The Stacking Benjamins Show

If you thought the days of crazy lawless activity left when the wild west was won, think again. The spirit of the Wild West continues in cryptocurrency. From the early investors, new coins and even some legal trouble, there's still lots to be uncovered in the world of crypto. Ethan Lou joined Doc G to talk about his experience with cryptocurrency and the major unknowns to still be uncovered with crypto. Is there still opportunity to buy into crypto and make loads of money like the early adopters? Ethan shares his take! During our headline we talk about the month of October in the stock market. It's no secret that October has seen some ugly stock market returns (1929, 1987, 2008 to name a few) but is it really as bad as we think? Robert Gilliland joins us to share his take on the market and give us some stats on the market as a whole. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Jennifer who wants to know how to fund her grandchild's education. And Doug will share some Bitcoin trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When did you start really thinking about, and maybe even stressing over, retirement? In your 50s, or 40s, or maybe even your 20s? Our discussion piece today, written by our friend Eric Brotman, talks about the increasing number of people in their early working career that are stressed about retirement. From stressing over saving enough money and comparing yourself to others (thanks, social media!) our contributors give their take and some tips they've learned over the years. Krista Edwards (Ready to Roth), Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Len Penzo (len penzo dot com) join our roundtable and share the ways they've reduced their stress about retirement. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a chance you've heard the words "passive investing", "index funds" or "ETF (exchange-traded fund)" but the history behind these is much longer (and more interesting!) than you probably imagined. Passive investing is extremely popular with investors today but that wasn't always the case. Robin Wigglesworth joins us today to talk about the history of index funds and ETFs and the key players that paved the way. During our headline, we talk about long-term care and the exponentially rising cost of care. Nursing homes are expensive and many people would prefer to have care in their own homes. We talk through some of the options and costs associated with those. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Jason who wants to know what to do with a business cash account that has accumulated a large balance. Doug will also share some Vanguard-related trivia since we are talking about passive investing today. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you wanted to start a business but something is holding you back? Not enough time, resources or money? And maybe some fear as well. Today we talk to Shark Tank shark and real estate and business mogul, Barbara Corcoran about starting a successful business. She shares tips she's learned over her career and shares what you should (and shouldn't) focus too much of your time on. Those traditional business plans might not be all they are cracked up to be and she shares a different approach that has proved to be more successful. During our headline segment, Google tried (and failed) to start a banking program. They aren't the only company that has tried reinventing the banking industry over the last several years, and they won't be the last either. Then we'll throw out the Haven Life line to an anonymous caller that wants advice on how to fund fertility treatment. And Doug will share his trivia! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investing can feel like a rattlesnake hunt if you don't know what you are doing. Scary, surprising, and sometimes painful if you aren't careful. Our roundtable today discusses a piece comparing the world of investing and our emotions to a rattlesnake hunt (a real thing in the small town of Sinnemahoning, PA). Bob Wheeler (Money You Should Ask), Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and OG talk about how emotions play into our investing decisions and ways we can try to separate the emotion from the math. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Human emotion makes us, well, human. While it's much more fun to feel happy, excited, or optimistic, there's no denying that we also feel sad, confused and frustrated at times. Helen Russell joins us today to talk about why feeling those negative emotions is important and how it can actually make us happier in the long run. She talks about validating the sadness and finding ways to cope and move forward to a happier life. During our headline, our friend Dave from Tennessee is in the news, but not for good reason. A former advertiser on Dave Ramsey's show is in hot water for deceptive business practices and we dive in. Then we talk about the in's and out's of required minimum distributions during our Haven Life line call. And Doug will include some of his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to find more happiness? Think bigger than your own goals. We've said this a TON lately on the podcast, so today we look at how to make it happen. Sadly, as Lisa Greer has experienced, charitable giving can be much more difficult than we'd hoped. Lisa joins us to share her less-than-ideal donating experience and what questions you should ask to make the biggest impact with your money. During our headline we talk about how COVID and work from home has changed productivity and work hours. Some employees have found ways to significantly increase their income working from home, but there's a catch (as always). And Doug will deliver some of his amazing charitable-giving related trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does retirement mean to you? Is it traveling, sitting on the beach or playing golf? Or maybe taking on a volunteer project? Or something completely different? Our roundtable today talks about what retirement means to them and what we can all watch out for when planning for retirement. We are joined by Wendy Mays from House of FI, Len Penzo and OG as they give us their take and tips to think about before retirement. Doug will also share some of his amazing CD trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between the stock market, soaring housing prices, and the strive for financial independence, what's been top-of-mind for you lately? Maybe you are getting ready to retire and thinking about how you will spend your days or planning your jet-setting adventure around the world. Or maybe you are intensely focused on saving as much as possible in the market. Today, we are live from FinCon in Austin, Texas, with OG, Paula Pant (Afford Anything), Diania Merriam (EconoMe Conference) and very special guest Julien Saunders from Rich & Regular, to see what their audiences are most concerned about right now. We talk about everything from the stock market to risk management to marriage and family. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever look at yourself in the mirror? Of course you have! How many times have you had to tell that person looking back at you to get out of the way? If you're like us, A TON. Mel Robbins discovered that one simple gesture in the morning can make all the difference in our decisions. She'll share details of her own ugly journey to success after financial hardship and how five seconds and high fives changed her outlook. High fives aren't just for big accomplishments or a way to communicate with friends. You can (and should) give yourself a high five every day for all the successes in your life, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Mel dives into the science behind how these small habits changed her life and how they can change yours too. We are back teaching you about annuities during our headline and one annuity company is pleading to independent financial advisors to give their products another shot. Annuities aren't always painted in the best light and we'll hear what this company is doing to change that. During our Magnify Money voicemail, Roy wants to pick Joe and OG's brains about their asset allocation. And of course we'll include some of Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever felt burnt out by trying too hard to save money or squeeze your budget too thin? That's what's known as "frugal fatigue". Sometimes we try so hard to cut expenses and save every penny that we end up spending more time and energy than we should. Paula, Len, and Chelsea Brennan join our roundtable today to talk about ways to avoid frugal fatigue. They talk about setting budget goals based on what matters most to you, creating "fun" budget items, and earning more when needed. Doug also shares some of his space-themed trivia. Listen to find out if Chelsea Brennan gets "Chelsea Brennan'd"! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does a trip to Ireland with a private car rental service and a beer-making class sound? Today we have all three of those for you, but presented as three awesome and financially sound separate stories. Today we feature three Stackers who all join us today to share their very personal money stories. First, we'll share Sara's story. She took a solo trip to Ireland that changed her outlook on her life and career (ultimately earning her much more money). The moves she made when she got home propelled her career far beyond what she'd imagined. Then we'll pivot to Christopher who rents out his car on Turo and shares his experience so far. Last, Ryan Mac shares his homebrew experience and how he got into making beer. He even sent Joe and OG some samples to try! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will you bank in the future the way you did in the past? What role will emerging financial systems like crypto and FinTech have in the future? Senior Brookings Fellow Eswar Prasad joins us today to talk about the future of money. He will share his opinions along with a look back at how we've gotten to the point we are at today. During our headline, it looks like some managers may be cheating on their target date fund management scheme. We'll dive in to asset allocation and target portfolios today. The popular 60/40 portfolio used by many investors has some investors questioning if the returns are enough to reach their goals. We talk about ways some fund managers are trying to boost those returns. And we'll throw out the Haven Life line to Justin who is working towards his CFP® certification and wants Joe and OG's advice when job searching. Doug will also share some of his trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How would you rate the different aspects of your life: fun & relaxation, personal & spiritual growth, business, money, health, family & friends, love & romance, and personal development? Then how much time and money do you invest in each category? Do the parts of your life that you value most match up with the parts you spend the most time and money on? Today our roundtable looks at a blog piece about spending money on what matters most to you. To help guide the conversation, we use a wheel that is used by many personal and business coaches to help categorize and visualize your life. We have a free download of that wheel below for you to follow along. Kyle Landis-Marinello, Paula Pant and Len Penzo join our roundtable today to discuss what they value most and how they spend their money on those aspects of their life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Studies show that our biggest enemy is often the one between our own ears. It can be hard to get out of your own head at times. Joyce Marter joins us today to talk about limiting beliefs and how we can practice an abundance mindset to be more successful. She is a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, author and speaker and sold her own business (that she'd started for $500) for many times more than what she expected--and multiple millions of dollars--once she got advice from others and got out of her own way. During our headline, we talk to Kamaron McNair about a piece she wrote for Magnify Money about investing behaviors and emotions. How many people have traded while drunk? She will let us know! She also talks about other money worries and how emotions have a play in trading and investing. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Mark who wants to know what you would do if you were given $100k in Bitcoin. Joe and OG will fill us in on their thoughts. And Doug will enlighten us all with his trivia! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is it that nice guys always seem to finish last? There's something that doesn't seem fair about the jerks in the world winning in business and life. Does a middle ground exist, and is that the secret spot for success? David Bodanis argues there is a middle ground and using effective listening, respect and trust techniques and practices is the secret recipe to success. He joins us today to tell some incredible stories of how these principles have played out in people's lives in the past, so you can make better decisions in the future. Football is back--the American kind, anyway--and we dive into how one NFL team is partnering with a financial literacy firm to help educate Americans on money habits and skills to help grow their wealth. That leads to a discussion about the new Acorns SPAC, gamification in your financial plan, and meme stock performance. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Leah who wants to know why she's so torn about buying a house now. And to tie it all together, Doug will share some of his trivia. Find our show notes at StackingBenjamins.com Looking for a guide to our show? Here's the link: StackingBenjamins.com/Stacker Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a great roundtable discussion for you and an interview with Kathryn Minshew, CEO of Themuse.com today. The roundtable starts off our episode by discussing the pros and cons of early retirement. Are there more cons than pros? According to our piece, there might be but our contributors weigh in with their opinions too. Then we talk to Kathryn Minshew about personal branding and how you can make sure your brand stands out from the rest. See our full original show notes here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The amazing real estate pro from Million Dollar Listing New York, Ryan Serhant, joined us to walk us through highlights and lessons from his journey to success in real estate. He never expected to be a salesman, let alone a realtor, and it took him years to figure out his competitive advantage. He shares how we can all be better in business, sales and relationships with a few tips. Connection, initiative, and relationships with others are key to many aspects in business and he explains how each have contributed to his success. See our original show notes from the episode here. We've got another great rewind episode for you today, this time from 2018. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are you with cash? Credit? Putting money in investments? All of that begins with your mindset, and Jen Sincero joins us today to help you get your head in the right place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do libra's really have a better chance of becoming billionaires than other zodiac signs? You'd think not, but according to one blog post, Libra's are only 9% of the population but make up 20% of billionaire. If you aren't lucky enough to be a Libra billionaire, what does your own zodiac sign mean for your money habits? Today we are joined by Jen Smith, Len Penzo and OG for a wide-ranging roundtable discussion where they don't hold back on their opinions of astrological signs (and that's putting it mildly)! They also talk about the personality traits of their own signs and how those might help, and hurt, their money and investing habits. To round out the show, Doug will share some Ronald Reagan trivia. Can OG keep his trivia lead? You'll find out today! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How well do you understand life insurance? If you don't know as much as you should, an unscrupulous agent who meets with you might convince you to purchase a product that could cost you hundreds or even thousands of wasted dollars. Today we'll dive into the basics of life insurance, including, how insurances are priced, how term and permanent policies are different (and the same), and why most people shouldn't look at insurance as an investment. Even if you know some general "rules of thumb" about insurance, there's a good possibility that you should be able to round out your product knowledge in a deeper way. Speaking of unscrupulous, during our headlines segment we dive into a new alleged scam. How do you spot a financial "professional" who's really asking you to invest in a product that doesn't exist (or one that's not suitable)? We'll talk about clues to sniff out bad actors and also discuss the particulars of the investments that were used so that you know more about the upsides and downsides of the "weapons" this particular scammer used. It's a fun Wednesday deep dive for us! Hope you enjoy it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to move ahead faster in your career? Feeling uncreative and like you aren't moving? Stop waiting for others to design a curriculum for you and create your own. Today we'll talk to two men who've done exactly that for themselves and today will share their stories, tips, and tricks to becoming a leader faster through reading. Our guests today, Jeff Brown and Jesse Wisnewski, talk about the importance of reading for our personal and professional lives. They share how they've created their own reading curriculum and share tips for all of us. During our headline, we talk about Bitcoin and a country that is adopting it as an official currency. We discuss the challenges, advantages and cryptocurrency in general. We also throw out the Haven Life line to Steven who is new to financial planning and wants advice for career development. And Doug will share some book related trivia. See more on the show notes page: Stacking Benjamins dot com Check out our FREE guide to our shows: Stacking Benjamins Guide (The Stacker) Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time! The 2021 Plutus Awards (co-hosted by Joe Saul-Sehy and Natalie Torres-Haddad) will take place during FinCon in Austin, Texas on September 23rd. Today we announce the finalists with our friend Miranda Marquit (Planting Money Seeds). Then we turn things over to an all-star panel who'll share thoughts about all of our finalists in seven of the categories, plus share who they hope will win and who they think the Plutus Awards panel will choose. Thanks to Amy Blacklock (Women Who Money), Nadia Vanderhall (Brands + Bands), and Chris Hutchins (All The Hacks) for helping us make a great show! You'll find links to everyone on our show notes page at Stacking Benjamins dot com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How's your portfolio performing? Are your funds not performing as you'd hoped? Today we'll help you figure out how recent economic conditions, investing trends, and different asset classes affect your success! A few weeks ago, we held an awesome live Stack event on YouTube with Dr. Apollo Lupescu from Dimensional Funds where he dove into inflation, current market trends, and the overall economy. He also answered some listener's questions live! Today, you'll hear that discussion in it's entirety. After Dr. Lupescu, we finished out the event with OG answering additional financial questions from viewers. It was a great event so we are replaying it for you today for those who missed it. If you weren't notified of the Stack event ahead of time and would like to be included for our fall event, sign up for our free guide to the show here. In addition to exciting news and updates for upcoming events like the Stack, you'll also get the Monday and Wednesday show guides that are packed with lots of information on the topics we discuss in the shows and Joe's money lessons. Find our show notes at StackingBenjamins.com Find our free GUIDE to our Monday and Wednesday shows (plus news on when our next STACK event will occur): StackingBenjamins.com/STACKER Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices