The Stacking Benjamins Show

When it comes to money, there are some things you need to just start doing. Other tasks you should contemplate and make sure you get them correct before rolling into action. Knowing which-is-which could be the difference between success and failure. Today our roundtable group of award-winning financial commentators discusses a few tasks they think fit into either category. Our guest contributor is the guy behind Richest Life planning in metro Atlanta (and one of our favorite people), Beau Henderson. Beau is joined by regular contributor Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast and our very own OG. It's a dynamic, fun discussion. After we finish our discussion, Joe sits down with a just-in-time interview with Angelo Poli, the man behind MetPro, our favorite health and wellness brand. Summer is rolling into full force, Americans are eating out more than ever, and restaurants are more than ready to push out food that tastes great but might not be in your best interest. Angelo shares some great tips on how to maintain your peak mental and physical shape while still enjoying the summer. In fact, with a few of Angelo's tips, we actually think you'll love summer even more. Do precious metals have a place in your portfolio? Our contributors tackle a question from one of our listeners who wonders if the commodity has a place alongside his 401k and brokerage accounts. Of course, they all have opinions. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What important steps do you need to roll smoothly into retirement? Joining us to share her newly updated strategies about healthcare, social security, taxes, budgeting, and more, we welcome the author of The 5 Years Before You Retire, Emily Guy Birken. Uh-oh! Another company is in hot water for employing some shady business practices... at least according to one state Attorney General. The catch? The Timeshare-Exit company had, until recently, been a sponsor of the Dave Ramsey show. While that's relevant, we don't think you should invest in any company that doesn't fit in your financial plan... whether it's sanctioned by Dave, the guys in Mom's Basement, or anyone else. More on that in the show. How have our priorities and attitude towards money changed? Rob Williams, Vice president of Financial Planning at Schwab, joins us to share some data from the company's newest survey. How do you turn your side business into a business? We tackle that question for Mac, who's interested in making some Benjamins from his brewing hobby. He asks: what does he need to know? Of course, Doug also gets his share of air time with a great trivia question. Can you guess it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you create big wins? Of course, you track all of the little wins and build a solid foundation. That's why we're excited to talk today to NASCAR star Corey LaJoie about themes from his new Stacking Pennies podcast. While he drives a car alone, he's a small part of a team of people who all have to do the little things right to achieve big success on the track. Plus, "Stacking Pennies"? You know why we had to talk to Corey. We don't want to alarm you, but in case you've been living in a bubble, inflation has been horrible on many items, like lumber, new and used cars, computer chips, and even chicken. While the small story is that this may not be the best time to buy a car or refinish your home, the bigger story is that inflation is the silent killer of "safe money" sitting in bank accounts. We'll talk through why you want to think differently about risk today. Plus, of course, we'll share another eye-roll TikTok moment, answer a listener's question on the Haven Life line, and dive into some of Doug's Memorial Day trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summer 2021 is right around the corner and with it comes a wave of weddings and social gatherings that have been postponed since last year. With invitations rolling in, how do you keep savings stacked without coming off as a post-COVID scrooge? Joining us to help navigate the lines between big-roller, sensible, and miser is Elle Martinez, the well-suited creator behind the Couple Money blog and podcast; Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and our very own OG. After we're done dishing out wedding success tips, we do you one better: how would you like to win money for just knowing about money? Okay, truth be told you (the reader!) may not be eligible. BUT, United One Bank President Teri Williams joins us to share how the children in your family or neighborhood could win $1,000 for flexing their money brains. Plus, do you have cryptocurrency FOMO after multiple headlines about people striking it rich? Stacker John calls in and tells us his son has seen some pretty rapid gains (and drops) since buying cryptocurrency. John's son decided to buy a few other cryptos to diversify, and while that makes sense on paper, John feels like pouring money into the digital currency is closer to gambling than investing. Of course, we always save some time for Doug's trivia game-show. It's unbelieva-bull.... Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to succeed? You need to stay focused. Studies show the amount of alcohol and food we consume skyrockets during the holidays, and Memorial Day is no exception. While few people contest the negative impacts of a few beers or scarfing down the third burger, the science is a bit more muddied (or at least most people think it is) when it comes to other beverages like wine, coffee, and juice. Where's the truth lie, and which drinks are going to keep us healthy, happy, and productive? Dr. Alexis Willett joins us for our Memorial Day episode to share the truth behind the drinks we know, love, and rely on, but we won't be the ones during the interviewing. Stepping into Joe's seat for this special show is Mike Carruthers, host of the Something You Should Know podcast. Could patience save you a stack of Benjamins on your home? During our headlines, we share why homebuyer sentiment is at a 10-year low AND why the sky won't stop falling. Here's a freebie for those of you still in the market: appreciate the silver lining that your 50k offer over asking and waived inspection was rejected by the seller. Plus, Bitcoin is falling heavily. (Or it is right now anyway...could be skyrocketing by the time you read this. Who knows?) In our second piece, we discuss the issues behind a prospective currency crashing, going through the roof, flat-lining, and crashing again both as a currency AND an investment. What retirement options are available for business owners? During the Haven Life Line, we share the options available to the self-employed. Our caller is discouraged by the $6,000 Roth IRA contribution limit and is looking for options with higher caps. While this isn't necessarily an "either/or" issue, we give the round of choices to caller Erin. Of course, we always make some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Returning right on time to kick off theme park season, we welcome Robert Niles from Theme Park Insider. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, last year's season was cut short. Here's the good news: between new attractions, hot deals, and of course the world generally opening back up, there's a lot about Summer 2021 to look forward to. We've heard rumors that people have been smarter with their money than expected lately, and now we have some data to back that up. Ken Tumin joins us today to share the results of MagnifyMoney's annual April Savings Index. One thing to note, while people are saving, the top priority right now is funding vacation and travel. We don't want to rain on anyone's parade, BUT mom's curious to see how these numbers hold up after summer. More on the results and data during our time with Ken. Plus, Fidelity has announced a new (almost free) investing platform for teens. While parents need to have their own account at the company, teen accounts have no fees or commissions. Throw in some financial education with the low-risk early market exposure and we might call this one a win-win for everyone involved. Having some familiarity with the market and some understanding of what all the jargon means definitely will be a big help in many a young saver's journey. We finish today's show with a question from VJ, who's wondering if he should become a 1099 worker for his side-gig. He's currently a W2 worker and thinking about making the switch, but knows there are some tax implications to consider. While VJ isn't wrong to think about taxes, there's A LOT more that happens behind the scenes when you're running the show. OG shares some big points not only for VJ to consider, but anyone thinking about starting their own business. Of course, Doug also gets his share of air time and you can bet its going to be theme park trivia! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While reading a recent blog post on fad diets, we were shocked to realize that there's a metric ton of horrible fad financial advice out there. Today we're joined by an award-winning cast of financial contributors who share some of their least favorite fads. Regular contributors Len Penzo (LenPenzo.com) and Paula Pant (Afford Anything podcast) are joined today by the host of Smart Money Mamas, the one-and-only Chelsea Brennan! (Yes, longer-time listeners, there really is a live person named "Chelsea Brennan.") Plus, today we're unveiling our OWN new FinTech. It's frustrating to see the gulf in retirement planning capabilities between some of the robust software on the advisory side and the too-dumbed-down software on the consumer side. We've been hoping to help you bridge the gap since we began the podcast, and recently we FINALLY found a partner who'll help us launch our new planning software. Steve Chen is the creator of the Stacking Benjamins Retirement Design Lab, and he'll walk you through how it works today. Even if you're already comfortable with your current tools, we're going to talk about how to use whatever software you're using to ensure that you have the best plan possible. Of course, we'll also feature our weekly trivia challenge between our three contributors. It's an exciting week while Paula and Len see if either of them can Chelsea Brennan Chelsea Brennan! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brown Brothers Harriman is a bank that's sat front row for much of America's history, and yet most of us haven't heard of them. Two presidents, the creation of our first railroads, and an influence on the adoption of paper currency only scratches the surface of the private bank's intertwined history with the birth and growth of the United States. It didn't happen accidentally. A family with strict investing and social values, the Brown Brothers family knew when to invest, when it was time to give back, and how to walk away when an opportunity carried too much risk. Sharing some of these key early stories, today we're joined by Zachary Karabell, author of the newly released Inside Money, to share both how Brown Brothers Harriman fits into our history, and also how their guiding hand helped shape some key moments for us. Are your safe, everyday financial products tasting a little stale to you? Why not spice them up by throwing some Bitcoin into your annuity? That's hip and exciting, isn't it?! What? That seems like a bad idea to you? Well, maybe us too. During our headlines, we'll ponder over reports that insurance companies are exploring how to best add cryptocurrency to annuities. We really try to work this one out and try to make heads or tails of the why. In the process, we'll talk about the history of insurance, and how sadly, the industry's innovation is more reaction than inspiration. Plus, more and more people are excited to become travelers again. We've talked about how some places like Hawaii have already seen car rental shortages, but how about getting to the destination in the first place? We'll discuss our personal methods of planning and saving for a vacation, including how Joe gamifies paying for each night of his trips to Bavaria (oh boy). We finish our show with a Haven Life question from Jason, who may or may not want to have his house paid off before he retires in the next 10 years. He asks: should he stop contributing to his Roth and contribute to a taxable brokerage account instead so he can do a lump sum payoff? Turns out, there's a way Jason continues contributing to his Roth AND still pays off his home. We'll explain how during the show. Of course, we always make some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're wondering how the inside world of high-end real estate works, our guest today will share stories and lessons from the top. Kirsten Jordan is the newest cast member of popular Bravo reality series Million Dollar Listing: New York. She's a real estate broker who's overseen over $500M in sales, so if anyone knows how to sell real estate, it's her. Today she'll talk about the price of mentorship, staging homes, leaving people feeling good vs trying to scoop up every dollar, and realizing that not all financial purchases can be whittled to numbers on a spreadsheet. Are you receiving misleading, inaccurate data from your financial advisors? Riskalyze CEO Aaron Klein says his company, which provides data advisors use for their clients, is superior to another company's inaccurate information. Is Klein speaking the truth, or is there something more at play here? Thankfully, OG has extensive experience with both systems and breaks down what really matters here - and it's not type of graphs you're using. Of course, because it's Monday, we have to share a new TikTok video of the week. The fun this go-round? How about some guy who made all the wrong decision - maxing our credit cards, investing all of his spare cash and savings, and consolidating all of his previously diverse stocks into a single position - and still somehow struck gold... Sounds like a lucky dream? Only if Mr. Diamond-Hands chose to cash out. We also share some news that proves we were wrong and couldn't be happier about it. Like many people, we wrongly assumed the stimulus money would go to electronics, games, and new smart TVs. While that did happen, a LOT more money than we expected flowed into stocks. While not our favorite choice, cash also made its way into cryptocurrencies (as today's TikTok shows). It's good news, but we play Devil's Advocate a bit too: could some minor market events scare of a new generation of investors out the market? Has investing become to gamified with the rise of easy-to-invest apps? We discuss that and more during our second headline. Our Haven Life Line finishes today's show: Elle's advisor wants her father to rollover his 401k to an IRA. Hypothetically, this would let Elle use a Stretch IRA when she receives her inheritance. Only problem? The Secure Act of 2019 killed the Stretch IRA. Plus, Elle's father has company stock in his 401k and messing with that comes with big tax savings considerations. (You'll hear one of our hosts tell you this is turn around and find another advisor level of a mess-up). More on that during the show. Of course, we always make some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder what your neighbors are really doing with their cash? Our round table takes a deep dive into a new study exposing the secret financial lives of your friends, family, and neighbors - and it's not all good news. Joining us to cover the new numbers are this week's contributors: Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, and Doc G from the Earn & Invest podcast. Halfway through the show, we'll stop our fly-on-the-wall discussion to find out what's happened to Clarity Money. The fintech app was purchased and retired by Goldman Sachs, which rolled some of Clarity's features over into their new Marcus Insights app. Melissa Manne from Goldman Sachs joins us to share both what fans of the old app (like us) have to look forward to, AND some features designed from ground up to help you save money. Our contributors finish the round table with a question from Bill - who wants to know more about the barbell investing strategy. Our guest break down barbell investing, give the pros and cons, and - of course - give their take on what Bill should do from here. Of course, Doug still has slice of airtime for his game-show trivia...which won't disappoint our trivia fans. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready to be motivated by your peers? Today we share success stories about living your dream, paying off your mortgage, and teaching finance to the neighborhood, and all from our listeners. Stacker Leah explains how she took charge of her finances after graduating from college and moving to New York City with her car and no job. Larry tells us the simple, down-to-earth technique he used to pay off his mortgage quicker, and we hear from Mimi on how she got the neighbor kids to start investing. Plus, we tackle a piece sent to us by Stacker David: why shouldn't investors sell their stocks for a few months each May if historical data suggest guaranteed gains? Still haven't filed your taxes? Not sure how much you owe and worried about overpaying? Are you confused about the large tax bill waiting for you every year? Helping us answer those questions and more, we welcome CPA Carter Coefield for some last-minute tax advice. OR... depending on your perspective, take this as early tax advice and have everything you need perfect for next year. (We can dream right)? Why do so many investors still not trust advisors? While every advisor isn't perfect, we think at least some of the blame lies closer to home. During our headlines we explain the importance of through interviewing, asking the right questions, and the power of simply saying "no" when things aren't lining up. Plus, do Warren Buffett's quotes about life and business hold up to the same standard as his investing? We take a look at a few of Buffett's most passed-on adages to see if they're up to snuff. Of course, there's always time for a bit of Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever leave your bank thinking, "someone just made some money and it wasn't me?" Maybe a trip to your local credit union will be the cure. Credit unions are member-owned and offer low fees, high rates on savings and low rates for loans. Today we'll dive into the world of credit unions with some help during a special Wednesday "Fintech" segment from Navy Federal Credit Union's retired Marine Colonel Clay Stackhouse. We'll discuss how credit unions work, the basic benefits, and the perks that people often overlook. Of course, that's not all. We'll still throw out the Haven Life line to help a lucky listener AND Doug will share his union-oriented trivia...although he might be on the wrong track today (what's new). Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're celebrating the world of work today! On this special episode, we answer the question, "How does THIS basement-based podcast team work? Sure we own a mic and a shiny new Dell computer, but our work neither starts nor stops there. A whole host of systems, technology, and (of course) creative discussions power the making of our show. Today we're excited to show you a special behind-the-scenes making of the Stacking Benjamins show featuring the very people who make it happen. Brought to you by the Dell Podference, each member of our team shares their unique perspective of what a day in the basement looks like, plus the digital tools we utilize to bring this show to your ears. Before that though, we'll dive into a piece about the future of work: should employees expect to return to the office soon, or can we get comfortable working from home? I know what my vote is on, but each choice does come with its own list of pros and cons. We explore the possibilities, and long-term considerations, during our headlines. We finish today's show with some questions about setting up a small business. Tyson and Josh both have questions about consultants, files, staying organized, and more. We'll share our experience working with small business owners and from running our own shop. ...and of course, Doug will share some Dell-flavored trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While we can safely assume that most of us are ready to travel, we're not excited about breaking the bank AND quarantine. Yet, after meals, a decent hotel, and the tourist attractions, many of us feel we have to destroy our budget or we'll be sacrificing some fun. What if there was another way? Today we'll interview George Igoe from the hit new Million Stories YouTube series George Goes Everywhere. He'll share how he experiences some amazing fun in many of America's biggest cities on less than a single Benjamin (that's $100 to the uninitiated). We'll talk about where to look for deals, what to avoid, and we'll even get behind the camera to discuss the making of his show. Plus, during our first headlines segment back, we'll cover ALL of the stuff we missed during our break. Boy, was there a ton. A couple known as "Bill and Melinda" decided to divorce, Dogecoin went through the roof (and then dropped again), and both AOL and Yahoo! are being jettisoned from Verizon. We'll discuss all of these, our latest TikTok minute video (yet another crypto scam!) and top it all off with the story of a grandmother suing her brokers. They also happen to be her grandsons. Ouch. Of course there's more! We'll still save time to throw out the Haven Life line and Doug will share some of his amazing trivia. We're glad to be back and have another great eight weeks planned. Enjoy our kickoff episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How far would you go to save a few bucks, or even pennies? Mom always said all things in moderation, but it seems like these super-savers didn't get the memo. Remember, you can always put your energy into increasing your revenue streams, but playing the extreme frugality game quickly steps into the realm of diminishing returns. This round-table originally aired in 2018, but espcially after our last year, the push for extreme frugality could return to the forefront. You can read our (mostly) original show notes below: Being financially prudent is one thing, but when does saving money cross the line into being extremely, and possibly even grossly, frugal? Helping us answer these questions are today's special guests: from the Fiery Millennials blog, we welcome Gwen Mertz; and from this here podcast, we welcome our very own OG and Taylor. (2021 note: On this show's original run Gwen was still co-hosting the Fire Drill podcast, and Taylor didn't join the Basement until about 18 months later. Pretty cool.) Halfway through the show we'll take a little break to talk to Jason Brown from Tally. Making the decision to get on the road to financial freedom is a good one, and paying off credit cards and debt can be a major road block. We'll sit down with Jason doing our FinTech segment and see just how his company is setting out to help people climb out of debt. And of course, we'll still have take some time to throw out the Haven Life Line to Joe, who wants to retire in the next few years. There's just one problem: Joe has no goals for retirement life. Can we throw some resources his way so he can figure out what he wants to do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wish you had a second chance with your money? Billy B. hoped he'd get one. After being convicted and sent to prison after the death of his friend, Billy went through some serious soul searching, and the end result of that is on display on today's show. Not taking any opportunity for granted, working hard to find solid financial (and life) footing, and the value of surrounding yourself with good friends and mentors are just three of many themes we'll talk about in this fantastic discussion with Billy (who now also blogs at WealthWellDone.com). We originally aired this show in 2018, but the lessons Billy learned are truly timeless. Read the rest of the original show notes below: In our headlines segment, a new software program means that some of your advisors may be expendable….or maybe not. We’ll discuss the hot topic of humans versus AI on today’s show. Plus, Warren Buffet just wrote his annual letter to investors. What are some of the takeaways? One publication listed their favorites and we’ll review and discuss them. As always, Mr. Buffet doesn’t fail to use the English language as a weapon while talking about investing, value, and evaluating risk. We’ll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Luke, who wonders about investing to beat inflation without taking too much risk. For a five year goal, what investment works best? Are stocks too risky? Should he use junk bonds? We’ll shine a light on that topic (and maybe one we can’t talk about here), as well. We also answer a letter from Jon, who asks about asset allocation. What is a great way to manage your money and diversify correctly? You’ll have to listen to find out! Of course, we’ll still score with some of Doug’s delightful trivia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Got debt? We have a solution. Or rather, our guest, Jenni Zepol, does. Every eight weeks we look back through our collection and play some of our favorite interviews, and this one is no exception. No gimmicks or get rich-quick schemes - Jenni shared her strategy and goals on how she paid down her debt in less than a year and they just may work for you too. Here's our original show notes: We LOVE success stories, and today we're talking to one woman with a great one. She set out to pay off over $18,000 of debt in a single year. But what happened? She actually did it in just over half that time: seven months. Sounds good? We thought so too, so we called up Jenni Zepol to see just how she did it. The great news? Many of you may be able to follow her tactics and do it also. Plus, in our headlines segment one whistleblower claims she was fired for raising red flags about her employer's alternative investment sales. While we're not going to set out to prove or disprove her claims, we will draw a point on why it's important to make sure your advisor is always acting as a fiduciary while helping you handle your finances. And in our second headline, one Florida teacher quit his job to become a 6-figure earning personal shopper. Any lessons we can learn there? Absolutely. We'll also have time to answer a listener letter, and don't you worry, we'll also dish out a dose of Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"You'll spend more time searching than watching" would be an honest slogan for which company? If you said… well, let's not spoil every element of the show before it starts. During today's special game show we ask our contributors to guess which companies our "honest" slogans belong to. It's a lot of fun, and one contributor has a bit of a hard time marking their place on their board. Our contributors joining our round table this week are Stacy Johnson from the Money with Stacy Johnson podcast, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast. After we wrap up our gameshow Joe sits down with the founder of Element, a new company designed to help personal finance creators answer questions from their audience. During their discussion Orban Oz shares how he discovered a startling statistic during his time building up a digital bank: personal finance creators are being asked questions all the time. That's where Element comes in. The platform sets out to make creators more accessible to their audience, and better response times. Today we dive into how it all works. We finish today's show with a question from Michael, who's wondering if he's too conservative in his portfolio. Michael is 58 and his portfolio is 60% stocks and 40% bonds. He also has a pension with 100% survivorship benefits for his spouse. Michael also tell us he doesn't include the pension in portfolio allocation as fixed income. He asks us two questions: is he being too conservative not including his pension in his calculations, and two, how much (if any), of their 1.4 million 401k should they convert into a Roth in retirement? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a bold statement, and one financial coach Rachel Rodgers wholeheartedly believes. After adapting her coaching business last year to the difficult circumstances we were all facing, Rachel not only survived but thrived. She saw her company turn its first million-dollar month not long after. Today Rachel shares how you can get to millionaire status: a change in your mindset, enforced boundaries, and purposeful changes in your community can lead to huge financial improvements in your life. In our headlines, and to no one's surprise, half the country is waiting for a vacation. While airlines can handle the traffic, car rental companies can't. After selling off fleets to stay afloat, there flat out aren't enough cars to go around anymore. In Hawaii, tourists have taken to using U-Hauls to get around. Are YOU planning a vacation soon? We share what you need to be doing (like yesterday) to make sure you're protected during our first headline. Looking for headlines on saving money? We have that too. Ever hear about tax-loss harvesting? If you've ever made bad stock-buying decisions at two in the morning despite all of our warnings, tax loss harvesting is your new best friend. This isn't the whole bit, but basically, it lets you use the losses on your stocks to lower the bottom line on the taxes of the stocks that actually performed well. Win-win, right? Or as most of a win as you can get in the situation. Joe and OG don't stop there, after giving the breakdown on tax-loss harvesting the guys also share tips on reallocating, understanding the differences between ETFs and Mutual Funds, and more. We finish today's show with a question from an anonymous listener who's wondering how to invest all of his extra cash. Anon has regular W2 income and about $20,000 in self-employment income that they're not sure what to do with. Ideas? The guys give a breadth of things to consider including opening up a SEP IRA, talking to a CPA, different considerations for if our caller is running a side business with frequent income, contribution and tax implications, and more. Plus, we'll finish our answer with some tax-savings advice that's especially helpful for freelancers. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie--four women we know by first name--were collectively much of the "voice" of NPR, bringing the fledgling network into millions of homes during an era when woman weren't even expected to report news, let alone host shows control what topics were discussed. Today we hear a few of their stories from master researcher and storyteller Lisa Napoli, journalist and the author of Ray & Joan among others. She'll share how you too can achieve your goals and create your dream job - even if it doesn't yet exist. While these stories are downright interesting on their own, they also serve as great examples of achieving your goals, not limiting yourself, and learning how to thrive in environments where you're not expected to win. During our headlines we tackle an issue most of the world's procrastinators have faced since working from home: keeping the ball rolling on your work. Studies show that the last year has been difficult for most, and we still have many lessons to learn about maximizing productivity and staying active when we're sometimes only feet from our bed (or the XBox/kids/fire pit/whatever). We've had experience figuring out how to keep productivity and workflow up, and we don't mind passing that advice on to you, along with some help from a great piece from the Wall Street Journal. In our second piece, should you trust all of the new, up-and-coming "buy now, pay later" services? While you should always use some judgment while considering any purchases, there's a bigger question to answer here: WHY use these services? If you're already financially responsible enough to use credit, there are plenty of great credit card rewards programs to utilize instead. If you're not responsible... well we're back at square one, aren't we? We'll discuss the "why?" with these services and detail how they work. We finish today's show with a question on HSA investing from Stephen who asks: should he pay for medical expenses out of pocket to allow his HSA contributions to grow interest? Similar to our "buy now, pay later" thoughts, it's not that our answer is necessarily no for Stephen, there are so many things that can go wrong here we have to take a moment to air some concerns. Of course, there's always time for Doug and his trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where do you turn when being poor has you exhausted? When you feel like you just can't think about ways to make money any longer? On a bigger scale, what's the secret to breaking out of poverty and the cycle of always being in debt? While we won't promise to solve the world's longest-running crisis in one podcast, our contributors all share their experiences and thoughts about working to overcome poverty. They share how they endured their own individual situations, and how they (and you) can plan and work towards getting out of a dark hole yourself. There aren't any quick fixes, but we do offer solid financial strategies that'll move you past the paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. How about some "free" Bitcoin? During our Friday Fintech segment we'll talk to Quontic Bank founder-CEO Steve Schnall. The digital bank, which offers a Bitcoin "cash-back" rewards card, also handles non-traditional mortgages to help under-served people who need it most. You'll especially want to listen to this one if you're in the hospitality business or any other industry with hard to document income. We end the show with a question from Nick. He tells us he's got an offer for a 2% cash back card. Nick is excited about using the card, but worried about his credit utilization rate. He's heard that 30% credit utilization is as high as he can go before his credit is negatively affected. Nick also asks if his credit is hit right away, or only when his statement is sent out. Our contributors share a full round of their thoughts before calling it quits for the weekend. Of course, Doug has some airtime for his trivia game-show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What separates you from everyone else? What gives you a competitive edge? According to William Green, who's interviewed hundreds of the richest investors on the planet, most of us don't have a competitive investing edge. But there's good news: that's okay, as long as you know who or what you're emulating. Today he'll pull on interviews from his new book, Richer, Wiser Happier, How the World's Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life, to share how we can overcome our disadvantages and turn them into strengths. He'll also share some of the often-overlooked personal sides of a few investing magnates that we don't often get to see. You'll hear human stories about Jack Bogle and Warren Buffett, among others. Keeping (in)famous people in mind, we'll also cover Bernie Madoff - and scams - during our headlines. The mastermind behind the largest Ponzi scheme to date, Madoff often served as a stark reminder of the things that can happen when investors turn over their cash to unethical advisors. We'll also share the latest developments of the advisor who ran away with millions of his clients' dollars, and a few scam experiences of our own. Plus, if you're still waiting to file your 2017 taxes (I'm being serious), you only have limited time before Uncle Sam claims your cash for himself. I understand procrastination as much as the next wait-until-the-night-before person, but this is something you'll want to do sooner rather than later. During our Haven Life line segment, we help out James, who has dreams of becoming a financial planner. His bigger issue? He already has student loan debt from another degree. James asks: can he become an advisor with no relevant degree or experience? Joe and OG give James all the information he needs to get started on his path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you take care of your money? Is it dollar by dollar? Or do you swipe plastic (like we used to), hoping that the math in your head has worked out? Today we'll help you take control with a discussion about creating a budget meeting, changing your money mindset, and gaining the confidence you need to drive your goals. It's a powerful show and we're excited for you to hear it. Featured Guest: Catherine Alford Catherine Alford shares tips to help you take control of your life by utilizing the skills you already use every day. Cat's new book, Mom's Got Money: a millennial mom's guide to managing money like a boss has strategies, tactics, and ideas anyone can use. From money meetings to making small changes in your decisions leading to big habit and money improvements, there's plenty of options right within reach. Do You Really Own Your Virtual Investments? We'll also dive into the world of NFTs. Let's assume you're fully funding your other retirement vehicles and you're interested in putting some fun money into a fun NFT spot like NBA Top Shot. (Which is a new blockchain virtual sports card marketplace... thing). You actually made a nice profit and want to cash out... and here comes the headache. You realize it'll take months for your gains to become liquid, but you need cash yesterday. What now? It doesn't matter if you're investing in a Traditional or Roth IRA, annuities, virtual card trading marketplaces, or anything else - always make sure you understand what you're throwing your hard-earned Benjamins in. We explain more during our headlines. Vacationing Next Year? Buy Now! In our own little version of market timing, all signs point to "recoup lost revenue" when it comes to the airlines industry. If you're sure you'll travel next year, it might be good sense to buy that ticket now. We discuss travel, airlines, and more during our second piece. The Haven Life Line: Terrible 401k Options? Here's What To Do Kyle calls in and tells us he has terrible 401k options. His workplace plan offers one index fund and a host of high expense ratio plans. While he invests some cash for the company match, most of his contributions go towards his IRA. Kyle asks: what should he do in this situation? How can he get his workplace to offer better plans? As always, we'll save some airtime for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've saved and invested diligently for years and you're now sitting on a fat stack of Benjamins. When's the right time to say f*** it and start spending cash like there's no tomorrow? Today our contributors share their big spender to saver money stories and give their thoughts on retiring WAY early... on less than a million dollars. It's not always about the bottom dollar, but also lost potential income (and raises) if you need to return to work years down the road, lost marketability as your skills age, and outdated professional networks as your co-workers move on to other opportunities. Joining us on the roundtable this week is Diania Merriam, founder of the FIRE-Movement inspired EconoME Conference, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and OG from our own podcast. Friday Fintech: Health and Wellness Expert Angelo Poli from MetPro.co After our contributors finish swapping money stories, Joe sits down with health and wellness expert Angelo Poli from MetPro.co. With summer right around the corner, we polled our Stacker community for all the health and exercise questions they've been dying to get answered. From questions on aging metabolisms to intermittent fasting, and of course, time-efficient (and free) workouts even the busiest Stackers can do at home... Angelo covers it all and then some. Listener Voicemail: HSA Horror Stories? Our anonymous caller, who we refer to as Sal, calls in with some HSA questions. For years he was told he only needed the Explanation of Benefits form (think something like a medical statement) before finding out he actually needed his receipts as well. While this was an easy fix, Sal asks: what other blind spots could he have? What HSA horror stories should he know about - and avoid? As always, Doug has some post-Fintech airtime to deliver his game-show trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you make money driving for ride sharing companies? Credit card hacking? Churning bank accounts? How do you help your family plan? What's it like to meet with financial advisors? Today members of our community, Alan, Claudia, and Jon are kind enough to share their wisdom and experiences in all of these areas! Plus, we'll also share an important headline about doing your homework before investing, another on helping your community, and more. Of course, we'll also throw out the Haven Life line to a caller with a great question about estate planning. That comes after Doug's trivia and a few of your emails. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices