With all of the news dominated lately by the government shutdown and Washington politics, it's easy to focus on things outside of your control. But if you're going to become a millionaire, it's time today to refocus your energy on YOU and what you need to do personally to find your way toward financial success. The perfect person to talk to about personal responsibility comes down to the basement today, Chris Hogan. We'll dispel some of the myths around who's a millionaire and help you set up your plan of attack to join the ranks yourself....sooner rather than later. In today's headlines: will the government shutdown impact this year's tax return season? Even with a partial recall of IRS employees, there's still plenty of potential issues if the agency doesn't return to full strength. We'll discuss one piece today that takes a look at all the possible problems for individuals and businesses alike. Plus, we'll be throwing out the Haven Life Line to Matt, who is recently married. What are some resources available for newlyweds going through their first tax season? After that we'll take some time to answer a letter from Jon, who wonders if his wife should ditch her whole life policy for term life insurance, and invest the difference in a Roth. And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring the show. Start your two months of unlimited access to Skillshare by visiting SkillShare.com/SB. Thanks to OnDeck for sponsoring the show. For a free consultation with one of their US-based loan specialists, go to OnDeck.com/SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're dedicating this episode to a very special guest: YOU. Our mailbag is overflowing, so today we realized it was time to devote a whole episode to answering your burning questions. Scott has cash left over after he pays bills and maxes out his regularly scheduled savings contributions... should he open up a Roth IRA? How should Laura prioritize her savings goals: pay down debt, add to retirement accounts, or build her emergency funds? Tyler has been recruited by his local Edward Jones agent. Should he begin his career with them? In our headlines segment, one recent piece asks the question, "Is your debt the driving factor behind your savings discussions?" We'll tackle why that's an issue, and how it can harm your long term plans. In our second headline we'll look at some changes coming this year to health savings accounts (HSAs). Later on, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to John, who wants to know how to invest his lump sum. Should he dollar cost average over the next year or dump his stash of money into his account at one time? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you put the brakes on spending so much money? ....... Our special guest today is Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, author of The Thirty Day Money Cleanse, and she's an expert in cleaning up your budget. We'll talk with her and our team about a recent Budgets Are Sexy blog post in which blogger J. Money lays out how he avoids spending money. What games do you play with yourself to distract yourself from spending money. Plus, two contributors you know and love, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and from Afford Anything, Paula Pant. Halfway through the roundtable we'll take a break for our Friday Fintech segment and talk to DeAnn O'Donovan from AHP Servicing. AHP Servicing is a company that's setting out to help people who are struggling with their mortgages find ways to stay in their homes. We'll also answer a MagnifyMoney.com question from Paul, who has the opportunity to buy shares of a new company. He's sure the price is going to jump up. Should he use he cash he has on hand to buy shares, or take out a loan to get even more shares? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Masterworks for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Masterworks.io and reserve your shares now. See disclaimer at Masterworks.io/disclaimer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could you go a few days without spending any money? A few weeks? How about a few months? Starving your wallet might be simpler than you've previously thought. Jen Smith, co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast, joins us today to talk about gifting yourself a "No Spend Challenge." How does it work? We'll cover her story of spending little to no money to cure her debt issues, and then how she refined the concept to create a plan worthy of talking about on our show and elsewhere! And in our headlines segment of the podcast, some great news! Long term care benefits have been added to the new crop of Medicare Advantage plans. We'll invite Danielle Kunkle Roberts from Boomer Benefits over so we can all learn more. Plus, we'll take a look at recent changes in the annuity industry. Annuity providers are making a combined effort to bring the industry into the 21st century to speed up the exchange process from months to a week. What does that mean for you? We'll dive in more during our headlines segment. Later on, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Sean, who's a minority stakeholder in a corporation. The majority stakeholder wants to buy him out... what questions should Sean be asking? And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Omax Health for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit TryOmax.com/sb for your free box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure with your first purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder how someone decides to aggressively attack a goal, like paying down your mortgage? Talaat McNeely and his spouse Tai decided to think HUGE thoughts when they set out to pay off their house in five years. They didn't know how they'd do it, but they set out anyway and took action, and ultimately accomplished their goal. Today Talaat will tell their family's fantastic story from start to finish. He'll share what they did well and also how they could have maybe paid the house off even faster. He'll share their feelings and emotions along the way that sometimes came near sabotaging their goal...and at other times that helped spur them on to victory. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll detail a great list of questions you should ask a financial advisor. Do you have questions ready when you go in to see an advisor? We'll share some of our favorites before jumping over to our second headline: one California man learns ten million reasons why you shouldn't tell your roommates about hitting the jackpot... see where this is going? Yeah, it's a cautionary tale.  Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Colin, who wants to know our thoughts on target date funds. He's been dollar-cost averaging into a Vanguard target date retirement fund for the past 10 years. Should Colin change his investment strategy? What are out thoughts? We'll also get through TWO letters today. First, Shaun is a financial advisor and wants to know what type of data he should be presenting his clients. Next, will take on a letter from Christy, who writes in to address our answer to a letter asking about individual life insurance. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Masterworks for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Masterworks.io and reserve your shares now. See disclaimer at Masterworks.io/disclaimer. Thanks to Omax Health for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Tryomax.com/sb for you free box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you spend too during the holiday season? Studies showed that many of us WAY overspent this year, to the tune of over $1,200 more spending than we could truly afford. Add that to the huge amount of debt people are already carrying, and this year's problem can easily become next year's problem. To help you wash away your debt problems, today we're talking to Nick Clements on the psychology behind debt management, and the many different ways you can get your year started on the right foot in our annual holiday debt cleanse episode. Plus, if you're looking to make some extra money on the side to pay down your holiday bills, we've got you covered. We're calling our old friend Harry Campbell, founder of The Rideshare Guy blog and podcast. He'll share lots of ways to help you quickly raise hundreds (and maybe thousands) of dollars. Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Bryan, who took out a 401k loan to buy a rental property. Bryan has extra cash coming in and could pay off the loan pretty quickly. Should he do it? What would be the downsides of choosing to make minimum payments? And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring the show. Start your two months of unlimited access to Skillshare by visiting SkillShare.com/SB. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this tumultuous market, how certain are you about your investment strategy? Larry Swedroe joins us today to talk retirement planning, but especially to talk about weathering the storm of risk and uncertainty in this market. We'll talk about what's normal for the market, why so many people fail, how an all-stock portfolio might or might not work for you, and more.  Plus, in our headlines segment, lots of people moved their money to treasures to start 2019. Could this foreshadow upcoming negative market conditions this year? We'll share our feelings on today's podcast. Plus, one major publication piece shares how much money you should have in stocks at every age. Is this good advice, or could it be guiding people down the wrong path? We'll talk about appropriate investment advice for people who are far from retirement, middle aged, and nearing or in their retirement years.  Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Joseph and his wife. They're looking to get a home loan but don't really like their options. Could raising their credit score open up better choices for them? We're also answering a letter from Matt, who wants to know more about his 401k options: Roth, traditional, and after-tax. He's also using part of his 401k at a quasi-emergency fund. Is he setting himself up for failure? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's on tap for 2019? We don't know what you have planned personally, but we CAN tell you what our Magic 8 Ball says is going to happen. We'll ask it all the important questions, like, "What will the stock market do in 2019?" and "Will the price of oil be higher next year than now?" plus heavy hitters like, "Will Harry and Meghan have a boy?"...important stuff like that. But that's not all. We'll also share how the 8 Ball fared last year. Did it predict the future?  In our Friday FinTech segment we'll talk to Sean Harper, CEO of Kin, an innovative company disrupting, of all things, homeowners insurance. We'll talk about some of the ideas that they're using to make homeowners insurance easier and more consumer friendly. We'll also take some time to answer our Magnify Money hotline. Laura has had to retire earlier than expected due to medical reasons. She wants to start a home business to create a new income stream started. Should she use some of her emergency savings, or maybe tap her IRA? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring the show. Start your two months of unlimited access to Skillshare by visiting SkillShare.com/SB. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do you want from 2019? How about becoming a badass? Our guest today says you're already a badass and just might not know it. Jen Sincero has written TWO New York Times bestsellers, but today she's here with us teaching you how to kick off a new year by bringing out the best in yourself and your wallet. Plus, in our headlines segment, why should employers be worried about employee financial stress? We'll tackle one article on the impact that financial stress has on employees while they're at the workplace. Plus, in our second headline, can advisors use behavioral science to guide their clients to making better financial choices? Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Mike, who calls in to see what he can do to help his mom manage her portfolio. And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring the show. Start your two months of unlimited access to Skillshare by visiting SkillShare.com/SB. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2018 was quite a year....maybe the opposite of March (in like a Lion/out like a lamb)....and began fairly gently and definitely is finishing with a roar. What should we have learned, if we turn the events of this year into timeless lessons? What could we have learned from this year's volatility? What about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates? What about the strong employment numbers? What does that tell us (among other things) about our wallet? We're excited to finish the year off strong with our special guest, CBS business analyst Jill Schlesinger (also the host of Jill on Money). We'll have a discussion with Jill on her top 5 lessons learned from the past year. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll talk to Haven Life CEO, Yaron Ben-Zvi, about the future of health data and life insurance. With more and more companies offering discounts for a little bit of your data, Yaron will share his thoughts on the tradeoffs between privacy and saving some extra cash. Will this ever come to life insurance? Plus, we'll tackle a story about bonds and surging bankruptcies in China. It's a good bonds 101 lesson for most of us... Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Brody, who calls in looking for advice on the next five years of paying down debt and building up his savings. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In anticipation of our annual magic 8 ball episode next Friday, we're taking a look back at last year's magic 8 ball episode. For those of you new to the show, each year roundtable regular Len Penzo brings down his magic 8 ball and we ask it wide-ranging questions for the next year. What were the predications? How did the 8 ball do this year? It's time to get all caught up in preparation for our debrief next week (along with a whole new set of questions for 2019). This episode also featured a Blooom call for help from Erin, who has some 529 plan questions, a letter from the mailbag about what to do with extra cash, and of course... Doug's trivia.  The original show notes can be found here. This episode originally aired January 5th,2018. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's rewind episode features one of our favorite interviews with a fantastic guest: Dr. Woody Holton, author of the book "Abigail Adams", for which he won the Bambridge Award and more. In a time when women weren't expected, or even necessarily allowed, to be in charge of their finances, Abigail Adams took charge of her money and made sure she would be financially independent.  Plus, Joe talked to Jamie Wise of the Buzz Index, we took a Haven Life Line call for help, answered a listener letter, and still had time for Doug's trivia.  The original show notes can be found here. This episode originally aired March 2,2018. Enjoy!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With all the news going around about the markets, we thought it would be fitting to kick off our rewind week by sharing our time with Ric Edelman. Ric, Chairman and Founder of Edelman Financial Services, bestselling author, and host of the hit “Ric Edelman Radio Show” joined our show to give us some advice on some "best practices" to follow in a choppy market.  This episode originally released on November 2016. You can find the original show notes HERE. Enjoy!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's nothing wrong with selling some of your clutter to help pay down your debt, but, as today's piece from Val Breit from TheCommonCentsClub (in a piece appearing on Rockstar Finance), there are plenty of other things you could be doing to help solve your financial troubles. Discussing this piece with us today is Paula Pant (from Afford Anything), Len Penzo (LenPenzo.com), and from our very own podcast, OG. Halfway through the roundtable we'll take a break for our Friday Fintech segment. Do you wish you paid off your credit cards every month? Worried that you could go overboard? Joe will check in with Liran Amrany, CEO of Debitize, on how you can keep all of the perks of using a credit card without all the danger. We're also answering a question from Tom, who's looking to diversify his income stream. He's interested in real estate, but also worried about a housing crash. Are there any specific real estate options that would mitigate the negative impacts of a crash? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Check out Safe For Work, a new podcast from Wondery, wherever you listen to this show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thinking about getting into real estate? We're bringing down two fantastic guests who are excited to deliver what you need to know about investing in real estate: from the BiggerPockets real estate community and podcast, we're talking to Josh Dorkin and Brandon Turner. And in our headlines segment, another advisor is going fee only... but probably not for the reasons you think. Plus, we'll throw our the Haven Life Line to Nick, who wants to know more about what an "inverted yield curve." Should Nick be worried? And in our letters segment, Erika missed out on really investing in her 20's while she was getting her P.hD. and doing her post-doc studies. She's making money now and is looking into getting a house in the next few years. Can we give her some help on finding a good advisor for her situation? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks also to the Safe For Work podcast for supporting SB. Find Safe For Work wherever you're listening to this show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What items are YOU buying that are a complete waste of money? Today we're throwing out the playbook and all the rules for this very special episode of the Stacking Benjamins show. Joseph Hogue from the Let's Talk Money! YouTube channel joins Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Len Penzo to walk through 12 things that you're better off NOT owning. While you may not be surprised by the items on our list, you'll probably be glad that you heard a few of them, because today you just might find a few new places to save yourself some cash. Halfway through the show we'll take a short FinTech Friday segment break to talk to Ennie Lim from HoneyBee. Ever had a money crunch in life, and you weren't sure what you were going to do? Or maybe you own a business and you wish you could do more for your employees to help them manage the inevitable money crunch? We'll find out more about how Honeybee is helping those in their times of need during today's Fintech segment. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tired of all the running around shopping and working and cooking and planning...all to try and make the perfect holiday? What if you ditched all that and instead just focused on the people around you? Would that make it better? We'll talk about not just frugaling your holiday season, but minimizing it. Here to help us do that, today we welcome special guest Naseema McElroy from the Financially Intentional blog. She'll talk strategies and stories with Len (Len Penzo dot com) and OG. We'll talk about how THEY celebrate now, how they WISHED they'd celebrated holidays, and then talk about ways to change to make things go more smoothly and enjoyably for everyone. Plus, we're excited to talk today to Antony Bruno from Royalty Exchange about investing in music royalties. Are you a music fan? Is it a good idea to combine your love of songs with your investments...or even if you're not a music fan, is it worth pursuing? We'll talk about how it all works on today's Friday FinTech segment. Finally, we'll answer a listener call for help AND save some room for Doug's amazing trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Still using JUST your brick-and-mortar bank? Why not shop for the best financial tools available. Head to StackingBenjamins.com/MagnifyMoney to compare, ditch, switch and best of all...save. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do you wish someone had told you when you were 22 years old? How much would it have changed your trajectory? Would you have even listened to the advice? Today we're not just doling out idea to help your financial future....the guys are answering your specific financial questions. We'll also tackle questions about converting an IRA to a Roth IRA (how do you do it?), about why we always use 7-10% as our assumption over long periods when talking about the stock market, and how to know if you're ahead or behind on achieving your financial plan. Plus in our headlines segment, with all of the stock market gyrations lately, what's the right thing to do with your money? While many publications like to talk about all the ways people can panic, one seems to be the voice of reason....we'll share which one and details on HOW they suggest coping with stock market uneasiness on today's podcast. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Ramon. He's hoping to find solutions for his joint budget with his spouse. How does he rectify expenses that are withheld from his paycheck before he receives his money? What if he and his spouse have different amounts taken out? We'll answer all of Ramon's budgeting problems and discuss budgets in general. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're like most people during the big holiday season, it's not really a question of IF you go over your budget, but WHEN--and how badly. With another "can't miss" deal around every corner who can keep themselves from doing a little splurging when shopping this month? Believe it or not, studies show that we plan for all of those expenses....it's the fact that the muffler sometimes drag behinds the car or another emergency expense happens which sends the budget into a tailspin and your credit card debt soaring. To solve that problem, today we'll talk to Michele Cagan, author of Budgeting 101. You'll be happy to hear that Michele doesn't think you need to track every penny. There's a better (and easier) way to make sure you get ahead without devoting your whole life to spreadsheets and money tracking programs. Then, in our headlines segment...what would you do if you found a $7.5 million stash of someone else's cash? One lucky guy bought a storage unit on the cheap and found a life-changing amount of money hiding inside. Would you invest it, or maybe dash out of the basement and jump on the first plane to Tahiti? We all have our ideas... but this story probably isn't going to turn out how you're expecting. We'll share the rest of what happened during our headlines segment. In our second headline, Sallie Mae has a new study detailing how people pay for college. Taking a pit stop in the basement to help us make sense of how people save for college, pay for it, and then pay off loans, we'll talk to Rick Castellano from Sallie Mae. Of course, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to Nick, who's been having some issues with his budget. What can Nick do to cut costs on his operation? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can you really follow a financial plan when absolutely nobody knows what's going to happen to the economy or in their life in a couple of years? What happens to your financial plan if you lose your job or have a medical emergency that wipes out your savings? Helping us understand how to manage money and finances during the fog of life is a writer you know from the F*ck Off Fund, AND who you've read in the New York Times, Elle, Slate (and more)... Paulette Perhach. She'll be joined by Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and OG from "this here" podcast. Halfway through today's show our panel will be taking a little break while Joe talks to the founders of Digs. Saving up enough cash to buy your first home can be a long, difficult process. But... what if you had a 401k that you could save into for the big purchase? The guys from Digs are breaking down just how they're setting out to help people like you and me on today's FinTech segment. Finally, we'll maybe do our best job of answering a letter this year, when we help Aaron, who needs to know on how to get couples on the same note. Of course, we'll still save some room for Doug's amazing trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How will YOU become the next millionaire next door? Believe it or not, it's been 23 years since The Millionaire Next Door shook the foundation of what people thought about wealth. You mean LOTS of people built their wealth in other ways than inheriting a bunch of money or working in huge income jobs? ...and that just because you LOOK wealthy doesn't mean you ARE wealthy? Today we talk to Dr. Sarah Fallaw (researcher and also the daughter of Thomas Stanley, author of the Millionaire Next Door) about how YOU can set yourself up to join this elite group. We'll discuss your friends, where you live, financial advisors, and more. Plus in our headlines segment, the results of a new survey are out about investor expectations, and they aren't good. Many investors have...maybe unrealistic ideas about their investment strategies. We'll explain on the show. Plus, one company has created a new credit card that will help you save into your 401(k) plan every time you save. Too good to be true? We'll answer that question on the show. Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Jon, who wants us to shed some light on the difference between a Roth 401k and an after tax basis employee savings and stock ownership plan. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recently there have been LOTS of headlines about FIRE. Good? Bad? Ugly? We invited David Bach down to the basement to ostensibly ask him about the 20th anniversary edition of his Smart Women Finish Rich book. While we cover that in detail, we also asked him about HIS thoughts on the FIRE movement....and let's just say that he was more than happy to share. In our headlines segment it's time for tax loss harvesting and year end tax planning. What should you do? An Investment News piece details a few strategies and we'll talk about our favorites (and maybe not-so-favorites) on today's podcast Of course, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to listener Rachel, who has some BIG life decisions to make. Should she stay in her townhouse or pursue her dream of moving to the mountains, even if it means a much longer commute to work, new debt, and probably some unforeseen consequences. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're like me, holiday parties are a mix of sheer terror, the threat of being stuck in a corner in the world's second most boring conversation, and hoping that you don't accidentally stick your foot in your mouth. So, to help us all not only navigate the holiday party scene but to crush it, we're asking all of our party conversation strategy questions to Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People. Whether you're usually the "life of the party," or you're an introvert who's anxious just THINKING about an office party, Vanessa has simple, effective strategies that will change the way you think about office parties. Plus, instead of hosting a party where guests stand with glasses and talk, how about a better solution that'll make you the talk of your circle of friends for the next year? Today we're talking to the founder of Blendtique, Billy Dimm. Whether or not you saw Bill on Shark Tank, we think you'll love this idea of a wine-blending party. You and your friends enjoy an evening of laughing, chatting, and creating your own perfect vino blend. After we talk to Billy we'll take some time to not only answer Doug's trivia, but also answer a question from Mike about credit card payment discrepancies. Mike's "pay in full" payment option left a $111 balance on his account. The bank then charged Mike interest, which he got reversed. What's the deal, is the bank being misleading? Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever think that you need to take decisive action to bring your investments under control? Ever wonder exactly what moves you should make the next time the market moves up or down? We've got you covered, because Dr. Daniel Crosby joins us to talk about how to avoid getting in your own way with your investments. We'll discuss exactly why decisive moves might not work, why your brain is horrible at investment decisions, and more. As always when we talk to Dr. Crosby, it's a fun, fast paced, and (shocker) educational interview. Plus in our headlines segment, if you're an army reservist trying to get into the financial industry, we'll look at one company, LPL Financial, who's teaming up with the Army Reserve to give military members an opportunity to become financial advisors. Then, in our second headline, what's in store for the future of HSAs? We're taking a look at MorningStar's newly released report on the Health Savings Account landscape. Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Chuck. Can Chuck take out a Roth IRA loan if the rental home is in the Roth IRA? After we give some advice to Chuck, we'll still have time to answer a letter from Brooke. With a yearly raise of $1200, should Brooke put that money to their debt, which will be paid off in 18 months, or take advantage of their employer match? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If anyone knows about fighting fear, it's Akshay Nanavati. While fighting overseas with the Marines, Akshay lost people close to him and subsequently suffered PTSD. He'll share his story of overcoming his own paralyzing fear, fighting demons, and achieving some HUGE goals on today's show. Whether you're afraid of asking for a raise, of starting a workout program to feel better (and earn more money), or to get started saving, investing, or paying down debt, there's something for everyone on today's show. In our headlines segment we'll talk about HSA myths. What do you believe about HSAs that might not actually be true. Or, as HSAs become more prevalent, what do you need to know about them. Even if you're already well versed on HSAs, you'll find something new on today's show (even WE found a myth that we didn't know!). In our second headline, we'll talk to Beverly Harzog from US News and World report about the new ultra FICO scoring system. Who will this help? How do you ask to have your credit re-scored? What credit basics should you know? We'll talk to Beverly about all of the above on today's podcast! Of course, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to listener Rachel, who has some BIG life decisions to make. Should she stay in her townhouse or pursue her dream of moving to the mountains, even if it means a much longer commute to work, new debt, and probably some unforeseen consequences. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While everyone else is standing in Black Friday lines hoping for the best deals, we're kicking back in the basement enjoying some board games. Eric Summerer from The Dice Tower joins us to talk about his favorite games about money, economics, and business. And then, as an added bonus, he'll stick around and share four ideas for frugal holiday gaming fun. Want to spend some time with your family laughing and enjoying your time together? Take these recommendations from the co-host of the biggest board game podcast on earth. And halfway through the show we'll focus specifically on one brand new game that was made to teach basic financial concepts and money management. Australian based Life Sherpa Vince Scully joins us to talk about his new board game, also called Life Sherpa. Exploring how money and happiness interrelate, and how different personalities want to make different decisions throughout life, Life Sherpa has a fun, lightweight design to show how you can turn your money and time into value and happiness. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year early adopters worry about one thing....technology. What's the hottest new thing? What's the flop that we should avoid? How expensive is the latest do-dad going to cost? Should I buy last year's do-dad to save some cash? We're super excited because joining us to talk all things technology on our special pre-Black Friday show, we welcome CNET Senior Editor Bridget Carey.   Plus in our headlines segment, social media is changing how millennials invest. Is that good or bad? Plus, in our second headline we'll ask Jonathan Walker from NewMiddleClass.Org about some of the amazing statistics his group aggregates about the holiday shopping season. How does he think YOU are going to overspend this holiday season? (It isn't how YOU think you'll overspend...which is why you'll want to listen). Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Evan. He and his wife have a baby on the way. Would it be the smart money move to use savings to pay off their car, or should Evan hold on to the money and use it as needed when expenses arise? We'll also field a letter from Steve, who just inherited a sum of cash. Steve has no idea how should enter the market... so he asks the guys for some good advice to kickstart his investment portfolio. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready, set, SHOP! If you have to shop (and we're fairly certain you're like us and aren't in love with the idea at all), why not make it more fun by saving tons of money? Whether you're looking for clothing, tools, kitchen aids, furniture, or just something quirky, we've got you covered. Today we're talking to Sarah Hollenbeck from BlackFriday.com about the best deals available this holiday season. In our headlines segment we'll share another great deal that has savers everywhere cheering. The IRS announced recently that they're raising tax limits on all kinds of different retirement plans in 2019. What plans are getting a bump? Should plan to stash away more cash next year? We'll tackle that. Plus, we'll continue our Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping theme by making sure you don't get caught buying a "deal" that isn't really a deal this holiday spending season. We'll sit down with consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch about this year's holiday scams and not-so-great deals to watch out for. Plus, today we're throwing out the Haven Life Line to Jeremy. Jeremy has been looking into Life Insurance Retirement Plans after our interview with David Mcknight, but it's a brand new field for him. Any tips on navigating LIRPs? And during out letters segment, we're answering Michelle's question about HSAs and FSAs. With their employers only offering FSAs, should they be looking elsewhere? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're dedicating today's show to all of your burning financial questions. Will the fact that Anna's parents are opening up a 529 plan for her daughter create unintended financial consequences down the road? What should Keith do with a $50,000 inheritance and no job? What should ANYONE do when they receive $50,000? Jessica is a new investor. What platforms should she be looking into when trying to invest? After our David McKnight interview, Ryan is focusing on more money in his "tax-free" bucket. Does the SB team have any good tips on tax savvy financial moves? Of course we do! And in our headlines segment, there's BIG news in college scholarship land. It turns out that a couple of schools are reducing their tuition to FREE. Who is it? Should you consider changing your college plan? In our second headline, while owning your home is a great financial position to be in...if you want to get rich one publication insists that you should own somebody else's home. We'll dive into rentals and real estate on today's show. Plus, in our Haven Life Line, Heather wants to know if she can do a backdoor Roth conversion AND make contributions to a spousal IRA. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show we're talking to Chris Peach and Andrea Robinson about big life changes. Think it's too late for you to change your direction? Or maybe you're too apprehensive about jumping into the unknown? Chris and Andrea will break it down on just how Andrea made the jump herself. From making use of your time to start a side-hustle to cutting expenses and making a good budget, there are bite-sized pieces that make the huge life decisions a bit easier to make. Plus, in today's headlines, would real-time payroll deposits improve the quality of live for workers living paycheck to paycheck? Would not having to wait a couple of weeks for cash really make a difference for employees? Plus, in honor of Veterans Day, we're talking Dr. Mike Haney from the Syracuse Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Veterans and their families can find all the resources Joe and Dr. Haney talk about on the show by clicking HERE. Later we're throwing out the Haven Life Line to Kathrine, who wants to know if her and her husband should be getting term life insurance outside of their employer. Then, in our letters segment, Joe and OG will answer a question from VJ, who has some worries about the market. He found an article suggesting that the market will be doing a lot worse than people think... should we be getting concerned? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you find time to make all of the right money moves, have relationships with family or friends, AND keep a career that brings in the Benjamins? We'll talk about that and a TON more on today's podcast, recorded live in Detroit, Michigan, to round out our three-city tour! As always, we're bringing the party with a cast of special guests from the Detroit area. First, we'll talk to popular blogger and mother of twins Catherine Alford (CatherineAlford.com) and father-of-two, podcaster Andy Hill (Marriage, Kids and Money podcast), about how they juggle multiple priorities. We'll then hear a story about life, family, and a limo from professional storyteller Shannon Cason. We'll talk to TIAA Difference Maker Inger Griffin, from the Emily Ann Griffin Foundation. She'll describe how she decided after her young daughter passed away to help families in need. Plus, we'll answer a Blooom call for help with blogger Tasha Daniel (FinancialGarden.net), who personally paid off over $80,000 of debt!  We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! Our rockstar band in Detroit? It's none other than the guy who designs our awesome swag, Cincinnati-based Brad Lark. ...and of course, we were joined on stage by our guest co-host, the co-founder of Blooom, Chris Costello. It's a super episode with our liveliest crowd of the three shows (sold out show!). You'll laugh, hear some moving stories, and maybe (keep this part to yourself) learn something. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! Thanks to TIAA for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Find out what type of difference maker you are at TIAA Difference Maker 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're kicking off our live Kansas City show with a fantastic hometown story on how one guy went from small time jobs to BIG time pre- and post-game shows for Kansas City Royals television broadcasts. You heard his podcast recently on our feed (as he interviewed Bob Kendrick for his Rounding The Bases podcast), and now you get to hear HIS story. Not only will he talk about chasing his dream career, but also how he's thinking critically now about "what's next." With off-season time and his speaking ability, how does he round out his career to be even more fulfilling and to give more to the world that only he can uniquely offer. We'll talk to Joel about all of that and more on today's LIVE show from Kansas City! Plus, just like at our live show in Orlando, we're bringing the party with a cast of additional special guest. First, our TIAA difference maker making an impact in her community, we'll talk to Kathleen Webb from Children First CEO Kansas. She'll describe how she decided when her neighbor needed help, to pitch in and do what many will call WAY more than her fair share. Plus, in a our headlines segment, Tracie Fobes, from Penny Pinchin Mom joins us on stage to talk about all the interesting things going on around Kansas City. If you've never visited, consider this Tracie your tour guide! Plus, we'll talk to Fountain City Fintech's Zach Pettet, who reveals a few of the interesting FinTech apps and ideas coming out of Kansas City. And helping us answer your questions, we welcome from LaceyLangford.com... Lacey Langford, and from SteveStewart.com, you guessed, Steve Stewart. PLUS, ever think about taking your unique talent and making it your full time job? Our Kansas City guest announcer Carrie Olsen not only will fight Doug for his job, but she'll also share her story about founding CarrieOlsenVO.com and becoming a voiceover artist working with major brands! We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! Our rockstar band in Kansas City? It's none other than guitar prodigy extraordinaire (plus son of Tracie Fobes)...Garret Fobes. ...and of course, we were joined on stage by our guest co-host, the co-founder of Blooom, Chris Costello. It's a really fun episode in front of a lively crowd who braved some pretty bad weather conditions. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! Thanks to TIAA for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Find out what type of difference maker you are at TIAA Difference Maker 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We kick off live show week with a great story. How about a blogger who owed thousands in student loan debt and turned things around so much that only a few years later she's earning six figures every month and lives on a sailboat? Michelle Shroeder-Gardner joins us live from Orlando, Florida, to help us kick off our Three-Town Tour! But that's not all. Plus, because we're live, we've brought a TON of financial and community stars with us. Helping TIAA support difference makers in the Orlando community, from Rise Against Hunger we welcome Jason Haulbrook. Plus, in a our headlines segment, Josh Elledge from Savings Angel joins us to talk about saving money at hotels; from DIY.FUND, Eric & Wendy Nissan talk about innovating in the Orlando area; helping us answer your questions, Paula Pant from Afford Anything joins us, plus the ladies from the Money Millhouse, Ellie Kay and Bethany Bayless. We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! In Orlando we were helped by the woman behind Planting Money Seeds, Miranda Marquit, and the man from the Inspired Money podcast, Andy Wang. ...and of course, we were joined on stage by our guest co-host, the co-founder of Blooom, Chris Costello. It's a really fun episode in front of a live crowd. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! Thanks to TIAA for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Find out what type of difference maker you are at TIAA Difference Maker 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investors. Right when they turn left they turn right. You've heard lots of stories about people who've lost fortunes...all because they lost their head. Yet one recent publication shows the mindset shift of investors over time and through different market conditions. By knowing what most people think, by learning the psychology of an investor, maybe you can avoid many of their mistakes. We're excited by our roundtable team today because they've all not only made mistakes but they've also helped people overcome mistakes...and because of that, we hand picked them to help pick you up on today's market volatility-themed episode. Today we welcome Kine Corder, Nick True, and Paula Pant to the microphones to help us talk about the investor mindset. Plus, we're throwing out the Friday FinTech segment for a special discussion with Kristen Holt and Dusti Young from Greenpath Financial Wellness. They've designed a #NoSpendNovember month of sound financial tips to help you better manage money as we roll into the holiday season. If you're just starting out with sound financial habits or you're looking for a great place to start, this is a segment you'll want to tune in and hear. Of course, that's not all. We'll also take a call to the help line AND save some room for Doug's amazing trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're bringing two specially picked Halloween inspired guests down to the basement today, (and as a bonus, for once we can call all of our cobwebs and flickering lights seasonal decoration. Bonus!) Today we welcome the two brains behind the Mad Money Monster blog, Mr. and Mrs. Mad Money Monster. And speaking halloween decorations, Mr. Mad Money Monster, (or Harrison for short), is also a horror film director! Not only are we going to discuss practical money habits gone scary, we'll also peek into the mind of a director who sets out to scare us ALL. Plus, in our headlines segment, we're looking at a response letter penned by Blink-182 frontman, Tom DeLonge. It was previously reported that Tom's UFO organization accumulated $37 million worth of debt. Tom fired back that the original reporter didn't understand the SEC filing that the report is based on. Bottom line? Someone in this argument is VERY wrong. Later on we'll answer Doug's trivia question, and a listener letter from Mike. With dollar cost averaging in mind, what's the best way for Mike to transfer his money from his target date funds over to an S&P 500 index fund? And don't you worry, we'll still have time to throw out the Haven Life line to John, who wants to know if he can use his HSA in other countries just like he can here in the good ole USA. Thanks to Mack Weldon for supporting our channel. Save 20% off your first order at MackWeldon.com - promo code: sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're kicking off the week talking about new jobs, annuities, paying down your mortgage, and spreadsheets....that's right, it's our favorite episode: we're answering YOUR letters. Joseph's got his first "big boy" job as an engineer after college. He's already got his eyes set on financial independence, what steps should he be taking to get there? Next, Gwen wants to know the reasoning behind not paying off your mortgage early. Wouldn't it be better to put $500 towards the mortgage each week rather than investing that amount? We're also answering a numbers question from Axel, who has a big question about calculating the end number for retirement. Based on the equation, Axel should have a lot more money than he actually does. What does that mean 40 years down the road? Plus, in today's headline segment, is FAANG out the door? We're shining the spotlight on one recent piece that says we should be looking at "MAAN" stocks to lead us into the future. What new companies comprise MANN? Is it a good idea to change your way of investing? Then, in our second headline, insurer Ohio National is rolling out some big changes by eliminating advisor compensation on variable annuities. We'll talk to Lauren Minches from Blueprint Income for her take on why so many companies are changing so much in the annuity business. Thanks to Mack Weldon for supporting our channel. Save 20% off your first order at MackWeldon.com - promo code: sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just like how you need to know where the pedals are when you ride a bike, learning the key financial terms is an important part of your success as a saver. What are the most important terms to know? We're joined by Tom Drake from the Maple Money podcast, CFP Katie Brewer from Your Richest Life Planning, and Paula Pant, to tackle most of the basics. Which of these terms do you know? We'll also talk to Lucas Hall, who we give us a walk through this week's Friday FinTech featured company, Cozy. If you're a landlord or you're a renter, Cozy might be a company you'll want to know more about. They help landlords make life easy for themselves and for their renters. We'll talk about common problems landlords have and how this particular company has attacked those issues. Finally, we'll answer a listener call for help AND save some room for Doug's amazing trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we bring you two fantastic podcast episodes in a single package! As part of our three city tour we headed to Orlando, where Chris Browning and the Popcorn Finance podcast took the stage. Chris tackles some of his (and the audience's) biggest money wins and failures. He talks about controlling spending, buying some dumb stuff, listening to some bad advice, and more.  And in the second half of our show, Joel Goldberg and the Rounding the Bases podcast take center stage from our show in Kansas City. Joel welcomes one of the best storytellers we've ever heard, Bob Kendrick, from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, to introduce people to some of the stories, adversity, culture, and excitement of the Negro Leagues. You're going to love these stories. Think they're about sports? Think again. Bob will talk about entrepreneurship, business opportunities, creating a successful team, and the value of strong leadership. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! TIAA has brought some FANTASTIC difference makers to our Three-Town Tour. Learn what type of difference maker you are at TIAADifferenceMaker100.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Need inspiration to pay off your debt? We have it today. Alaya Linton from the blog HopeandCents.com and her husband paid off over $74,000 of debt in....wait for it....25 months. She'll walk us through all of the bad decisions she made wracking up the debt, then hitting the wall where suddenly she was in huge financial trouble, her first credit card denial, her car being repossessed, and more. But then she'll also share how her family changed and she attacked her debt and paid it off in 25 short months. She'll discuss how she kept her family involved, what she cut, how she budgeted, and what debts she paid off first. Plus, in today's headline segment, an unlikely source says that the future of advice is going to come from humans. Who would say something so crazy? You'll find out. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line and take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Nutrafol for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get your first month supply with a subscription plan for $10 nutrafol.com and promo code SB Thanks to Away for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to awaytravel.com/sb and use the promo code sb to get $20 off a suitcase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the ONE thing you need to figure out to get what you really want? A popular blogger wrote a piece on the topic and today we have a special all-guest panel to help us work through it. On today's show we welcome, from the Hippocratic Hustle podcast, Dr. Carrie Reynolds, and from the Poorer than You blog, Stephonee....AND also, the guy behind the Financial Residency podcast, Ryan Inman.  In our Friday FinTech segment we're taking a break from showing you the hottest new gadget to helping you build it. Have a great idea for the next hot FinTech app? Jake Hare has helped hundreds of potential app developers bring their idea to market and today he's going to talk about forming and executing on your next great idea. That's not all...of course we'll still have Doug's trivia segment AND answer a listener call for help...all because we care, and because that's what we do on Friday. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's a success story: Brynne was couch surfing because she had nowhere to go and now is releasing one of the biggest financial books of the year. Think that isn't inspirational? Oh, we've got inspriation in spades on today's show. Whether you're thinking about maybe starting a business or looking to pump up your side hustle or business, today is for you. If you're looking to figure out how to make your bad situation better....Brynne has been there. Maybe you're actually trying to start a business? Creating a new business from the ground up can be a monumental task and can seem impossible to do. But, like with anything, breaking down the process into smaller manageable steps can make starting a business feel like it's within arms reach. Helping us break down this whole side hustle business (see what we did there?) is our featured guest, from the Femme Frugality blog AND the author of the new Feminist Financial Handbook, we welcome Brynne Conroy. Plus, in our headlines segment, the U.S. government has announced that new social security increases are on the way. We'll dig into why that's exciting news and just how much is on the table. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, and a listener letter from Mario... who wants to know what we think about investing in target date funds for retirement, AND throw out the Haven Life line to Matt. Matt's wife has some medical debt they pay on monthly, but interest accrues daily. What can they do? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spend $10 on fast-food at lunch, or carry in a bag lunch to eat in at the office? Order some delivery for dinner because you're too busy, or meal prep at the beginning of the week? Small choices we choose each day turn into habits that make up the backbone of our money decisions. It's easy to say, "I'm going to spend less money this week," but it's a lot harder to actually ACT on those choices throughout the week. Turning our bad habits into good habits is key to great financial health. Today we're bringing down the guy who wrote the book on the topic...the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear. Plus, in today's headlines, the stock market has been a little shaky lately, if you haven't noticed. Should investors be worried? We'll have a few words for people experiencing "market panic." And in our second headline, what are the best places for new retirees to live? You'll be a bit surprised at some of the places that made this year's list. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line to David, who is dollar-cost averaging into a Schwab S&P 500 index fund. He is already maxing out the "usual" accounts, so is a taxable fund the best place to stash the rest of his cash? And in our letter from the mailbag segment, we'll answer a question from Natalie. Natalie and her boyfriend are both debt free and are also maxing out the accounts: HSA's, Roth IRA's, and their company 401k's up to their match. They may want to buy a house in 5 years, but there's nothing else on the horizon. What should they be doing with their money they're not spending or putting away for retirement? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to RXBAR for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 25% off your first order at RXbar.com/sb, Promo Code: SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you become a money pro? Like most people...you start off as a financial nightmare and you learn the hard lessons that teach you how to be much better with your Benjamins. Belinda Rosenblum lived that life....she was horrible with budgets and used archaic systems that didn't work to keep track of both her own bills and those of family members she cared for. You'll hear the story today of how she went from being completely disorganized to becoming a Money Ninja working for her clients. Plus, in our headlines segment, it looks like mortgage rates are going up and so are bond rates...what's the correlation? We'll explain how these two work in tandem. Plus a new FINRA proposal would allow brokers to ease restrictions on brokers' outside activities. Why are some organizations against this? What would this have to do with your money? We'll explain the plusses and minuses of this proposal. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, a listener letter from Shaun, who asks about betting with some zero percent money he can borrow and invest AND throw out the Haven Life line to Allen, who wants to know about how to make back door Roth IRA contributions.  Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our featured guest coming down to the basement has two kids... and he still kicked his job to the curb and made the jump to the self-employed route. Why did he do it? And HOW did he do it? Lee Huffman will tell us the story today. Plus, in today's headlines, USAA's Director of Life and Health Insurance, Sean Scaturro will walk us through open enrollment and health insurance, which can be a pretty daunting thing to take on. In our second headline, what are the hidden costs behind Amazon's recent wage hike for their workers? You might be surprise at what's REALLY going on. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line to Ethan, who has a few questions on backdoor Roth conversions. Plus we'll answer a letter from Elizabeth, who's a little late to the financial game. What should her investing focus be... and what are some good financial tips for someone who got into the game later on? Of course, we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long-time basement listeners know what the Friday after FinCon means... it's our episode you know and love: when we take you on a tour of some of the biggest innovations and coolest concepts we see at the show. So, just what are we covering this year? While plenty of companies are doing amazing work to help everyday people save, invest, and become financially independent, we brought to our microphones a few of our favorites. Today you'll hear stories from brands like USAA, and what they're cooking up in their labs, and Chris Hutchins at Grove, where they're inventing financial planning tools for the masses, and many more innovation-themed talks about the future of your money, (and wallet). Of course, we'll still save time for some of Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to RXBAR for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 25% off your first order at RXbar.com/sb, Promo Code: SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today in the basement we're turning inner strength into outer money success with financial coach Beth Burns. Plus, in our headlines segment, do you live in one of the least financially savvy states? We'll go over that list... plus tell you which side of Texarkana had the honor of (not) making the list. And in our second headline... Mark Cuban once said that, "if you use a credit card, you don't want to be rich." Does he really mean exactly that? We'll jump in more during the show. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, a listener letter about adjusted gross income and modified adjusted gross income, AND throw out the Haven Life line to Nick, who's side hustle has quickly became his main hustle. With a new house this year, plus a baby, and still tackling student debt... what should Nick and his wife be doing with all of his new found cash? What type of financial advisor should a person in Nick's position be looking out for? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You first heard him on our Friday roundtable episode... and now he's coming back for his victory lap (and the mic all to himself). Today we welcome Mr.Groovy, of Freedom is Groovy to talk all things financial independence. How did he become financially independent in a short time after not saving much well into his forties? How does he make sure he's healthy so he can pursue the things he saved money for in the first place? PLUS, in our headlines segment, it's been 10 years since the last market crash. What could company retirement plans do better to help people weather the storm? Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Shane. Some jobs are more likely to provoke lawsuits than others. What are some strategies for professionals who might get sued? And as always... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia AND to answer one well written letter to the podcast. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Thanks to RXBAR for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 25% off your first order at RXbar.com/sb, Promo Code: SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices