A message from HerMoney on March's Madness

These are frightening, anxiety-provoking times — in life and in money. And it’s at times like these that we believe it’s particularly important to recognize A) what you can’t control vs. B) what you can control, and focus on the latter. You can’t control the wild swings in the market. You can control whether you choose to pay attention to them by the minute. You can’t control interest rates. You can control whether you look to profit from lower ones by refinancing your mortgage if it makes sense. You can’t control the virus. You can control — or at least try to control (why is it so hard?!?) — the times each day you touch your face.

Like everyone, we're monitoring the situation as it evolves. And we've got you covered:

Jean lays out the questions you need to ask before you make any sudden moves.
Dayana deconstructs the sharp market movements we're experiencing and puts crashes, dips, recessions and corrections in perspective by showing how long they typically last.
And as Beth explains, how you handle sudden stock market moves depends on your investment goals — as in how much time you have before you need the money and what to do if you haven't started investing yet.

All of us hope that calm and common sense prevail. Let's help each other out, shall we? Join us on Facebook and Instagram for tips on how to manage financial anxiety, cope with market volatility and feel empowered after a turbulent few weeks.

Plus:
From Influencer to Entrepreneur with WeWoreWhat’s Danielle Bernstein
When she was a sophomore in college, Danielle Bernstein turned her talent for styling the perfect ensembles into a fashion blog. Today, WeWoreWhat is a multi-million dollar platform boasting more than 2 million instagram followers. The fashion collections she offers seasonally frequently bring in more than $2 million in sales within just a few hours of launch.

On this week’s HerMoney podcast* Danielle and Jean talk about entrepreneurship, style tips, growing a business (she recently launched project management tool Moe Assist to help online influencers) and so much more. This is one episode you’ll want to share with the young women in your life.

In this week’s Mailbag, Jean tackles questions about "recasting" a mortgage, what to do with a $13,000 gift, and how to handle family "wants" that threaten to derail your retirement plans. In Thrive, Jean offers tips on kindly and gently cutting the purse strings when you’re supporting family members.

What the Weinstein Verdict Means for #MeToo Survivors: Not Much

On Wednesday Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault. As he changes out of his Oscar-worthy tuxedos into prison garb, we’re left with the overriding question: What now?

We asked Sarah Beaulieu, sexual harassment prevention and response expert, for her response to the efficacy of the Harvey Weinstein verdict. She’s the author of the new book, "Breaking the Silence Habit: A Practical Guide to Uncomfortable Conversations in the #MeToo Workplace." Read Sarah’s HerMoney guest column for more on what we can do to create safe environments for women.

I Had to Fight for Equal Pay — and I Won’t Be Silenced
Editor’s note: This story is published anonymously at the author’s request in order to comply with her settlement agreement:

"I can’t tell you my name because the company I sued for equal pay bought my silence with their settlement. But I can tell you my story anonymously in the hopes that it helps you if you’re ever in the same situation.

"When I found out my male colleagues were paid between 50% to 100% more than I was — we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars more — I was livid, stunned and devastated. I felt sick. I felt betrayed. I wanted to rush into the building, grab the coffee mug and family photo from my desk and run out screaming. Instead, I hired a female employment lawyer. Here’s what happened next."