In Well Endowed, Vivian Tu shows us how to build wealth that aligns with our values, supports the people we love, and buys back our time.

When it comes to building wealth, most advice is about numbers: budgets, percentages, balances. But what if we zoomed out? What if we stopped asking, “Am I doing this right?” and started asking, “Is this aligned with the life I actually want?”

That’s exactly what Vivian Tu, New York Times bestselling author of: “Rich AF” and “Well Endowed: The Secrets to Strategic Spending, Building a Financial Foundation for You and Your Family, and Creating Lasting Generational Wealth,” is challenging us to do. In this week’s episode of the HerMoney Podcast, Vivian joins Jean Chatzky to unpack the real meaning behind a “well endowed” life; not just financially, but emotionally, socially, and generationally.

What Does It Mean to Be “Well Endowed”?

Jean Chatzky: How did you come up with the title, and how did you convince your publisher to go with it?

Vivian Tu: I think people forget that when I say the phrase, well endowed, I could be making a little bit of a crass joke, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be that. When you say something is well endowed, you’re specifically talking about an endowment. An endowment, simply put, is just a pot of money, a pot of resources that can be invested and then can grow for the future, and that allows an organization to further its mission into the future.

And I think that all of us deserve to be well endowed, meaning we all deserve to have a pot of resources, a pot of money that can be invested, that can grow, and that can give us the life that we want in the future until we are no longer on this earth. And in the hopes that your pot of money is doing so well, you might be able to leave a little something behind for the people you love most. 

How Vivian Tu Defines a Well Endowed Retirement

Jean Chatzky: You recently moved to Miami, and you mentioned that many of the retired women in your building are living these incredibly full, active lives. They’re up at dawn, heading to Pilates, walking, brunching, traveling, and playing bridge. You’ve said that retirement is a misnomer because there’s nothing tired about them. How has living among these women reshaped your vision of the future, and what kind of financial planning does a life like that actually take?

Vivian Tu: I think when we hear the phrase “retirement,” it’s often equated with being put out to pasture. I actually hate that term, but it literally feels like it’s the end. You get to not work anymore, but also your life’s over. Everything sucks. You stay at home; you might get to watch some TV. The end like that sounds terrible. I don’t want that at all. 

But I see these women who live more active social lives than I do, and they are working out. They are super socially and emotionally tapped in. And for me, that’s exactly what I want my retirement to be like. I want to be able to choose how I spend my time. I want to be able to travel. I just don’t think that retirement has to be the end. It can really be the beginning of a new chapter. 

Bottom Line: Vivian Tu’s Tips for Strategic, Values-Driven Wealth Building

Start with your values. What do you actually want your money to do for you? That’s your roadmap.
Invest broadly and consistently. Vivian’s portfolio is diversified across sectors, geographies, and asset types: think index funds, real estate, and even private equity.
Plan your legacy early. From estate planning to family support, she’s not just focused on living well; she’s building wealth that lasts.

MORE ON HERMONEY:

Editor’s note: We maintain a strict editorial policy and a judgment-free zone for our community, and we also strive to remain transparent in everything we do. Posts may contain references and links to products from our partners. Learn more about how we make money.