The Stacking Benjamins Show

Whether it's big check time from the IRS or not, it's always important to know ahead of time what to do with a large sum of money. Do you have a plan for your tax refund cash? Today, whether you have the beginnings of a plan or no clue, this show is for you. Today we're joined by host of the Seven Figures podcast, Sandy Waters, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and our very own OG. About halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk to Mark Elliot from TIAA about your career. Looking for a more meaningful vocation? Mark will describe CareerPurpose.com, a partnership they've formed with LinkedIn to help people like you improve their work life. And after some deep-sea inspired trivia from Doug, we'll cross the finish line by taking out the magnifying glass and helping listener Austin. He could finish paying off his loans this year, but that would mean taking a year off from investing. What should he do? Thanks to OnDeck for sponsoring the show. For a free consultation with one of their US-based loan specialists, go to OnDeck.com/SB. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're celebrating Valentine's Day in true money podcast fashion, talking all things romantic, like wine, spreadsheets, money dates, and open communication about money. We know...total romance. Joining us to discuss all of these things and more are a father-daughter financial planning team of Walter Wisniewski and Allison Vanaski. We'll also talk about non-verbal money cues (what is your significant other NOT telling you about money, but is showing you?), why we're afraid of money chats, and how to discuss financial topics with aging parents and non-family members. We're talking all things communication on today's show! Plus, in our headlines segment, do credit scores factor in to how we look at love? Does good and bad credit matter in the dating world? We'll talk statistics and love with Jonathan Walker from The Center For The New Middle Class. Plus, Joe and OG will discuss one piece that covers 5 mistakes you could be making with your money. Later on, we throw out the Haven Life Line to Zac and his wife. They've recently discovered the FIRE movement and now want to retire by 50. With conventional logic suggesting to invest into accounts that won't be available under after 50, where should Zac and his wife be looking to invest with Fire in mind? Plus, we're also answering a letter from Any Mouse, who wants to know if he has enough assets to cover his son in the event that something happened to him. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to the Murder Book Podcast for supporting StackingBenjamins. Check out Michael Connelly's new Murder Book podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or at MurderBookPodcast.com. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tanja Hester realized at a young age that even though she loved her career, she was still helping an organization chase THEIR goals instead of her own, and that's when her plan to make work optional was hatched. On today's show she'll talk about not only her story, but also about how she and her husband tracked their progress (dual spreadsheets!), discussed the timing of leaving, and downsizing her lifestyle. She also shares potential struggles she sees down the line, like rising health care costs. Whether you wish to retire early, or just retire someday, this is an interview for you. Plus, attorney Leslie Tayne will help us answer the Haven Life line call for help from Vince, who is worried that his mother is going to be on the hook for some loans she's co-signed. How does she remove herself if the main signer is nowhere to be found? In our headlines segment, we'll discuss 401(k) jargon. What terms do you must struggle with? We'll also share some advice for the upcoming Valentine's day holiday. And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to OnDeck for sponsoring the show. For a free consultation with one of their US-based loan specialists, go to OnDeck.com/SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever ask yourself why you never seem to have enough money? Maybe the answer is that you need to make more at work, or maybe you just eat out a little bit too much during the week? On today's roundtable, we're joined by Marcus Garrett of the Paychecks and Balances podcast, Len Penzo (from LenPenzo.com) and our very own OG. We're tackling 7 questions that, if you're honest with yourself, will give you the answers to why you never seem to have enough money. Halfway through the roundtable, we'll take a break for the FinTech segment. Joe talks to Ksenia Yudina, founder of college savings platform U-Nest. Ksenia is a mom of three and wanted an easier way to save for college... so she went out and created one. We're also fielding a MagnifyMoney.com question from Matthew and his fiancée. They're thinking about getting into real estate but aren't big on the idea of getting back into debt. Should they keep their focus on investing in the market, or take the plunge? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to the Murder Book Podcast for supporting StackingBenjamins. Check out Michael Connelly's new Murder Book podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or at MurderBookPodcast.com. Thanks to Away for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to AwayTravel.com/sb and use the promo code sb to get $20 off a suitcase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're hoping for financial freedom, Grant Sabatier is maybe the perfect man to hear speak. At one point he was down to less than ten dollars in his accounts, and within a short time went from broke to a millionaire. How did he do it? He'll share his story (which includes how he made money), but also share how to drastically cut your expenses so that you can build your own fortune. In our headline segment, we'll talk to JJ Kinahan about financial independence. TD Ameritrade recently commissioned a study about the Financial Independence Retire Early movement. It turns out that many people chasing financial freedom have different ideas about "FIRE" than you may have heard in the past. We're also throwing out the Haven Life Line to Kody, who doesn't fully trust in the public service loan forgiveness program. He's going to be investing money into a taxable account so he'll be able to pay off the loan if needed. What do we think of him investing the amount instead of sticking it into a savings account? Plus, we'll be throwing out a letter to And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Omax Health for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Tryomax.com/sb for your free box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure with your first purchase. Thanks Audible! Get Power Moves by Adam Grant for free when you sign up for a free Audible trial at Audible.com/sbpower or text sbpower to 500 500. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE Jill Schlesinger returns to the basement to talk about three horrible investments people buy: gold, reverse mortgages, and hedge funds. We'll also discuss annuities, permanent life insurance, and other frequent offenders. If you're using any of these products, don't panic! These can all be used successfully in your plan, and Jill will talk about the horrible ways people are tricked into using these products so that you don't make the same mistakes. Then, in our headlines, we'll cover a piece about industry "sheriff" FINRA cracking down on companies offering expensive 529 plans. Companies will have until April to report themselves and avoid potentially big fines. We'll break down the big picture and what it means to you before we field a call from Trim CEO Thomas Smyth. Mastercard is unrolling a new plan to add consumer protections against those tricky "free" trials that we've all fallen pray to at one point or another. We'll dive in with Thomas to figure out what's all going on with the world of subscriptions and hidden fees. We're also throwing out the Haven Life Line to Xandra, who's fully invested in the total stock market index fund. With her 401k, HSA, and IRA taken care of, should she be branching out into emerging markets and small cap growth funds to diversify? We'll field a letter from Huy, who's being doing well with their 401k, but wants to open a Roth IRA. So... what exactly is an IRA? How do you open one? We'll break it down for Huy during out letters segment. And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Omax Health for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Tryomax.com/sb for your free box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure with your first purchase. Thanks to Away for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to AwayTravel.com/sb and use the promo code sb to get $20 off a suitcase! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the weekend we'll nearly all see (whether we're a fan of sports or not) people at the "top of their game" showing off their ability to excel at their craft. Here's our question: how do you excel with your money? That's why today we're discussing how YOU can maximize you financial Big Game with some good thought-out planning. Plus, we're not bringing you just one special guest today... but TWO. Joining us is Jace Mattinson and Clark Sheffield from the Millionaires Unveiled podcast. And we're keeping the party going with two contributors you know and love: Paula Pant from AffordAnything.com, and Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com. Halfway through the roundtable, we'll take a little break for our Friday Fintech segment. Joe's having a discussion with Justin Bailey, co-founder of saving and investing platform VimVest. Have plenty of savings goals but not exactly sure how to prioritize? You'll want to listen in to this interview. We'll also answer a MagnifyMoney.com question from Rob, who is a high school teacher. What's some great financial knowledge Rob should be gifting to his students before they graduate? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to the Murder Book Podcast for supporting StackingBenjamins. Check out Michael Connelly's new Murder Book podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or at MurderBookPodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you horrible with money? Turns out you're not alone (big surprise)! While most of us have been bad with money at some point in our lives, we don't usually write a book about it. Today we're joined by Gaby Dunn, who today will dive into her early years, and the money scripts she learned from school, parents, and friends. It's a quick look into her new book :Bad With Money. Plus, during our headlines segment, a Barron's piece proves again just how many people don't understand the FIREmovement. And in our second headline, investors are looking for "safer" investments as the economy continues to fluctuate. It's a sad reality that no matter how much we talk about not sabotaging your financial plan, people seem to consistently find a way to shoot themselves in the foot with their financial behavior. Later in the show, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Kathy, who is looking to retire in the next decade. She should be shifting more of her portfolio over to bonds? What's the right balance between bonds and equities as one gets closer to retirement? We'll also take time to answer a letter from Braden, who's fresh out of college and has his first full-time job. What are some resources he can use to start investing? And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/sb. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show we're taking your letters, but first, we're talking to Hannah Rounds, our favorite tax software reviewer, who gives us the lowdown on the good, bad and ugly of tax software. She'll tell us which brands to avoid, which are her favorites, and which packages are surprising. Whether you're willing to pay for your tax support or are looking for the best software package for free, we'll dive into all of the brands to help make your filing season easier. We're happy that the government shutdown is over for now, but what if it happens again in three weeks? We'll talk to Lacey Langford from the Mil Money Movement podcast about the fallout from the shutdown. If people are trying to duct tape together their financial picture until the receive their first paycheck after the shutdown, what do they do? We'll discuss resources, advice, what NOT to do, and more. Later on, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Pete, who wants to know if he should invest some of his extra cash into a short-term bond fund. He has a large cash reserve, and with interest rates being very low on savings accounts, he wonders whether it'd be worth the time to spike up the interest rate possibilities a little. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to the Murder Book Podcast for supporting StackingBenjamins. Check out Michael Connelly's new Murder Book podcast wherever you get your podcasts, or at MurderBookPodcast.com. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it really mean to be poor? We're not talking about poverty...that's a whole different issue, when compared to one article we're discussing today, which covers the difference between people who are "poor" but own lots of stuff and people who are "rich" and own very little. What do we mean? We'll dive in to this topic today with our roundtable group of bloggers and podcasters, including Cody Berman, co-host of the FI Show; Len Penzo of LenPenzo.com; and from our own Stacking Benjamins podcast, OG. Plus, we'll take a call from Tyler, who has some stock market questions about 2019. Can the Magic 8 Ball possibly help him with his issue? And, if that isn't enough, we'll also answer a question from the mailbag! Halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk tax prep with Katherine Pomerantz of The Bookkeeping Artist. Katherine brings some great information on how to get your books organized for this year's tax season, and some advice that'll hopefully keep a bit of your hair on your head through April's filing season. ...and of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to OnDeck for sponsoring the show. For a free consultation with one of their US-based loan specialists, go to OnDeck.com/SB. 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

With all of the news dominated lately by the government shutdown and Washington politics, it's easy to focus on things outside of your control. But if you're going to become a millionaire, it's time today to refocus your energy on YOU and what you need to do personally to find your way toward financial success. The perfect person to talk to about personal responsibility comes down to the basement today, Chris Hogan. We'll dispel some of the myths around who's a millionaire and help you set up your plan of attack to join the ranks yourself....sooner rather than later. In today's headlines: will the government shutdown impact this year's tax return season? Even with a partial recall of IRS employees, there's still plenty of potential issues if the agency doesn't return to full strength. We'll discuss one piece today that takes a look at all the possible problems for individuals and businesses alike. Plus, we'll be throwing out the Haven Life Line to Matt, who is recently married. What are some resources available for newlyweds going through their first tax season? After that we'll take some time to answer a letter from Jon, who wonders if his wife should ditch her whole life policy for term life insurance, and invest the difference in a Roth. And don't worry... 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. Thanks to OnDeck for sponsoring the show. For a free consultation with one of their US-based loan specialists, go to OnDeck.com/SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're dedicating this episode to a very special guest: YOU. Our mailbag is overflowing, so today we realized it was time to devote a whole episode to answering your burning questions. Scott has cash left over after he pays bills and maxes out his regularly scheduled savings contributions... should he open up a Roth IRA? How should Laura prioritize her savings goals: pay down debt, add to retirement accounts, or build her emergency funds? Tyler has been recruited by his local Edward Jones agent. Should he begin his career with them? In our headlines segment, one recent piece asks the question, "Is your debt the driving factor behind your savings discussions?" We'll tackle why that's an issue, and how it can harm your long term plans. In our second headline we'll look at some changes coming this year to health savings accounts (HSAs). Later on, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to John, who wants to know how to invest his lump sum. Should he dollar cost average over the next year or dump his stash of money into his account at one time? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you put the brakes on spending so much money? ....... Our special guest today is Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, author of The Thirty Day Money Cleanse, and she's an expert in cleaning up your budget. We'll talk with her and our team about a recent Budgets Are Sexy blog post in which blogger J. Money lays out how he avoids spending money. What games do you play with yourself to distract yourself from spending money. Plus, two contributors you know and love, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and from Afford Anything, Paula Pant. Halfway through the roundtable we'll take a break for our Friday Fintech segment and talk to DeAnn O'Donovan from AHP Servicing. AHP Servicing is a company that's setting out to help people who are struggling with their mortgages find ways to stay in their homes. We'll also answer a MagnifyMoney.com question from Paul, who has the opportunity to buy shares of a new company. He's sure the price is going to jump up. Should he use he cash he has on hand to buy shares, or take out a loan to get even more shares? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Masterworks for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Masterworks.io and reserve your shares now. See disclaimer at Masterworks.io/disclaimer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could you go a few days without spending any money? A few weeks? How about a few months? Starving your wallet might be simpler than you've previously thought. Jen Smith, co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast, joins us today to talk about gifting yourself a "No Spend Challenge." How does it work? We'll cover her story of spending little to no money to cure her debt issues, and then how she refined the concept to create a plan worthy of talking about on our show and elsewhere! And in our headlines segment of the podcast, some great news! Long term care benefits have been added to the new crop of Medicare Advantage plans. We'll invite Danielle Kunkle Roberts from Boomer Benefits over so we can all learn more. Plus, we'll take a look at recent changes in the annuity industry. Annuity providers are making a combined effort to bring the industry into the 21st century to speed up the exchange process from months to a week. What does that mean for you? We'll dive in more during our headlines segment. Later on, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Sean, who's a minority stakeholder in a corporation. The majority stakeholder wants to buy him out... what questions should Sean be asking? And don't worry... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Omax Health for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit TryOmax.com/sb for your free box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure with your first purchase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder how someone decides to aggressively attack a goal, like paying down your mortgage? Talaat McNeely and his spouse Tai decided to think HUGE thoughts when they set out to pay off their house in five years. They didn't know how they'd do it, but they set out anyway and took action, and ultimately accomplished their goal. Today Talaat will tell their family's fantastic story from start to finish. He'll share what they did well and also how they could have maybe paid the house off even faster. He'll share their feelings and emotions along the way that sometimes came near sabotaging their goal...and at other times that helped spur them on to victory. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll detail a great list of questions you should ask a financial advisor. Do you have questions ready when you go in to see an advisor? We'll share some of our favorites before jumping over to our second headline: one California man learns ten million reasons why you shouldn't tell your roommates about hitting the jackpot... see where this is going? Yeah, it's a cautionary tale. Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Colin, who wants to know our thoughts on target date funds. He's been dollar-cost averaging into a Vanguard target date retirement fund for the past 10 years. Should Colin change his investment strategy? What are out thoughts? We'll also get through TWO letters today. First, Shaun is a financial advisor and wants to know what type of data he should be presenting his clients. Next, will take on a letter from Christy, who writes in to address our answer to a letter asking about individual life insurance. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Masterworks for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Masterworks.io and reserve your shares now. See disclaimer at Masterworks.io/disclaimer. Thanks to Omax Health for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Visit Tryomax.com/sb for you free box of Omax3 Ultra-Pure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you spend too during the holiday season? Studies showed that many of us WAY overspent this year, to the tune of over $1,200 more spending than we could truly afford. Add that to the huge amount of debt people are already carrying, and this year's problem can easily become next year's problem. To help you wash away your debt problems, today we're talking to Nick Clements on the psychology behind debt management, and the many different ways you can get your year started on the right foot in our annual holiday debt cleanse episode. Plus, if you're looking to make some extra money on the side to pay down your holiday bills, we've got you covered. We're calling our old friend Harry Campbell, founder of The Rideshare Guy blog and podcast. He'll share lots of ways to help you quickly raise hundreds (and maybe thousands) of dollars. Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Bryan, who took out a 401k loan to buy a rental property. Bryan has extra cash coming in and could pay off the loan pretty quickly. Should he do it? What would be the downsides of choosing to make minimum payments? And don't worry... 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. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this tumultuous market, how certain are you about your investment strategy? Larry Swedroe joins us today to talk retirement planning, but especially to talk about weathering the storm of risk and uncertainty in this market. We'll talk about what's normal for the market, why so many people fail, how an all-stock portfolio might or might not work for you, and more. Plus, in our headlines segment, lots of people moved their money to treasures to start 2019. Could this foreshadow upcoming negative market conditions this year? We'll share our feelings on today's podcast. Plus, one major publication piece shares how much money you should have in stocks at every age. Is this good advice, or could it be guiding people down the wrong path? We'll talk about appropriate investment advice for people who are far from retirement, middle aged, and nearing or in their retirement years. Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Joseph and his wife. They're looking to get a home loan but don't really like their options. Could raising their credit score open up better choices for them? We're also answering a letter from Matt, who wants to know more about his 401k options: Roth, traditional, and after-tax. He's also using part of his 401k at a quasi-emergency fund. Is he setting himself up for failure? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's on tap for 2019? We don't know what you have planned personally, but we CAN tell you what our Magic 8 Ball says is going to happen. We'll ask it all the important questions, like, "What will the stock market do in 2019?" and "Will the price of oil be higher next year than now?" plus heavy hitters like, "Will Harry and Meghan have a boy?"...important stuff like that. But that's not all. We'll also share how the 8 Ball fared last year. Did it predict the future? In our Friday FinTech segment we'll talk to Sean Harper, CEO of Kin, an innovative company disrupting, of all things, homeowners insurance. We'll talk about some of the ideas that they're using to make homeowners insurance easier and more consumer friendly. We'll also take some time to answer our Magnify Money hotline. Laura has had to retire earlier than expected due to medical reasons. She wants to start a home business to create a new income stream started. Should she use some of her emergency savings, or maybe tap her IRA? 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. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do you want from 2019? How about becoming a badass? Our guest today says you're already a badass and just might not know it. Jen Sincero has written TWO New York Times bestsellers, but today she's here with us teaching you how to kick off a new year by bringing out the best in yourself and your wallet. Plus, in our headlines segment, why should employers be worried about employee financial stress? We'll tackle one article on the impact that financial stress has on employees while they're at the workplace. Plus, in our second headline, can advisors use behavioral science to guide their clients to making better financial choices? Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Mike, who calls in to see what he can do to help his mom manage her portfolio. And don't worry... 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. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2018 was quite a year....maybe the opposite of March (in like a Lion/out like a lamb)....and began fairly gently and definitely is finishing with a roar. What should we have learned, if we turn the events of this year into timeless lessons? What could we have learned from this year's volatility? What about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates? What about the strong employment numbers? What does that tell us (among other things) about our wallet? We're excited to finish the year off strong with our special guest, CBS business analyst Jill Schlesinger (also the host of Jill on Money). We'll have a discussion with Jill on her top 5 lessons learned from the past year. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll talk to Haven Life CEO, Yaron Ben-Zvi, about the future of health data and life insurance. With more and more companies offering discounts for a little bit of your data, Yaron will share his thoughts on the tradeoffs between privacy and saving some extra cash. Will this ever come to life insurance? Plus, we'll tackle a story about bonds and surging bankruptcies in China. It's a good bonds 101 lesson for most of us... Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Brody, who calls in looking for advice on the next five years of paying down debt and building up his savings. And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In anticipation of our annual magic 8 ball episode next Friday, we're taking a look back at last year's magic 8 ball episode. For those of you new to the show, each year roundtable regular Len Penzo brings down his magic 8 ball and we ask it wide-ranging questions for the next year. What were the predications? How did the 8 ball do this year? It's time to get all caught up in preparation for our debrief next week (along with a whole new set of questions for 2019). This episode also featured a Blooom call for help from Erin, who has some 529 plan questions, a letter from the mailbag about what to do with extra cash, and of course... Doug's trivia. The original show notes can be found here. This episode originally aired January 5th,2018. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's rewind episode features one of our favorite interviews with a fantastic guest: Dr. Woody Holton, author of the book "Abigail Adams", for which he won the Bambridge Award and more. In a time when women weren't expected, or even necessarily allowed, to be in charge of their finances, Abigail Adams took charge of her money and made sure she would be financially independent. Plus, Joe talked to Jamie Wise of the Buzz Index, we took a Haven Life Line call for help, answered a listener letter, and still had time for Doug's trivia. The original show notes can be found here. This episode originally aired March 2,2018. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With all the news going around about the markets, we thought it would be fitting to kick off our rewind week by sharing our time with Ric Edelman. Ric, Chairman and Founder of Edelman Financial Services, bestselling author, and host of the hit “Ric Edelman Radio Show” joined our show to give us some advice on some "best practices" to follow in a choppy market. This episode originally released on November 2016. You can find the original show notes HERE. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's nothing wrong with selling some of your clutter to help pay down your debt, but, as today's piece from Val Breit from TheCommonCentsClub (in a piece appearing on Rockstar Finance), there are plenty of other things you could be doing to help solve your financial troubles. Discussing this piece with us today is Paula Pant (from Afford Anything), Len Penzo (LenPenzo.com), and from our very own podcast, OG. Halfway through the roundtable we'll take a break for our Friday Fintech segment. Do you wish you paid off your credit cards every month? Worried that you could go overboard? Joe will check in with Liran Amrany, CEO of Debitize, on how you can keep all of the perks of using a credit card without all the danger. We're also answering a question from Tom, who's looking to diversify his income stream. He's interested in real estate, but also worried about a housing crash. Are there any specific real estate options that would mitigate the negative impacts of a crash? And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Check out Safe For Work, a new podcast from Wondery, wherever you listen to this show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thinking about getting into real estate? We're bringing down two fantastic guests who are excited to deliver what you need to know about investing in real estate: from the BiggerPockets real estate community and podcast, we're talking to Josh Dorkin and Brandon Turner. And in our headlines segment, another advisor is going fee only... but probably not for the reasons you think. Plus, we'll throw our the Haven Life Line to Nick, who wants to know more about what an "inverted yield curve." Should Nick be worried? And in our letters segment, Erika missed out on really investing in her 20's while she was getting her P.hD. and doing her post-doc studies. She's making money now and is looking into getting a house in the next few years. Can we give her some help on finding a good advisor for her situation? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks also to the Safe For Work podcast for supporting SB. Find Safe For Work wherever you're listening to this show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you having trouble climbing out of debt? Or maybe you're tired of daily calls from debt collectors? Whether you have serious debt or just need to refresh your plan, today we're kickstarting your 2019 journey to financial independence with the host of the Money Girl podcast, Laura Adams. Plus, speaking of 2019, what does the next year have in store for the world of credit? We're talking to Senior Vice President of Research and Consulting at Transunion, Matthew Komos, during our headlines segment. And later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Alex, who wants to know if he should pull some cash out of his account and reinvest when the market drops. He's also finishing his residency to become a physician, and his tax liability is virtually zero. What should he do with his accounts right now? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices