Welcome to my site! I’m Janet Lombardi, an author and storyteller with a passion for the hows and whys of everyday money management.

In 2007, I made a frightening discovery: my attorney husband of 25 years had been hiding substantial personal and business debt. In a desperate act, he committed a white-collar crime and was eventually disbarred, prosecuted, and incarcerated in prison. The face of the man I loved was plastered on local TV and newspaper. It was a devastating time and I was forced to sell the family home I loved. You can read my story on Salon.

What happens to a family when the financial rug has been yanked out from under its feet?

How does a wife pick up the pieces and resurrect a good life?

I’m that wife, and I’ll take you through the story of my mistakes, hard-won lessons, and recovery. I am still on the path.

Maybe you think my ordeal is extreme and couldn’t happen to you. And that may be true. But, I’ve met far too many people who are vague about their finances and have unwittingly handed over the reigns of their financial lives to someone else. In these tough economic days, it’s time to take matters into our own hands!

I believe in the power of renewal and hat tipping to the divine and have learned to embrace life as it is, with all its blessings, joys, and surprises.

Today, I live on my own in a beautiful condo, own a new car, am debt-free, finished putting two kids through college, kept my 401K intact, and divested over $500,000 of debt (including the sale of my house) in little over three years. And my memoir, Bankruptcy: A Love Story, will be published in June 2017 by Heliotrope Books. It’s a compelling tale of a marriage derailed, shared infidelities, drug addiction,  and squandered love. Pre-order a copy!

Join me in shattering the taboo that “nice people don’t talk about money.” I’m ready to share my knowledge and inspiration and hope you are too.

Read 7 simple steps that helped me get back on my feet. Simple yes, easy no!

Please contact me at janet.lombardi9@gmail.com

“Riveting!” “
– Sarah Hepola, Author of the New York Times bestseller Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget

“Janet Lombardi’s debut memoir Bankruptcy is a poignant, brave, and compelling story of lost money, marital heartbreak, and healing.”
– Susan Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of Unhooked, Five Men Who Broke My Heart, and What’s Never Said

“Bankruptcy is an intriguing story of a shocking loss that could happen to anyone. The writing is riveting! It kept me up half the night.”
– Jan Phillips, author, Creativity Unzipped