet a CEO Before You Buy the Stock

25:16 Investing Lessons from Stephanie's 19-Year-Old Daughter

28:23 What Stephanie Won't Buy: Crypto, Staples, and Energy

32:20 Inside the AI "Food Chain": Powering the Data Center Boom

35:43 Robotics and Quantum Computing: The Next Big Themes

41:00 MicroStrategy vs. Palo Alto: What "On Sale" Really Means

43:07 FAANG Is Dead, Long Live MANGOES

43:47 Why Stephanie Bought SpaceX (and Kept It to 2%)

55:40 Is It Too Late to Buy NVIDIA?

59:06 Grading the Innings: AI, Cybersecurity, and Robotics

59:50 Hot Stocks: Micron, SanDisk, and the Chips Everyone's Chasing

1:02:27 Is There an AI Bubble?

1:03:16 The Circular Spending Debate

1:08:08 Stephanie Link's Tip You Can Take Straight to the Bank

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments.

Disclosures: Hightower invests in companies including Boeing Company, Dover Corp, General Electric, Quanta Services, Rockwell Automation, Union Pacific Corporation, Broadcom, International Business Machines Corporation, Marvell Technology Inc, ServiceNow Inc, Palo Alto Networks Inc, Snowflake Inc, Synopsys Inc, Bank of America, Capital One, Coinbase, Morgan Stanley, Truist Financial Corp, Amazon.com Inc, Meta, SpaceX, Alcoa Corp, Antofagasta PLC, Natera Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, SLB Limited