The Stacking Benjamins Show

What items are YOU buying that are a complete waste of money? Today we're throwing out the playbook and all the rules for this very special episode of the Stacking Benjamins show. Joseph Hogue from the Let's Talk Money! YouTube channel joins Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Len Penzo to walk through 12 things that you're better off NOT owning. While you may not be surprised by the items on our list, you'll probably be glad that you heard a few of them, because today you just might find a few new places to save yourself some cash. Halfway through the show we'll take a short FinTech Friday segment break to talk to Ennie Lim from HoneyBee. Ever had a money crunch in life, and you weren't sure what you were going to do? Or maybe you own a business and you wish you could do more for your employees to help them manage the inevitable money crunch? We'll find out more about how Honeybee is helping those in their times of need during today's Fintech segment. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tired of all the running around shopping and working and cooking and planning...all to try and make the perfect holiday? What if you ditched all that and instead just focused on the people around you? Would that make it better? We'll talk about not just frugaling your holiday season, but minimizing it. Here to help us do that, today we welcome special guest Naseema McElroy from the Financially Intentional blog. She'll talk strategies and stories with Len (Len Penzo dot com) and OG. We'll talk about how THEY celebrate now, how they WISHED they'd celebrated holidays, and then talk about ways to change to make things go more smoothly and enjoyably for everyone. Plus, we're excited to talk today to Antony Bruno from Royalty Exchange about investing in music royalties. Are you a music fan? Is it a good idea to combine your love of songs with your investments...or even if you're not a music fan, is it worth pursuing? We'll talk about how it all works on today's Friday FinTech segment. Finally, we'll answer a listener call for help AND save some room for Doug's amazing trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Still using JUST your brick-and-mortar bank? Why not shop for the best financial tools available. Head to StackingBenjamins.com/MagnifyMoney to compare, ditch, switch and best of all...save. 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

What do you wish someone had told you when you were 22 years old? How much would it have changed your trajectory? Would you have even listened to the advice? Today we're not just doling out idea to help your financial future....the guys are answering your specific financial questions. We'll also tackle questions about converting an IRA to a Roth IRA (how do you do it?), about why we always use 7-10% as our assumption over long periods when talking about the stock market, and how to know if you're ahead or behind on achieving your financial plan. Plus in our headlines segment, with all of the stock market gyrations lately, what's the right thing to do with your money? While many publications like to talk about all the ways people can panic, one seems to be the voice of reason....we'll share which one and details on HOW they suggest coping with stock market uneasiness on today's podcast. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Ramon. He's hoping to find solutions for his joint budget with his spouse. How does he rectify expenses that are withheld from his paycheck before he receives his money? What if he and his spouse have different amounts taken out? We'll answer all of Ramon's budgeting problems and discuss budgets in general. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're like most people during the big holiday season, it's not really a question of IF you go over your budget, but WHEN--and how badly. With another "can't miss" deal around every corner who can keep themselves from doing a little splurging when shopping this month? Believe it or not, studies show that we plan for all of those expenses....it's the fact that the muffler sometimes drag behinds the car or another emergency expense happens which sends the budget into a tailspin and your credit card debt soaring. To solve that problem, today we'll talk to Michele Cagan, author of Budgeting 101. You'll be happy to hear that Michele doesn't think you need to track every penny. There's a better (and easier) way to make sure you get ahead without devoting your whole life to spreadsheets and money tracking programs. Then, in our headlines segment...what would you do if you found a $7.5 million stash of someone else's cash? One lucky guy bought a storage unit on the cheap and found a life-changing amount of money hiding inside. Would you invest it, or maybe dash out of the basement and jump on the first plane to Tahiti? We all have our ideas... but this story probably isn't going to turn out how you're expecting. We'll share the rest of what happened during our headlines segment. In our second headline, Sallie Mae has a new study detailing how people pay for college. Taking a pit stop in the basement to help us make sense of how people save for college, pay for it, and then pay off loans, we'll talk to Rick Castellano from Sallie Mae. Of course, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to Nick, who's been having some issues with his budget. What can Nick do to cut costs on his operation? 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

How can you really follow a financial plan when absolutely nobody knows what's going to happen to the economy or in their life in a couple of years? What happens to your financial plan if you lose your job or have a medical emergency that wipes out your savings? Helping us understand how to manage money and finances during the fog of life is a writer you know from the F*ck Off Fund, AND who you've read in the New York Times, Elle, Slate (and more)... Paulette Perhach. She'll be joined by Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and OG from "this here" podcast. Halfway through today's show our panel will be taking a little break while Joe talks to the founders of Digs. Saving up enough cash to buy your first home can be a long, difficult process. But... what if you had a 401k that you could save into for the big purchase? The guys from Digs are breaking down just how they're setting out to help people like you and me on today's FinTech segment. Finally, we'll maybe do our best job of answering a letter this year, when we help Aaron, who needs to know on how to get couples on the same note. Of course, we'll still save some room for Doug's amazing 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How will YOU become the next millionaire next door? Believe it or not, it's been 23 years since The Millionaire Next Door shook the foundation of what people thought about wealth. You mean LOTS of people built their wealth in other ways than inheriting a bunch of money or working in huge income jobs? ...and that just because you LOOK wealthy doesn't mean you ARE wealthy? Today we talk to Dr. Sarah Fallaw (researcher and also the daughter of Thomas Stanley, author of the Millionaire Next Door) about how YOU can set yourself up to join this elite group. We'll discuss your friends, where you live, financial advisors, and more. Plus in our headlines segment, the results of a new survey are out about investor expectations, and they aren't good. Many investors have...maybe unrealistic ideas about their investment strategies. We'll explain on the show. Plus, one company has created a new credit card that will help you save into your 401(k) plan every time you save. Too good to be true? We'll answer that question on the show. Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Jon, who wants us to shed some light on the difference between a Roth 401k and an after tax basis employee savings and stock ownership plan. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recently there have been LOTS of headlines about FIRE. Good? Bad? Ugly? We invited David Bach down to the basement to ostensibly ask him about the 20th anniversary edition of his Smart Women Finish Rich book. While we cover that in detail, we also asked him about HIS thoughts on the FIRE movement....and let's just say that he was more than happy to share. In our headlines segment it's time for tax loss harvesting and year end tax planning. What should you do? An Investment News piece details a few strategies and we'll talk about our favorites (and maybe not-so-favorites) on today's podcast Of course, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to listener Rachel, who has some BIG life decisions to make. Should she stay in her townhouse or pursue her dream of moving to the mountains, even if it means a much longer commute to work, new debt, and probably some unforeseen consequences. 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

If you're like me, holiday parties are a mix of sheer terror, the threat of being stuck in a corner in the world's second most boring conversation, and hoping that you don't accidentally stick your foot in your mouth. So, to help us all not only navigate the holiday party scene but to crush it, we're asking all of our party conversation strategy questions to Vanessa Van Edwards, author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People. Whether you're usually the "life of the party," or you're an introvert who's anxious just THINKING about an office party, Vanessa has simple, effective strategies that will change the way you think about office parties. Plus, instead of hosting a party where guests stand with glasses and talk, how about a better solution that'll make you the talk of your circle of friends for the next year? Today we're talking to the founder of Blendtique, Billy Dimm. Whether or not you saw Bill on Shark Tank, we think you'll love this idea of a wine-blending party. You and your friends enjoy an evening of laughing, chatting, and creating your own perfect vino blend. After we talk to Billy we'll take some time to not only answer Doug's trivia, but also answer a question from Mike about credit card payment discrepancies. Mike's "pay in full" payment option left a $111 balance on his account. The bank then charged Mike interest, which he got reversed. What's the deal, is the bank being misleading? 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

Ever think that you need to take decisive action to bring your investments under control? Ever wonder exactly what moves you should make the next time the market moves up or down? We've got you covered, because Dr. Daniel Crosby joins us to talk about how to avoid getting in your own way with your investments. We'll discuss exactly why decisive moves might not work, why your brain is horrible at investment decisions, and more. As always when we talk to Dr. Crosby, it's a fun, fast paced, and (shocker) educational interview. Plus in our headlines segment, if you're an army reservist trying to get into the financial industry, we'll look at one company, LPL Financial, who's teaming up with the Army Reserve to give military members an opportunity to become financial advisors. Then, in our second headline, what's in store for the future of HSAs? We're taking a look at MorningStar's newly released report on the Health Savings Account landscape. Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Chuck. Can Chuck take out a Roth IRA loan if the rental home is in the Roth IRA? After we give some advice to Chuck, we'll still have time to answer a letter from Brooke. With a yearly raise of $1200, should Brooke put that money to their debt, which will be paid off in 18 months, or take advantage of their employer match? 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If anyone knows about fighting fear, it's Akshay Nanavati. While fighting overseas with the Marines, Akshay lost people close to him and subsequently suffered PTSD. He'll share his story of overcoming his own paralyzing fear, fighting demons, and achieving some HUGE goals on today's show. Whether you're afraid of asking for a raise, of starting a workout program to feel better (and earn more money), or to get started saving, investing, or paying down debt, there's something for everyone on today's show. In our headlines segment we'll talk about HSA myths. What do you believe about HSAs that might not actually be true. Or, as HSAs become more prevalent, what do you need to know about them. Even if you're already well versed on HSAs, you'll find something new on today's show (even WE found a myth that we didn't know!). In our second headline, we'll talk to Beverly Harzog from US News and World report about the new ultra FICO scoring system. Who will this help? How do you ask to have your credit re-scored? What credit basics should you know? We'll talk to Beverly about all of the above on today's podcast! Of course, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to listener Rachel, who has some BIG life decisions to make. Should she stay in her townhouse or pursue her dream of moving to the mountains, even if it means a much longer commute to work, new debt, and probably some unforeseen consequences. 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

While everyone else is standing in Black Friday lines hoping for the best deals, we're kicking back in the basement enjoying some board games. Eric Summerer from The Dice Tower joins us to talk about his favorite games about money, economics, and business. And then, as an added bonus, he'll stick around and share four ideas for frugal holiday gaming fun. Want to spend some time with your family laughing and enjoying your time together? Take these recommendations from the co-host of the biggest board game podcast on earth. And halfway through the show we'll focus specifically on one brand new game that was made to teach basic financial concepts and money management. Australian based Life Sherpa Vince Scully joins us to talk about his new board game, also called Life Sherpa. Exploring how money and happiness interrelate, and how different personalities want to make different decisions throughout life, Life Sherpa has a fun, lightweight design to show how you can turn your money and time into value and happiness. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year early adopters worry about one thing....technology. What's the hottest new thing? What's the flop that we should avoid? How expensive is the latest do-dad going to cost? Should I buy last year's do-dad to save some cash? We're super excited because joining us to talk all things technology on our special pre-Black Friday show, we welcome CNET Senior Editor Bridget Carey. Plus in our headlines segment, social media is changing how millennials invest. Is that good or bad? Plus, in our second headline we'll ask Jonathan Walker from NewMiddleClass.Org about some of the amazing statistics his group aggregates about the holiday shopping season. How does he think YOU are going to overspend this holiday season? (It isn't how YOU think you'll overspend...which is why you'll want to listen). Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Evan. He and his wife have a baby on the way. Would it be the smart money move to use savings to pay off their car, or should Evan hold on to the money and use it as needed when expenses arise? We'll also field a letter from Steve, who just inherited a sum of cash. Steve has no idea how should enter the market... so he asks the guys for some good advice to kickstart his investment portfolio. 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

Ready, set, SHOP! If you have to shop (and we're fairly certain you're like us and aren't in love with the idea at all), why not make it more fun by saving tons of money? Whether you're looking for clothing, tools, kitchen aids, furniture, or just something quirky, we've got you covered. Today we're talking to Sarah Hollenbeck from BlackFriday.com about the best deals available this holiday season. In our headlines segment we'll share another great deal that has savers everywhere cheering. The IRS announced recently that they're raising tax limits on all kinds of different retirement plans in 2019. What plans are getting a bump? Should plan to stash away more cash next year? We'll tackle that. Plus, we'll continue our Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping theme by making sure you don't get caught buying a "deal" that isn't really a deal this holiday spending season. We'll sit down with consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch about this year's holiday scams and not-so-great deals to watch out for. Plus, today we're throwing out the Haven Life Line to Jeremy. Jeremy has been looking into Life Insurance Retirement Plans after our interview with David Mcknight, but it's a brand new field for him. Any tips on navigating LIRPs? And during out letters segment, we're answering Michelle's question about HSAs and FSAs. With their employers only offering FSAs, should they be looking elsewhere? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. 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

We're dedicating today's show to all of your burning financial questions. Will the fact that Anna's parents are opening up a 529 plan for her daughter create unintended financial consequences down the road? What should Keith do with a $50,000 inheritance and no job? What should ANYONE do when they receive $50,000? Jessica is a new investor. What platforms should she be looking into when trying to invest? After our David McKnight interview, Ryan is focusing on more money in his "tax-free" bucket. Does the SB team have any good tips on tax savvy financial moves? Of course we do! And in our headlines segment, there's BIG news in college scholarship land. It turns out that a couple of schools are reducing their tuition to FREE. Who is it? Should you consider changing your college plan? In our second headline, while owning your home is a great financial position to be in...if you want to get rich one publication insists that you should own somebody else's home. We'll dive into rentals and real estate on today's show. Plus, in our Haven Life Line, Heather wants to know if she can do a backdoor Roth conversion AND make contributions to a spousal IRA. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show we're talking to Chris Peach and Andrea Robinson about big life changes. Think it's too late for you to change your direction? Or maybe you're too apprehensive about jumping into the unknown? Chris and Andrea will break it down on just how Andrea made the jump herself. From making use of your time to start a side-hustle to cutting expenses and making a good budget, there are bite-sized pieces that make the huge life decisions a bit easier to make. Plus, in today's headlines, would real-time payroll deposits improve the quality of live for workers living paycheck to paycheck? Would not having to wait a couple of weeks for cash really make a difference for employees? Plus, in honor of Veterans Day, we're talking Dr. Mike Haney from the Syracuse Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Veterans and their families can find all the resources Joe and Dr. Haney talk about on the show by clicking HERE. Later we're throwing out the Haven Life Line to Kathrine, who wants to know if her and her husband should be getting term life insurance outside of their employer. Then, in our letters segment, Joe and OG will answer a question from VJ, who has some worries about the market. He found an article suggesting that the market will be doing a lot worse than people think... should we be getting concerned? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you find time to make all of the right money moves, have relationships with family or friends, AND keep a career that brings in the Benjamins? We'll talk about that and a TON more on today's podcast, recorded live in Detroit, Michigan, to round out our three-city tour! As always, we're bringing the party with a cast of special guests from the Detroit area. First, we'll talk to popular blogger and mother of twins Catherine Alford (CatherineAlford.com) and father-of-two, podcaster Andy Hill (Marriage, Kids and Money podcast), about how they juggle multiple priorities. We'll then hear a story about life, family, and a limo from professional storyteller Shannon Cason. We'll talk to TIAA Difference Maker Inger Griffin, from the Emily Ann Griffin Foundation. She'll describe how she decided after her young daughter passed away to help families in need. Plus, we'll answer a Blooom call for help with blogger Tasha Daniel (FinancialGarden.net), who personally paid off over $80,000 of debt! We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! Our rockstar band in Detroit? It's none other than the guy who designs our awesome swag, Cincinnati-based Brad Lark. ...and of course, we were joined on stage by our guest co-host, the co-founder of Blooom, Chris Costello. It's a super episode with our liveliest crowd of the three shows (sold out show!). You'll laugh, hear some moving stories, and maybe (keep this part to yourself) learn something. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! Thanks to TIAA for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Find out what type of difference maker you are at TIAA Difference Maker 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're kicking off our live Kansas City show with a fantastic hometown story on how one guy went from small time jobs to BIG time pre- and post-game shows for Kansas City Royals television broadcasts. You heard his podcast recently on our feed (as he interviewed Bob Kendrick for his Rounding The Bases podcast), and now you get to hear HIS story. Not only will he talk about chasing his dream career, but also how he's thinking critically now about "what's next." With off-season time and his speaking ability, how does he round out his career to be even more fulfilling and to give more to the world that only he can uniquely offer. We'll talk to Joel about all of that and more on today's LIVE show from Kansas City! Plus, just like at our live show in Orlando, we're bringing the party with a cast of additional special guest. First, our TIAA difference maker making an impact in her community, we'll talk to Kathleen Webb from Children First CEO Kansas. She'll describe how she decided when her neighbor needed help, to pitch in and do what many will call WAY more than her fair share. Plus, in a our headlines segment, Tracie Fobes, from Penny Pinchin Mom joins us on stage to talk about all the interesting things going on around Kansas City. If you've never visited, consider this Tracie your tour guide! Plus, we'll talk to Fountain City Fintech's Zach Pettet, who reveals a few of the interesting FinTech apps and ideas coming out of Kansas City. And helping us answer your questions, we welcome from LaceyLangford.com... Lacey Langford, and from SteveStewart.com, you guessed, Steve Stewart. PLUS, ever think about taking your unique talent and making it your full time job? Our Kansas City guest announcer Carrie Olsen not only will fight Doug for his job, but she'll also share her story about founding CarrieOlsenVO.com and becoming a voiceover artist working with major brands! We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! Our rockstar band in Kansas City? It's none other than guitar prodigy extraordinaire (plus son of Tracie Fobes)...Garret Fobes. ...and of course, we were joined on stage by our guest co-host, the co-founder of Blooom, Chris Costello. It's a really fun episode in front of a lively crowd who braved some pretty bad weather conditions. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! Thanks to TIAA for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Find out what type of difference maker you are at TIAA Difference Maker 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We kick off live show week with a great story. How about a blogger who owed thousands in student loan debt and turned things around so much that only a few years later she's earning six figures every month and lives on a sailboat? Michelle Shroeder-Gardner joins us live from Orlando, Florida, to help us kick off our Three-Town Tour! But that's not all. Plus, because we're live, we've brought a TON of financial and community stars with us. Helping TIAA support difference makers in the Orlando community, from Rise Against Hunger we welcome Jason Haulbrook. Plus, in a our headlines segment, Josh Elledge from Savings Angel joins us to talk about saving money at hotels; from DIY.FUND, Eric & Wendy Nissan talk about innovating in the Orlando area; helping us answer your questions, Paula Pant from Afford Anything joins us, plus the ladies from the Money Millhouse, Ellie Kay and Bethany Bayless. We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! In Orlando we were helped by the woman behind Planting Money Seeds, Miranda Marquit, and the man from the Inspired Money podcast, Andy Wang. ...and of course, we were joined on stage by our guest co-host, the co-founder of Blooom, Chris Costello. It's a really fun episode in front of a live crowd. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! Thanks to TIAA for supporting Stacking Benjamins and our tour. Find out what type of difference maker you are at TIAA Difference Maker 100. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investors. Right when they turn left they turn right. You've heard lots of stories about people who've lost fortunes...all because they lost their head. Yet one recent publication shows the mindset shift of investors over time and through different market conditions. By knowing what most people think, by learning the psychology of an investor, maybe you can avoid many of their mistakes. We're excited by our roundtable team today because they've all not only made mistakes but they've also helped people overcome mistakes...and because of that, we hand picked them to help pick you up on today's market volatility-themed episode. Today we welcome Kine Corder, Nick True, and Paula Pant to the microphones to help us talk about the investor mindset. Plus, we're throwing out the Friday FinTech segment for a special discussion with Kristen Holt and Dusti Young from Greenpath Financial Wellness. They've designed a #NoSpendNovember month of sound financial tips to help you better manage money as we roll into the holiday season. If you're just starting out with sound financial habits or you're looking for a great place to start, this is a segment you'll want to tune in and hear. Of course, that's not all. We'll also take a call to the help line AND save some room for Doug's amazing 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

We're bringing two specially picked Halloween inspired guests down to the basement today, (and as a bonus, for once we can call all of our cobwebs and flickering lights seasonal decoration. Bonus!) Today we welcome the two brains behind the Mad Money Monster blog, Mr. and Mrs. Mad Money Monster. And speaking halloween decorations, Mr. Mad Money Monster, (or Harrison for short), is also a horror film director! Not only are we going to discuss practical money habits gone scary, we'll also peek into the mind of a director who sets out to scare us ALL. Plus, in our headlines segment, we're looking at a response letter penned by Blink-182 frontman, Tom DeLonge. It was previously reported that Tom's UFO organization accumulated $37 million worth of debt. Tom fired back that the original reporter didn't understand the SEC filing that the report is based on. Bottom line? Someone in this argument is VERY wrong. Later on we'll answer Doug's trivia question, and a listener letter from Mike. With dollar cost averaging in mind, what's the best way for Mike to transfer his money from his target date funds over to an S&P 500 index fund? And don't you worry, we'll still have time to throw out the Haven Life line to John, who wants to know if he can use his HSA in other countries just like he can here in the good ole USA. Thanks to Mack Weldon for supporting our channel. Save 20% off your first order at MackWeldon.com - promo code: sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're kicking off the week talking about new jobs, annuities, paying down your mortgage, and spreadsheets....that's right, it's our favorite episode: we're answering YOUR letters. Joseph's got his first "big boy" job as an engineer after college. He's already got his eyes set on financial independence, what steps should he be taking to get there? Next, Gwen wants to know the reasoning behind not paying off your mortgage early. Wouldn't it be better to put $500 towards the mortgage each week rather than investing that amount? We're also answering a numbers question from Axel, who has a big question about calculating the end number for retirement. Based on the equation, Axel should have a lot more money than he actually does. What does that mean 40 years down the road? Plus, in today's headline segment, is FAANG out the door? We're shining the spotlight on one recent piece that says we should be looking at "MAAN" stocks to lead us into the future. What new companies comprise MANN? Is it a good idea to change your way of investing? Then, in our second headline, insurer Ohio National is rolling out some big changes by eliminating advisor compensation on variable annuities. We'll talk to Lauren Minches from Blueprint Income for her take on why so many companies are changing so much in the annuity business. Thanks to Mack Weldon for supporting our channel. Save 20% off your first order at MackWeldon.com - promo code: sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just like how you need to know where the pedals are when you ride a bike, learning the key financial terms is an important part of your success as a saver. What are the most important terms to know? We're joined by Tom Drake from the Maple Money podcast, CFP Katie Brewer from Your Richest Life Planning, and Paula Pant, to tackle most of the basics. Which of these terms do you know? We'll also talk to Lucas Hall, who we give us a walk through this week's Friday FinTech featured company, Cozy. If you're a landlord or you're a renter, Cozy might be a company you'll want to know more about. They help landlords make life easy for themselves and for their renters. We'll talk about common problems landlords have and how this particular company has attacked those issues. Finally, we'll answer a listener call for help AND save some room for Doug's amazing 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we bring you two fantastic podcast episodes in a single package! As part of our three city tour we headed to Orlando, where Chris Browning and the Popcorn Finance podcast took the stage. Chris tackles some of his (and the audience's) biggest money wins and failures. He talks about controlling spending, buying some dumb stuff, listening to some bad advice, and more. And in the second half of our show, Joel Goldberg and the Rounding the Bases podcast take center stage from our show in Kansas City. Joel welcomes one of the best storytellers we've ever heard, Bob Kendrick, from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, to introduce people to some of the stories, adversity, culture, and excitement of the Negro Leagues. You're going to love these stories. Think they're about sports? Think again. Bob will talk about entrepreneurship, business opportunities, creating a successful team, and the value of strong leadership. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com/blooom and enter promo code SB for a month free! TIAA has brought some FANTASTIC difference makers to our Three-Town Tour. Learn what type of difference maker you are at TIAADifferenceMaker100.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Need inspiration to pay off your debt? We have it today. Alaya Linton from the blog HopeandCents.com and her husband paid off over $74,000 of debt in....wait for it....25 months. She'll walk us through all of the bad decisions she made wracking up the debt, then hitting the wall where suddenly she was in huge financial trouble, her first credit card denial, her car being repossessed, and more. But then she'll also share how her family changed and she attacked her debt and paid it off in 25 short months. She'll discuss how she kept her family involved, what she cut, how she budgeted, and what debts she paid off first. Plus, in today's headline segment, an unlikely source says that the future of advice is going to come from humans. Who would say something so crazy? You'll find out. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line and take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Nutrafol for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get your first month supply with a subscription plan for $10 nutrafol.com and promo code SB 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

What's the ONE thing you need to figure out to get what you really want? A popular blogger wrote a piece on the topic and today we have a special all-guest panel to help us work through it. On today's show we welcome, from the Hippocratic Hustle podcast, Dr. Carrie Reynolds, and from the Poorer than You blog, Stephonee....AND also, the guy behind the Financial Residency podcast, Ryan Inman. In our Friday FinTech segment we're taking a break from showing you the hottest new gadget to helping you build it. Have a great idea for the next hot FinTech app? Jake Hare has helped hundreds of potential app developers bring their idea to market and today he's going to talk about forming and executing on your next great idea. That's not all...of course we'll still have Doug's trivia segment AND answer a listener call for help...all because we care, and because that's what we do on Friday. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices