The Stacking Benjamins Show

Here's a success story: Brynne was couch surfing because she had nowhere to go and now is releasing one of the biggest financial books of the year. Think that isn't inspirational? Oh, we've got inspriation in spades on today's show. Whether you're thinking about maybe starting a business or looking to pump up your side hustle or business, today is for you. If you're looking to figure out how to make your bad situation better....Brynne has been there. Maybe you're actually trying to start a business? Creating a new business from the ground up can be a monumental task and can seem impossible to do. But, like with anything, breaking down the process into smaller manageable steps can make starting a business feel like it's within arms reach. Helping us break down this whole side hustle business (see what we did there?) is our featured guest, from the Femme Frugality blog AND the author of the new Feminist Financial Handbook, we welcome Brynne Conroy. Plus, in our headlines segment, the U.S. government has announced that new social security increases are on the way. We'll dig into why that's exciting news and just how much is on the table. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, and a listener letter from Mario... who wants to know what we think about investing in target date funds for retirement, AND throw out the Haven Life line to Matt. Matt's wife has some medical debt they pay on monthly, but interest accrues daily. What can they do? 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

Spend $10 on fast-food at lunch, or carry in a bag lunch to eat in at the office? Order some delivery for dinner because you're too busy, or meal prep at the beginning of the week? Small choices we choose each day turn into habits that make up the backbone of our money decisions. It's easy to say, "I'm going to spend less money this week," but it's a lot harder to actually ACT on those choices throughout the week. Turning our bad habits into good habits is key to great financial health. Today we're bringing down the guy who wrote the book on the topic...the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear. Plus, in today's headlines, the stock market has been a little shaky lately, if you haven't noticed. Should investors be worried? We'll have a few words for people experiencing "market panic." And in our second headline, what are the best places for new retirees to live? You'll be a bit surprised at some of the places that made this year's list. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line to David, who is dollar-cost averaging into a Schwab S&P 500 index fund. He is already maxing out the "usual" accounts, so is a taxable fund the best place to stash the rest of his cash? And in our letter from the mailbag segment, we'll answer a question from Natalie. Natalie and her boyfriend are both debt free and are also maxing out the accounts: HSA's, Roth IRA's, and their company 401k's up to their match. They may want to buy a house in 5 years, but there's nothing else on the horizon. What should they be doing with their money they're not spending or putting away for retirement? And don't worry... we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to RXBAR for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 25% off your first order at RXbar.com/sb, Promo Code: SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Being financially prudent is one thing, but when does saving money cross the line into being extremely, and possibly even grossly, frugal? Helping us answer these questions are today's special guests: from the Mr. Fi Guy blog, it's Mr. Fi (or as his friends call him...Taylor); from the Fire Drill Podcast, we welcome Gwen Mertz; and from this here podcast, we welcome our very own OG. Halfway through the show we'll take a little break to talk to Jason Brown from Tally. Making the decision to get on the road to financial freedom is a good one, and paying off credit cards and debt can be a major road block. We'll sit down with Jason doing our FinTech segment and see just how his company is setting out to help people climb out of debt. And of course, we'll still have take some time to throw out the Haven Life Line to Joe, who wants to retire in the next few years. There's just one problem: Joe has no goals for retirement life. Can we throw some resources his way so he can figure out what he wants to do? 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 do you become a money pro? Like most people...you start off as a financial nightmare and you learn the hard lessons that teach you how to be much better with your Benjamins. Belinda Rosenblum lived that life....she was horrible with budgets and used archaic systems that didn't work to keep track of both her own bills and those of family members she cared for. You'll hear the story today of how she went from being completely disorganized to becoming a Money Ninja working for her clients. Plus, in our headlines segment, it looks like mortgage rates are going up and so are bond rates...what's the correlation? We'll explain how these two work in tandem. Plus a new FINRA proposal would allow brokers to ease restrictions on brokers' outside activities. Why are some organizations against this? What would this have to do with your money? We'll explain the plusses and minuses of this proposal. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, a listener letter from Shaun, who asks about betting with some zero percent money he can borrow and invest AND throw out the Haven Life line to Allen, who wants to know about how to make back door Roth IRA contributions. 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

Our featured guest coming down to the basement has two kids... and he still kicked his job to the curb and made the jump to the self-employed route. Why did he do it? And HOW did he do it? Lee Huffman will tell us the story today. Plus, in today's headlines, USAA's Director of Life and Health Insurance, Sean Scaturro will walk us through open enrollment and health insurance, which can be a pretty daunting thing to take on. In our second headline, what are the hidden costs behind Amazon's recent wage hike for their workers? You might be surprise at what's REALLY going on. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line to Ethan, who has a few questions on backdoor Roth conversions. Plus we'll answer a letter from Elizabeth, who's a little late to the financial game. What should her investing focus be... and what are some good financial tips for someone who got into the game later on? Of course, 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

Long-time basement listeners know what the Friday after FinCon means... it's our episode you know and love: when we take you on a tour of some of the biggest innovations and coolest concepts we see at the show. So, just what are we covering this year? While plenty of companies are doing amazing work to help everyday people save, invest, and become financially independent, we brought to our microphones a few of our favorites. Today you'll hear stories from brands like USAA, and what they're cooking up in their labs, and Chris Hutchins at Grove, where they're inventing financial planning tools for the masses, and many more innovation-themed talks about the future of your money, (and wallet). Of course, we'll still save time for some of 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 RXBAR for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 25% off your first order at RXbar.com/sb, Promo Code: SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today in the basement we're turning inner strength into outer money success with financial coach Beth Burns. Plus, in our headlines segment, do you live in one of the least financially savvy states? We'll go over that list... plus tell you which side of Texarkana had the honor of (not) making the list. And in our second headline... Mark Cuban once said that, "if you use a credit card, you don't want to be rich." Does he really mean exactly that? We'll jump in more during the show. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, a listener letter about adjusted gross income and modified adjusted gross income, AND throw out the Haven Life line to Nick, who's side hustle has quickly became his main hustle. With a new house this year, plus a baby, and still tackling student debt... what should Nick and his wife be doing with all of his new found cash? What type of financial advisor should a person in Nick's position be looking out for? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! 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

You first heard him on our Friday roundtable episode... and now he's coming back for his victory lap (and the mic all to himself). Today we welcome Mr.Groovy, of Freedom is Groovy to talk all things financial independence. How did he become financially independent in a short time after not saving much well into his forties? How does he make sure he's healthy so he can pursue the things he saved money for in the first place? PLUS, in our headlines segment, it's been 10 years since the last market crash. What could company retirement plans do better to help people weather the storm? Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Shane. Some jobs are more likely to provoke lawsuits than others. What are some strategies for professionals who might get sued? And as always... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia AND to answer one well written letter to the podcast. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Thanks to RXBAR for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 25% off your first order at RXbar.com/sb, Promo Code: SB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever lied about how much money you make? Most likely, along with the rest of us, you've probably puffed up the number at least once in your life. So exactly why do people lie? Helping us discuss fibbing to spouses and to statisticians is our special guest, Hilary Hendershott. Also helping, we welcome our good friend Paula Pant, and from our very own podcast, OG. Halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk to one CEO whose company, RateGravity, is disrupting the mortgage industry. And in typical Stacking Benjamins style, we'll also find time to answer Doug's trivia AND help out a caller who left the basement a voicemail from Leo, who with his wife has worked hard to reach financial independence... and can't seem to give himself permission to have some fun. 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 Emperor Investments for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to emperorinvests.com/sb and select "Stacking Benjamins podcast" when asked how you heard about the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're pulling out all the stops today because we're talking to a special guest that you may (or may not) have heard of... Suze Orman. We'll talk all things women and money, mentorship, understanding your investments and financial tools, and more. Plus, during our headlines segment we're extra packed because we're delivering three awesome headlines. First: is Robinhood really making MILLIONS by selling out millennials' user data? One group thinks so. And if that wasn't enough, in a retirement plan court fight, one retirement fund is fighting back against participants that sued the employer by asking for monetary sanctions against the six employee-plaintiffs and the law firm that represented them. But that's not all....because we're also dissecting one piece about Barry White and the estate he left behind. How much of your estate does your girlfriend receive when you've been separated from your wife for two decades (but never actually divorced her?)...do we have some news for you... Of course, we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, throw out the Haven Life line to Martin, who needs some answers on how to get out of his in-laws' basement, and answer a listener letter about investing in leveraged ETF's. Is it a good idea? We'll dive in during the show. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to Emperor Investments for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to emperorinvests.com/sb and select "Stacking Benjamins podcast" when asked how you heard about the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're kicking off Monday by talking by asking, how do you achieve quantum success with your career and your MONEY? Helping us improve our financial lives is today's special guest, Christy Whitman. Plus, in our headlines segment, would you enjoy being called a "boring" investor? And in our second headline... a company is offering insurance for space travel, what's up with that? Later on, we'll tackle a voicemail on the Haven Life Line... with a baby on the way what should Michael and his wife be doing with their extra income? We'll also try to help Jackson, who wrote today's letter to the show. He has a job and has recently graduated from college, so now Jackson wants to move out of his parents' home in the next year. He already has some savings built up... so what's his next few moves? And as always... we'll still have 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. Thanks to Emperor Investments for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to emperorinvests.com/sb and select "Stacking Benjamins podcast" when asked how you heard about the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder what outside factors are keeping you from making more money? If so, it turns out you're not the only one asking that nagging question... big surprise there! Helping us cover a recently released blog post covering many reasons why you aren't making more (and what to do about it) we're rolling in our "A" team: Paula Pant, Len Penzo, and OG. It's important to consider automation, robots, inflation, wage stagflation, employer collusion, a proliferation of workers who are highly educated, and more. It's even more important to know what you'll do about it, now that you're armed with all the reasons why. There's no reason to not be making more money, whether with more money from your primary income, with a side business, or using other strategies (such as passive investments). Of course, that's not all. We'll still have time to answer a voicemail from a listener, and to answer Doug's trivia. Drew recently changed employers. What are the options he should be aware of? Are there time constraints we should be watching out for? 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 would you do if you found yourself with a big inheritance? You might have some ideas on that, but do you really know what you SHOULD do if you found yourself in that situation? Helping us with just that question is our special guest, Doug Goldstein. Doug will explain what you need to know if you found yourself in an inheritance situation in easy to understand steps. Plus, in our headlines segment, we're discussing one piece that looks at the 401k funds that took a beating in 2008. Could it be impacting you? Plus, we'll have a surprise headline in the form of a Stacking Benjamins language course... but don't count on it being in French. Of course, we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, throw out the Haven Life line to Dany who wants to know more about stocks that pay out dividends, and answer a listener letter about investing side-gig money. It's a content-packed episode today... enjoy! Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! 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

Need a kick in the pants when it comes to your career? Time to look inward and make some improvements? Check. We've got you covered. Thinking about selling....anything, but maybe even real estate? Check. We've also got YOU covered. Need a healthy spoonful of laughs (and a surprise or two) in our headlines? We've got that covered too. Coming down to the basement to share the sometimes painful but always poignant story about how he went from zero to million dollar listings... we welcome Million Dollar Listing reality television star and author of Sell It Like Serhant, Ryan Serhant. It took Ryan years to discover what his competitive advantage was... and he's going to share it with you today. But that's not all. In our headlines segment, we'll discuss a new checking account with features that look and smell a lot like those offered by credit card companies. Is this the future? Should you switch banks? We'll discuss. Plus, we'll share a story about a bride who might have asked her guests for a touch more than they were prepared to give. Of course, we'll also throw out the Haven Life line, answer a letter from the mailbag, and to celebrate tonight's award show, share some of Doug's Emmy-related trivia. Thanks to Emperor Investments for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to emperorinvests.com/sb and select "Stacking Benjamins podcast" when asked how you heard about the show. 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

A special BONUS treat! We've asked Mr. Plutus Awards Harlan Landes and our friend (and Plutus Award team member) Miranda Marquit down to the basement to share this years finalists, and they agreed! They'll spend a little time sharing ALL of the finalists in every category. Is your favorite nominated? Are there fresh new names of blogs, podcasts, You Tube videos, or social media sharers that you need to add? We'll share the complete list on today's podcast. Then in our EPIC panel discussion, we'll spend about 90 minutes hashing out ten of the categories. Who are the dark horses to win? Who could surprise? What names should win, and who do our panelists want to win? We'll dig in deeper on today's podcast! We still have a great episode in the morning (Ryan Serhant from Million Dollar Listing joins us!). It's a busy week here in basement-land.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spend $8 at the coffee shop, $5 dollars for a little snack later on... maybe $20 eating dinner at a restaurant with your co-workers later tonight. Rinse, wash, and repeat a few days a week and you'll start to wonder where all that extra cash you're supposed to have in your wallet actually went. And maybe you're not leaving your money "faucet" on full pressure all the time, but like any homeowner can tell you, even a constant drip can run up a bill at the end of the month. Helping us face our own money leaks today, from the Mad Money Monster blog, we welcome Lisa Harrison. Rounding out our contributors today is Paula Pant (from Afford Anything) and Len Penzo (from LenPenzo.com). But that's not all... we'll also have time for Doug's trivia, and also will tackle a voicemail from a listener. Derek wants to know how you explain the concept of a non-physical thing, such as cash or credit on a card, to young kids? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to Warby Parker for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Order your FREE Home Try-On’s at warbyparker.com/sb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever want to see how someone else lives and spends money? The Money Diaries, a wildly popular feature at Refinery29, digs into the personal lives of people who volunteer to share the details of their lives and expenses. What you find, are lots of lessons that now Work & Money editor Lindsey Stanberry has compiled and used as the basis for a new book which dishes out popular lessons on money, from setting a plan, to paying off debt, to insurances and investing. It's all here and we're excited that Lindsey is coming today to the basement to share some of the biggest lessons. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll list off the 10 highest paying jobs in the USA. There might be some trends that you may want to explore if you're looking for your next employment opportunity. We'll also share lessons about other careers NOT listed among the top ten. Also, in our second headline, one big ETF company is cutting some funds from its lineup. Are you invested in any of them? Even if you're not, what happens to the money from the investment, and what should you do if it happens to you in the future? We'll share all of the details. And of course, we'll still have time for Doug's trivia, throw out the Haven Life line, and answer your questions from the mailbag. Thanks also 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 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

Do you have what it takes to be a wealthy heiress (or heir)? Our friend Linda P. Jones says that you already have the ingredients...now you just need to dive in and show your prowess. She'll take you through the steps to claim your wealth, and we'll talk about investing based on cycles and momentum on today's show. Plus, in our headlines segment, a new study shows that financial pros want the best of all worlds...active management with passive-like fees. Is that a pipe dream or is it really on the horizon? We'll mull it over. Plus, banks are protecting themselves with some additional language you should put on your checks if using mobile deposit. What are the words? Will it also protect you? We'll share everything on today's show. Of course, that's not all. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line, answer a letter from the mail bag, and more! Thanks to Warby Parker for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Order your FREE Home Try-On’s at warbyparker.com/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

We're finishing this week strong with today's rewind episode. Featuring Joe, Len Penzo, and Paula Pant, this roundtable has our group looking back at their 20's. What sort of money education would have made their lives easier? Later on the show, the group asks themselves: what's the deal with tipping? And should you tip the takeout host? When is it appropriate to leave a tip? The gang answered all that, and more, on today's episode. PLUS, in our FinTech segment, we talked to Ross Kimbarovsky from Respect. Worried about elder care for your relatives? Ross and his team rolled out some new systems to address the issues in elder care. We'll be back on Monday with a whole new batch of fresh episodes. See you then! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pay down your debts, or invest in the market? Upgrade to a new car, or start stashing away money for a house? Opportunity costs face us everyday, and today, we're rolling back the clock to when we sat down with Emily Guy Birken, who explains just how it all works. Plus, we talk on the problems with "free", sunk costs, and other strategies to manage money. In our headlines we're talking Johnny Deep (remember that phase?), and talk financial knowledge. How much does the average person learn about money over their lifetime? You'll be surprised with the answer. In this full-featured rewind episode we also answered the Haven Life Line about an important (and not uncommon) tax question you may relate to, get around to Doug's trivia, and a listener letter. The original show notes can be found here. This episode originally aired May 17th,2017. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're rolling back the clock to one of our extra-stuffed letters episodes. The guys will cover questions about buying homes, paying down student debt, investing, bitcoin and more. Then in the headlines segment the guys looked at mistakes that investors are prone to make...PLUS one policy from an insurance company that was a bit ridiculous. The original show notes can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're ending this eight week series of shows on a very special note, with some awesome guests and fun surprises! First, have you ever groaned while paying the same debt payment over and over every single month? Sure you have! Today we'll talk to our guests Chelsea Brennan from Mama Fish Saves and her reader Megan Grossi who hatched a BRILLIANT plan to make paying down student loans (or any loan for that matter) more fun. We can't wait for you to hear it. But that's not all we can't wait for you to hear. Pam Andrews' son grabbed over $700,000 in scholarships and completely avoided student loans. How did he do it...and can you do it too? Pam believes you can, and that's why she created her company the Scholarship Shark. She'll walk us through the process today. AND in our Friday Fintech segment, you've heard Emperor Investments on our shows lately...but exactly how do they work? We invited the co-founders, Brenna Casserly and Francis Tapon to join us with a quick walkthrough of how they work. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've diligently saved and invested. You've taken careful care of your money, and you're now ready to enjoy your golden years...but your tax situation isn't what you'd expected and now you have a whole lot less money than you'd hoped. That's the situation that today's guest is hoping to help you eliminate by taking taxes out of the savings equation as much as possible. Coming down to the basement today we welcome the author of the bestselling book The Power of Zero, David McKnight. PLUS, in our headlines segment, one company is upping the credit card rewards game. Is it worth jumping on board? We'll share our thought on that, along with the details of the 2018 TIAA Plan Sponsor Survey results. What are employees looking for from their employer when it comes to saving for retirement goals? We'll dive into the results and maybe find some common ground between employers and employers today. Of course we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, plus tackle a Haven Life Line letter and more, on today's show. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. And don't forget about our Three-Town Tour! The award winning Stacking Benjamins podcast is coming LIVE to a stage near you. Find out more on our Tour Page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking to get into real estate? Or maybe you're hoping to clock out of work early... permanently? Today we're bringing down to the basement the guy who used real estate to make sure his family was in great financial shape at an early age, Chad "Coach" Carson. Whether you're interested in flipping houses, buying and holding, or just curious about how to get started, we'll talk all things real estate on today's podcast. PLUS, in our headlines segment, is active investing dead? One pundit says that calls of the death of active investing are exaggerated, and points to four ways we'll use active investments in the future. Looking for some ways to beat an index? Today we'll point to four possibilities. And in our second headline, are you using your 401k like an ATM machine? We'll tackle a recent piece about workers who cash out their 401k plan well before they should. Of course, we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, we'll throw out the Haven Life line, and answer a listener letter. Looking for something deeper than what we give you on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker. And don't forget about our Three-Town Tour! The award winning Stacking Benjamins podcast is coming LIVE to a stage near you. Find out more on our Tour Page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices