The Stacking Benjamins Show

One of the top reasons couples argue is because of money. We always say that personal finance is personal and it's true that every person and couple have different views on money but coming together as a couple to share those goals is key. But even before most couples combine their finances, they have a wedding to stress about. Our roundtable today talks about couples and money and they dive into wedding registry gifts. Elle Martinez from Simplify and Enjoy, Len Penzo, and OG make up our roundtable team today and they share their thoughts on cash vs. gifts on registries and how couples can come together to crush their financial goals. Diania is also here today and she shares some amazing trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A million and one money decisions in a day...how the hell do you make the right one???? Between social media and the internet, f--- me, there are countless tips and "advice" from strangers on how to manage your money, but absolutely ZERO are really tailored to you. In the basement, we know that information can be powerful if used correctly, and that's exactly why we invited Jean Chatzky and Kathryn Tuggle here today. In their new book (it's geared toward women, but everyone can benefit from it), they talk about the power of information and making informed decisions for our present and future selves. They talk to us about pillars of success, and how you can finally feel more empowered out in the open about your money decisions. During our headline segment, we'll answer the burning question: "why does my advisor never text me?" It's not because they don't like you. FINRA, one of the two major regulatory agencies, doesn't allow it. We talk about why and the opposite effect it tends to have from the rationale behind it. We also answer Katie's question on the Haven Life line about where to save additional money each month. And Doug will share his amazing trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gearing up for summer travel? Not only is summer fun about saving money; it's also about ensuring that the dollars you spend are worth it. What theme parks are actually worth your money? Today we help you kick off your summer because Robert Niles from Theme Park Insider joins us for his 8th annual survey of what's new/what's hot/what's undervalued in vacation travel. He shares the newest rides and attractions at various park across the country and offers tips to get the best bang for your buck. During our headline segment, we dive in to a piece that says investing in the stock market "won't make you rich," and then (of course) offers some alternative "best" places to invest instead. There's legitimate alternative investments out there, and many that are highly recommended, but this list might fall slightly short. We'll have opinions. We also share what you should look out for before investing. We then answer an anonymous caller's question on the Haven Life line about retirement survivor annuities, and of course, Doug also shares his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you in the career you love? If not, what's stopping you from making a change to that job you've been dreaming of? Changing careers (especially if that means becoming an entrepreneur) isn't always as easy as it sounds, which is why our rockstar roundtable panel today is ready to help you find your way. Entrepreneurial coach Sylvia Moe Inks, Paula Pant, and Len Penzo discuss pivoting your career. They share their own stories of career changes and starting their own businesses. Of course, Doug will also share some flight-themed trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Failure is an option," Carter Malloy says during today's interview, and it's true. Evolution in business is critical, and technology, the right team, and pure persistence can pull a success from near-certain failure. From early websites to failed business plans, business owners have many challenges to navigate. Carter Malloy faced tons of these challenges and more while advocating for an investment approach he strongly believed in: buying farmland. Today we bring you a special episode sponsored by Dell as part of their PodFerence, a podcast-based conference to celebrate Small Business Month. Malloy, who is the founder and CEO of AcreTrader, joins us to share lessons learned during his early steps into entrepreneurship. He talks about early lessons his father and mentors taught him, how technology has helped evolve his business, surrounding yourself with people who don't think like you, and the overall grit and determination it takes to be a business owner. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sell, sell, sell! Buy, buy, buy! No, panic trading is not the answer when the market dips, but the news certainly can makes it sound like the end of the world. So what should you do during a down market? It turns out there's money-saving magic in avoiding selling everything to cash. Today, Joe and OG share their top 5 things to do during a market downturn. They talk about rebalancing, turning off the TV, rewinding history, and more. After this show, your investment policy statement, will be cleaner and more efficient than ever! During our headline segment, the guys dive into some quirky trends to follow in the stock market. South Park and Build-a-Bear (of all things) are making headlines in a recent Reddit thread. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Amanda who shares the strategies they used to pay off debt. And Doug will panic while he shares his panic trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how others are navigating their financial journey? Sharing tips, tricks, and mistakes with others can be super helpful, and having a community of like-minded people around you on any journey makes it less scary. As Joe travels across the country on his book tour for Stacked, he’s hearing from fellow Stackers about their money story. Thanks to Million Stories for partnering with us on this Instagram video series called A Million More Stories. We’re highlighting four of the interviews today, and they talk about money lessons as kids, money mistakes, and where they are now. We’ll also throw out the Haven Life line to Mike, who wants to know what courses and resources are available to help family members learn about financial management. And, of course, Doug will enlighten us with his real estate trivia. Enjoy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you have sticker shock at the grocery store or gas pump? Inflation is high and there's no doubt it's impacting spending ability. The good news is there are ways to help combat inflation and even help you earn more. Our roundtable today includes Andy Hill, Paula Pant, and OG, and they're tackling the inflation issue to give you tips and tricks to save money and earn more. They talk about raises at work, side hustles, and small ways to make a difference with your finances. And Doug will share his McDonald's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Technology is ever-changing and keeping up with the latest tech can help build and improve your business. We have a special episode sponsored by Dell today for their PodFerence, a podcast-based conference to celebrate Small Business Month. To talk about how technology and digital automation intersects with her business, Paulette Perhach joins us. She shares about her writing career and the various tech platforms she uses in her everyday business life. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The most fulfilling relationships are the ones where each person can be their true selves. Many times though, selfish goals are put above selfless ones. Vincent Pugliese admits he used to put his own goals above all else, but when he never reached the true happiness he was seeking, he changed his mindset. He's here today to share why character is important for building a true connection and why character and charisma are not interchangeable. During our headline segment, we dive into financial planning as a career. A recent piece shows that financial advisors are staying in the role well past the typical retirement age. We share why that is and give you all the details on what it takes to become a financial advisor. And, of course, Doug will share his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you searching for that next step in your financial independence journey? With so many books and resources available, it's hard to narrow down exactly what you should be doing -- and when -- to meet your goals. Today's guests created an app to help with that exact problem. Grant Sabatier and Logan Leckie created Topia, an app geared toward helping you reach financial independence. With clear steps and action items, you can crush your goals. They explain how it works and why it's so revolutionary. During our headline segment, we dive into tech stocks, specifically Netflix. Tech stocks have dominated the market for the past few years. What's next for them? We give our thoughts and point to stock buybacks and stock splits in today's market. We'll also answer Ray's question about the top fundamental things to know in personal finance. And Doug will share his Billy Joel themed trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've all made mistakes but learning from them is the important lesson. Investing mistakes can cost you actual cash and we want to help you minimize that as much as possible. Our roundtable today looks back to an interview we did a few years ago where we talked about common investing mistakes and how you can avoid them. This episode aired in 2019 so ignore any mention of current events or giveaways. Take a look at our original show notes from the episode here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to brush up on your negotiation skills before that next job performance review or vacation? No matter the setting, great negotiation can make or break a deal, literally. Today we're listening back to our interview with Mori Taheripour where she shares how to be a master negotiator. If you haven't checked out Stacked yet, Joe and Emily highlight her interview there as well. This episode aired in 2020 so be sure to ignore any mention of current events or giveaways. Take a look at our original show notes from the episode here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you looking forward to summer travel this year? We sure are! Heck, we're pretending we're on vacation now while we get this rewind week started! To kick it off, we've got two-time Emmy award-winning host of Travelscope, Joseph Rosendo, to share everything you need to know before making those summer plans. This episode aired in 2021, so be sure to ignore any mention of current events or giveaways. Take a look at our original show notes from the episode here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are your favorite life lessons you've learned? Today, our roundtable discusses a piece from Joseph Wells' blog about 30 lessons he learned by age 30. He couldn't keep it to 30 so it's actually closer to 40 lessons he shares. Ashley Patrick from BudgetsMadeEasy, Paula Pant from Afford Anything and our very own OG share their favorite lessons from the list and add a few of their own. And don't you worry, we left time for Doug to share his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you love someone’s chocolate cake, you’d ask them for their recipe without question. It’s not stealing, it’s taking something and making it your own. If you ask the author of Steal Like An Artist (which is celebrating its 10th anniversary!), he’d say we don’t take inspiration from others enough. Austin Kleon wrote the book 10 years ago that still rings true today about creativity. He says that taking inspiration from others and “stealing” ideas to create something yourself that is different is a true show of love and respect. He’s here today to talk about how to be more creative in your life and how to find inspiration. During our headline segment, we’re talking about crypto and the stock market. Are they becoming more aligned? We’ll dive in and share the specifics on the returns for each. Then we’ll Magnify Matt’s money and talk about grocery store and gas rewards programs. Do you share a grocery reward number with others? Matt does and he asked our Facebook group, the Basement, for their thoughts. We’ll share some of those answers. And don’t worry, we didn’t forget about Doug. He’ll share his amazing trivia in the middle of the show. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are so many relationships (especially marriages) broken easily? Nate and Kaley Klemp know from personal experience how hard it can be to stay on the same page when fairness becomes the center of an argument. Instead of a 50/50 split, they believe you should focus on 80/80. What does that mean? We'll share today! If the heart of your money gathering is truly about fostering better relationships, you're going to love our discussion on how to give more to experience more happiness. During our headline segment, we take a look at I bonds. Recent interest rate gains make this investment look like a slam-dunk investment, but is it? We'll share. We'll also talk about the relationship between risk and return when it comes to various investment types, AND answer Alex's question about positions within mutual funds. Of course, Doug will save time to enlighten us with his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've all made mistakes with our money. Whether it's not budgeting for a large expense or something larger like pulling money from a retirement account early, mistakes happen. Our roundtable discussion today centers around financial no-no's and how to reframe your thinking around some of these. Naseema McElroy, Paula Pant, and Len Penzo join our roundtable today to talk about their financial no-no's. They discuss everything from the illusion of frugality to budgeting tips today to help you avoid common mistakes. And of course, Doug will share his trivia with the group for our year-long trivia challenge. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you need life insurance? Not everyone does and before you start deciding what type of policy you need, there's a whole list of questions you should ask yourself. Joe and OG are taking center stage today and sharing their top five considerations before buying life insurance. Starting the conversation around risk management and planning, not the product, will lead you to the best solution for you and they tell you how. During our headline segment, we're talking about advisor fees. With multiple fee models out there, is one better than another? The guys share their thoughts on why each model works and why there might not be a right or wrong way to do it. We'll also answer Jen's question about paying off her mortgage early. Doug will also share his super exciting insurance trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are your investment aligned with your values? Did you know that you can screen for (or against) certain industries or sectors within funds? The terms ESG (environmental, social, governance), SRI (socially responsible investing), and impact investing encompass this thought process. Larry Swedroe joins us to explain this type of investing, its growing popularity, and how you can invest in a way that aligns with your values too. He also dives into why the performance for this type of fund differs from other indexes. During our headline segment, we take a look at the impact of increasing gas prices. Your wallet might feel a little slim after filling up at the pump and delivery drivers are feeling the heat too. We talk about what this might mean going forward and how you can save money at the pump. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Amanda who has a question about Roth IRA contributions. We'll also leave time for Doug's most amazing trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's your calling in life? The answer to that question comes instantly for some, and for others, there's nothing but cricket sounds. Today our roundtable guests are talking about finding your calling and why it's ok if you haven't found yours. We have our regulars, Paula, Len, and OG, on our roundtable today so you know they'll fill you in with good advice and tips. And, of course, we left time for Doug's most amazing trivia question ever. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why did Ben Franklin change his will two months before he died? Instead of leaving money to his family, he made a big bet on two cities that meant a lot to him, Boston and Philadelphia. Michael Meyer wrote a fascinating book about Ben Franklin's life -- and death -- and he joins us today to share part of the story. Ben Franklin had specific wishes for his gifts and Michael explains how the two cities handled it differently. In our headline segment, we're talking about mortgage rates. What do rising rates mean for your budget and how worried should you be? We'll give you all the details. We're also answering Steven's question about moving to a higher cost of living to save more. And we'll leave room for Doug's amazing trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the key to success with investing? This game is actually far easier than many think it is. Nick Maggiulli is known as the Dollars and Data guy on Twitter, but today he talks about how more data actually nearly sank him as a new investor. It turns out that over-optimization might hurt you in the long run. He shares the top 3 reasons why you should invest and even gives ideas on how to increase your income so you can save more. During our headline segment, we're talking about the important f word...fiduciary. What is it and why is it important? And why is Robinhood in hot water because of it? We'll explain it all. We'll also help answer Chris' question about sharing bank accounts with your spouse. And Doug will share his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How often do you think to yourself there just aren't enough hours in the day? Between busy work schedules, duties at home and a social life, life can be pretty freaking busy. There's no surprise then, that relaxation is important to regroup and recharge. Today's roundtable will help you with new ideas to relax and offer their thoughts on why it's so important to your life and finances. Our roundtable guests are Andy Hill from Marriage Kids and Money, Len Penzo from lenpenzo.com, and our very own OG. Even better, the piece they discuss today is from Len Penzo's blog. We didn't tell him it was his own piece and you'll get a kick out of his reaction when he figured it out. To round out the show, Doug will share his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices