The Stacking Benjamins Show

Mom always said, "You can do more with less," but is that really true? Another popular line is, "problems are always more fun to show up to in a limo!" Today we'll clear up the clutter from your life, talk about how to determine what is "enough," and see what chasing too many "things" can do to your spirit. It's true: less truly often IS more and we're going to help you cut away. It's a sad day on the show because contributor Paulette Perhach is ending her nine-month run of filling in for Paula Pant, but we make the most of Paulette's expertise, along with that of the woman behind Simplify and Enjoy, Elle Martinez. Elle's a pro at teaching people how to do more with less and she helps our team help you today...along with the amazing Len Penzo from award-winning blog Len Penzo dot com. Of course, at the halfway mark of today's show, we'll continue our year-long trivia challenge between our contributors. Can Paulette leave tied for first with Len? Can Len pull ahead? Can Elle help OG get back into the race? You'll find out today. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/elle-martinez-1364 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

Ric Edelman has opinions, and they're both well-researched and timely. We pick his brain on annuities, crypto, central bank digital currency, and the future of money. Ric's book, The Truth About Money, was a revolutionary and even-handed look at money way back in 1996. We're sure you'll find his take on modern money as riveting still today. Plus, in our headline segment, what's going on with your credit? A new study from Tranunion shows that credit scores are a-changing. How? We'll share. Of course, we'll save time for Doug's trivia and more! FULL SHOW NOTES: www.stackingbenjamins.com/ric-edelman-1363 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've heard the term "get rich slowly"? Today we're inspiring you to jump in the race! Martinus Evans was told, that as a 300 pound-plus man, that he was too heavy to run marathons. His doctor laughed in his face. Today he's been on the cover of Runners' World, sponsored by Adidas, and leads one of the country's largest running groups, the Slow AF Running Club. If you aren't inspired to jump over your fear, lace up your budgeting shoes, and get moving toward your goals today, I don't know how much more we can do to help! He's that inspiring. Plus, in our headline segment a recent blog post from a popular blogger rubbed us the wrong way. We'll dive into why you should maybe think differently than THIS blogger AND differently than most other people. Of course, we have an AMAZING TikTok minute that'll show you how the world truly (probably) was built, throw the Haven Life line out to Jon who goes on and on about Doug's mom…and more! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/martinus-evans-1362/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ready to unleash your inner life designer and make every day a vacation! Join the inspirational Heidi Dusek from the Ordinary Sherpa podcast as she takes you on a journey to craft the life of your dreams. Plus, we've got the retirement guru himself, Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, engineering his way to an epic retirement from his secret bunker. And let's not forget about OG, the mastermind behind designing other people's retirements. But wait, there's more! We'll spice up the show with Doug's mind-blowing Trivia, where he'll dazzle you with fascinating facts about the iconic Model T cars. And for all our USA Stackers out there, buckle up and get ready to have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend like never before! FULL SHOW NOTES: www.stackingbenjamins.com/friday-1361-design-your-life-with-heidi-dusek 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

Mignon Francois was down to her last five dollars. Her power had been turned off and she flipped on a generator only at night so her kids would have some "normal" in their life. But things weren't normal then, and would be even less normal as she flipped that last five dollars into a cupcake empire. She'll share the story today that'll make you realize that you CAN do that thing that's been frightening you. First, though, in our headline segment Social Security is in the news. It turns out that some Americans don't receive any of America's largest social program benefits. What does this have to do with your planning, even if you DO qualify? We'll share. Of course, Doug's ready with some cupcake empire trivia AND we'll also throw the Haven Life line all the way "across the pond" to the UK, where James has a question that our Stackers around the world probably have all asked themselves before. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/Made-from-scratch-with-Mignon-Francois Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer is here! Robert Niles kicks off our summer season by sharing deals and thrills around the nation's theme parks. We ask Mr. Theme Park Insider himself about how we can save money when we take the family but also (and maybe more importantly) how we actually make the day more fun so that it's worth the money we pay. Robert delivers on both fronts, with both wallet-saving and excitement-upping tips. We talk about some of the best theme parks in the USA plus the "big boys" of Disney and Universal. Plus, in our headline, one bank CEO thinks that we should impose some rules around "short selling." What is short selling anyway? How can people pick on "short" so much? We'll explore all of that. Of course, Doug will share some of his mouth-watering trivia AND we'll answer a fantastic question from the state of Wisconsin...proving that even though we thought Doug ruined it for us, this midwestern state still finds a way to love us. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/summer-theme-park-episode-robert-niles-1359 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can you actually sit back and make money without lifting a finger? Is winning the lottery truly a passive endeavor? Our Roundtable is diving into the world of 'passive' income strategies that have left them scratching their heads. Joining us today is the dynamic duo of Nurse Naseema from the Nurses on Fire podcast and the financial powerhouse behind Financially Intentional. Plus, we have the one and only Doc. G from our sister show Earn and Invest. And let's not forget our very own OG, ready to unleash his unique brand of actively passive aggressiveness. Will Naseema claim the trivia throne and surprise us all by having her baby during the recording? Will OG stay in the basement for the trivia score, meaning will he stay in last place in the mind-boggling trivia contest? FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/fri-roundtable-1358 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

Erin Lowry broke on the scene six years ago with her bestselling and groundbreaking book Broke Millennial. Today she's back on she podcast to dive into lessons she WISHES we'd learned from her original book and tips from her new workbook. We'll chat about credit, emergency funds, managing debt, reward points, and more! In our headline segment, who knew that you couldn't buy things with zero cash today, promise to pay installments, and NOT DO IT? #shocker. Pay later apps like Klarna and Affirm are in the news. We'll explain why on today's show. Of course we'll also throw out the Haven Lifeline to a lucky Stacker (today it's Will...go Tigers, Will!), Doug will share a helping of trivia, and much more. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/erin-lowry-1357 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve Chou has made lots of money. He didn't do it by "following his passion." He sold hankerchiefs with his wife, who wanted to quit her job. Together they created businesses that rolled in cash. But Steve will be the first to tell you that the method he used was flawed. Today he'll dive into his mastakes and share kes to help you start your own business and make "a couple million" a year (Steve's number) without ruining your life, your relationships, or resorting to the "hustle culture" that chews up and spits out so many would-be entrepreneurs every year. In our headline segment, we'll dive into the automation craze. Chat-GPT is doing homework, writing ad copy, creating books...what can't automation do? The government is casting it's gaze on automation and has issues some strong warnings. We'll share those AND what you should think about when you're considering automation (or recommendations that come from automation) in the future. Of course, we'll also wind up the TikTok minute, Doug's trivia, and much more! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/steve-chou-1356 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Stackers, it's second nature to want to be the best at everything; but when is it enough to just be good and not great? Are there instances where "good" may actually be preferable to "great?" Joining Paulette and Len for our roundtable to tackle this tricky topic, we welcome the host of the Money Confidential podcast, creator of the award-winning "Too Ambitious" newsletter, writer, entrepreneur, and all-around awesome human being Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez. Plus, Doug Joe's mom's cousin, Diana, will surprise you with a bit of telephone patent-related trivia. Will Stefanie do OG a solid and make the year-long competition a 3-way tie? Will Paulette pull ahead again and put Team Paulette/Paula (#teamPP) in the lead? Will Len arise from his bunker under Los Angeles to win the day? Be sure to tune in and find out! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/fri-roundable-1355 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

What happens when your marriage is struggling? Today we'll share some of the horrible stories and (more importantly) how to solve them OR how to make sure that you're able to function during a divorce. Forensic accountant Tracy Coenen and attorney Sarah Jacobs join us with their expert advice to hopefully avert a divorce or to help you navigate the heady waters of a marriage gone wrong. In our headline segment we dive into the world of high yield savings! Apple has introduced an account that pays among the best in class and also is connected to their credit card AND Apple pay! What could go wrong? We'll share how convenience might not always work in your favor. That's not all. Of course, we'll throw out the Haven Lifeline to a lucky listener and Doug will share some of his delicious Knight Rider themed trivia! Oh yeah! FULL SHOW NOTES: stackingbenjamins.com/tracy-coenen-sarah-jacobs-1354/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes a great leader? What can you do to become one? We welcome the former CEO of United Airlines, Oscar Munoz, down in the basement to tackle these questions and learn from his business lessons over the span of his decades-long career in corporate leadership. He shares stories from his amazing turnaround, including his own story of a major health crisis early during his administration at the popular transportation company. During our headlines segment we'll dive into a story you've all probably been following: mortgage fees have changed and there's been LOTS of rhetoric about it…but what's the truth? We'll share a story you (sadly) probably aren't hearing enough. Are we returning to the dangerous mortgage business practices that resulted in the Great Recession of 2007-08 ? Or is it all overblown? Plus we'll throw out the Haven Lifeline to Luke in California who has a question about what types of investments he and his wife might consider if they're looking to retire early in about 10-12 years. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/oscar-munoz-1353 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don't be caught blindsided by uncomfortable money questions! Tune into this roundtable conversation where Paula, Len, and O.G. try to come up with the right ways to respond when faced with awkward money moments. The show originally aired in 2020 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/fri-roundtable-rewind-1352 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

Before you fly off on your summer vacation, don’t miss our podcast rewind episode where we interview Betty Thesky of Betty in the Sky with a Suitcase, where she shares some of the craziest stories you've ever heard from the perspective of a flight attendant. She came down to the basement to share some of her anecdotes that will leave you #ROFL. The show originally aired in 2016 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/betty-thesky-rewind-1351 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don’t miss our podcast rewind episode where we interview Bola Sokunbi on the topic of why it's essential to be involved and in control of your financial decisions. Especially if you have the tendency to outsource your financial management, you want to tune into this important rewind episode! The show originally aired in 2019 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/bola-sokunbi-rewind-1350 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When money is tight, you gotta do what you gotta do. But who should you add to your financial accounts? What could possibly go wrong if you share money with your buddy? Today we are happy to have the creator of the blog Mark's Money Mind, CFP Mark Trautman, on to share his experiences in financial account sharing. Paulette Perhach joins us to share her financial sharing memories. And Len Penzo jumps in to give his perspectives on Affleck and Damon's level of trust. What are some smart rules to follow when sharing financial accounts with your spouse or other family member? What are some potential pitfalls, and how can you avoid them? Under what conditions is financial secrecy acceptable? Doug shares some trivia about how common financial sharing is among married couples. Will Mark make OG proud and put him squarely back into a first-place tie with Len; will Paulette bring the noise to the boys; or will Len extend his trivia dominance by another point? Tune in to find out! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/Fri-roundtable-1349 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

You've gotten the big call…it's time to go pro with your money? But what skills got you there? Today, to celebrate the NFL draft tomorrow, when dozens of talented young people will have their lives changed with huge paychecks, we welcome a guy who works with professional athletes on their cash, private banker Rob Welch. Plus, in our headlines segment, a disturbing statistic about financial advisor satisfaction just emerged. What do people dislike about their advisors? We'll jump into ALL of the details on today's show. Of course, we'll also share a call from a Stacker from Wisconsin to the Haven Life line (no, not THAT Stacker), and Doug will tackle career longevity on today's trivia question. Just another amazing day at the Stacking Benjamins Show! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/rob-welsh-1348/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can you do a better job planning for your retirement (and not just financially)? Are you anxious about transitioning into the next phase of your life? We're happy to welcome retirement planning expert Veronica McCain to share some actionable advice to put you in a better position to retire well. Plus, in today's headline, do you feel like your expenses always come in over budget? Have your credit card balances increased over the last year? You're not alone, says Veronica Dagher of the Wall Street Journal. We'll jump in and try to leave Stackers with best practices to keep your expenses in check. You'll be amazed by the career advice from our TikTok Minute, and we help Jim with a question about how to divvy up his 401(k) contributions. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/Veronica-McCain-1347 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For millions of young prodigies, it's graduation season. But before they spread their wings and leave the nest, how will they afford it? Our roundtable tackles this timely topic on how recent college graduates can best get a head start on adulting. We're happy to welcome our special guest to said roundtable Wes Moss of the Retire Sooner Podcast. He joins our fabulous writer Paulette Perhach and our in-house CFP OG. They give their two cents on today's headline article. In part two of our discussion, each of our contributors gives his/her own expert two pieces of advice to new college graduates to set themselves on the right track in life (Doug adds his top tip, too). Plus, Doug has some jaw-dropping trivia about the cost of private college. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/fri-roundtable-1346 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

Are you tired of following the same old financial advice that doesn't seem to work for YOU? Do you want to create a financial plan that's tailored to YOUR unique circumstances and helps you achieve your goals? We're joined by Lawrence Sprung, a Certified Financial Planner and founder of Mitlin Financial, to discuss his approach to financial planning. Discover how to create a personalized financial plan that not only sets you up for success but also brings you joy along the way. Plus in our headline, we learn about how Michael Burry (of "The Big Short" fame) admits (via a March 30 tweet) to getting it wrong when he told investors to sell in a January 31 tweet. If the best in the business aren't able to predict the stock market's future, what hope do we Average Joe investors have to time the market correctly? Plus we take a call from Brian who has a question about what potential consequences could result from him having let his life insurance policy lapse. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/Lawrence-Sprung-1345 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are thrilled to welcome award-winning journalist, senior editor at The Wall Street Journal, expert on the Federal Reserve, and author of the bestselling book about Janet Yellen Jon Hilsenrath to the basement. In addition to an economics masterclass, he shares with us insights into the current Treasury Secretary and former Federal Reserve Chair - and what makes her tick. Also, we dive into an infuriating headline about 70,000 people who can't access their retirement savings while legal proceedings are ongoing. We throw out the Haven Lifeline to Burton who wants to know where to allocate additional savings. And Doug tops things off with his Fed-related trivia. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/Jon-Hilsenrath-1344 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you have anything put away for retirement? If so, you're doing better than 50% of women and 47% of men ages 55-66, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Yikes! For today's roundtable, we welcome guest contributor Investopedia Top 100 Advisor in 2019, 2020, and 2021; Certified Financial Planner (CFP); and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) Benjamin Brandt. We welcome Paulette Perhach back from her travels, and Len Penzo joins us from his bunker under flooded Los Angeles. They give their 2 cents on today's alarming headline - which is $0.02 more than almost half of Americans approaching retirement age have set aside, apparently! Double yikes! In our second part of the retirement savings discussion, we discuss a piece by JL Collins that pushes back against the idea that your home doubles as a retirement nest egg. In his trivia today, Doug comes through with timely data about expected retirement age - which, as we discuss, doesn't always pan out the way people plan. Flexibility is the name of the game, Stackers! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/Fri-roundtable-1343. 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

No event could have wrecked our finances as bad, or for as long, as building a debt saddle had done. Between interest payments, added stress, and missed opportunities, digging yourself out of debt can be a painful life experience - but well worth it in the end. Today's conversation with debt payoff expert Dorethia Kelly is a must-listen! Plus we throw out the Haven Lifeline to Lee who has a question about how to replenish your retirement cash position if it's used early in retirement. Add to that some of Doug's space cadet-themed trivia, and you've got yourself a podcast fit for print. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/dorethia-kelly Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've heard a lot about work-life balance. On one end, the non-stress believers say that you should seek balance actively. On the other, "hustle" culture says you can sleep when you're dead. There's no such thing as balance. Do more. Faster. Better. Today's guest says that maybe you can have "more" in your life WITHOUT seeking balance. What if we sought harmony instead? Tina Wells has had to apply this lesson to her own life, having created her first company at age 16 and suffering her first burnout by age 27. She'll share how she found both success and a life on today's show. In our headline segment, actor Jeremy Renner is under our spotlight. He recently was featured in many pieces after sharing an instagram story detailing his march to recovery after an early-January snow plow accident. What does Renner's disability have to do with your money? We'll share...and it's a LOT! Plus, of course, we'll answer a Stacker's call to the Haven Life line and Doug will be sure to top everything off with his world-famous trivia (well, maybe only Texarkana-famous...but who's counting?). FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/1341-tina-wells Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who should you trust? Talking heads on television often have a LOT to say about your money. Yet, one popular television show called out a "guru" live, questioning the validity of their advice. So today we ask our roundtable panel about that particular exchange: where should your filter kick in with online advice. Whether you're listening to the radio, watching videos, or heck...even listening to us, when should you apply some caution? What are the questions you should be asking yourself about online advice. We're excited that Lacey Langford (Military Money Show & the Military Money Conference) joins the crew to tackle this topic today. She definitely brings opinions! Of course, that's not all. We'll also continue our year-long trivia contest. Will Lacey be able to help team "Paulette" get back in the race? FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/friday-roundtable-1340. 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