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A Single Mom With Rental Properties Asks How To 'Bulletproof' Her Investments From Today's Economy — Suze Orman Says 'You Cannot'

Thu, Sep 11, 2025, 11:31 AM 3 min read

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In a recent episode of the "Women & Money" podcast, financial expert Suze Orman responded to a heartfelt question from Melissa, a single mother of a teenage son and a small-scale landlord. Melissa, who owns a few rental properties, asked how she could "bulletproof" her real estate investments in today's tough economy.

Orman's response? You can't.

Melissa's concerns are ones many landlords today share. She pointed out the rising costs of property taxes, insurance premiums, and interest rates — all eating into her rental income. Like many, she's waiting for interest rates to fall before buying more property outside of New York.

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But Orman pushed back on that strategy.

"When it comes to real estate, it's very, very difficult to bulletproof yourself from losing money," she said. "You cannot protect yourself against insurance going up. You cannot protect yourself against property taxes going up." She added that home repairs and climate change are also factors that make it difficult to truly "bulletproof" and real estate strategy.

The truth is, while real estate has long been viewed as a solid investment, it's becoming increasingly vulnerable to economic forces that are out of individual control.

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Melissa mentioned that her rental income is her main source of passive income. For Orman, that raised a red flag.

"What concerns me is your main source of passive income happens to be properties, and you’re already asking how do you bulletproof yourself from losing money," she explained, inferring that Melissa may already be feeling the financial pressure.

Orman stressed the importance of diversification — spreading your money across different types of investments to reduce risk. If real estate is your only basket, and something goes wrong, your whole financial foundation can shake.

Instead, Orman recommended exploring other income-generating options, such as: