The Stacking Benjamins Show

Learning a new language is difficult, and the language of money is no exception. Brian Preston from The Money Guys has created shortcut words and phrases like "financial mutant" to help you focus on what's important and ignore the rest. We'll discuss how to get started, the key moves to reach long-term goals, how to avoid making costly mistakes, and more. Whether you're someone just beginning your journey or a seasoned investor, there's a little something for everyone every time we speak with Brian. In our headline segment, a publication decided to ask AI (Chat GPT) how to beat the stock market. The AI responded with advice, which we'll dive into thoroughly to see if this is the wave of the future. Even better news: beginning this week, we'll track this AI driven portfolio to see if it truly is a better way to invest than a collection of index funds (or just one index). But that's not all. We also answer a question from a Stacker AND Doug shares his amazing trivia. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/become-a-financial-mutant-1523/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to a very special roundtable edition of the show! On today's show, we're talking about debt, and how to use it (or avoid it) as part of your financial plan. We're joined by Afford Anything's Paula Pant; the host of The Personal Finance Podcast, Andrew Giancola; and the host of the Earn & Invest podcast Doc G! In the second half of the show, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, we dive into the possible positive effects that having a large amount of debt can have - in terms of constant motivation to make progress. Be sure to stick around for Doug's mind-blowing trivia question about debt. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/the-role-of-debt-in-your-financial-plan-1522 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent major media outlet reports that people earning less than $50,000 per year aren't eating at restaurants as often as they did a year ago, and that eating away from home is becoming a trait increasingly more for the wealthy. Today we talk about not only this trend but others as we help you grab a firm hold on your wallet. One of the "big three" expense categories is food cost, and cutting your restaurant tab can be an effective way to sock more money toward financial independence. We'll share tools, strategies, and anecdotes from people who've successfully navigated the restaurant game on today's show. Plus, we share a TikTok minute from one creator who's more than a little worried about homeowners and renters insurance. You'll hear why and how to make better decisions around these policies. Then we look at other communities online and answer random questions we've seen on the web that we think haven't been answered very well. We talk CD rates, driving for DoorDash, and more. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/state-of-restaurants-2024-1521 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nothing says summer more than a trip to your favorite regional theme park. Whether with friends, family, or alone, a trip to a theme park can be either super expensive and tiring or a blast. So that's why our friend from Theme Park Insider, Robert Niles, is BACK to help us all kick off summer on the right foot, spending money wisely on experiences that will be memorable and fun. Not only will he help you save some money, but he'll also share tips on the hottest parks and attractions around the country. We'll talk about food (best food AND deals), thrill rides, family attractions, and more. In our headline, OG and Joe dive into the exchange-traded fund (ETF) craze. People are pouring money into ETFs, but are they doing it wisely? In many cases, no. We'll share how exchange-traded funds work, which types are the best to choose from, and how to avoid getting caught investing in something that sounds great...but truly is not. Of course, we'll also share Doug's trivia question about the biggest stock market drop of all time and FINALLY wrap up our 2024 "Joke Off." It's another day of fun on the Stacking Benjamins show. As always, thanks to our sponsors, and enjoy another show where we're ad-free the ENTIRE second half of the show (as always!). FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/theme-parks-summer-2024-1520 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the end of the day, stacking Benjamins is all about living a better, happier life. But how can you achieve greater happiness while still on your stacking journey? That's what we're all about on today's special, all-about-happiness episode. We're joined by our special guest, host of the Best Interest Podcast, Jesse Cramer; a lady who knows plenty about the intersection of money and happiness, Paula Pant; and our own rainbow and unicorn ray of sunshine, OG! In the second half of our discussion, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, we dive into more of our favorite ways to improve your happiness. Be sure to stick around for the ongoing year-long trivia competition as Doug brings a rainbow/magical wizard-related trivia question. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/how-to-achieve-happiness-1519 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robinhood seams to always be in the news, and usually not for a good reason. Today Joe and OG discuss Robinhood crypto potentially being sued be the SEC. Crypto still seems to be the wild wild west. Is the SEC trying to put some regulations around crypto but then again isn't that the whole purpose of crypto? Our TikTok is all about following the prospectus and whether Doug starts his fire with those? We answer a question from Stacker, Damon, about whether or not he can help out his kids fund their Roth IRAs? FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/choose-the-right-broker-1518 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Schulz is the PERFECT mentor to teach us how to negotiate because, in his own words, he's not a natural negotiator. Today he proves that you don't have to be a natural to find better deals on your credit card interest rates, prescription, rental cars, hotel rooms, and more. He'll walk us through the common misconceptions around negotiating and help us learn to ask politely for more for ourselves. In our headline segment, small company stocks are struggling to keep up with the S&P 500. Why would someone stay diversified when large companies are doing so well and other stocks are not? We'll walk through the science of diversification and why it's a mistake to bail on underperforming asset classes during down periods. Of course, that's not all. We'll share some of Doug's trivia, answer a question from a Stacker about emergency fund interest rates, and more! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/negotiate-everything-with-matt-schultz-1517 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Personal finance education in schools is finally getting some attention, but the best financial education starts at home. On today's special prelude-to-summer-vacation roundtable discussion, we're joined by three experts in the field of kids and money. Joining us today are John Lanza from The Art of Allowance podcast, the founder of the Wealthy Kids Investment Club Maya Cobic, and money educator Rob Phelan. In the second half of the show, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, we talk about how to teach kids about money in the digital world. And you won't want to miss Doug's toothy finance-related trivia question! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/your-kids-and-money-1516 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new CBS report shows that the average person's perception of how much they'll need for retirement has changed dramatically versus four short years ago. Do you think the number is higher or lower? We'll not only share that, but we'll also dive into this idea of calculating the correct amount to save. When is it truly important to begin working on your retirement vision? When should you be more scientific about your overall asset allocation toward your goals, and when does it make sense to just save money? Today we'll share all of those milestones and more as we help you calculate a retirement number that's better geared toward your personal goals AND that's only created when it actually makes sense to have a goal. In our TikTok minute, there are property owners all over the world testing their insurance premiums. We'll share how. We also take a call from Stacker Collin, who wonders which option to take for health insurance (pronounced IN-surance), since it's likely he and his spouse will be working for the same company. Of course, we have some fun out on the back porch talking all things television, and more. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/calculate-your-retirement-number-1515/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Janesse Torres is a force of nature. She purposefully quit her high-paying job as an engineer because it didn't fit her personality AFTER posting about it on social media. Today she joins us to talk about living your life intentionally, building financial reserves, demanding more from your boss, and if you get "no" as your answer, moving on. As the host of Yo Quiero Dinero and a woman who's a social media/blogging powerhouse, she's used to talking about life as it is, without mincing words. Today you get the full Janesse as she shares how to negotiate, build savings, and more. Plus, in our headline, new legislation should help you find advisors who are trustworthy when it comes to working with your retirement plan money. Will the reality equal the promise? We weigh in on how the legislation works, what we think will happen, and how to plan whether it finally becomes law in September or not. You'll be ready to find better help for your retirement after today's show. Plus we answer a call from Jen, who wonders about HSA plans. Can she move money from her IRA to an HSA? And that's not all....of course, Doug shares some trivia you'll be sharing later with friends and family. On the back porch, we talk about what we've decided for our Friday roundtable shows. Who's going to be the new frequent contributor? Of course, that's just the FIRST episode of our new eight weeks! We've got action packed mentorship from Brian Preston, Robert Niles, humor from Lisa Curry, great feedback from a panel of kids-and-money experts, and more! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/get-financially-lit-1514 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us as we wrap up Greatest Hits Week with a favorite roundtable discussion: What lessons would you share with your younger self? This episode originally aired on November 5, 2021, so please disregard any mention of current events. If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Maybe it’s to take more chances or say adios to the boss that treats you horrible or maybe it’s just to live life to the fullest and not worry about what others think. Today our roundtable discusses a blog piece from Ryan Holiday about mistakes he’s made and advice he would give himself. Caleb Gulliams (Better Wealth), Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Doc G (Earn & Invest) join our roundtable and talk about advice they’d give their younger self and the mistakes they’ve made. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/life-lessons-to-younger-self-greatest-hits-1513 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's keep Greatest Hits Week rolling with a must-hear episode from our sister show, Stacking Deeds. This show originally aired on November 21, 2023, so please disregard and mention of current events. Do you struggle to ask for more from your contractors, your real estate professional, your stagers, or other help? Do you think you stink at negotiation? Before learning to negotiate, it’s a great idea to get comfortable with asking for more. You can view the original show notes here: Confidence in Negotiation: Asking for More in Real Estate Deals with Dia Bondi (stackingdeeds.net). FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/confidence-in-negotiation-stacking-deeds-greatest-hits-1512 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

t's Hump Day on Greatest Hits Week! Today we're throwing it back to a fan favorite: Joe's 2018 interview with the one-and-only Suze Orman! Please disregard any mention of current events. We’re pulling out all the stops today because we’re talking to a special guest that you may (or may not) have heard of… Suze Orman. We’ll talk all things women and money, mentorship, understanding your investments and financial tools, and more. Plus, during our headlines segment we’re extra packed because we’re delivering three awesome headlines. First: is Robinhood really making MILLIONS by selling out millennials’ user data? One group thinks so. And if that wasn’t enough, in a retirement plan court fight, one retirement fund is fighting back against participants that sued the employer by asking for monetary sanctions against the six employee-plaintiffs and the law firm that represented them. But that’s not all….because we’re also dissecting one piece about Barry White and the estate he left behind. How much of your estate does your girlfriend receive when you’ve been separated from your wife for two decades (but never actually divorced her?)…do we have some news for you… The original show notes are available here: Suze Orman » The Stacking Benjamins Show. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/suze-orman-greatest-hits-1511 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this current events/community we invite Earn & Invest community member John Neidecker to discuss how to hack retirement by skipping 3 of the 5 stages. We review Richard Himmer's article from Kiplinger. Joe Saul-Sehy joins us as our expert for the episode. This show originally aired February 29, 2024. Please disregard any mention of current events. For the original show notes, visit How to Hack Retirement — Earn & Invest (earnandinvest.com). FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/hack-retirement-greatest-hits-1510 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome, Stacker, to a very special week! We start off our special Greatest Hits Week with a bang! Know those horrible situations where everyone’s fighting at work — or worse, at home? Talk about a horrible investment: being invested in a rotten environment can overshadow even the best portfolio returns. Good news, though. It turns out, there are two types of conflict: the kind that allows us to grow and produces a positive outcome and the kind that’s downright toxic. To help us find a way toward healthy conflict, Gabe Karp joins us. He talks about why it can be hard to see the other side of an argument, how to turn bad conflict into good, and how to move toward a healthier working environment by even maybe fighting more (but in a healthy way). But before that, we speak to Lamine Zarrad from Stellar about credit and the current economy. What happens when interest rates continue to rise and you need a new loan that you can’t afford? Lamine created a company called StellarFI, which was built to help people build their credit through paying bills on time. We’ll talk about credit issues, the economic slowdown, and how you can protect yourself. This show originally aired in June of 2022, so please ignore any mention of current events. The original show notes are located here. Are Workplace Clashes Ever Worth It? (with Gabe Karp) » The Stacking Benjamins Show FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/gabe-karp-greatest-hits-1509 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can you take control of your life instead of life taking control of you? On today's special roundtable episode, we're talking about making the most of your productivity habits. How has your phone robbed you of your productivity? We're joined by Rob Berger of The Dough Roller Money Podcast, founder and CEO of the financial services firm Sensible Money Dana Anspach, and founder of Afford Anything Paula Pant. They'll dive into their top productivity tips. On the second half of the show, we're joined by MetPro's Angelo Poli. He and Joe dive into health and fitness. He breaks down top techniques to improve your wellness. Be sure to stick around for Doug's baseball-themed trivia! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/better-systems-to-improve-productivity-1508 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us today as we dive into the core principles of building a sustainable financial future with marketing professor, author and investor, Scott Galloway. We explore the essential formulas behind his book Algebra of Wealth, discussing purposeful living, effective retirement planning, and the emotional aspects of investing. Our headline today is all about AllianceBernstein 401k lawsuit that was dropped by New York US District Court. During our Better Call Saul-Sehy and OG, we unravel the complexities of early retirement, delving into specific IRS rules for accessing retirement funds. Plus, Doug wraps it all up with some modern history trivia! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/investing-with-a-life-mission-1507 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're all about the factors to help you build a better investment portfolio. Joe and OG break down their thoughts as they dole out their top five building blocks to constructing a better portfolio. Be sure to bookmark this evergreen episode, as it contains universal truths that will help you in the years to come! In our headlines, we talk about what's the best way to prepare for unexpected financial shocks, and when to get started (spoiler alert: how about now?). We dive deeper into how to protect your downside in the event of black swan events. Our TikTok Minute is all about how to get 90% of the way to your health goals by using one simple trick. Stick around for Doug's US currency history-related trivia. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/top-five-investment-building-blocks-1506 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's talk about what it takes to become a millionaire in today's day and age. We are thrilled to bring you a special roundtable episode with three outstanding contributors: we welcome CEO of BFG Financial Advisors, CFP® Eric Brotman; the force behind the website Yes, I am Cheap, Sandy Smith, and our resident doctor and host of the Earn & Invest podcast, Doc G. In the first half of the discussion, we cover two of the primary ways to reach millionaire status: saver/investor, and passion-based activities (starting a business, reaching celebrity status, etc.) In the second half of our discussion, brought to you by DepositAccounts.com, our roundtable dives into 2 more ways that people achieve millionaire status: the company-climber path and the virtuoso path. Plus, our year-long trivia game continues, with none of our roundtable regulars. Which sit-in will bring home the W for Paula, Len, or OG? Tune in to find out! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/4-paths-to-become-a-millionaire-1505 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode is all about a very important, topic that's sure to arouse interest at personal finance get togethers: risk management. Specifically, Joe and OG jump into their Top 5 risks that people don't think about enough - and what you should do ahead of time. In our headline segment, we dive into a popular personal finance website's piece about what to keep in mind when aging. Our TikTok Minute features unfathomable consequences that one might experience if living near a certain sporting location. And finally, Doug brings it all home with his trivia that's loosely related to insurance (but not really). Classic Doug! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/all-about-better-insurance-choices-1504 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you've ever wondered if there's more in life and your career waiting for you than your current job, then today's mentor is someone you want to listen to! On today's show, we welcome Michael Balter to the basement to discuss his career path and how he pivoted in a big way! In our headline segment, we see some shocking (eye-roll) news about one store's credit card and how they are going to make up the lost revenue that they can charge in late fees. OG is not surprised. And, finally, stick around for Doug's trivia loosely tied to April 15th. It's a stretch, but he's going with it. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/career-pivots-for-the-win-1503 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you know when the time is right to walk away from a career? Do you even want to? Can you afford to? Our roundtable discussion centers around thinking about retirement and how to prepare yourself financially so you can stay retired. We welcome Founder/President of Capital City Wealth Management, CFP® Benjamin Brandt, to join Paula Pant and Len Penzo. How do you factor paying for health insurance into your early retirement planning? What about debt payments? When you retire, there will be greater spending in some areas that you may not think about while still working. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/why-you-should-retire-by-62-1502 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you recently come into some money? Are you expecting to in the near future? How have you treated "found money" in the past? With millions of Americans receiving their income tax refund, today we discuss what smart Stackers do with "found" money. Not only that, but we also dive deeper into tips for how to decide ahead of time what you will do with any windfalls that come your way throughout the year, so you don't have to worry about blowing investing the entire amount on a brand new El Camino. Be sure to stick around for Doug's this-day-in-baseball-history-themed trivia question! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/what-to-do-with-your-tax-refund-1501 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can simply being kind (and using math) bring more Benjamins into your life? Today we explore the topic of how changing your outlook towards others can attract more abundance and wealth in life when Joe sits down with our mentor, the brilliant James Rhee, MIT professor and author of the hit book red helicopter: a parable for our times: lead change with kindness (plus a little math). In our headline, we talk about the recent cutback in spending on lavish weddings, and how much is too much to expect to spend on your nuptials? Plus, how do you get out of budget for attending a wedding you've been invited to? Stick around for Doug's wandering trivia! You're sure to not feel any older after his knowledge! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/kindness-math-and-benjamins-1500 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode is our 1499th episode! On today's celebratory show, we dive into some of your success stories! Plus, ever wonder how you achieve anything big in life? Just get started! On today's episode you'll get a behind the scenes look at the evolution of Stacking Benjamins. We go into what lessons we've learned along the way and how we strive to keep improving. Stacker Christine from Seattle calls in to share her story, and how listening to the show inspired her to change her social circles and the conversations she was having with others. We dive into best practices for building your business as an entrepreneur and how to build your network and reputation. Stacker Derek calls in to express his gratitude for the show and all of the regular contributors. Lambo calls in to share how listening to and learning from the show has helped him improve his financial life. Stacker Billy from San Francisco called in to give a shoutout to us and express gratitude for the help in making positive changes in his financial life. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/past-present-future-of-sb-episode-1499-celebration Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices