Have a difficult time separating good financial advice from the bad? Today our contributors tackle everything from budgeting and credit utilization myths, to discussions on trade schools and the rent vs mortgage debate. Joining us on today's round table is Lauryn Williams from the Worth Listening podcast, Paula Pant from the Afford Anything Podcast, and Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog. Friday Fintech: FarmTogether After the constant reminders to diversify, you eventually decided to invest a portion of your portfolio into something like bonds, right? Ever consider farmland? Joining us from the FarmTogether investment platform, we welcome founder Artem Milinchuk to learn more about farmland investing. Joe and Artem discuss how farmland's low correlation with the stock market provides better diversification, how advances in the farming industry align with ESG values, and how farmland can provide bond-like stable returns while still providing equity-level value. Listener Voicemail: What Happens To Your Stocks When A Company Goes Private? A company you own stocks of goes private, what happens now? Caller Liz recently found out that Michael's will become a private company after a sell. Liz asks: do they sell her shares at a specific time? Does she have a choice? Fortunately, Liz tells us this is her sandbox money - she doesn't need it, but she's still curious about the process. As always, Doug has some post-fintech airtime to deliver his game-show trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We thought women have been doctors for a long, long time. That's clearly not been the case, and also it's a path that's hard-won. If you were fans of the women in Hidden Figures, watch out, because today we're introducing you to three more trailblazers. In honor of Women's History month we invited Olivia Campbell, the author of the new book Women in White Coats, to share with us some fascinating (and sometimes horrifying) stories of the challenges these incredible women faced during their fight with the status quo. These women had limited funds, little to no support system, no government assistance, and they persevered in spite of it all. Financial Advisor Alex Reffet In our headlines segment, we'll go back again for another look to a year ago. How should a good financial advisor have encouraged you at the time when the sky was falling, and the market was experiencing its worst days in history? We'll talk to Alex Reffet from East Paces Group in Atlanta to get his perspective. Tax Day Pushed Back...BUT With One Exception Also, we'll share the news that you can procrastinate on all of your taxes...except one, for an extra month. We'll share some bad news for people with a state income tax AND also for people who own businesses. Of course, we'll also throw out the Haven Life Line to a lucky listener AND share Doug's amazing trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How many mistakes did YOU make buying your last home? Before you make another, Scott Trench and Mindy Jensen from Bigger Pockets Money join us to drop the knowledge you should know before making your next home purchase. They'll discuss the cost tradeoff you need to consider between renting and buying, the exit strategies you have to weigh before making any purchase, and detail how to set yourself up for a rock-solid home buying experience. Plus, you'll see how Mindy pocketed a $300k profit off her home renovations, tax-free. Cryptocurrency illegal? We'll start our headlines discussing India's possible banning of cryptocurrency. While nothing is yet set in stone, it's a good example of why it's important to keep your retirement funds diversified, no matter how lucrative one type of investment may appear. The only thing that's for certain is that if there's a way to make money off of it, you can bet Uncle Sam (or any government) is going to find a way to share in the pie. 2021 - The Year of the CFO We'll start with a piece about a possible market crash (spoiler: yes, eventually), and quickly pivot to a discussion on how careful you need to be this year about growth statistics from companies. With the year that was 2020, it's no wonder companies are loud and proud about their expected growth in 2021. Don't get us wrong, we're excited about positive news, but as an investor, you can't only rely on fancy numbers. What to do with all this money? We'll finish the show with a call from Seth, who recently bought a home. After his monthly expenses and investing Seth has about $2,000 leftover each month in savings. With Seth's emergency fund already fully funded, he asks: should he allocate the extra cash to paying off his mortgage, or use the money to fund additional investments? We'll give Seth some advice that'll work for every raise he gets, expected or not. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether you are a parent, have parents, or find yourself at the Thanksgiving table sandwiched between generations, honest money conversations are crucial to your financial journey. Single investors with no kids need to know the late-life plans of their parents before they're surprised with care costs. Kids themselves need financial education and the best way to do that is by showing them firsthand. Parents, especially those supporting two generations, have all the more reason to make sure everyone is on the same page. Joining us today to share the strategies and conversations inside of their own families, we welcome Pam Andrews from The Scholarship Shark; Doc G from the Earn & Invest podcast, and OG from our own Stacking Benjamins. Friday Fintech: Ethical Investing with Seeds Investor Remember 15 years ago (or even five) when investing in ESG's was considered principally an ethical move? While you could invest according to your morals people would tell you about the market returns you'd miss out on. That's not quite the case anymore, and now it's easier than ever to stick to your ethical considerations AND make money doing it. Joining us today from Seeds Investor to discuss the future of ethical investing and Seeds part in it all is COO & Head of Product Kristen O’Grady. Our Listener Voicemail Dan graduated from college last year and has been staying with his parents rent-free. He's since become a salaried worker, with a big raise and benefits to match. Dan tells us that he had been putting 15% of each paycheck into a savings and emergency fund. He has a few manageable bills right now and has been investing the rest. Dan asks: what are out thoughts on transferring the 15% savings rate to his investments instead? After all, he could maximize his investments while having low bills. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's show includes two fantastic guests: first Allison Baggerly, who not only paid off $100k on two teacher salaries but who also has become a ninja at budgets. She'll share tips from her Inspired Budget courses and website that you can use to begin setting up your own budget today. But that's not all! We also spoke with the host of Struggle Meals, Frankie Celenza, about how he's able to make great-tasting food for less money AND with less waste. He'll share tips about spices, salt, organizing your refrigerator, and more. NOTE: On the live replay we experienced a few issues. We'll share one right at the top of the show (Doug's power went out immediately as we began--that stuff ONLY happens when you're live). We also realized while editing that you are hearing also Joe's channel, which includes links to backstage discussions. We've cleaned it up a ton and unfortunately, that meant cutting some discussions. Check out the YouTube video to see the entire show. As always, you'll find show notes and links to Struggle Meals and Inspired Budget at our show notes page at Stacking Benjamins dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You calculate returns on your investments, but what's your ROI when you're actually being nice to people? It turns out, reams of data show that kindness pays, and today, America's Breakthrough Coach, Brian Biro joins us to talk about how to become a Chief Kindness Officer. While Brian's all about holding the door open for someone, the philosophy of kindness actually goes much deeper than that. Sometimes being kind means telling a worker, "Go figure this out on your own, then come back to me with your thoughts." It's a wide-ranging interview that we know you're going to enjoy. Bad Idea of the Year: Investing Because A Celebrity Said So The Securities and Exchange Commission has a new warning you'll want to know about. If you didn't know this already - you shouldn't invest in any company only because you heard something on the internet and the news. That includes Stacking Benjamins, Facebook, CNBC, Fox Business, and anyone else you want to throw on this list. That's not to say no one ever has good endorsements, but due diligence is always an action you should take before making big decisions with your money. We'll talk about celebrity endorsements and a new warning from the SEC during our headlines segment... Have A Plan For That $1,400 Stimulus Check Coming In And speaking of doing your due diligence, Suze Orman had a thing or two to say with how people might be spending this next stimulus check. Naturally, we had a thing or two to say about her thing - or rather Don McDonald has something to say. Making a flash appearance in the basement, the Talking Real Money host has some real takes on how you should use your stimulus check to score the biggest impact possible. What's the deal with SPACs? Good on Julien for today's Haven Life question! He's been hearing about special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in the news and wants some clarification. Is this a new shady method for companies to avoid the paperwork that comes with an IPO? Are SPACs worth investing in? Joe and OG take Julien's question and go step-by-step on the differences between IPOs and SPACs. Of course, we'll always leave some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spend less than you earn, invest, Stack Benjamins, and retire to a beach for the rest of your life, (or insert personal retirement fantasy here). It sounds simple... right? As a set of guidelines, sure it's simple. BUT in reality, it's not so easy, and as studies have shown time and time again, doing your dream retirement activity (like golf) every day gets old very quickly. While money is obviously the most important component to any retirement, the "to-do" list doesn't stop there. Helping us fill in the blanks, and joining us for our round table today, we welcome CFP Dana Anspach from Sensible Money, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and our very own OG. EverPlans: Introducing a company helping you plan for the worst. After our contributors get their fill on retirement advice, Joe sits down with the founders of Everplans, a company designed to help you store key information in one place in case of the worst happening. During our Friday Fintech interview, company founders Abby Schneiderman and Adam Seifer explain why it's so important for your loved ones to have easy access to your important documents, and how quickly things can go wrong when your family can't access your information. They take a topic most of us would rather put off and share stories that are fun, insightful, and actionable. We're glad to shine some light on the importance of making sure your family is taken care of in case of the worst happening. Should you hold onto bonds for a change to make money on the market? As always, we finish today's show with a MagnifyMoney question. Scott tells us he's holding long-term Treasury bonds in his portfolio with the hope the bonds will jump in price when the stock market crashes. He would then use the profit to buy stocks while they're low. Scott asks: do long-term treasuries still spike in a near-zero interest rate environment, or does that only happen when rates are cut? Of course, Doug gets airtime halfway through the episode for his game show, and he's in the holiday spirit today. You'll see what holiday season he means later... enjoy!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've felt it. You're going over the side...and it's all crashing down. You'd better believe that Heather Chauvin has also felt it. She's both a leadership coach and host of the Mom Is In Control podcast, and today she joins us in the basement to share her personal story of leaving a job she hated, all while maxing out her credit cards to get her side business off the ground - and by the way....also while she was battling cancer. While sitting down with Joe, Heather also shares how she stayed motivated and shifted her life priorities from taking care of others first, to taking care of herself first - and then others. Putting her own "mask" on first (talking airline warnings here) changed her life, and it'll do great things for you too. Financial Lessons From Sky-Rocketing Lumber Prices.In our first piece, we share lessons learned from rising lumber prices across the country. Much like how we love to wait until the day before a cold front to make necessary preparations, lumber runs on a "just in time" system. When an extra factor is thrown in the mix, it can throw the whole system in disarray until enough time has passed to course correct. A financial plan made with margin for error runs close to the same fashion. The big issue? Late lumber impacts your backyard plans, a wrong financial plan messes with your retirement. Joe and OG give their takeaways during our headlines. Mortgage Rates Are Creeping UpMortgage rates are going back up, better run out and capitalize on it while you can!... or maybe not. Giving us some clarity in what is surely resulting in plenty of scary headlines, Joe sits down with Kevin Parker of Navy Federal. Kevin shares what you need to know BEFORE making any big money decisions, plus dishes out some sound financial knowledge that's helpful for anyone approaching loans and credit. Best Personal Financial Success Story?Waiting for us on the Haven Life Line is a question from Evan, who's looking for some feel-good news after 2020. He asks: what are our best personal and professional success stories? We're happy to share! Of course, we'll always leave some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a time-bomb waiting in your IRA. Tax and IRA expert Ed Slott joins us today to share what the death of the Stretch IRA means for your retirement, and how the SECURE Act has made some big changes to the way your money is treated long after you're gone. Whether you have a partner, children, family, or any other dependents depending on your support, the last thing you need is complicated tax rules funneling money out of your portfolio. If you're the type of person who runs at the sound of a tax discussion, you may want to stick around for this one. Ed Slott breaks down what is often a monotonous subject into funny, easy-to-understand material. GME Resurgence, Cathie Wood, Stocks, and more. What in the world is going on with GameStop? No, that's not a misplaced sentence. Did you think the move three weeks ago was the end? Check the chart and be prepared for a surprise. Joining us today to talk GameStop's second resurgence, we welcome Spencer Israel from Benzinga. We'll also discuss Cathie Wood, the CEO of the largest actively-managed ETF in 2020 (among other distinctions), the bouncing markets, stock picks, and more. Uber (and any other service-economy app company) is NOT Your Friend. We normally make light of a financial TikTok on our Monday shows, and while we aren't changing that today, we're also shining some special light on one emotional video you've probably seen making its way across the web. Featuring a tearful Uber driver sharing his ordeal delivering almost an hour-long order only to ultimately make virtually no money on his delivery, the driver pleads with customers to understand what drivers go through and to tip appropriately. We agree with the driver on a big point: regardless of how you may feel about the current system, it is the system. If you're utilizing service labor, you need to tip appropriately or choose other manners of getting your product/need met. BUT, we use the video to shine an important light here. Uber's first priority is to the company shareholders, not to you as a customer or contractor. Great guests like Juliet Schor have already explained the how's and why's behind the large costs associated with the everyday worker in the sharing economy, but one's things for sure: when something isn't working for YOU, it's time to pivot. When is it the right time to make the leap to full-time business owner? We'll finish today's show with a Haven Life voicemail from caller Evan, who has some questions on jumping ship from the W2 life to full-time business owner. Up to this point, Evan and his family have reinvested all the money back into the business to keep it growing, and he asks: what should he know before taking the leap? Joe and OG give their two cents, and share a few resources along the way. Of course, we'll always leave some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No matter if it's 2017 or 2021, $1 million dollars is still a nice stack of Benjamins. That's why to finish our rewind week, we're bringing a round table episode featuring our contributors sharing their top strategies to save your own million. Regular contributors Paula Pant and Len Penzo were joined by Hip Hop's Financial Advisor Rob Wilson on this episode. You can read the original show description below: How do you save a million dollars (we said in our coolest Austin Powers voice….). We’ll discuss a recent online piece that goes over that on our Friday round table! Special guest, and Hip Hop’s Financial Advisor Rob Wilson joins Paula Pant and Len Penzo in a no-holds-barred conversation on saving more money. Of course, we don’t stop there. We also tackle a recent Time story about millennials. Apparently, ONE trick is helping them save more money. We’ll share not only what it is but also additional tricks to save more money. Finally, we review a Moneyologist column question about taking care of a brother’s money. If he can’t do it himself, how much should sister step in? In our Friday FinTech segment, we talk to the CEO of GO, a cool app that’ll help you more quickly (and by more quickly, we mean WAY more quickly) your car insurance. It’s as easy as taking a photo…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many families college is right around the corner, and so is that first Business Office payment. Fortunately for you, we have some great advice on hand from a financial aid wizard. While specific policies may change, the strategies and mindset behind lowering the bottom line and getting more aid in your pocket tend to stick around. That's why we're replaying our interview with financial aid wizard and UC San Diego instructor, Jodi Okun. Here's our original description: College planning expert Jodi Okun stops by the basement to help college-bound students save a TON of money. She has advice for students, parents, and for people thinking about possibly going back to college. How will you pay for it? She has many great suggestions. In our headlines....beware when an expert shares their opinion, and it just happens to correlate with EXACTLY the items they sell. Plus, ever wonder why nobody makes money in the stock market? We'll share the real reason. Then we take a hotline call from Amy about moving to Canada and a letter from Megan with an awesome article attached. All that and a guy named Snoop! in the basement today.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With stimulus checks hopefully on the way, it's a good time to get your debt payment strategy in place. That's why we're replaying this episode from 2019 with Laura Adams, more commonly known as Money Girl from the popular podcast by the same name. Here's the original description: Are you having trouble climbing out of debt? Or maybe you're tired of daily calls from debt collectors? Whether you have serious debt or just need to refresh your plan, today we're kickstarting your 2019 journey to financial independence with the host of the Money Girl podcast, Laura Adams. Plus, speaking of 2019, what does the next year have in store for the world of credit? We're talking to Senior Vice President of Research and Consulting at Transunion, Matthew Komos, during our headlines segment. And later on, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Alex, who wants to know if he should pull some cash out of his account and reinvest when the market drops. He's also finishing his residency to become a physician, and his tax liability is virtually zero. What should he do with his accounts right now? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether you've been investing for a week, for years, or anything in between, it's always a good idea to keep the fundamentals in mind. BUT....on the other hand, we love to have fun, and it's Friday after all! That's why today we're treating you to a Stacking Benjamins game-show version of "Guess the 10 Habits to Become a Better Investor!" We pulled a piece from M1 Finance listing their top 10 habits, and on this episode, we'll quiz our contributors on which strategies made the list. Not only do you get great investing tips from each of our three contributors, you'll find yourself laughing so much you won't realize you've learned a thing... until it's too late. Playing the game-show with us, we welcome Don McDonald from TalkingRealMoney.com, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog. Think it's too late to make a career change? After we crown our game-show champion, we'll talk big career moves with the Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas. Are you anxious about making an industry change? Think you've sunk too much time to make a move for your happiness? We'll talk sunk costs (both monetary and emotional), following your happiness, and the realities of leaving behind a career you've spent a considerable amount of time in - and the truth is probably brighter than you think. What should you do with you investments when you have large upcoming purchases? We'll finish our show today with a MagnifyMoney question from caller Debi, who tells us that she's looking to buy a home or condo in the next few years. She would like to acquire a few more properties after that and start to rent them out for passive income. Plus, she has a $10,000 savings bond that will mature in August 2021, along with another $10k each in savings and Robinhood. Our contributors give Debi some much-earned congratulations and advice on how to best position her money in the mean time. As always, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Warrillow has built and sold many businesses, and has created a business value builder system used by thousands of businesses worldwide. With many, many years of experience under his belt, John knows a thing or two on how to bring value to a business. Today, he brings that wealth of knowledge with him to help make better financial sense for your family. Tune in for an insightful discussion featuring case studies, interesting stories, and maybe a new way of looking at your family's financial picture. Hot take incoming: every time you make a bad financial decision and lose big (let's say shorting GameStop to the tune of $200,000), maybe you should blame someone else and sue them to recoup your losses! Sound crazy to you? Tell that to Christian Iovin, the man suing leading Reddit investor "DeepF$%kingValue" over his part in the short squeeze. During our headlines, Joe and OG give a thorough deconstruction detailing how the "get-rich-quick" mindset can lead a person down some strange paths - including thinking that a social media figure is responsible for your investing choices. While we aren't without sympathy, we break down how Iovin willingly made his choice on what he thought was a great deal at the time, and offer up some sound advice to not get yourself caught between a rock and hard place - short squeeze or otherwise). We'll keep today's theme going with our second set of headlines. Bill Gates is now officially "meh" on Bitcoin (it's an improvement!), and financial advisors are ready to back the truck up to crypto. Now hold on a second if you think you know where this is going. We're not here to preach #teamcrypto or denounce the movement either way. What we are saying, like in our interview with John Warrillow, is that you need systems. We've said the same thing about Tesla and Apple, and the rules don't change for Bitcoin. The biggest danger to your portfolio isn't a Redditor or Capitol Hill, it's you. The best thing you can do for your bottom line is taking yourself OUT of the equation. Enough of that, moving on. Finishing out today's show is a Haven Life line question from Zac. He asks... (checking notes...)... is putting $20 a week into a somewhat random stock that has shown positive growth a good idea? Truth be told, we could have went a lot of different ways with this one. I'm proud to say the guys put some thought into this one, and not only give Zac an answer, but dive into some explanations on different stock analysis theories. Of course, Doug always gets some airtime for his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the next step after you finally "make it"? While it's easy to scoff at the problems of people who are financially set, it's not uncommon to lose a sense of purpose once you jump out of the rat race. Bigger questions start to come up: what's your real purpose in life? What type of legacy are you leaving behind? How will your personal relationships be impacted by your new-found financial status? What type of impact do you want to make on the world? Shining a new light on these ideas that often don't receive enough attention is Jennifer Risher, author of We Need To Talk: A Memoir About Wealth. We'll talk to her today! Taxes, taxes, taxes. It's that time of year again. Joining us to talk all things taxes during our headlines segment, we welcome tax software expert extraordinaire, Hannah Rounds from The College Investor. Whether you're a landlord, charitable giver, paying off college debt, contributing to an HSA, or anything in between, Hannah has great advice ensuring you won't be leaving any cash on the table. Plus, Fidelity recently held an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit. The thread gathered A LOT of attention, but not for the reasons you'd think: everyone had Robinhood on their mind. While Reddit users did comment on the GME/Robinhood debacle, there was a bigger question: why in the world does Robinhood have such an incredible user interface, while many of the other big-name brokerages and bank apps seem to be stuck in the first episode of Wandavison? We'll finish out the show with a Haven Life line question from one listener who has finally come to their senses with Robinhood. Listener Taylor has invested with the company for years and he's ready to jump ship. The big question? How can he change move his investments to another brokerage without taking a big capital gains hit? We'll give him many options so he (and you!) can move on to greener pastures. Naturally, we'll also give Doug his airtime halfway through the show. FAANG stocks used to be all the rage, but some investing pros are looking to the future and is giving one company the boot. Find out which one during Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feeling stuck? Maybe it's time to move. Of course, it's a lot easier to write about moving than actually planning and doing it. And while a move may pay off in the long run, there could be a hit initially to your finances. With that in mind, today we ask our round table contributors: what exactly would encourage you to move? Better location? Pay? Maybe you want to escape the harsh Detroit winters? (I'll let you guess who had that complaint). It's a fun conversation that covers a breadth of topics in true Stacking Benjamins fashion. Helping us out today are our round table regulars: Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and our very own OG. Halfway through the show, we'll give our contributors a break while Joe talks everything alternative investments with Michael Weisz, co-founder of alternative investments company Yieldstreet. During their interview, Michael covers everything from the company origin stories - a shocking reality check that a large percentage of everyday consumers were locked out of the alternative investments sector - to helping investors by cutting down average IRA rollover times from forty days to six. If you've ever wondered about other investment choices outside of stocks, bonds and funds, this is one interview for you. We'll end today's show with our MagnifyMoney segment. Caller Kevin tells us that his father passed away last year. While he isn't attached to the credit card debt his father left behind, he's heard the horror stories of banks hounding family members after a loved one's death. Kevin asks: what's the best strategy for dealing with the looming creditors? We'll give Kevin some heartfelt advice that we hope can make this time a little easier. Of course, we'll give Doug his airtime halfway through the show, and he's keeping things Texarkana Classy with today's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you have money conversations with the people in your life without making things awkward? From asking the boss for a raise to having a tricky money chat you'd rather not have with a family member, and even to opening honest lines of communication with your partner - money can be a scary topic to broach. We bring good news: it doesn't have to be. Erin Lowry, the mind behind the Broke Millennial series, joins us today to share how you can move beyond the "pit in your stomach" feeling when it comes to money conversations, and the answer (really) is easier than you'd think. Plus, during our headlines... let's just say the local Texarkana Chamber of Commerce isn't too happy with how we've been portraying the small quaint town of Texarkana. Chamber of Commerce President, Bubba "Tex" Mext had a few words he wanted to share with us, and - lucky for you - we caught it all on tape, and we're sharing it here today. Of course, we won't leave you high and dry either. When we find some clean airtime, we'll also discuss a piece about the growing popularity of HSAs. While the book is still out on investor sentiment towards a dual HSA/401k investment approach, it's not the worst idea to consider for your larger financial portfolio. We'll explain why during our headlines. During our Haven Life Line, we'll answer a call from Maz, who has more questions about the GameStop situation. What are the big lessons to take away here? What should investors have learned? How can people do better in the future? Naturally, Doug can't let Tex Mext make so much commotion without having a few words on the matter himself. Better brush up in your Lone Star knowledge, because Doug has Texas on his mind today during his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Think you can't network like a pro because you're an introvert? Better put your party hat on and take a shot of liquid courage, because our guest today is coming in with strategies and techniques that'll turn anyone into a lean, green, networking machine. (Without resorting to sending out hundreds of spam emails). Our guest, Matthew Pollard, has helped multiple businesses become million-dollar ideas, and he assures us it has a lot less to do with having the skills of a smooth talker, and a whole lot more with honest connection and preparation. Having trouble with the law? While the long arm of the government may be able to seize your bitcoins, today's piece shows that by forgetting a key piece of information, you don't have to worry about your bitcoins ever really going goodbye - but good luck cashing anything in for your retirement. Plus, we'll cover why everyone's favorite mortgage strategy, velocity banking, is an off-the-rails fun way of paying down your debt... until it all comes crashing down around you. Plus, during our Haven Life line, Justin tells us he's interested in buying stocks for his daughter. Her favorite game, Roblox, is about to go public, but the company is doing a direct listing. Justin asks: Are direct listings as bad as IPOs for everyday investors? Is there anything he should know about before getting involved? We'll give Justin the rundown, and even throw in a few of our favorite apps to get kids started on investing. As always, we'll save some time for Doug's network-based trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love is in the air, and today, no matter your relationship status, you're gonna LOVE our discussion on your relationship with money. How is it? Is it healthy? Growing? Worrying? We'll discuss all of the emotions around money on today's show, featuring a cast of financial media peeps including Paul Ollinger from the Crazy Money podcast; Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast; and our very own OG. Plus, just in time for Valentine's Day, there's big news from the financial app for couples called Zeta. The founder of Zeta, Aditi Shekar is back, to share all of the details. If you have a relationship with someone AND you're trying to mix money in any way, you'll want to hear their news. Of course we'll still all have opinions for a lucky listener on today's MagnifyMoney.com call AND we'll battle it out over Doug's Valentine's Day themed trivia question. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, we went and added a comma. You weren't counting, but mom was. Today we'll share the money lessons we've learned over our first 1,000 (wow, have we really made that many?) episodes. Plus, we'll hear from many of our friends you'll recognize from the financial community. We'll share a monster list of our favorite books and resources, but all of the things that we've learned on our journey over the past (near) decade. During our headlines, we'll double up on the experts. First, we'll talk to Dirk Izzo, president and GM of Hospitality at NCR, who'll share how restaurants embraced innovation and kept revenue flowing in the face of unprecedented challenges. In our second piece, we'll invite the man who literally wrote the book on silver investing to explain the craze in the silver markets hitting the news lately. What was happening while we were all watching Gamestop? It turns out, a TON. David Morgan will share his best tips on today's show. As always, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Finally, thank you Stackers for making a thousand episodes of this little podcast a reality. We couldn't have done it without you. Enjoy the show.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It seems absurd now, but Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph was told early on that his company name would never work. Today, he's going to give us some of the same advice he's giving on his new podcast, "That Will Never Work." We'll discuss fighting fear, hiring the right team, having conviction in your ideas, and more. And don't worry if you aren't interested in becoming an entrepreneur. We also asked Marc how to interview better (he's interviewed thousands of people) AND how to ask your boss for a raise. In fact, you'll be surprised what he has to say about raises. Wondering what's going on in the world of fintech? During our headlines, we'll share the newest developments in tech that helps you manage money better. From advancements in technology making your information more secure against hackers to new-new digital banks promising more consumer-friendly resources and more, there's a ton of interesting developments on the horizon. We'll cover many of them. Plus, we'll tackle a headline about Jeff Bezos stepping down from Amazon. Do you think he finally reached his magic number and has enough to retire? Maybe he gave of the lattes and buckled down? Probably not, but that won't stop us from talking about setting goals, retirement, and more. We'll finish today's show with a question we often get about 401k plans. After you leave a company, should you move your funds? Josh left the basement a voicemail explaining that he likes keeping his investments in one place so it's simple to stay focused on the big picture. However, Josh won't be able to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan after he retires from the military. He asks: is there a benefit to keeping his money in the account? Would he be missing out on anything if he rolls his TSP over to a Roth IRA? As always, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you get to the top of your game? How far would you go to keep your business and personal social groups aligned with your goals? We'll quiz our roundtable, plus get their thoughts on the number one goal they're trying to attain currently. Our contributors this week are Sandy Smith from YesIAmCheap.com; Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast; and Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog. After we finish talking about goals and dreams with our roundtable we'll pivot to our interview with Brian Hamilton, the co-founder and CEO of the new digital bank One. There's been a lot of great improvements in the digital banking industry, but Brian found a problem: it was hard to find a good bank that offered all the features someone would want. His solution? Make one. During our fintech segment, we'll dive into the making of One with Brian and talk about good business values, vision, and the digital banking landscape. During today's MagnifyMoney call we'll tackle a question on credit card rewards. Alan tells us he and his wife have been playing the rewards game and got up to $10,000 in 2020. He says it seems like a great side hustle and ask for our thoughts. As always, we'll give Doug some airtime halfway through the show to have this week's trivia game show. If you happen to be knowledgeable on the annual revenues of Wisconsin-based shower head companies, this one is for you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've told plenty of incredible underdog financial stories on the podcast, but none like the one's you'll hear today. More than recovering from 6-figure debt or learning how to balance their budget, today we're excited to bring you the stories of the first black Americans, some of whom survived slavery, but who all went on to become millionaires. Shomari Wills, author of Black Fortunes, joins us today to bring incredible stories of fortitude, challenges and surpassing hardships. We're sticking with the financial "comeback" theme during our headlines. Think you should throw in the towel on the whole financial independence thing because you've made a few mistakes? While you may not have the star power to pay off a $9 million tax evasion bill, like today's headline focus, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, your path to independence isn't over because you've wracked up some debt or made some bad decisions. Plus, a big life insurance company just was sold to another. If you're a client, what happens to your policy? We'll describe how it all works on today's show. Of course we'll also throw out the Haven Life Line to a lucky listener AND save time for some of Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wondering what the heck is going on with GameStop? We'll dedicate some time to explain everything from the beginning: why GameStop and Robinhood are in the news, what a short squeeze is and how it happens in real-time, why Robinhood (and other companies) stopped investors from buying GameStop stock, and more. Of course, we'll also take on the obvious question: should you invest your cash in GameStop stock? Could the "Work till you drop, I'll sleep when I'm dead" mentality actually be costing you more than you think? After we finish our explanation on all things GameStop, we'll share an interview we loved so much we had to play it for you here. Despite what we may say, many of us love to stay busy. Be it at work, with our personal lives, our volunteering on the weekends: staying on go is good. But, slowing down and choosing priorities with more purpose can have surprising results in your life. Expanding on that point, we'll play an interview between Mike Carruthers, host of the Something You Should Know podcast, and business psychologist Tony Crabbe. During today's Haven Life line we'll take a question from Andrew. He's 26 with an index universal life insurance policy that comes with a hefty $500 premium. Andrew asks us: is it smart to continue paying on this policy for future retirement, or should he close it and look at better options? As always, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. You'll love it all! We love you! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Life is about odds, and so are negotiations. How do you stack the deck so that you're "playing to the judge" the next time you're in a pressure discussion, high stakes negotiation, or difficult conversation? Today we're joined by a woman who teaches her students to interview better using many subtle (and not so subtle skills), the Scholarship Shark, Pam Andrews. Plus, Len Penzo has been involved in raise and workplace negotiations for the last 30 plus years, and OG has negotiated a ton with his kids, and sometimes he even wins! They'll all join in with their best tips on how to negotiate better. From what to say to non-verbal cues, we'll share LOTS of important ideas. Nearing retirement and think you'll need some help "landing the plane"? After we part ways with our roundtable contributors, we'll sit down with Rhian Horgan from Silvur, a retirement app designed to help you make better financial decisions leading into your golden years. We'll finish out the show with a MagnifyMoney question from Corey, who wants to build cash flow and long-term diversified wealth. He asks, what are our thoughts on investing in real estate? Corey says he wants his investment to be as passive as possible. Should he look into hard rental properties or REITs? Our roundtable will share their thoughts via Joe. (You'll have to see when you get there). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do New York City's richest residents, murderous unions, and world-famous guests like Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles have in common? The Plaza Hotel! Julie Satow, award-winning journalist and author of The Plaza, joins us today to share the century of fascinating stories the hotel holds between its walls. From fortunes beyond measure to the Great Depression, from the Golden Age of Hollywood to Home Alone 2, the Plaza Hotel has never been shy about its place in history. Plus, believe it or not, we're about to enter tax season! Tax expert Katherine Pomerantz joins us during today's headlines to share all-new tax rules. Between relaxed guidelines on charitable giving, new deductions for your student loan payments, and more savings than you'd think for your home office, this is one tax talk that'll keep you listening. Cole and his wife are DINKS, and are contributing heavily to their IRAs and Roth accounts. They're planning on semi-retiring early and are looking for some advice on how they can best invest for the long-term, keep money relatively liquid, and have enough cash for living expenses. Thoughts? (And OH BOY, does Joe have some thoughts on this one. You don't want to miss this). Of course, after a short and sweet rant, Cole gets plenty of great advice for the future. Of course, we'll also save time for Doug's trivia, and much, much more. Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beyond the big sticker price, New York Times money columnist Ron Lieber has a different mindset than most about college costs. After Ron explains why most of our assumptions on college costs are wrong (that includes you), he'll share three key criteria about what we're really looking for when it comes to higher education. We'll also tackle the no-college route, which comes with its own surprising set of misconceptions that have grown over time. What's the bottom line? There's a whole lot more to think about than the price tag, no matter which path you choose. We'll cover all of the options, threats, and opportunities on today's show. In the financial headlines segment: is the sky finally falling on the stock market? For the twentieth time, NO! Despite what non-stop headlines tell you, the market will drop when it drops. Like Joe says, when it comes to the market, this is one of the few areas in life when doing nothing is the right call. Still, feeling the itch to move some money around? Take OG's advice and try to call the market for the next twenty days. If it works, call us before you do anything else, because we have an offer for you. If it doesn't work, stick to the tried and true and forget about market-timing. We'll finish today's show with a Haven Life voicemail from Susan. She and her husband want to set up a savings account for their grandchild but have a few questions. How can they create a sustainable system for any future grandchildren? What happens if their grandchildren are bad with money? Are there any tax implications to worry about? We'll cover these questions, and more, for a comprehensive answer on setting up your kids for a fulfilled financial future. As always, we'll save some time for Doug's (student-loan-themed) trivia halfway through the show, and much, much more (including some awesome TikTok advice....). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not sure how to ask for a raise at work? Don't know how to initiate seemingly awkward money conversations with the people around you? This one is for you. Joining us today with their best tips on having an honest, productive dialogue around money are our roundtable contributors: Doc G from the Earn&Invest podcast; Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog; and Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast. Halfway through the show, we'll pivot our money conversation towards data and money management with Brian Barnes, the founder of M1 Finance. We love data and graphs as much as the next Stacker (no really), but Brian approaches automation a little differently. Doing our Fintech segment we'll have a conversation on why less is more when it comes to the streams of information you use for investing choices. During our MagnifyMoney segment, our mystery caller asks if they should take on debt to finish their graduate degree earlier or take it a year slower and cash-flow their degree. Our caller assures us that her degree is in high demand. They ask: how do they determine the opportunity cost between waiting or taking on loans? As always, we'll give Doug some time in the spotlight with this week's trivia game-show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we welcome the two-time Emmy award-winning host of Travelscope, Joseph Rosendo to the show to share travel tips as we dust off the suitcases and hopefully get ready to hit the road during the latter part of the year. What should we plan to see? Should we try for more or see less? What does he think about travel groups, packing, and learning the language? We'll discuss FOMO, getting to know diverse people, and even having the right mindset on today's show. Plus, anyone who's ever tried to receive an insurance payout knows how much these companies can drag their feet: the tourism and hospitality industry is discovering their pandemic-related claims aren't going the way they'd hoped in many cases. During our headlines, we'll cover what's been going on behind the scenes, and hopefully, leave you with an urge to go recheck your policies for sneaky language from your insurers. During our Haven Life Line, Stacker Steve left us a Stacking Benjamin's BINGO card worth of trigger points, but we didn't let that stop us! Between automatic contributions, NOT getting caught up in a Robinhood rant (only the second time we passed on that opportunity), and pensions - we definitely took the high road on this one. That's not all! Doug shares his own tips on travel points, shares some trivia, and more. It's just another day in the basement! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ryan Harris has had a front row seat to stress. Over a 10 year career in the National Football League and 4 years as a starting lineman at Notre Dame, he played in plenty of "this is the most important play of all" situations. Now on a quest to help empower people to embrace better financial habits, the former Super Bowl 50 winner joins us today to talk about how to fight stress and how to live with doubt. He'll also share his own story of making plenty of money but still not possessing the systems to hold on to cash. Should this week's changes on Capitol Hill have you worried for your wallet? I won't even make you wait on this one - THE ANSWER IS NO! During today's headline segment we'll tackle a piece stirring up some unfounded fears that your personal finance "hangs in the balance" over the government change in Washington. You should never stick your head in the sand, and ghost the financial markets over the (D) or (R) in your politician's name. Don't take my word for it... just wait for Joe's rant. We'll also share our thoughts on Tesla reaching a 2 TRILLION dollar valuation in two years, and all the reasons that shouldn't matter at all for your portfolio, even if your friends say otherwise. Plus, not sure if you should pay off your home early? During our Haven Life Line we'll answer a voicemail from one listener weighing the pro and cons of paying off a mortgage on a house they'll only live in for another five years. They ask, should they instead save their extra Benjamins for the next move? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're all tired of hearing about what a "dumpster fire" 2020 was. How do we reboot the computer, restart the machine, refresh the situation, and re-fire our financial engine? That's our topic today, and OG, Paula Pant (AffordAnything), and special guest Roger Whitney (Retirement Answer Man) all have helpful ideas about getting back on track. Halfway through the show we're excited to talk to our old friend (and Joe's co-host on the Money Tree podcast), Doug Goldstein. Doug's created a constant happiness journal. If you've been waiting for the perfect journal to have a more happy 2021 and beyond, Doug will share with you why he created this, how to best use a journal, and why journaling works for so many people. Finally, on our MagnifyMoney.com question of the episode: Jon is thinking about college costs for his four kids. He's heard the Stacking Benjamins expert, Pam Andrews (the Scholarship Shar), say that a HELOC, or equity in the home, can't be factored into the FASFA. Jon's kids are in private school and have to do something like FAFSA. Jon has $60,000 in savings and is thinking about putting two-thirds of the savings into a HELOC, to possibly get financial aid. Thoughts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you balance getting what you want now without mortgaging your future? Or on the other hand, how do you avoid have ZERO fun today while you prep for a rosy tomorrow? We often recommend that you look at your situation as if you're a business, and today we'll talk to a man who led one business to amazing results, the former CEO of Honeywell, David Cote. Plus, the cryptocurrency market value has topped $1 trillion, with Bitcoin now worth over $38,000 a coin. Feeling the itch to jump into the Wild West of investing? We won't stand in your way, but we do have a few stories about us selling a coin or two... WAY before we should have. In our second piece, is paying to improve your credit a smart play? We'll discuss everything from good habits to shady house financing, automation, and The Big Short. Should you be paying taxes on your unemployment? Mike called the Haven Life Line after he noticed there were no taxes automatically deducted from his two months of unemployment. Should Mike worry about the IRS coming after him later? We'll answer that question, share Doug's trivia, and we'll be skeptical about exactly how many people actually listen to the podcast. Is it really two or maybe only just mom? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Know those people who say you need a 4-year university degree to reach success and financial independence? Our guest, Myra Oliver, has a thing or two to say about that. She's worked as a hairstylist, real estate broker, and now is our resident financial coach on today's show. Myra knew she didn't need a degree to reach her goals of financial freedom. Today Myra will share her story about working hard toward success. She shares stories about how she learned quickly how to bring in more money, how she manages real estate, surrounding herself with the right people, and how she and her husband were able to retire from their traditional jobs by age 33. "You have to do what others won't, to get what you want." - Myra Oliver's mantra. Plan on leaving something behind for your loved ones? Get your financial house in order first. We recently covered how former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh passed away without a will, but you may remember Prince also didn't have a will. (Yes, we also talked about Prince way back in 2016). It turns out, that case is still ongoing, and the IRS believes Prince's estate owes over $32 million in federal taxes, based on a new valuation. During our headlines, we'll give you plenty of reasons to get your legacy in order today. Plus, can you make 2020 Roth IRA contributions until Tax Day 2021 if you're already paying taxes for the new year? Stacker Josh calls in today with a voicemail for the Haven Life Line telling us he'd rather get it right now than have to deal with the IRS later... can't fault him on that logic. As always, we'll also save some time for Doug's trivia, and much, much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we stay focused on goal setting. We're turning our attention to our group of financial media members and asking them how THEY are achieving their own goals. They'll share how they communicate, hold family members accountable, and stay on track. Joining us today is special guest and host of the Seven Figures podcast, Sandy Waters; Paula pant from the Afford Anything podcast, and Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com. Halfway through the show, we'll give our contributors a break while we sit down with health and wellness expert Angelo Poli from MetPro.co. With the holidays over and the new year here, Angelo has some great tips to fatten up your wallet while you trim down the waistline. How are you going to grow your net worth without a healthy body to keep you focused on the prize? We'll share how. Plus, how can early retirees make sure they have enough reserves in the bank to take care of emergencies down the road? During the MagnifyMoney segment, our contributors drop some knowledge for Laura, who called in asking about preparing for early retirement with a preexisting condition. Plus we'll save time for all-new game show trivia from the big man himself, Doug. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rules. When things go wrong we think, "We should make some more guidelines. That'll help people keep things moving." However, Netflix decided that rules might be the problem, so they eliminated many of them. Study after study shows that Netflix employees report high satisfaction with their jobs and perform at a highly productive rate. So how do they do it? Today we'll talk to Erin Meyer, co-author (with co-founder Reed Hastings), of a new book on the topic. Whether you manage a family, a department, or are an entrepreneur, today's interview will help you earn more and manage tasks (and people) more effectively. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll detail a different way of gifting money. MacKenzie Scott gave away $6 billion in 2020 without asking for buildings to be named after her. She gave it quickly and effectively, many say. But if you're giving away money, what oversight should YOU employ before turning over your hard-earned money? We'll share what you need to know, plus in our second headline, we'll review a recent Securities and Exchange Commission ruling approving testimonials in advisor's advertising. How will that change marketing? Possibly, a lot. We'll explain. Of course, we'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Brad, who's retiring but still wants to max out his HSA contributions for the year. Are there any rules he needs to be aware of? In, fact, there are! OG will explain. Don't worry! We'll also save time for Doug's trivia question. Mom says hello! Enjoy the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most of us start each year looking at external goals, such as "What can I gain," or "How can I achieve...", but after the dumpster fire we just experienced last year, we think the best place to begin 2021 is to look INWARD. If you know yourself better, you'll be able to address your strengths and cover your weaknesses. On today's show, Rachel Cruze joins us to tackle your money history and how your family, upbringing, and past mistakes can help you become a more powerful saver, spender and earner this year and beyond. It's a powerful interview and we're excited to help you avoid the shame, remorse, and guilt that many of us feel around our financial lives. "You can change yourself and you can change your habits." - Rachel Cruze In our headlines segment, we'll discuss the tremendous pressure many students feel to go to college, by tackling one star who just emerged from her prison sentence. We'll also tackle the new Social Security rules for 2021. While there are lots of changes, even if you aren't yet receiving Social Security benefits, we'll widen this topic to share some best practices when it's your turn to apply. During the Haven Life Line we'll take an answer from Eric, who has questions on HSA contribution limits. While his wife has an FSA, Eric has an HSA for him and his son. Eric asks: does he fall under the single contribution limit, or is he covered by the family limits? Of course, Doug will share another fantastic trivia question, and there's much, much more. Happy New Year! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wish you knew what the future held? Us too! While we can only foresee the future as well as the next guy, our brilliant, all-knowing device is all fired up and ready to go to kick off your 2021. That's right, this is our annual Magic 8-Ball episode, where we look back on the events of 2020 and ask a plastic, Walmart-purchased kid's toy what it thinks will happen over the next 12 months. For those of you stumbling onto this show for the first time you're in for a treat: each January for the last many, many years, we've asked Len Penzo's Magic 8-ball to predict what's in store, and during the early years, this little ball was EERILY accurate. BUT, not only will we take a look back to see how well the 8-ball predicated 2020's events (and really, who could have guessed this year?), we'll also implore the 8-ball to reveal the secrets of the upcoming year. Plus, for those of you getting serious about your personal finance resolutions, we'll ask the headmaster of the Stacking Benjamins Money Club, Aaron Velky for his best advice during today's fintech segment. One thing we already know: having accountability makes achieving your goals that much easier. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to our final show of 2020! We're finishing our the year that seemed like it would never end with another classic episode from 2014. Long-time listeners may remember our interview with one-half of the two man Cannonball Run crew, and new listeners will appreciate this one. Just remember, the show format was a little different back then. Make sure to tune in tomorrow for our very first (brand new!) episode of 2021: our Magic 8-ball show with Len Penzo. Long time fans love this show year after year, and with all the madness that was 2020, you'll definitely want to see how the 8-ball's predictions have stood against the test of time. You can read our original show notes for today's episode below: While OG is moving across country, we thought we’d bring you a cross country adventure episode!Ed Bolian did something you wish you’d also done – he drove coast to coast in a modified Mercedes…..in just over 28 hours. How did he do it? Ed shares his crazy story on this week’s episode. Suzanne Lucas, the Evil HR Lady, is BACK with a horror story about 401k loans. Sandy Smith (Yes, I Am Cheap!) joins Len and Paula on the roundtable to discuss 33 reasons your finances are a mess, plus Len and Joe read and answer your letters and discuss a couple movies. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to our second most quirky Stacking Benjamins interview. This show goes way back, so don't worry if the format feels a little different. You can read our short and sweet headlines below: Ken Perenyi forged masterpieces for a living…until the FBI showed up on his doorstep one day. Ken’s book, Caveat Emptor, describes how he went from a school boy with no money to a world class forgery expert….AND Ken describes the journey himself on today’s show. The Makin’ Sense Babe is in a foul mood, and rants against people who don’t understand side hustles. Joe & OG discuss how financial advisors dress…..does that impact the quality of their advice? Doug brings trivia, the guys show you how to win Jane Blaufus’ book, and they review two hit films: Captain Phillips and Gravity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just a few more days until the new year! We're keeping our countdown going strong with one of America's original big-time investors: Abigail Adams. You can read our original show notes below: As Women’s History Month draws to a close we suddenly realize….we’ve done nothing to celebrate! Today on the show we make up for that (‘in spades,” as mom says) by inviting down to the basement professor Woody Holton, author of the book Abigail Adams, for which he won the Bambridge Award and more. He’ll describe the amazing prowess of Adams in a time when many women not only weren’t investing, but weren’t even allowed to participate in their family’s financial plan. He’ll describe which investments she preferred, why she decided against real estate didn’t work for her portfolio, and how she created an estate plan for herself in a time when many women didn’t have that luxury. In our headlines segment, we’ll talk to Jamie Wise from the BUZZ Index (ticker BUZ). He’ll describe why his strategy and those of some of his algorithm-based competitors seem to be winning in this time of volatility. He’ll also share some of the names that the crowds on social media are focusing on to ride the choppy market. Also, with the financial markets all over the place, we’ll review a story from Marketwatch that asks whether the market will crash, and if it will, what you should do to buckle up. The advice might surprise you, if you’re looking for ways to exit stage left, or are looking for advice that tells you how to exit stage left….or right. We’ll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Nelson, who’s worried about his parents’ financial plan. They have an insurance-company based financial advisor, so Nelson thinks that they should move to different advice. How does he approach the topic with his parents? We also score some of Doug’s spinach-based trivia, and more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to day four of our countdown! You didn't think we would stop did you? Today in our New Years countdown featuring our quirkiest interviews, we're turning back the clock to our time with documentary filmmaker Sanjay Rawal. You can read our original show notes below: Establishing your BEST financial habits means realizing that it isn’t about being great today or tomorrow; it’s about doing the right things over and over again for the long run. Today we talk to the creator of a documentary specifically about a long run. 3100, Run and Become is the story of an ultramarathon that covers (shocker) 3100 miles. Better yet? It’s run around a single New York City block. Sanjay Rawal will take us through the event, his making of the film, and we’ll talk about topics that have everything to do with finance. 1) Finding what you love; 2) Chasing a dream; 3) Knowing your weaknesses; 4) Finding your state of “Flow”; and more. The cool part for us? We get to talk finance in a way that you’ve probably never heard it talked about before. During our headlines segment, another deceased celebrity’s estate is an arm wrestling match for the heirs. Sigh. We’ll tell you who’s fighting for the cash and discuss what YOU should do to foolproof your estate plan from your greedy family. Then, in our second headline, credit card reward programs are everywhere… but just like ice cream brands, they’re not all created equal. We’ll talk pros and cons of credit card rewards during our second piece. As if that’s not enough, we keep bringing it! During our Haven Life Line segment, we’ll answer a question from Jason. He’s wants to retire in his 40s. If Jason rolls his Roth 401k into a Roth IRA, will he be able to withdraw the cash without the tax penalty? Does the 5 year conversion rule still apply? Then, in our letter segment David is just starting to pay attention to his financial situation. He wants to know what the advantage would be of using a financial advisor or buying funds that have high expense ratios over doing it himself. Couldn’t he just do it on his own and save extra cash? We’ll surprise Jason with an answer he doesn’t expect, and hopefully surprise you, too. And don’t you worry, we’ll still have time for some of Doug’s very special Benjamin Franklin themed trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to day three of our countdown! You may recognize this one from earlier this year, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to leave this one off the list. You can read our original show notes on this Dominatrix-themed episode below: Do you have trouble staying in charge of your money? Maybe you let your priorities get away from you and want to make a change? Today we’ll talk about communication, being direct, and asking for what you really want with the author of the hit new book Bow Down, Lindsay Goldwert. In this unique new perspective on how to take charge, Lindsay sat down with dominatrixes across America to get first-hand information on how you can “reset the power dynamic in any situation to get what you want—whether it’s from a husband, boss, or partner.” During our headlines segment, are you finally bringing in a HUGE nice income, but your bank account isn’t rising? Lifestyle inflation can become a serious issue for high earners, and without a proper plan in place investors run the risk of becoming a HENRY – High Earner, Not Rich Yet. Plus, during our second headline, we’ll touch on why actor Rick Moranis is making a return to the big screen and what lessons you can glean for your financial plan. Plus, we’ll open up the mailbag during our Haven Life Line and answer an estate-related question from Diana. Diana is the executrix of an estate plan for the funds of two pre-teens but wants to appoint someone else to take over most of the responsibilities. What can she do? What is she supposed to do? We’ll cover some estate planning basics on today’s show. Of course, we’ll also make some time for Doug’s trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to day two of our countdown to New Years! Did you know that one group of people tend to live longer than the rest of the population? This episode was one of our old-school "short stacks," and you'll find just the interview in this one. You can read our original show notes below: Dr. Anna Corwin, a (then) anthropology PhD candidate at UCLA specializing in aging, well being and social interaction, wrote such a great piece for Yes! The Magazine that we had to have her on the show to discuss it. One group of people have picked the lock on living longer and more happily than the average person. What group is it? You’ll have to listen to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to our countdown to New Years! Leading up to our New Year's Magic 8-ball episode with Len Penzo we're bringing you our top "quirkiest" interviews. These shows were released from this last year all the way to 2013, so you're in for a real treat. We're kicking things off with our interview with Tracy Coenen, a forensic spy who uses her knowledge of spreadsheets and bank knowledge to chase down criminals. You can read our original show notes below: She’ll tell you over and over that her job isn’t interesting. But if you’re a money nerd, do we have a treat for you today, because accountant Tracy Coenen spends her time chasing down bad guys using spreadsheets and bank statements (I’ll stop if you need a moment). Today she’ll tell us stories of two stories where she helped catch perpetrators by using financial records (and some amazing ingenuity) to help bring “bad guys” to bear. Plus, are you interviewing soon? Even if you aren’t we’ll talk about some useful tips if you’re interested in moving up the ladder at work or with another pursuit (and who isn’t?). Plus, we’ll discuss the new milestone one fund company just passed and pause for a moment…man, that’s a lot of money. Of course, we’re also going to toss out the Haven Life Line to Dillon and get Joe and OG’s take on how Dillon should approach his investments. All and and we’ll still make room for Doug’s trivia. Step aside, people! There’s a new episode coming…..this plate is HOT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was YOUR biggest lesson from 2020, besides avoid pandemics? Today we'll share our top 5 (plus an "honorable mention") events from maybe the weirdest year in recent memory. There were MANY great takeaways this year, so it was difficult to decide. Today we'll talk about the importance of emergency funds, relationships, giving, sticking to your investment strategy, and more! Plus in our headline segment, we're joined by IRA and tax guru Ed Slott, who shares a few last-minute tax tips. He'll talk about your Roth IRA, giving, and (gasp!) spending money. That's not all. Doug shares trivia about today's Festivus holiday AND Joe and OG answer a Haven Life line call from a guy named Nick in Alaska. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedy Central is such a part of American culture that its existence seems obvious, but that wasn't always the case. The process of creating Comedy Central is a story of perseverance, luck, believing in yourself and your idea, and more. We'll talk to Art Bell about his original idea for Comedy Central, his background, and how he wound up pitching it to the head of HBO (without an appointment!). If you've ever had an idea that you wanted to bring to life, you MUST listen to today's show. Plus, the student loan crisis is back in the news lately, with many speculating how the new administration is going to possibly change the game for borrowers. While we won't speculate on any of that, we WILL speak with Asha Srikantiah from Fidelity Investments about not only their 2020 Student Debt Snapshot (which shines a light on some of the most looming problems people are having with debt), but also a new free tool they've developed to help people work on better loan repayment strategies and options. Later, we'll throw out the Haven Life line to J.J., who is changing brokers and wants to know the best way to diversify his portfolio now that he's moved. How can he diversify without paying a bunch of unnecessary fees? Of course, we'll still share Doug's trivia, take a call about Joe's warranty expiring, and more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the end of 2020 FINALLY in sight, (and what a long 38 months it's been), we're excited to bring you all of our best lessons from the last year. Between Paula Pant and Len Penzo, with OG and Joe weighing in on all of their top picks, you'll have plenty to chew on. We'd write more here...but who wants to give up what our top picks are? Just listen! PLUS, there's new innovation coming to your computer and phone. Like clockwork, it seems we hear about regular data breaches and how the companies we trust with our information have been mismanaged. Today we'll welcome to our Friday Fintech segment our friend Peter Polson from Tiller Money, to learn all about new advancements coming to your computer and phone app security. This will revolutionize how you look at financial technology in the future. While there's no listener voicemail today, that doesn't mean we're not answering a question. We found a problem we wanted to help someone solve over at the personal finance subreddit. At the very least we'll make sure that (hopefully) none of you Stackers make this same mistake. This poster bought a new car with a 72-month loan attached at 5.9%. The kicker? They have a 710 credit score! With only a few days to return it, they ask what's the good play here? Of course, we'll have ideas. BUT that's not all...we'll also reach the finish line on our year-long trivia contest! Can OG force Len into an overtime week? We'll have the exciting (maybe) conclusion (also...maybe) on today's show. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Few people have seen as many great ideas (and horrible ideas) as Paul Merriman. We were listening to Paul Merriman's advice long before we had a podcast and today we FINALLY were able to sit down with him...and he doesn't disappoint. Today Paul dishes out five ideas that will all make you over a million dollars more during your lifetime if you're a young investor. Before you listen you should ask yourself NOT if you've heard these ideas before, because there's a good possibility that you have. The key question to ask is, "What are you DOING about these five ideas." Based on statistics of the average investor we can all use help IMPLEMENTING a better strategy, and Paul shares some great ones today. Plus, should you invest in non-traded real estate? A recent headline complains that real estate that isn't traded is hard to value. Joe and OG will go over exactly what the controversy is AND whether you should consider these for your portfolio. Also, we'll cover new information the Securities and Exchange Commission is making available to US investors. Will it change how you invest? We'll answer THAT question as well. We'll end the show with a question from Matt on rebalancing. Matt asks if the natural ebbs and flows of the stock market (and regular investments) negate the purpose of rebalancing. Wouldn't the market take care of that on its own? What's the point? We'll talk rebalancing 101 today! It's a nerd's dream! Plus, Doug gets a little classy with today's trivia. Well, he would consider anything to do with the subject of tea to be classy. If you feel confident in your tea trivia, make sure to test your mettle halfway through the show. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices