Radical Personal Finance

There’s a great deal of information online about the “4% Rule” for retirement income. Much of the information is excellent. Some of it is flawed. It’s very challenging to work through the data in this area of research because much of it is highly technical. But, it’s worth the effort! In celebration of the 20th anniversary […]

I’m back! After two weeks out of the office and on the road, it feels good to be home in front of the microphone! Today’s show is a bit more personal. I share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned over the last two weeks from two very different but very complementary events. I […]

I'm on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short story for you about the compounding of a career. I think you’ll really enjoy this story of success. Links: The original James Clear article Investors Earn Handsome Paychecks by Handling Buffett’s Business

I'm on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short essay for you on the importance of choosing your hobbies carefully. No yelling. No prescriptions of exactly how you need to do it. Just some gentle encouragement!

I'm on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short essay for you on the importance of investing in your health. No yelling. No prescriptions of exactly how you need to do it. Just some gentle encouragement!

I'm on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short essay for you on the importance of investing in your marriage. No yelling. No prescriptions of exactly how you need to do it. Just some gentle encouragement!

I’m very, very interested in strategies that work to help people build better lives for themselves in every way. One major area of interest to me is simply opting out of the confiscatory tax regime of the United States. I’m not an expert on this area, so I’ve brought you today an interview with Andrew […]

I’m often asked what I really think about Dave Ramsey and his work. And I’m generally fairly slow to answer the question simply due to my desire to focus on things that I love that are positive rather than being negative or critical. But, I’m aware that this is a continual question. And while being […]

Today’s show is live from #FinCon14! And, it’s an answer to a listener question. Here’s the question from a listener named Jeff: Hey Joshua, I have been listening to your podcasts ever since I found them a few weeks ago. Here is my question for you. Do you think I should pursue earning a financial […]

It’s not easy to retire early. But it’s also not necessarily complicated. In many ways, there’s a well-worn path to success and our guests today are a good example of one way that works. Jeremy and Winnie set out on a ten-year plan. Living in Seattle, they worked in the tech industry, lived frugally, and […]

I’m on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short essay on the importance of tracking your time and some tips to help you set up a system that will work for you. This is episode complements the recent discussion of tracking your money. I hope you enjoy!

I love adventure and really love to hear adventure stories from people who have gone out and fully embraced a unique adventure. I’m especially interested in how to fund these adventures. My new friend Erik Hemingway, the host of the Family Adventure Podcast tells a great story and spills the beans about how he and his family […]

I’m on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short essay for you on the importance of tracking your money and some tips to help you set up a system that will work for you. No yelling. No prescriptions of exactly how you need to do it. […]

Today I’m going to share with you one important question (and four follow-ups) that have really helped me in my own life and in my past work with clients. Also, I share two errors I made recently that I need to correct. Details in the show! A Powerful Question (originally from Dan Sullivan’s Strategic Coach […]

What would you do if you were $25,000 in credit card debt, unemployed, and had $200 to your name? Would you go get a job or would you start buying and selling stuff on Craigslist to dig out of your hole? Our guest today is Ryan Finlay. He found himself in exactly the same situation […]

Wednesday was a sick day around the Sheats household and RPF HQ! But, I wanted to still bring you a bit of thought-provoking audio and today’s excerpt is here! Enjoy this short clip from Tim Ferriss’s interview of Kevin Kelly and check out the links for the full show! It’s an excellent interview! Links: The full […]

Today’s show is an interview with David Stein, a former professional portfolio manager and now host of the “Money for the Rest of Us” podcast. We had an amazing conversation and dug into some of the behind-the-scenes information on what the world of professional money management is like. You’ll also be interested in hearing how […]

Today, we tackle head on the myth that financial plans should be the same for all people. They simply shouldn’t. But we’ve probably all swallowed that line to some degree or another. I was inspired by Friday’s show at how many unique variables and plans could be developed. So I sat down and made a list […]

We have a really fun question from a listener today! Essentially, it’s this: I’m 35 and I don’t like my job…I have a $1,000,000 and I want to retire but no one can agree on whether I can or not! Tune in to hear my answer–it’s probably not what you think! Links: The original Trinity […]

I’m thrilled to bring you today’s interview with John Pugliano. John has followed the prudent path of the Millionaire Next Door–starting with nothing and becoming rich over a couple of decades by working hard, living frugally, and investing wisely. This is a path that is repeatable by most people in our Western societies. John came […]

Many people today have no idea how the tax return works. This is probably because many people today (including me) use either a computer program or an accountant to prepare their tax returns rather than calculating it by hand. This is probably much faster and more accurate but, in some ways, it’s a loss because […]

We’re back from a most excellent three-day weekend with a great interview with my new friend Kraig Mathias from www.CreateMyIndependence.com. I met Kraig in Dallas at the Podcast Movement Conference. We hit it off and I really loved hearing his story. Kraig was living a fairly normal financial life until 2010 when he was inspired to […]

Today, I answer your questions for the show! And we’ve got quite a mix of questions! How do I adjust my accounting system to handle irregular expenses? (Accrual accounting vs cash basis and double-entry accounting vs. single-entry accounting.) How can I use a Roth IRA for an emergency fund? How can I learn about permaculture? How […]

Today we have a very special interview to share with you! I’m thrilled to bring you an interview with one of my favorite writers, Pat Schulte. Pat and his wife Ali have a really neat story: Pat and his wife were highschool sweethearts. After college he started working an $8/hr job as a clerk to […]

Today’s show is an introduction to estate planning. It’s the beginning of many, many shows in a series. I try to give you some basics to frame your knowledge. I also answer these questions: What is the history of estate planning? Does everybody need a will? What happens if I die without a will? Why don’t people […]

When people talk about money–especially in the world of success and financial planning–it’s often assumed that more is always better. This is wrong. More is not always better because: The more money you want, the more risk you have to take. The more money you want, the more you have to give up (or pay) […]

Last week a listener reached out to me and basically said, “I love what you’re doing and I think I’ve got a fun story your listeners might enjoy hearing about!” I read his bio and told him he was right! Today, he’s on the show. Daniel Bernstein: Got a Ph.D. in Computer Science Worked at a […]

I received an email from a listener named Jason who has a 401(k) with high fees. He asked me what I should do and I gave him a comprehensive answer. Enjoy the show! Links mentioned: Inflation adjusted return formula The actual rate of return of the average investor How to Get Started in Real Estate […]

I just got back from the Podcast Movement Conference in Dallas, TX. It was a really great conference! It was the first I’ve been to in the new media space. Today’s show is about: Why should we go to conferences in the first place? Major lessons I learned from #PM14 Things I didn’t learn at […]

It Couldn't Be Done BY EDGAR ALBERT GUEST Somebody said that it couldn't be done But he with a chuckle replied That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he […]

I worked hard on today’s show and I’m excited about it! It’s my plan for how I would become a millionaire with a minimum wage job at Walmart. The show is quite good (I think) but I didn’t have time to properly type up all of the show notes before my trip. (I recorded it […]

Today’s show is an interview with Dan-O from www.DanoSongs.com. I found Dan when I was looking for royalty free intro music for my show. When I discovered his site, I found exactly what I needed. And, I thought it was neat to find a musician making money off his songs! I thought it would be […]

Today we round out major tax strategies #2 and #3. As a refresher, here are the three basic tax planning strategies: Timing (deferring or accelerating taxable income and tax deductions) Income shifting (shifting income from high to low tax rate taxpayers) Conversion (converting income from high to low tax rate activities) Tax rates vary across […]

I think you’ll love today’s show! Today, we talk with Curtis Stone, Founder of Green City Acres, an urban farm in Kelowna, British Columbia. Curtis was a musician who decided he wanted a different life. He started his urban farm with a $7,000 investment and without buying any land. (That means no debt!) His first […]

I never intended that this show become “The Entrepreneur’s Hour,” but that seems to be a central theme! Today, I share some data that I stumbled upon from an IRS analysis of the 400 highest income tax returns. The results? Here are the income sources for the top 400 tax returns: Wages and salaries: 8.6% Interest: […]

My guest on today’s program is Ken Ilgunas, author of Walden on Wheels. Ken paid off a “crushing $32,000 of student debt” from his undergraduate education by working odd jobs all across the country and vowed not to go into debt again. While pursing his graduate degree, Ken gained a bit of national notoriety when […]

Today’s show is an interview with a listener who is far outside the mainstream finance world. Trevor Van Hemert is an entrepreneur, blogger, and financial independence advocate. Most importantly, he now makes his entire living online with a very short workweek. Join us for today’s interview as we discuss: Starting a business for a total […]

In today’s show, we tackle the first of the Big 3 tax planning strategies that you need to be aware of. As a refresher, here are the three basic tax planning strategies: Timing (deferring or accelerating taxable income and tax deductions) Income shifting (shifting income from high to low tax rate taxpayers) Conversion (converting income […]

Today’s show is a reprise of RPF Episode 4 – How to Save Money on Communications Bills with update information–or at least that’s what it was intended to be! The interview wound up going in some other directions! I.P. Daley, the Tech Meshugana has the best guide on the internet for how to save money on communications expenses […]

On Monday’s shows I bring you a variety show with news articles that have stood out to me from this past week. Today, we cover a lot of ground! “A Tax Plan That Economists Love (And Politicians Hate)” from NPR’s Morning Edition Episode 387 of Planet Money: The No-Brainer Economic Platform One out of three […]

Let’s get a bit radical today, eh? How about some finance lessons from homeless people? I’ve been doing some reading lately on the radical side…books written by homeless people and vagabonds to see what I can learn. Today, I share some of the lessons I’ve been learning in hopes of inspiring you with some out-of-the-box […]

One of the biggest debates in the personal finance space is about which order to use to pay off my debts. Opinions vary, experiences vary, and tempers flare when this subject is brought up. I think the debate is helpful in some ways but rather silly in other ways. I think it’s a lot easier […]

I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who is in the process of starting a business. I was answering some of his questions when I realized how daunting it can be to start a business if you haven't done it before. And how simple it seems after you've done it.

Many people have searched and searched for the holy grail of investing: a portfolio that provides a good return with low risk that can weather the economic storms, no matter what they be. Some feel that they have found it in The Permanent Portfolio. The Permanent Portfolio is a concept that was designed by Harry […]

There is an iron formula of wealth that can be applied to all financial plans. The relationships between balance sheets cannot be broken in any way. To become wealthy, you much increase the net worth on the bottom of the balance sheet. The only two ways to increase net worth are to increase assets or reduce […]

Hey friends, I’m still not able to speak well enough to record a normal show but I wanted to make sure you have something thought-provoking to listen to. The thought-provoking audio for today is from Cal Newport‘s speech at The World Domination Summit. I hope to be back with you loud and strong on Monday! […]

Today’s show is very short but, I hope, very thought provoking. I’m feeling sick today and am not able to produce any content that will be up to snuff. But I’m certainly not about to leave you without something that will uplift you and make you smarter. Nothing’s seriously wrong with me–just run down due […]

The Cash Flow Statement is the one document that you can create which will definitively show whether you can expect your wealth to increase or decrease in the long run. There are only three variables we can manipulate in any financial plan that will affect long-term wealth: The amount of inflows The amount of outflows […]

This show is an interview with Jacob from The Early Retirement Extreme book and blog. Jacob is a former physicist who developed a plan that can help anyone, regardless of income, industry, or background, from where they are to financial independence in 5 years by learning to free themselves from the earn/pay cycle and substituting use of […]

Monday’s shows are variety shows with me sharing current events and commentary from this past week. The topics are wide-ranging and provocative! Enjoy! Links mentioned in today’s show: Discussion on happiness and money: New York City is the Most Unhappy City in America? Refers to this recent Harvard paper on the inequality of happiness across the nation. […]