The Stacking Benjamins Show

If you believe telling a white lie is okay, do you believe that about money topics? What about white lies that are told by big-time bloggers or (gasp) podcasters about the path to riches? We'll dive into the world of lies and deceit on today's show with an all-star cast around the rickety card table. Joining us today we welcome Dustin Heiner from The Master Passive Income Podcast, Paula Pant from the Afford Anything Podcast, and from our very own podcast, OG! We know a lot of you use calculators for your job, but we think you will all like using the Retirement Budget Calculator after hours as well. During our Friday FinTech segment, Joe will talk with Jason Parker from the Sound Retirement Planning podcast. They'll discuss how Jason's Retirement Budget Calculator has continued to grow. Joe last year said that this calculator was the "best retirement calculator for consumers" (he still thinks there are better calculators for pros). We'll have all the details on how it works AND share some discounts you won't get if you buy the calculator elsewhere. And finally, during our MagnifyMoney segment we will answer a question via Twitter. What is your best advice for future college students to fund their education when their parents can't or won't help them? There's SO much more...but you'll have to listen to hear it all! Hope you can join the fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's your big moment. You're talking to the boss or giving a presentation at work. Maybe you're finally in front of your dream customer. And you blow it. Today we'll help you earn more money by focusing (well, as much as we focus...) on speaking well. Whether you're trying to convince the family to wash dishes or your boss to give you a raise, speaking more effectively is far from a "soft" skill. So today we welcome Grant Baldwin, author of The Successful Speaker, and host of the Speaker Lab podcast to give us some tips and tricks! How does Social Security look? During our headline segment, we'll dive into that topic, and run through the future of Social Security. How long will stay solvent? And, in the most important question anyone has asked around here today, we'll ask, "How did a couple of guys score free McDonald's?" Just another day on our show. If you think that's all, it might be your first time here (so welcome!). Of course, we'll throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky caller, share some of Doug's amazing trivia AND much, much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you have trouble staying in charge of your money? Maybe you let your priorities get away from you and want to make a change? Today we'll talk about communication, being direct, and asking for what you really want with the author of the hit new book Bow Down, Lindsay Goldwert. In this unique new perspective on how to take charge, Lindsay sat down with dominatrixes across America to get first-hand information on how you can "reset the power dynamic in any situation to get what you want—whether it’s from a husband, boss, or partner." During our headlines segment, are you finally bringing in a HUGE nice income, but your bank account isn't rising? Lifestyle inflation can become a serious issue for high earners, and without a proper plan in place investors run the risk of becoming a HENRY - High Earner, Not Rich Yet. Plus, during our second headline, we'll touch on why actor Rick Moranis is making a return to the big screen and what lessons you can glean for your financial plan. Plus, we'll open up the mailbag during our Haven Life Line and answer an estate-related question from Diana. Diana is the executrix of an estate plan for the funds of two pre-teens but wants to appoint someone else to take over most of the responsibilities. What can she do? What is she supposed to do? We'll cover some estate planning basics on today's show. And, of course, we'll also make some time for Doug's trivia. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's been a lot of market fears going around this past week, but regardless of its origin people have been asking the same question for years: what should we do when the bull market finally ends? We're finishing out the rewind week with one of our classic old-school roundtable episodes featuring Paula Pant, Len Penzo, and Greg McFarlane answering that very question. You can read the original show notes below: This has been a LONG bull market. So if you know that the next eight years will most probably NOT be like the previous eight, do you swap out some of your investments? We ask our roundtable panel that on today's show and as always, find Greg, Len and Paula all have different answers than you probably expected. We also tackle lifestyle paradigms. Are you paying too much attention to your neighbor's success? Finally, we'll discuss fake news....no, we aren't going politics. We'll ask our panel whether there's any "fake news" in the money area that they're sick of hearing. Of course, they come through with some great examples. In our Freshbooks FinTech segment we talk to SelfLender CEO James Garvey about building credit. How does SelfLender help people find financial footing? They have an interesting idea and an exciting approach. Can't wait for you to hear all about it. Thanks to SoFi and MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you committed to saving, but can't seem to get other people around you on board? It can be frustrating once investing for the future has clicked in your head, but not for the people you care about. Gene Natali, co-author of The Missing Semester, shared some great information with us on how to get anyone interested in saving for the future and we're revisiting that interview today. You can read our original show notes below: You're excited about saving, but how do you get someone else to take the plunge? Today's guest, Gene Natali, says that the answer might not be what you expect, and he should know. He co-authored the book The Missing Semester about personal financial education in the classroom, and he's BACK on the Stacking Benjamins show to share how to get ANYONE started in the right direction with their money. In our headlines segment, we talk about financial advisory fees. Are they going down? A recent report has details on where that ship is headed. Also, we'll talk about the age-old active vs. passive management debate. Do active managers hold a candle to passive? Does it matter? Then we throw out the Haven Life line to Dan, who asks about EE bonds. Are these bonds a great way to protect against deflation? We'll also answer a letter from Todd, who has some extra money and wants to know how to invest it...other than in sending it to his favorite podcasters (#disappointing). It's National Martini Day, so Doug's pouring drinks down in the basement and we're all invited over. Come join us! Special thanks to M1Finance for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of some pretty awesome companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever thought about jumping into real estate? It isn't all roses, rainbows and money. On today's rewind episode, the FinTern takes us back to 2018 and Dana Bull's appearance in the basement, talking about all of the good times and bad in the business of investing in property. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What big money wasters exist in your life? Unless you're like us, Benjamins seem to slip out of your pockets WAY too easily. Today, we'll test our guests' game show skills to see if they can guess 16 fantastic examples of money wasters we found hidden in a recent Marketwatch piece. Joining us to play along we welcome Chelsea Brennan from The Smart Money Mamas Podcast, Doc. G from the What's Up Next show, and our very own nerdy engineer, Len Penzo, from Len Penzo dot com! One big money waster could be the exorbitant bank fees people pay. During our Friday FinTech segment, Joe will talk with one company trying to lower your fees. Nami Baral, Chief Empathy Officer from Harvest joins us. They'll discuss how Harvest uses AI to help you save on all sorts of bank and credit card fees. We'll have all the details And finally, during our MagnifyMoney segment we will answer a question on if our fellow Stacker should open a non-profit farm. There's SO much more...but you'll have to listen to hear it all! Hope you can join the fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you struggling with debt? How about a little inspiration? Cindy Zuniga paid off a LOT of debt in just four years. Like you, she finally realized she'd had enough and something had to change...so change she did. Today she'll share the struggle and her path out from deep debt, along with dispelling some myths about debt payoff strategies along the way. She'll also share how she successfully used a cool concept called "zero-based budgeting" to not just pay down debt but to curb her spending habits successfully. Additionally, she'll share some of the places she found inspiration to keep going on her long journey during her payoff process and after. If you saw Cindy's story on Good Morning America, you'll love this expanded interview with her today on Stacking Benjamins! Plus, Fidelity Investments has some great news for savers: we're doing a good job saving collectively. However, some of us are (ahem) doing better than others. John Boroff, Fidelity's Director of Retirement and College Leadership joins us Joe's dad's shortwave radio to talk about not just the successes, but also why people have maybe been more successful so you can emulate those strengths. He'll also share some great ideas to save more if you're behind. If you think that's all, it might be your first time here (so welcome!). Of course we'll throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky caller, share some of Doug's chocolatey trivia AND much, much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When was the last time you planned to make some of your big dreams a reality? What's holding you back? Time? Money? Fear of the unknown? Today we're talking to Tamara Jacobi, who created a retreat in the Mexican jungle right after college. She's the author of the new book Wildpreneur AND a continental traveler, who'll join us and talk about how you can face your fears, climb to new heights, and make your dreams a reality. Are you worried about the economic effects of the coronavirus spreading to your portfolio? During our headlines segment, we'll ring up Chris Cook, president of Beacon Capital Management, and get some answers on what you can do to inoculate your investment strategy. During our Haven Life Line we're shaking things up a bit. We're keep the voicemails on hold this time around while we turn our eyes toward the results of our Instagram poll: what's been this year's most surprising budget busters? We'll break down our range of answers during this special Haven Life segment. As always, we'll carve out a bit of time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Buying running shoes for your partner who you know loves to run, you find THAT romantic? Taking a walk in the park holding hands, is that still romantic? Watching TV or a Movie and not saying a word to each other during the entire show, you find THAT romantic? Today we'll turn romance on its head as we apply the question "Is that romantic," to a BUNCH of financial questions. Do romance and money mix? We'll find out. Here to help us spread some love on Valentine's Day from the Afford Anything podcast, we'll say hello to the lovable Paula Pant and the guy with the dry sense of humor from this very podcast...OG! How old will you be when you die? Will you have enough money? It turns out, many of us will live for a long, long time, according to science. What if you run out of money late in life? Worse yet, what if a family member runs out of money and you have to sacrifice your retirement to take care of them. Today, during our FinTech segment, we'll share details about a company working on that very issue. Blair Baldwin joins Joe in the basement to talk about AgeUp. And finally, during our MagnifyMoney segment, we will answer a question on HSA accounts and the military. Is our caller eligible for an HSA? As always, of course, we'll quiz our contributors with an epic gameshow question regarding the number of people who really do celebrate Valentine's Day! It's a circus as usual on today's Stacking Benjamins Show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why are some of the coolest financial tools rarely used? For example, people by-and-large avoid HSA accounts, when they're the Swiss-army knife of a healthcare plan. Today we'll shine a light on another type of plan that's not often used: the Roth 401K. A recent piece in a major publication predicted that Roth 401K plans will become bigger now that the SECURE Act has been enacted. What do Joe & OG think? Do THEY like the Roth 401K? You'll find out during today's episode! After that, we're all about your letters! You've been kind enough to ask us lots of questions, and Joe & OG today grab the mailbag and sort through it. We'll tackle everything from buying a home to investing in a Roth IRA to whether Monopoly is a good game or a great game. We didn't say that they were good questions....we just said there were lots. But that's not all. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky caller AND we'll hear some great trivia from Doug about one of our greatest Presidents...Abe Lincoln. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don't look now but Friday is Valentine's Day! You're probably wondering what a "chocolates and roses" holiday has to do with finances... and the answer is...A lot. As we'll find out today, many people don't hesitate about turning their wallets over and shaking out ALL their cash. But today we'll help you celebrate in style (or in jest) WITHOUT breaking the bank. Today we've invited Sara Skirboll from ReatilMeNot to share with us plenty of great advice on how to find great Valentine's day dining deals WITHOUT using your whole stack of Benjamins. Plus, how much do you hate love reading through dense paperwork and contract terms? It's safe to assume you probably hate paperwork as much as we do, which is why covering some good news from Fidelity: they're cutting out 20% of the information that clients must review before opening an account. And in our second headline, we'll share the latest from a lawsuit between Shannon Dougherty and State Farm. It's ugly and just got...uglier. During our Haven Life Line call, we're going old-school and tearing open a letter from our new BFF Diane. She's looking for some alternatives to HSAs and long-term care plans. What options are available for people who can't use the more traditional options? Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would $250,000 a year be enough for you to "get by"? It wasn't for one early retiree. Today we're going to dive into income, expenses, priorities and bucket lists. Helping us today is a roundtable team of fantastic personalities. First, our special guest today comes from Revele Financial Group, Dawn Dahlby! From the Afford Anything podcast, we have Paula Pant, and Len Penzo joins in the fun from Len Penzo dot com! What is the most expensive piece of artwork you own? Do you think you could ever own a Andy Warhol piece or a Monet? Well today, during our FinTech segment we'll share a company helping people do just that. Joe'll talk buying fractional shares of art with Scott Lynn, the founder of Masterworks.io. We'll discuss not only the types of art that newbies mistakenly buy, but also, liquidity, the long term returns of art, and more. And finally, during our MagnifyMoney segment, we'll answer a question on whether you should take risks while you are still in debt? As always, of course, we'll quiz our contributors with an epic game show question about The Beatles! How much did they receive for performing on the Ed Sullivan Show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

JT and Tamzon had a great start. After paternity leave from a fantastic job, JT thought he knew that with his burgeoning side-gig, he could quit his job and live happily ever after without going back to full-time work. Then, he found out that the math wasn't working. What would you do? We'll share one family's story of taking control of your goals and then rebooting when the math still doesn't make sense. On today's show early-retirees JT and Tamzon join us to talk about adding flexibility into your planning. Plus, are you a Medicare recipient? If so, it's an important open enrollment time for many. If not, you should plan ahead for the (ahem) increasing cost of healthcare. Danielle Kunkle Roberts from Boomer Benefits joins us to chat about all things Medicare. And in our second headline, we'll share how much your peers have saved for retirement. Want to gauge how you're doing? We'll have all the numbers. Of course, we're also going to toss out the Haven Life Line and we'll still make room for Doug's trivia. Step aside, people! There's a new episode coming! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Much of the game around managing money is in doing the little things...not being tripped up by the small mistakes and doing those little things that can turn failure into success in a hurry. Today, Norm Champ (formerly of the Securities and Exchange Commission), joins us to talk about mastering your money. What are some of the moves you can make to be a better money manager? We'll talk about controlling expenses (with some ideas to help you hone your budget), automating your money, and more on today's show. Plus, where does the money come from that most Americans use during retirement? The ugly answer we'll share during our headlines segment. Plus, we'll discuss lessons learned from the terrible event that dominated the headlines last week: Kobe Bryant's tragic helicopter accident. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Julie, who asks about a fund many investors "in the know" talk about often. What's the difference between "VTSAX" and the rest of the less-often suggested crowd of funds that do the same thing? ...and of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, how much money do you make? Could a borrow a big sum of cash? Ever had any of THOSE moments? What do you do? Well today we'll discuss some seriously awkward questions. To help us, we welcome from Afford Anything the amazing Paula Pant, the almost retired Len Penzo from Len Penzo dot com, and from this podcast the straight shooter OG! If you or anyone you know is in the job market, watch out! Recruiters are now corresponding more and more via text. What could go wrong with that? We'll dive into how to apply some ettiquette to your text messages with Suzanne Lucas, AKA the Evil HR Lady. At the halfway mark of today's episode, we'll hear from the Evil HR Lady about the correct way to communicate via text to recruiters and future employers. And finally, during our MagnifyMoney segment we will answer a question from Facebook Group on a few tax questions on who to have prepare your taxes? As always, of course we'll quiz our contributors with an epic gameshow question about the world record for longest roller coaster marathon ride! Hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

She'll tell you over and over that her job isn't interesting. But if you're a money nerd, do we have a treat for you today, because accountant Tracy Coenen spends her time chasing down bad guys using spreadsheets and bank statements (I'll stop if you need a moment). Today she'll tell us stories of two stories where she helped catch perpetrators by using financial records (and some amazing ingenuity) to help bring "bad guys" to bear. Plus, are you interviewing soon? Even if you aren't we'll talk about some useful tips if you're interested in moving up the ladder at work or with another pursuit (and who isn't?). Plus, we'll discuss the new milestone one fund company just passed and pause for a moment...man, that's a lot of money. Of course, we're also going to toss out the Haven Life Line to Dillon and get Joe and OG's take on how Dillon should approach his investments. All and and we'll still make room for Doug's trivia. Step aside, people! There's a new episode coming.....this plate is HOT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did America get its start? Of course, by relying on the financial fortunes of a few of our founding fathers. Today we're rolling back the clock to look at how some founding fortunes helped launch our country. We'll dive into the topic with Tom Shachtman, the author behind the Founding Fortunes, to discuss the roll of money in uniting revolutionaries, both rich and poor. Plus, should we be paying more attention to sustainability while investing? During our headlines we'll cover one report from Barron's that shows mutual funds ranking high on sustainability are actually outperforming the market. I know! We were surprised, too. And finally, we'll answer a question from Heather during our Haven Life line call, who just opened up a Fidelity account. Heather and her husband want to start investing, but aren't sure which funds to put money into. Thoughts? And of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the FIRE movement is so inspirational, why is it constantly under attack? More heat was lobbed at the early retirement movement last week by a couple of industry insiders on Twitter. To help us, we welcome the FIRE-y woman behind the Fiery Millennials blog, Gwen Merz, Len Penzo from Len Penzo dot com, and the wonderful Doc G from the What's Up Next podcast! These intelligent, retirement-focused people will be discussing the tweet that started quite the firestorm. If you or anyone you know has student loans, you'll want to listen to our Friday FinTech guest, Michael Block. He's the CEO and Founder of Pillar which is an app to help you pay back your student loans and save money. Early users have reported some huge wins, so we had to get the details from Michael about how it works. And finally, during our MagnifyMoney call in segment we will answer a question from an anonymous woman on how she will be affected by inheriting a ROTH IRA. As always, we'll quiz our contributors with an epic game show question about National Beer Can Appreciation Day from our neighbor, Doug. We'll have all that and more on today's show! We hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's get back to the basics. Everyone talks about retirement tools, projections, timelines, and tax strategies...what about answering, "How do I begin?" If that's you, we've got you covered on today's show because we're talking to CPA Michele Cagan about Retirement 101. We'll start off with how you fare against other savers (or non-savers), and then discuss how you should frame retirement. Is it one long process? Should you begin with picking investments? We'll cover all of that and more on today's show. Student loan borrowers everywhere cheered recently when a Navy vet had his loans discharged in court (something people said couldn't be done). In our headline segment we'll talk to attorney Leslie Tayne about how that happened, and maybe spill a little bad news (spoiler) about you and your student loans. But don't worry--all hope isn't lost. Leslie will also share some good advice for student loan borrowers. Of course, that's not all. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky listener AND save time for some of Doug's cat vs. dog trivia. It's another fun day down in the basement. Hope you can join us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is debt crushing your dreams? Are your relationships affected by students loans or credit card problems? You NEED to hear today's guest, Reshawn Lee, talk about her situation. Reshawn and her husband Rob had horrible credit card debt, student loans, and couldn't ever seem to begin saving...until they took some drastic actions and everything turned out (spoiler!) not just great, but with a trip around the world! Today we'll talk about the work they do on their Learn Hustle Grow blog and YouTube channel, and learn about how they overcame their issues and began their path to financial independence. Are you hearing (like we are) the buzzword "AI" all over the financial arena lately? We'll discuss one headline about how much of the artificial intelligence out there is more artificial than intelligent. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Christina, who can no longer contribute to an employee sponsored retirement plan after a job change. How should she continue saving for retirement? Of course we'll also share some of Doug's trivia AND much, much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Birthday to our namesake Benjamin Franklin!! Today we'll celebrate by talking about one of our favorite topics, leaving your 9-5 job early. To help us, we welcome the woman behind the new EconoMe Conference, Diania Merriam, Len Penzo from Len Penzo dot com, and the wonderful OG from our very own podcast! This piece, written by Jessica Garbarino for her Every Single Dollar blog, is titled Why I Walked Away from a Six-Figure Job, and goes over some very good reasons to leave a "good" job AND many of the strategies she used to ensure she wouldn't have to return. (Big thanks to Mindy Jensen from BiggerPockets Money for reading it today as well!) Frustrated with your money management skills? Don't feel like you have enough of a handle on your monthly expenses? At the halfway mark of today's episode, we'll hear from Belinda Rosenblum and Joe, as they unveil the exciting new course offered by the Stacking Benjamins team, Making Money Easy. We'll walk through all of the details today. It's been a long time since we've had a Stacking Benjamins course, so we're thrilled to tell you about it today. And finally, during our MagnifyMoney segment we will answer a question from Reddit.com on whether or not a man is in the wrong for not wanting "free" childcare from his mother-in-law. Where do you stand? Is he on the right side of this argument? As always, of course we'll quiz our contributors with an epic gameshow question about Ben Franklin from our neighbor, Doug. We'll have all that and more on today's show! Hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your retirement options just became more robust. A new law called The SECURE Act passed late last year and today we're sharing ALL of the information you need to know to change your plan to take advantage of this new, exciting legislation. If this is new to you, don't worry, we've got you covered. We'll begin the show with Joe & OG bringing you up to speed on the details. But if you're wondering how to use it well, we have something even better. Joining us on today's show we'll have Aimee Kwain from Fidelity Investments, Dan Keady from TIAA, and the Retirement Answer Man himself, Roger Whitney to walk us through their thoughts about the new law. Our goal today is to help you to understand how the SECURE Act impacts you, and we're excited about all you're about to learn. Of course, this is a Stacking Benjamins episode, so that isn't all....later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Leo, who is wondering what he should do with his money while he's saving up for a downpayment on a house. Should he invest, or keep the money safe in a high-yield savings account? Hoping for more? We've gotcha covererd. We'll also save some time for Doug's amazing weight loss trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you frustrated that your average day doesn't start out chasing your goals but instead reacting to everything else going on? Between kids, spouse or friends, and co-workers, how are you supposed to get ahead on YOUR agenda? Good news, today we chat with Romi Neustadt, the bestselling author of You Can Have It All...just not at the same damned time! We'll have an amazing conversation focusing on how to REALLY set goals that stick (hint: you don't start with goal setting), how to keep your priorities in line, and the key to focus like a laser on the things that are most important if you want to get everything possible out of life. Plus, during our headlines, we'll examine some financial horror stories that very well could happen to you. Have you had some big changes in your life and haven't gotten around to updating your beneficiaries? While this may seem like something you can wait on, we're fairly certain today's ugly stories of people who put it off will make you jump on it sooner rather than later. Then, in our second piece, we're taking a broader view on "rules of thumb." Everyone considers the 10,000 steps a day mantra as a hard fact, but experts say there's a better goal you should have in mind. Being the savvy people we are (no eye-rolls please), we'll make some parallels to when people go wrong with financial rules of thumb. During our Have Life Line segment we'll answer a question from Richard, who can't get happy hour off his mind. With plenty of birthdays he feels obligated to attend in the next couple of months, how should Richard balance out budgeting and social obligations? And of course, we'll always save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What money moves are you planning for 2019? From creating an emergency fund and increasing your 401k contributions, to downsizing and starting a side hustle, there are plenty of smart financial steps you can take to make this year your best one yet. Joining our roundtable discussion about your best money moves today, we welcome Paula Pant from Afford Anything and OG from our very own podcast. Halfway through the roundtable we'll take a break for our Friday Fintech segment and talk to David Chang from Gradifi. Gradifi is setting out to give employers an easy system to help employees pay down student loans and fund 529 plans. We'll also answer a MagnifyMoney.com question from Zach, who's interested in the FIRE movement. Should he be following the advice of the FIRE movement and forgo his Roth account in favor of using a traditional? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring the show. Start your two months of unlimited access to Skillshare by visiting SkillShare.com/SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many of us, "charity begins at home" is our constant refrain. But you have to admit, it feels good to give and to be a part of a community. Not only are you helping those around you, but you're also working together with your family or friends on a higher purpose. That's why we're thrilled today to talk with our friends, Scott Maderer from Inspired Stewardship, our good friend Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, and the wonderful OG from our very own podcast about how they give! We'll share a piece from Marriage, Kids, and Money's Andy Hill about how he teaches his kids to give and get LOTS of great ideas from the team. Plus, at the halfway mark of today's episode we'll hear from Saul Cohen from Round during our Friday FinTech segment. Round helps investors find exclusive investment opportunities so they can invest actively like the 1%. How does it work? Saul will walk us through Round's mission and how they work with investors. And during our Magnify Money call we'll hear from our good friend Mollie, who wonders about gifts to nephews and nieces. How does she solve the giving problem? As always, of course we'll quiz our contributors with an epic gameshow question by our neighbor, Doug. All that and more on today's show! Hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What goals do you want to achieve? It's easier to reach any destination with the right people around you. To help YOU find your best route toward your goals, today we welcome Tim Rhode, author of Tribe of Millionaires, and founder of nonprofit 1 Life Fully Lived, to talk about building your network to reach your ultimate potential. Plus, during our headlines, we'll cover a piece from Bloomberg about how credit card debt has hit an 10-year high, and what that means to you. Spend too much money this last year? Maybe it's time to go back and listen to Monday's debt cleanse episode.... PLUS, how about fees that drive you crazy? We'll highlight a BIZARRE fee that a hotel in West Virginia charged. So random... Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Anthony, who calls in to give the those of us in the basement some helpful advice about TSPs (Thrift Savings Plans) that you may have been unaware of. Thanks, Anthony! Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's possum-heavy trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wake up January 1 with a hangover? Even if you didn't "over-imbibe" on alcohol, there's another hangover people suffer from: excess spending. Let's make January a reset month if you overspent last year. As many financial gurus say, "Tomorrow is a new day" and you can decide that you want to grab the reins and control not just your debt but your money in general. Today we sit down with Brian Karimzad, CEO of Magnify Money, on all of the things you can do to make your debt cleanse a success. During our headlines portion of the show, we'll take a look at how the average 401k fared in 2019. Good, bad... great? If you didn't do well with your retirement plan last year, how do you make a change to improve in 2020? We'll share some ideas. Plus, during our second piece, we'll examine the reason popular financial company Vanguard just eliminated even MORE trading fees. That's not all, though! We'll throw out the Haven Life Line as well, and answer a voicemail from James who asks for investment advice. What do we think about James choosing top funds from different sectors to invest in? Is it a good strategy? Also, when he leaves the USA, what does he do with his retirement funds? And of course, we'll always save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where is the market going to go in 2020? Who will win the election? What did we learn from the Magic 8 Ball predictions of 2019? We'll start by looking at ALL of our last year's predictions and discuss LOTS of financial planning themes. Between emerging markets, individual stocks, playing the lottery, and more, we'll cover a wide range of money topics that you (gasp) might learn from. Calling in today to help out is our good friend, Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, plus Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com...and OG from our very own podcast! We'll take a break halfway through this monster podcast episode to talk to Ryan Falvey from Financial Venture Studio. What does the future hold for FinTech? Ryan has a front row seat for some of the hot new ideas coming out of this sector and will share some of the important themes you'll see coming to your phone, your computer, and your portfolio in the future. As always, we'll also help a listener Magnify their Money...but today we're joined by special guest Brian Karimzad. Because Carter has a question that's specific to MagnifyMoney, it's fantastic that Brian dropped by just in time to help us answer! It's a great, two-hour episode of Stacking Benjamins. Hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While everyone else fights over whether this year or next is the beginning of a new decade, we'll help you focus your attention on the REAL issue: how awesome you'll plan to be in 2020 and beyond. Bestselling author and TED speaker Neil Pasricha joins us today to tell us stories about his amazing mother's search for awesome, his own lessons from past failures, and best of all, the history of the ellipses. They're hopefully the inspiration you'll need to kick off the Roaring 20's with a bang. What are your New Year's Resolutions? We'll share some that were recently featured in a top publication during our first headline, plus some ideas from our team about how you can make them actionable (the most important part of any plan). Of course we'll save time to throw out the Haven Life Line AND save some time for Doug's incredible Roaring 20's trivia. We all hope you're as excited about a great New Year as we are here in the basement! Mom sends her love! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're ending 2019 with a fantastic look back at our interview with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. One of the best thing you can do for yourself this next decade is building great habits and STICKING to them. Whether it's in your career, finances, relationships, or otherwise personal life, you'll find that developing great habits will be the best present you can give yourself moving forward. It's been a blast this past week, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jill Schlesinger gave us her top money lessons at the end of 2018, and we still think they're pretty great lessons to keep in mind a year later. We'll start the episode with a special open, and then dive into our show with Jill. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jean Chatzky gave us some fantastic lessons that we should've learned in 2017. Those financial lessons are still applicable two years later. We'll give the show a special open featuring Joe and OG, and then take a listen to our show with Jean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back in 2016 we sat down with NYT Bestselling author David Bach to ask, "What should we have learned in 2016?" He had some great answers that still apply here at the end of 2019. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CBS Business Analyst and host of the wildly popular Jill On Money Show, Jill Schlesinger joins us in the basement to recap 2015. What should we have learned? She'll have five lessons from events of the past twelve months. Joe & OG share headlines and take your letters, including one asking about "too big to fail" and another asking about multi-level marketing schemes. Should our listener take a "free" plan from an MLM company rep? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to day 2 of our look back at the lessons we've learned from the past decade. This year we took a special look at credit and family finances, take a look at our original show description below: There are TONS of takeaways from 2014, and Rod Griffin from Experian joins us in the basement to tackle his top five that had to do with your credit and family finances. You'll be surprised how easily Rod takes current events and shows you what impact they have on your financial picture. Fidelity may be creating their own robo-advisory arm? Joe & OG share that headline plus others. PK gives some of the BEST advice you've heard during 2014 during his segment. Doug gives the gift of trivia, and much, much more. Thank you to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our podcast. Have a careful and safe New Year everyone! Thanks for being part of the SB family in 2014! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the end of the decade quickly approaching, we decided to mix things up a bit. Leading up to our first brand new show of the year on January 1st, we'll be releasing each of our special "what should we have learned" episodes. It's not only a look at how our financial focus has changed since 2013, but also how much our show has changed! You can read the original show notes below: Top advisor Scott Tiras (Barrons top 100 independent advisor list) joins us with five lessons we should have learned from 2013. What are some ideas we can glean to avoid mistakes next year? PK goes contrarian in this episode. Doug sneaks downstairs to borrow mustard. Len, Paula and Greg ask the magic 8 ball important questions about 2014....and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've got the best linens out and mom's favorite table settings because Liz Weston is FINALLY headed down to the basement today to help us put a cap on all of the lessons we should have been learning this year. We'll say a HUGE welcome to our last Monday show of the year, as we wrap up another year of podcasting. We'd like to thank you for joining us in what we consider our biggest year yet. We've made some big changes to how we put this show together, and we'll continue to do so as we continue to grow and improve, which is only possible because of your continued support. We recognize that we live in a fast-paced world with a thousand distractions, so we remain humbled that you CHOOSE to listen to us time and time again. Thank you. On today's show, we're taking a look back at 2019 to ask the big question: what should we have learned this year? While there is timeless investment advice, each year also brings some unique lessons for the future. Sitting down with us today to distill the big financial lessons of 2019 is Liz Weston, award-winning personal finance columnist and certified financial planner. During our headlines we'll talk to Harlan Landes from the Plutus Foundation about what's going on in financial literacy. December is prime giving-season, and Harlan has plenty of advice on what you can do to support financial literacy in your own local area. During our second piece, we'll tackle one financial planning quandary: why in the world is it so difficult to follow your own rules for asset allocation? When a piece of your portfolio becomes overweight, it makes sense to sell it... right? On the other hand, why would you sell a "winner"? We'll talk about emotions and investing during our second headline. Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia too! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What have you learned from the past 10 years? We'll do a deeper dive on today's show with our roundtable gang...who (not surprisingly) have some takeaways from the last ten years that we can all learn from. On today's show we welcome special guest Doc G from the What's Up Next podcast, Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, plus from Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com! Plus, at the halfway mark of today's episode we'll talk about a FinTech company who's figured out a more cost-effective and quicker way to put non-traditional investments in your self-directed IRA or solo 401(k) plan. We'll all get an introduction to Rocket Dollar, as we talk with Dan Kryzanowski from the company in today's Friday FinTech segment. And during our Magnify Money call we'll hear from our new friend Tyler who wonders how to maximize his savings. As always, of course we'll quiz our contributors with an epic gameshow finale question by our neighbor, Doug. All that and more on today's show! Hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What were your favorite moments of 2019? Today we'll lay our cards on the table and show you ours, plus what we learned from each of these stellar guests. From composers to chefs, and from iconic investors to artists, today we're going to actually learn something...and from LOTS of different types of personalities. We're very proud of the wide range of topics we covered in 2019, and today we'll take a glimpse of just a few of them with you. That's not all...of course, we'll leave time for Doug's trivia! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Money used to be easy. Go to the bank, make a deposit. Maybe you had a pension. Nearly everyone in America had Social Security. How did money become dangerous? We'll sit down with Chris Varelas, the man responsible for brokering some of the biggest mergers and acquisitions in finance. Between working as the head of Citi's technology, media, and communications, and co-founding a private equity firm in Silicon Valley, Chris has acquired a special insight into just how the money game has changed, and his role in some of the biggest financial moments of the last 30 years. What problems will you encounter on your journey toward financial independence? We'll cover many of those during our headlines. While financial headwinds like expenses, loss, and taxes are roadblocks to a bigger portfolio, we'll key into the main problem nearly everyone will face: YOU standing in the way of your own success. Plus, in our second piece, we'll examine how one rogue broker singlehandedly took down his whole firm. Now THAT is dangerous. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Colton, who calls in with a question about paying off some debt with his pension. Colton recently bought a new house and is having a cash-flow crunch. He has $5000 in his pension that he could use to pay off some short-term bills. Should he use the pension, which has a lower interest rate than the bills, to pay off his debts? His pension would grow to be about $15,000 in retirement. Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you not only survive the holiday season but thrive during it? Today our roundtable team rolls out their very best holiday survival ideas. We'll talk shopping to family to mindset and fun...plus maybe sprinkle in a laugh or two. Calling in today is Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, plus Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, and who can forget OG from our very own show! Plus, at the halfway mark of today's episode we'll talk about flexible spending accounts. What do YOU need to know before the year is up? Maybe a lot. Hopefully we save a few people a LOT of money because they listened to today's podcast! Helping us by calling dad's shortwave from all the way over in Europe, we'll welcome back Suzanne Lucas, aka the Evil HR Lady from evilhrlady.org. And during our Magnify Money call we'll hear from our good friend Santa and he gives us his tip for not getting so tipsy this time around the world on his sleigh. As always, of course we'll quiz our contributors with an epic gameshow question by our neighbor, Doug. All that and more on today's show! Hope you can join the fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the time of year when you're talking to more people AND making more impressions than any other time of year. How do you put your best foot forward and make your best impression? How do you tell that story that makes everyone laugh and wish they were you? How do you endure the party if you're an introvert? We'll cover ALL of those scenarios and more with master communicator Carmine Gallo on today's podcast. Plus, what if you could lower your fees by HALF? we'll discuss why that might not be the offer you think it is AND deliver some better financial advice...plus we'll throw out the Haven Life line and save time for Doug's amazing trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether for holidays, office events, or social get-togethers, December feels like the official month of parties. If you've ever thought about hosting your own event, whether this month or any other, you can feel the need to break the bank so that your guests feel special. But what if you could host a better event without emptying your wallet? That's why today we're thrilled to help you create your best event with the help of an extra special guest: celebrity party planner David Tutera. We'll talk invitations, decorations, food, activities and games, plus parting gifts and LOTS more. You'll feel better prepared to be a great host after today's show! Plus, during our headlines, Fidelity Investments is out with their look at 2020. What are savers hoping for in the New Year? We'll help you jump start your New Year's Resolutions with the help of Maura Cassidy, Vice President of Retirement & Small Business at Fidelity Investments about the takeaways. You may be surprised by some of this year's findings AND some of the takeaways. Also, we'll cover a piece from Barron's about the impending stock market downturn. Should you begin making adjustments for the big drop that might be just around the corner? Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Mark, who only keeps one month of his emergency savings liquid. The other five months of savings are in a 15 month CD with his bank. Is he making a mistake if a "real" emergency were to come up? Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is there advice you wish you'd had when you started investing? Wish you could go back in time and tell yourself to do something differently? With the end of the year almost upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on lessons learned... and hopefully help out some new investors so they won't make the same mistakes we did. Experienced investor or not, we'll share some great advice during today's roundtable discussion among seasoned investors. Calling in today for our roundtable is our good basement friend, Ryan Inman of the Financial Residency podcast, plus Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, and OG from our very own show! Plus, at the halfway mark, we'll take a break to learn about Titan, an online app and website that helps people invest like a hedge fund. We'll learn all about it from co-founder Clayton Gardner. Looking for some good investment help? We'll explore what Clayton and Titan are doing to help investors get a bigger bang for their dollar. During our Magnify Money call we'll answer a voicemail from Tyler, who will be graduating from college debt-free. How should Tyler capitalize on his opportunity? Tyler knows about investing through work and having a proper emergency fund, but what else should he do? Is he missing out on something? As always, we'll quiz our contributors with a post-FinTech gameshow question by Doug. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What lessons can you learn from an entrepreneur in technology who was hired just after the turn of the century to lead one of the biggest exchanges on earth? A ton, it turns out. We talk to Former NASDAQ CEO Robert Greifeld about making tough choices, developing leaders, listening, debating, and more. He'll also share stories about his interactions with CEOs like Bill Gates, Howard Schultz, and Jeff Bezos, and his view of the 2007-2008 financial crisis from his front row seat. You'll learn a ton from today's show whether you lead a company, department, club, or your family. Plus, during our headline segment, wealth advisors give clients high marks for understanding some tax rules and for saving money. However, there are some glaring weaknesses they see among clients. Do you have the same weaknesses? We'll explain what worries financial advisors and how to correct course. In our second headline we'll wave the warning flag on an IRS rule that many people violate, and regret later. We'll show you HOW to avoid getting hit with penalties and help you smooth the road for your retirement at the same time. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Mark, who not only tries to avoid giving us his tee-shirt size on air (and nearly fails), but also wonders if it's a good idea to lock much of his emergency fund in a high-interest paying but long-term CD. ...and of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Visit any online forum and you'll find someone complaining about their health insurance costs. While lots of people complain, our guest today says that the answer may have nothing to do with all of the political rhetoric around the topic. Scott Heiser visits the basement to teach you how to become a better "health" consumer. Changing the healthcare system is one thing, but making proper, well-informed choices about your personal health is another (and one that we can all handle--and also use to bring down the cost of your care). We'll discuss everything from comparison shopping your professionals, insurance options, medical tourism, HSAs, and lots, lots more. Plus, during our headline segment, there's huge news in the financial brokerage space. Charles Schwab is buying TD Ameritrade! With Schwab acquiring another 12 million client accounts, and over a trillion dollars in assets, what's this mean for the bigger financial landscape? Could more mergers be on the horizon? We'll tackle the big questions before we scale it back down during our second headline. One gamer spent over a million dollars on a video game character only to have a friend sell it for $643. Sounds crazy? We thought so too. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to John, who's looking for some pointers on how much he should be contributing at work. Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wondering if there are any good games you can play about money or economics? Long time Stacking Benjamins fans know we have one non-financial event that gets us just as excited (if not more) than any other event all year: our annual board game episode! Today we'll fly with Joe to Dallas, Texas, and the BoardGameGeek.con convention, where he catches up with the star of the YouTube show Game Night!, Lincoln Damhurst. They'll not only talk about a whole host of cool games about money and company-building, but they'll also dive into some light, fun games that you can play with the family over the holidays. Before you waste money on a game that nobody will like, check out this episode and make a better buying decision. Plus, replacing our usual Fintech segment (is it boardtech now?), we're talking to co-creator of a new site called FindYourMeeple.com. Jeremiah Cole-Kelly will walk us through how this new tool can help you find a cheap evening's entertainment (and even a weekend's worth, when it comes to game conventions). Looking for people in your area who love to play board games just as much as you do? Jermiah's site just may be the solution to your problems. Of course, financial show or not, we'll always save some time for Doug's trivia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the hottest deals in tech this holiday season? What should you avoid? Back for her annual visit to the basement, Bridget Carey from CNET shares the highs and the lows this year. There are LOTS of deals you'll want to avoid, and she'll name names. But don't worry, if you're thinking about televisions, computers, game consoles, kitchen gadgets, audio equipment, or security, we've got you covered! Worried about the financial tasks you need to accomplish before year-end? Maybe you should be. Today we'll also share a laundry list of important items you'll want to check off your list before the new decade begins in just over a month. Plus, we'll also share some advice about gift giving. Since we're diving into shopping season, how do you give a gift that won't be returned? After a little dose of Doug's trivia, we'll wind up the show by throwing out the Haven Life line, as always. It's just another fantastic, money-saving episode of Stacking Benjamins on tap! Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices