Financial Independence Podcast

After delivering an epic guest post on the tax advantages of investing in real estate, I asked Chad Carson from CoachCarson.com to join me on the podcast to hear more about his own experiences with real estate investing. Chad started with only $1,000 in the bank and was able to build up a real estate empire that now consists of over 90 units! It's an incredible story of hard work, intelligent money management, and perseverance so listen to find out how he did it. And if you've ever wanted to know what it felt like to be a full-time real estate investor when the entire housing market collapsed in 2008, hear how Chad survived despite making over 50 acquisitions in 2007 alone! Highlights: How to get started in real estate with no money What is 'bird dogging'? Why you should invest in something that's simple and understandable The numerous ways to finance real estate purchases What it was like to survive the financial crisis as a real estate investor after making 50+ acquisitions in 2007 The importance of having a cash reserve Why you should house hack or do a live-in flip if you want to retire early What Chad would do if he was starting again and wanted to reach financial independence as quickly as possible Why you need to be cautious when considering passive real estate investing options How buying real estate to live in is much different than buying real estate as an investment

On today's episode of the Financial Independence Podcast, Gwen from Fiery Millennials and Julie from Millennial Boss join me to talk about millennial finances and what young people should do to reach financial independence as quickly as possible! Highlights: Thoughts on Chautauqua and Camp Mustache (including the awful financial advice Julie received in Ecuador) How Gwen landed her dream job and how Julie increased her income by 600% in 5 years The benefits of starting your own blog Why Gwen is the real-life Guinea Pig How to get a college degree for free (or as cheaply as possible) Why everyone should have a side hustle How to negotiate a higher salary (including Julie's story of how she earned an additional $80,000 by negotiating!) What to do if you already have an inflated lifestyle

On today's episode of the Financial Independence Podcast, I interview my wife, Jill! It took a lot of persuading to get her on the show but I'm glad she agreed because her perspective is very different from mine so it was interesting to hear her thoughts on financial independence, early retirement, and this unconventional life we lead! Highlights: When my wife found out I was a weirdo with money My lowest point as a cheapskate Why Jill and I kept our finances separate The importance of figuring out your perfect life How to get your spouse on board with FI Why you should start small when trying new things What I do that annoys my wife most

Joining me on today's episode of the Financial Independence Podcast are FIRECracker (Kristy) and Wanderer (Bryce) from Millennial Revolution! Kristy and Bryce exploded onto the scene after a video clip of them attacking the religion of homeownership went viral (it is now the most-viewed and most-shared video on CBC.ca, Canada's largest news website). During our interview, we dive into the viral video, explore why they believe buying a home is usually a terrible idea, and find out what they've been up to after retiring in their early 30s! Highlights: Buying a house vs. retiring early Delusional homeowner math and how to avoid it Why you should rent everything The benefits of using a financial advisor How reaching financial independence is different in Canada Why you should follow your dreams on the side

I just returned from a fantastic week at the annual Chautauqua event in Ecuador. This was my second Chautauqua and just like last year, it exceeded all expectations. It's amazing what can happen when you put a bunch of interesting, intelligent people in a gorgeous 17th century hacienda (located at the foot of an extinct volcano) for a week. At this year's event, an attendee named Alan gave an impromptu presentation about why and how you should start a business and since it fit perfectly with the week's other discussions about financial independence and happiness, I knew I had to get him on the podcast. Since leaving my job in August, I've realized how important it is to have something meaningful to work on to fill the void after leaving your career so I think creating your own business is something everyone should consider. A side business can not only help ease the transition to early retirement, it can reduce the pressure on your portfolio after you quit and it can even help you reach FI sooner so listen to today's episode to find out the right way to get started! Highlights: Takeaways and surprises from the Chautauqua in Ecuador Why you should do work you love How NOT to start a business Why entrepreneurship doesn't have to be risky How to start a business for free The importance of selling your value before you create it Why you need to just get started

Want to know how two teachers were able to go from $0 net worth to retired in just 5 years? On today's episode of the Financial Independence Podcast, Ali and Joe (a.k.a. Arebelspy) from Adventuring Along join me to talk about how investing in real estate supercharged their progress to early retirement. We not only dive into how they achieved financial independence in spectacular fashion but we also explore their equally impressive retirement so far. In the past year alone they have hiked the entire El Camino de Santiago, had a baby in Istanbul, Turkey, and published a romance novel! Highlights: Dollar-cost averaging into real estate How to purchase real estate in a place you've never visited Best books for real estate investors Grasping the concept of 'enough' Importance of challenging yourself after retirement (both mentally and physically) Cost of having a baby in Turkey How much money you can save by staying out of the United States

My podcast was hijacked! During this year's financial blogger conference (a.k.a. FinCon) in San Diego, Mr. and Mrs. 1500 from 1500days.com took control of the Financial Independence Podcast and put me on the hot seat (a very hot seat, indeed)! You'll remember that last year at this same conference, I recorded an in-person interview with the 1500s. Well, this year Mr. 1500 figured it'd be fun to turn the tables on me so he and Mrs. 1500 interviewed me for my own show. Sadly we only had 30 minutes to record, and the people on stage before us ran late, so this is a short but action-packed episode. Big thanks to Mr. and Mrs. 1500 for doing it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Highlights: What I was like as a child and what got me interested in money Details about my first job Why I started the Mad Fientist My path to financial independence and what it was like leaving my job The story behind my free Ivy League master's degree What it was like to be on the front page of Yahoo.com Details of our 3-month trip around the world Why my wife is gross :)

Today on the Financial Independence Podcast, Doug Nordman (a.k.a. Nords) from The Military Guide joins me to talk about how he achieved financial independence at the age of 41 by serving in the military! Doug retired way back in 2002 so we dive into how he dealt with the market crashes that occurred at various stages on his path to financial independence, what 14 years of retirement has been like, and how he's found meaning outside of work. I know many of you enjoyed Doug's wisdom and insights on the previous episode so check out today's episode for his full story! Highlights: Thoughts on over 14 years of early retirement Details of his investing strategy and how it's changed over the years Mistakes he made and lessons learned How to deal with market crashes when you're still working, about to retire, and already retired What it's like to live and work on a submarine Difference between pursuing FI as a military service member vs. a civilian What angel investing can teach you about investing and why it may be the best way to give away your money

Today on the Financial Independence Podcast, I'm excited to share a live Q&A session with Mr. Money Mustache, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and Doug Nordman from The Military Guide! This panel discussion took place back in May at Camp Mustache — an annual retreat in the Pacific Northwest organized by Mr. Money Mustache readers. In this episode, you'll not only hear about… Mr. Money Mustache's biggest splurges The investing mistakes I still can't seem to avoid Paula's favorite thing about financial independence Doug's suggestion for discovering the meaning of life …, but you'll also get varied and diverse perspectives on some of the most important questions facing those on the path to financial independence and early retirement! Highlights: Top recommendations for people who are close to achieving financial independence How to stay motivated when pursuing FI What is the meaning of life How to foster a good online culture and community Tips and tricks to stop you from trying to time the market The biggest challenges of reaching FI and how to overcome them What we splurge on and why Mr. Money Mustache's thoughts on being featured in the New Yorker How to handle changes in your relationships after reaching FI

Joshua Dorkin, founder and CEO of BiggerPockets.com, joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk real estate and entrepreneurship! Highlights: The story of how BiggerPockets got started The advantages of "scratching your own itch" Why you should study other verticals and other successful businesses The incredible power of "fake it 'til you make it" The right way to build an online empire How long it actually takes to become successful Achieving financial independence through real-estate investing To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/bigger-pockets-interview/

Justin from RootofGood.com joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about how he and his wife saved over a million dollars in under a decade! Highlights: The tax benefits and true costs of children How to have a positive net worth after graduating from college What is interest rate arbitrage How to amass a million dollars in ten years without six-figure salaries Why you should quit your job before you're actually ready to retire How to easily get $4,500 in free travel To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/root-of-good-interview/

JL Collins joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about stocks, bonds, real estate, and his brand new book - The Simple Path to Wealth! Highlights: Origin of The Simple Path to Wealth What's changed about his investment philosophy over the last four years Three simple steps to financial independence Difference between good debt and bad debt Why buying a house is an indulgence The only two funds you need and why you don't need to invest in an international fund When should you invest in bonds and why the decision has nothing to do with your age The bad investing habits Jim and I still can't shake The important lesson Jim learned from working with the top stock analysts in the industry To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/jl-collins-interview/

Mike and Lauren join me on the Financial Independence Podcast to discuss medical tourism, full-time RV living, and the importance of questioning everything! Highlights: The ins and outs of medical tourism Reasons to give birth in another country Benefits of having multiple passports How to obtain dual citizenship Total cost of having a child in Costa Rica The actual income numbers of their popular YouTube channel How to prepare for living permanently in an RV To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/mike-and-lauren-interview/

Nick Loper from Side Hustle Nation discusses the importance of side hustles and how they can make your path to FI shorter and more enjoyable! Highlights: Why you need to diversify your income How Nick got his start selling shoes online The importance of investing in yourself and your business Why a low barrier to entry means you should just give it a shot Focus on the three Cs – Creation, Connection, and Contribution Why fientists can take more risks and be more speculative How to start a side hustle Why you should tap into existing marketplaces To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/side-hustle-nation-interview/

The guys from Travel Miles 101 stop by the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about investing, early retirement, and the benefits of travel hacking! Highlights: Using FI savings to become an entrepreneur Dealing with extreme lifestyle inflation Why P2P lending is like investing in extra-junky junk bonds How travel hacking increases your options and decreases the stress of travel Why travel hacking is the perfect hobby for fientists To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/travel-miles-101-interview/

J. Money from Budgets are Sexy joins me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about the benefits of challenging everything in your life! Highlights: The importance of tracking your net worth How not to buy a house The importance of side hustles Why J. Money is the Miley Cyrus of personal finance How to live like Benjamin Franklin and why you should try it The ways personal finance has changed over the years Why you should challenge everything in your life To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/budgets-are-sexy-interview/

The Frugalwoods joined me to talk about how frugality can help you reach your financial goals sooner and also increase your happiness in the process! Highlights: How to maintain a high savings rate while living in an expensive city Tips for avoiding frugality-induced isolation The importance of large goals Keys to making frugality fun When to give up a good thing How to get a free graduate degree The multiple fringe benefits of frugality How to have children without delaying your early retirement To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/frugalwoods-interview/

Todd Tresidder joined me on the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about active investing and lessons learned during 15+ years of early retirement! Highlights: Building wealth with paper assets, real estate, and entrepreneurship Protecting your money during turbulent times Pursuing good goals vs. bad goals Finding happiness both before and after achieving financial independence To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/financial-mentor-interview/

The 1500s from 1500days.com joined me for my first in-person podcast interview to talk about real estate, the economy, and entering early retirement! Highlights: Most tax-efficient strategy for building wealth with real estate Pay off mortgage early or invest? What is a 1031 exchange? Transition to early retirement with part-time work Alternatives to early retirement Will the economic future be as rosy as the past? Is the 4% rule safe? How to prepare your portfolio for less economic growth To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/1500-days-interview/

Hear how two teachers used tax-avoidance and geographical-arbitrage strategies to save nearly a million dollars in only 16 years! Highlights: Using international and domestic geographic arbitrage to increase income How to save $250,000 in 3 years on teachers' salaries Setting up SEPP 72(t) distributions to access retirement account funds before standard retirement age Going from $0 net worth to nearly $1 million in just 16 years Living off 457(b) funds while fully funding other tax-deductible accounts To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/millionaire-educator-interview/

Justin Cooke from EmpireFlippers.com joined me for an episode of the Financial Independence Podcast to discuss website investing! Highlights: Hear how Justin went from building an outsourcing company in the Philippines to building, buying, and selling niche websites The difference between online and offline businesses and investments Six different buyer profiles When to sell your website The future of online business investing Justin's recommendation for someone just starting out Longterm prospects of website investing Why better looking doesn't always mean better To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/empire-flippers-interview/

J.D. Roth, creator of GetRichSlowly.org, joined me for the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about finding personal and financial freedom! In less than ten years, J.D. went from having $35,000 of consumer debt to becoming a self-made millionaire. Since selling his incredibly popular blog, getrichslowly.org, he now spends most of his time writing about life and money at his personal site, jdroth.com. On today's show, J.D. shares what he's learned over the past decade of writing about money and personal finance and describes how you too can find personal and financial freedom. To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/jd-roth-interview/

Billy Murphy from ForeverJobless.com joined me for an episode of the Financial Independence Podcast to talk about investing in online businesses! What if I told you you could create $2,000 of monthly recurring income from a single $25,000 investment? Thanks to the low multiples some online companies are selling for, you could potentially fund your early retirement with a very small initial investment. Billy takes us through how he went from being a professional poker player to creating a very successful poker training site. He then describes how he started buying e-commerce stores (his first investment was a site making $900 profit per month that he bought for $4,000) and shares what he learned buying, improving, and selling sites. Hear why Expected Value (EV) is as important in everyday decision-making as it is in poker and find out what Billy would do to create a consistent $2,000 per month income stream if he was starting from scratch today. To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/forever-jobless-interview/

Jeremy and Winnie retired a few years ago, in their thirties, and have been traveling around Central America ever since. They were kind enough to join me from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to talk about their journey to financial independence and early retirement. Discover how they were able to achieve financial independence and hear why moving to a cheaper locale can be a great way to smooth the transition into early retirement! To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/go-curry-cracker-interview/

In part two of the podcast, the Mad Fientist explores some very powerful tax-avoidance strategies for early retirees. It's possible to achieve financial independence earlier in life, without having to decrease your spending, increase your income, or assume any additional risk, simply by using tax-advantaged retirement accounts in an intelligent way. Today's episode explores the various retirement accounts available and explains the most optimal uses of those accounts for people on the path to financial independence and early retirement. To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/radical-personal-finance-part-two/

Listen to part one of my Radical Personal Finance podcast interview where I discuss frugality, travel hacking, and financial independence! A couple of months ago, a guy named Joshua emailed me to ask if I'd be a guest on his new show – the Radical Personal Finance podcast. I agreed and we ended up having a very interesting two-hour conversation. Since then, however, Joshua has been forced to take down his podcast (for undisclosed reasons) and since he's not sure when he'll be able to put it back up again, he has agreed to let me publish our interview here (thanks!). I couldn't bear to hear myself talk for a full two hours though so I decided to edit the interview down into two smaller parts and today, I am publishing part one. It was great being on the other side of the interview for once so hopefully you enjoy hearing a bit about my personal journey to financial independence. Highlights: Different Paths to FI Frugality and Sacrifice How to Have an Expensive Hobby Travel Hacking Slow Travel To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/radical-personal-finance-part-one/

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli from RetireEarlyLifestyle.com joined me to talk about 20+ years of travel and early retirement! In 1991, Billy and Akaisha quit their jobs, moved to an island in the Caribbean, and have been traveling the world ever since. Their initial retirement savings of $500,000 has survived the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis, and over two decades of early retirement. Discover how they did it, find out their recommendations for the best places in the world to retire, and hear what it's like to be perpetual travelers! To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/retire-early-lifestyle-interview/

Mike from LackingAmbition.com joined me for an episode of the Financial Independence Podcast to discuss how he achieved FI in just over 3 years! After working for just over three years, Mike was able to amass enough savings to purchase (with cash) three single-family houses. By living in one of the houses and renting out the other two, he now has enough rental income to completely cover his living expenses. During the interview, Mike discusses how he was able to buy three properties, each for under $25,000, in a region that is typically considered to be an expensive market (New England). In addition to real estate investing, I also talk to him about his time living in a tent in the New Mexico desert, discuss how he too was able to obtain a free Ivy League degree while working full time, and find out what life is like three months after achieving financial independence. To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/lacking-ambition-interview/

Paula from AffordAnything.com joined me to discuss how she's using real estate investing to achieve early financial independence! Highlights: Frugality vs. wealth building Mental energy is limited so use it wisely Think like a creator, not like a consumer Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset How to start investing in real estate Real estate niches and strategies Becoming a real estate agent To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/afford-anything-interview/

Shilpan from Street Smart Finance describes how he was able to build a million dollar real estate portfolio after coming to America with only $20! Highlights: The Value of Hard Work Commercial vs. Residential Real Estate Tax Benefits of Real Estate Stock Losses vs. Real Estate Losses LLC vs. S Corp To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/street-smart-finance-interview/

In this episode of the Financial Independence Podcast, I interview Jim Collins from JLCollinsNH.com to discuss the importance of F-You Money! Highlights: The Importance of F-You Money Surviving Black Monday Don't "Swing for the Fences" Active vs. Passive Investing Why Vanguard? Three Simple Steps to Financial Independence To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/jlcollinsnh-interview/

Mr. Money Mustache shares his early retirement secrets in an interview for the new Financial Independence Podcast! Mr. Money Mustache retired in his early thirties and has recently emerged as one of the most inspiring personal finance authors in cyberspace. His entertaining and informative articles, which can be found at mrmoneymustache.com, give you the "punch in the face" you need to get you on the right track to financial independence. It was great having him in the Mad Fientist lab to talk about his path to financial independence so I hope you enjoy the discussion with him as much as I did! To read the full article, visit http://www.madfientist.com/mr-money-mustache-interview/