The Stacking Benjamins Show

Is your personal or professional life not where it should be? While you may think that "creativity" isn't essential to success in life, today's guest will vehemently disagree. He's the former CEO and now Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board of the legendary company Cirque du Soleil. Today he will share why creativity is crucial to professional and personal success and shares his own journey with Cirque du Soleil to improve in every area of his own career. During our headline, we'll pull the cover off of a new crypto scam. This time, celebrities allegedly endorsed a crypto coin, only to dump their own holdings after prices skyrocketed. Of course, this left investors with--reportedly--next to nothing. What can we learn from this? Joe and OG share their thoughts, which might not be what you expect. We also help answer Micah's question about how to further his personal finance education. Doug will also share his trivia. Enjoy! You'll find full show notes at http://stackingbenjamins.com You'll find our deeper dive into ALL of the topics we discuss today in our 201 newsletter (always free) http://stackingbenjamins.com/201 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you get overwhelmed by conflicting investment advice? It can be hard to determine fact from fiction with so many opinions. Today our roundtable debunks common investing myths to help you get your investment strategy on track. Brian Feroldi, Paulette Perhach and Len Penzo make up our roundtable today and they are sharing their thoughts on common investing myths and tips to be better with your money. Doug will also share some of his amazing trivia! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you been caught in a scam? It happens more than you may think! When we think of the biggest financial scandals, Bernie Madoff comes to mind but there was an even bigger scandal that happened to an entire country. In the United States, we suffered in 2008 during the financial crisis but another country saw its stock market tank even more than ours. Which one? Iceland. Jared Bibler worked for one of the major Icelandic banks and quit just days before the collapse. He then worked with Icelandic regulators to uncover the reasons behind the collapse and it's a scenario that even he didn't see coming. He shares it all today and tells his view of what happened. During our headline we're talking about retirement savings. Oregon implemented an automatic savings plan for people without access to a company retirement plan. Is it working? Is it the best plan out there? Joe and OG share their differing views! Then we answer Deb's question about high yield savings accounts and Doug shares his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you have too many priorities and not enough time in the day to tackle them all? Struggling to get motivated for 2022? Help is on the way today from Dr. Joseph Cardillo, who'll help you build better muscles in your brain. He's an expert on motivation and attention and shares the reasons behind some of the successful habits we all practice now every day. Have you ever been driving and suddenly realized you zoned out for a few minutes? It's pretty common, and actually uses the same mechanisms we use for all of these successful auto-pilot moments throughout our day. He'll share how to reset your mind and use habits to your advantage to be more productive. In our headline segment, we'll talk all things inflation. Is this latest price balloon transitory or here to stay? We'll share our thoughts and how you can combat it with your investment portfolio. We'll also answer Tusk's question about his fixed income allocation and Doug will share his trivia. Enjoy! You'll find complete show notes and links at http://stackingbenjamins.com and in our newsletter The 201: http://stackingbenjamins.com/201 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wish a cheap plastic toy from Walmart could tell you the future? We sure do! And we try every year. It's our annual Magic 8 Ball episode today with Paula Pant, Len Penzo and OG. Each year, we ask the Magic 8 Ball (yes, really, the one you can buy at Walmart) riveting questions for the upcoming year then reflect back on those questions at the end of the year. Today, we run through the answers to our questions from last year and ask new questions for 2022. How will the Magic 8 Ball perform this year? We'll find out! In the middle, Angelo Poli from MetPro also joins us to share the best tips to get -- and stay -- in shape in 2022! Many of us have tried a new diet or exercise program but rarely stick with it long-term. Angelo explains why and offers tips to help overcome that struggle. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Struggling with debt? Today we dive into how to create the perfect winning conditions so that you not only pay off your debt, but you STAY out of debt for good. Debt solutions expert Erin Skye Kelly (author of the book Get The Hell Out of Debt) joins us to help you make debt a thing of the past. She has not only great tips but also the keys to controlling your mindset so that you create a plan and stick with it. We'll also look back at 2021 investment performance during our headlines segment to see how best to tweak your portfolio for success in 2022. What were your best and worst-performing assets? Why? We'll follow the results of a recent Wall Street Journal column to teach you how to create an investment policy statement for the new year. Then, we'll throw out the Haven Life line to Stacker Ramon, who wonders about infinite banking. Is it as great as proponents say that it is? And of course, we'll save time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! You'll find all of the links, including Joe's updated book tour schedule (now beginning in March), at http://stackingbenjamins.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you've already failed at working out, eating healthy, drinking less coffee, and not using the word "groovy" in 2022, this episode is for you. Let's get 2022 off on the right track with the perfect guest, Ramit Sethi from I Will Teach You To Be Rich. He's helped thousands of people take control of their finances and set themselves up for success. To start the new year, he'll share his top tips to start the year on the right foot. How much do you need to retire? Much of that depends on where you live, and today we'll dive into the huge disparity between cities that'll require stacks ON your stacks of Benjamins and those that can help you retire on less. Is moving worthwhile? In our headlines segment, we'll look at a piece that dives into how much you need to retire depending on where you live in the United States. Can you guess the most and least expensive metros? Who needs a financial planner? We'll answer Matt's question about finding a financial advisor during our Haven Life Line call and later, you can count on the fact that Doug's kicking off a new year by sharing some trivia. We're back and ready to help you roll into a new year! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FIRE movement is still burning, and by the looks of it, will continue. It's a popular and growing mindset but is there a downside? We've heard countless success stories from people who've achieved financial independence but there are many others who do not have the same outcome. Our roundtable today talks about the potential consequences of the FIRE movement and gives us questions to think about. How will you spend your time in retirement? Is it even worth it? Rocky Lalvani from the Richer Soul podcast, Len Penzo, and OG join our roundtable to share their opinions. Check out our original show notes here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it time to put the FIRE movement out or should we let it burn? Don't take our word for it, we've got a stellar roundtable today to share their thoughts. Is there too much emphasis on the retire early part of FIRE? What should we really be concerned about? Don McDonald from the Talking Real Money podcast, Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, and our very own OG join our roundtable to discuss and give their opinion. Check out our original show notes here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's something you've tried and haven't liked? Pineapple on pizza? Gross! Or maybe something a little more complicated like a budgeting or investing strategy? Today David Bach joins our FIRE week by talking about his own experience. Just because some people don't understand FIRE doesn't mean it's bad and David shares his opinions. Check out our original show notes here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're interested in the FIRE movement, how do you get started? And what goals do you need to set? Fritz Gilbert from The Retirement Manifesto is here to share his story and help you get started on your own. He's here to answer any and all questions about the FIRE movement. This episode originally aired in 2018. Check out our original show notes here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's hard to believe the year is almost over, Stackers. To end the whirlwind of 2021, we're giving you a jam-packed week of FIRE episodes, starting with the Mad Fientist. Ever thought about joining the FIRE movement? He may just push you over that edge to try it. This episode originally aired in 2017 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out our original show notes here. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Wednesday, Clark Howard shared his lessons from 2021. What did we learn from another trying year? Today our roundtable shares their lessons learned. They talk about crypto, inflation, meme stocks, and more. Paula Pant, Len Penzo and OG make up our roundtable today. It's also the last live episode of the year, which means we finally find out who wins our year-long trivia challenge! It's a fun one today! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready for a bright and shiny 2022? To get there, we'll dive into the last twelve months with special guest Clark Howard. What were the big money lessons? What should we have learned from them? As always, Clark doesn't look at events the same way you might, so it's a refreshing look at where we're headed. Plus, you'll get some valuable tips to manage your money better. During our headline segment, we'll talk about an investor you may not have heard of, named Wilmot Kidd. His track record is as impressive as Warren Buffett. How did he do it? We'll share what made him successful. Of course we'll still share Doug's trivia and throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky listener. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember PEMDAS from math class? Yeah, neither do we, it's the order of operations for solving math problems. It has something to do with parentheses and subtraction. Today, we are solving a different math problem: your financial plan. Joe and OG share the order of operations for your own financial plan. Not sure where to start? We've got you covered. In the middle of your plan and stuck on where to go next? Great! We have the next steps for you. In our headline, we talk about ETFs and their exploding popularity. How do they differ from mutual funds and which is a better option? We dive in. Then we help answer Julia's question about co-signing a loan for a family member. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you had unlimited time, what's the biggest goal you'd like to achieve? With enough time, we can accomplish a lot, and maybe almost anything. If time and resources are scarce though, prioritizing goals is even more important. Our roundtable today discusses the long-game when it comes to life, business and our money. Does playing the long game when it comes to our money pay off? Doc G, Paula Pant, and OG fill our roundtable and share their thoughts. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last week we talked about one of the certainties in life: taxes. Today, we tackle what to do before the other certainty. David E. Edey went through his own family troubles when settling his parent's estate, spending seven years and over $50,000 on attorney fees. Why? His siblings fought over the inheritance. The phrase "inheritance curse" is too real for some families who've spent countless time and money fighting. Now David is sharing lessons he's learned to help us all put our estate in order now to avoid headache for others later. During our headline segment, we'll talk about another purchase feeling the sting of inflation: the Christmas tree. That's right, inflation isn't hitting just food and gas. Just how much are prices rising? And how can we adjust our budget for inflation? Joe and OG will dive in. We'll also answer Daniel's question about company stock and Doug will share his mind-bending trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Hi there, I'm just calling to let you know that the extended warranty on your car...blah, blah, blah..." There are thousands of very real and sophisticated scams that rope people in every day. Nev Schulman is all too familiar with catfishing, experiencing it firsthand when he thought he was talking to a woman online but realized she wasn't who she said she was when they met in person. Now, he's partnered with Zelle to help others avoid financial scams. Today he shares red flags and helpful tips when dealing with financial transactions online. In our headline, we're talking about gold and silver under the mattress and how it turned into big trouble for one couple to the tune of a $300k IRS penalty. It turns out, storing gold and silver in your house is a no-no in this situation and we break down why, exactly what happened, and how you can avoid making similar costly mistakes. We'll also help Rina, who has a question about fees within mutual funds. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever been asked by a coworker or friend how much you make or how much money you have? It can be an awkward conversation if you aren't expecting it! Or have you had someone openly tell you about their net worth or income? Our background with money, and even our career, can shape how we talk about money with others. Should we be sharing our salary information with coworkers and sharing our net worth with our friends and family? While it might seem awkward, there might also be a lot of good that can come from those conversations. Our roundtable panel today is talking about this topic of stealth wealth. Hassan Thomas from FYI FLI, Paula Pant and OG share their thoughts on talking about wealth and income. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our good friend Ben Franklin said the only things certain in life are death and taxes. Since we are coming up on year-end, we'll tackle one of those certainties (you're on your own with the other). To help us, tax expert Ed Slott is back! He'll help you get your finances in order before year-end to avoid any tax surprises in April. Should you convert your IRA to a Roth? What's the contribution deadline for retirement accounts? What changes might be coming in future legislation? Ed's commenting on it all with us today. We'll also talk about regulation in cryptocurrency during our headline segment. One of the main benefits of cryptocurrency has been the idea that it is unregulated, but the U.S. government is trying to change that. Although the SEC can't agree, will they consider crypto a security and therefore have regulation over it? We'll share the latest details! We'll also tackle 529 and college saving plans during our Haven Lifeline. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Getting started on your personal financial journey is the hardest part. Where do you start and how do you get that first Benjamin stacked? And then how do you make sure to keep those Benjamins safe and make them work for you? Lucky for us, Emily Guy Birken and our very own Joe Saul-Sehy wrote a book that dives into personal finance and offers real, practical tips and strategies to help you be successful. Humor and easy-to-follow action items make it a great way to jump into your own journey. They are here today and were interviewed by Doc G from the Earn & Invest podcast to share behind the scenes stories of how the book was written and some of the points they dive into in the book. During our headline we'll talk about those old sales tactics of playing rounds of golf and going out for extravagant dinners to get clients and why some millennials aren't buying it. Financial advisors have more responsibility than just investing your money but some young people are choosing to manage their own investments and explain why. Plus, Doug will share some trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a special Saturday episode! Community plays a big role in our lives and the community you surround yourself with can make all the difference on the path you are on. We are lucky to be part of a pretty badass community here and are lucky to have such great people to lean on. We are live today from the2021 EconoMe conference in Cincinnati with special guests Piggy and Kitty from Bitches Get Riches. They share thoughts on some stats about what we do (and don't) share with others about our finances and how we can all help each other reach that next level of greatness. We'll also discuss a current headline about Zillow dumping homes. Zillow is selling houses across the country after realizing flipping homes isn't as easy as they make it look on HGTV (not their story, but that's our take). Is Zillow selling in your state? And what does this mean for the real estate market as a whole? We'll share our thoughts! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s peak shopping season and many of us are also getting ready to attend or host holiday parties, which means money may be quickly shuffling out of your wallet. Since money doesn’t grow on trees, today we’ll share our best money-saving tips for this holiday season. Maybe pass out your homemade lasagna to family and friends or just say no to gifts altogether this year? While those are good, we may share even better tips today! Our long-time friend Bobbi Rebell joins Len Penzo and OG to share how they are getting through the holidays with the least amount of stress and wasted money. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The holidays can be overwhelming for lots of reasons (family, too many parties, not enough time) and that stress can run even deeper for introverts. Have you ever RSVP'd to something then immediately regretted it, preferring to stay cozy under a blanket on the couch? Yep, we've been there. Luckily, there's lots of introverts in the world and Nick Shelton is an expert in helping people out of their comfort zone to make the most of any situation. He's here today to give tips and pointers to surviving any party. Not an introvert? These tips will help you, too! We're talking fees during our headline, and specifically retirement plan fees. There's a new-ish investment vehicle out there called collective investment trusts (CIT) and they are gaining popularity fast. We'll give our take and add in some additional thoughts. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not sure how to best use your 401k plan to stack some B's? Today the man many call the "father of the 401k," Ted Benna, joins us to share not just how he created the first 401k plan, but he'll also share some great tips for ensuring you are getting the maximum benefit from every contribution. During our headline, we talk about the wild ride that is NFTs. Who has the right to create and sell an NFT? Apparently not Quentin Tarantino. Listen to find out why he is being sued. Then we'll answer Nathan's question about his commercial mortgages. He wants to pay off one of them but which one should he pay first? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices