The Stacking Benjamins Show

According to MyCollegeGuide.org, the average cost of tuition in the USA ranges from just over $8,000 for an in-state public experience to a whopping $28,500 for a private school. How do you afford those numbers, and also all of the other costs like room and board, books, and transportation? James DiUlio knows all about college costs and saving for it, so we're happy he's going to tell us about 529 plans. How do they work best, when should you use a 529 plan, what tax breaks should you expect, and how are they different than other college planning vehicles? In our headline segment we talk about people who've labored hard to become millionaires. What are some common traits of the wealthy? We'll share some surprising numbers. We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line, feature some Labor Day trivia from Doug, and more. Special thanks to M1Finance and Tiller for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of these awesome companies. Want to test drive M1Finance? Use code StackingBenjamins when signing up for a FULL year free.... (expires 10/31/17) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you struggle to understand the difference between investing basics? You aren't alone. Often financial pros and veterans use jargon that sounds like they're speaking a different language. Today our roundtable discussion with focus on helping you dive into the pool. Of course, because it's a roundtable discussion, that's not all! We'll talk about two other topics ripped from financial publication headlines, and in the middle of the show share some new FinTech! Today we talk to Andrew Dietrich from Final, a company figuring out how to innovate in the credit card space. This is a rewind episode of the Stacking Benjamins show from a year ago. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some careers seem glamorous, and working for an airline while jet setting around the world might sound near the top. Today Betty Thesky from Betty in the Sky With a Suitcase tells us tales of what REALLY happens when you board a plane. We'll talk investing stories at 30,000 ft., why you don't take Ambien and alcohol together, and much more. Of course, we'll have financial headlines, answer your letters, and diving into Doug's financial trivia also in this awesome rewind episode of the Stacking Benjamins show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We generally detest rules of thumb. Why not just do the actual math...which is generally easier than many people think? We'll take you through our top 5 list today of the times when we think rules of thumb can be the most dangerous. Of course, it's the Stacking Benjamins show, so that isn't all. There are also headlines, your letters, trivia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To what degree is not having money a mindset? We ask our panel, including guest Whitney Hanson from the Money Nerds podcast Of course, we don't stop there. We also tackle a recent piece about tricking yourself into getting money saved. How do you save more? Play a game of hide and seek.... Finally, we tell some money stories, and as always, they team comes up with some great ones. In our Friday FinTech segment, Justin Howell, CEO of Rize, a cool goal-setting and savings app, joins us to talk about two HUGE add ons to their app that'll help you make saving more money a breeze. He'll also give away some CASH to people who sign up, because you listened to the show.... See? We even MAKE you money when you listen today. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com and FamZoo.com for sponsoring our show, and thanks also to everyone who's visited Amazon.com using our link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are men or women better investors? We'll find out today...but who cares? Regardless, don't you want to emulate the traits of the BEST investors? Alexandra Taussig from Fidelity Investments joins us to share some finding from a new study on the sexes. We'll detail who invests and saves better and throw you some tips that'll turn you into a saving and investing machine. In our headlines segment we continue the conversation about investing, by focusing on a piece about chasing gains. Feel like your portfolio isn't moving as it should? You probably don't want to make the moves SOME investors are making lately. It could cost you plenty. Of course that's not all....we STILL have time to throw out the Haven Life line, bring on Doug's trivia, share some bad jokes, and lots more.... Huge thanks to Roofstock and MagnifyMoney.com for helping us with today's show and through the years on this show. They're awesome companies and if you're not using them, I'm not sure you know what you're missing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's a rock star and your money have in common? Rocker Gooding is criss-crossing the USA teaching kids financial literacy and today he's talking with us about money lessons and great music. He'll share some great money ideas from non-profit Funding the Future, and also share some of his hit songs. How up to date is your homeowners against catastrophic losses? ServiceMaster Restore's Pete Dunkanson joins us in our headlines segment to help you tweak your homeowner's coverage so that you're prepared if the worst occurs. Consider yourself a buy-and-hold investor? In our headline segment we discuss a recent Wall Street Journal piece that describes what a down market does to the average "buy and hold" investor. What should you change about your strategy? We'll discuss that! We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line, feature some rock and roll trivia from Doug, and more. Special thanks to M1Finance and Tiller for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of this awesome company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you buy a car? Very carefully! Saving for a car can be a HUGE undertaking....and financing one can be even harder to pull off. Luckily, we have you covered on today's episode! We have car geek Jason Vitug, author of You Only Live Once paired with Elle Martinez from Couple Money and Renee Horne from USAA! Of course, we don't stop there. We also talk financial security with Jarek Kaplan from OppLoans. How do you get your money FINALLY moving in the right direction? He'll share how his company works to get your credit score moving north in no time.... Thanks to USAA for sponsoring our show, and thanks also to everyone who's visited Amazon.com using our link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Financial planning is often tactical instead of strategic. CFP Jason Mirabella realized just a few years ago that there was a better way to accomplish financial planning, and already he's seen amazing results with clients. How does his process work? Where are people going astray with their plans? We'll talk to Jason all about the good, bad, and ugly of financial planning on today's show. We'll even talk about why he doesn't love budgets, and how he helps people plan their daily finances with a better method. Of course that's not all....in our headline segment we talk to Tushar Yadava from iShares about Blackrock's second quarter review and third quarter outlook. Do they think this stock market run will continue? Can the economy continue to expand? He shares a surprising answer with us. Plus, we STILL have time to throw out the Haven Life line, bring on Doug's trivia, share some bad jokes, and lots more.... Huge thanks to Roofstock (check them out for real estate) and MagnifyMoney.com (when you're comparing financial tools like credit cards and savings accounts) for helping us with today's show. They're awesome companies and if you're not using them, I'm not sure you know what you're missing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you ask stock market pros what the key is to a great stock pick, they'll disagree...but MANY will say that "free cash flow" is a huge key toward winning. If it's great for companies, isn't it also great for people? Al Zdenek believes that cash flow is your key to success, and he's here today to share with you how to improve your cash flow so that you're able to In our headline segment we talk about the hottest mutual funds of the last three years. What do you need to know? Who are the biggest winners? We'll share that AND our opinion..... Plus, it's Social Security day (how are you celebrating?), and we share some horrible news about a new Social Security scam that's sure to make your skin crawl. We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line, feature some hair-raising trivia from Doug, and more. Special thanks to M1Finance and Tiller for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of this awesome company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you save a million dollars (we said in our coolest Austin Powers voice....). We'll discuss a recent online piece that goes over that on our Friday roundtable! Special guest, and Hip Hop's Financial Advisor Rob Wilson joins Paula Pant and Len Penzo in a no-holds-barred conversation on saving more money. Of course, we don't stop there. We also tackle a recent Time story about millennials. Apparently, ONE trick is helping them save more money. We'll share not only what it is but also additional tricks to save more money. Finally, we review a Moneyologist column question about taking care of a brother's money. If he can't do it himself, how much should sister step in? In our Friday FinTech segment, we talk to the CEO of GO, a cool app that'll help you more quickly (and by more quickly, we mean WAY more quickly) your car insurance. It's as easy as taking a photo.... Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com and FamZoo.com for sponsoring our show, and thanks also to everyone who's visited Amazon.com using our link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, sandwich lovers! What better way to talk about the ugliness of inflation than comparing the cost of a sandwich from year to year? Len Penzo every year does exactly that. By comparing the cost of a sandwich, we tackle back to school costs, nutrition, and also the specter of inflation...all in one discussion. In our headlines segment we talk to Jamie Wise from the BUZZ Index (ticker BUZ) about online social media buzz about stocks. LOTS of chatter going on over the last month. We'll talk Netflix, biotech, and more on today's podcast. Of course that's not all....we STILL have time to throw out the Haven Life line, bring on Doug's trivia, share some bad jokes, and lots more.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

401k plans, Roth IRAs, Coverdell IRAs, separately managed accounts, and more. What do they have in common? YOU asked about all of these and more on today's show! Our letters episodes are some of our most downloaded podcasts and today we'll fill empty the mailbag by answering SEVEN of your questions to the podcast. In our headline segment we kiss the MyRA goodbye. Why did it fail? While we don't know the reason for sure, the guys discuss what might have gone wrong and if you were hoping to use the MyRA, what some great alternatives might be. We also talk to Mike Brown from LendEDU about their recent credit cards and millennials survey. Wait until you see what SOME millennials think happens to your credit score when you miss a payment. You'll be shocked.... We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line, feature some hair-raising trivia from Doug, and more. Special thanks to M1Finance and Tiller for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of this awesome company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the best ways to invest? In a recent piece, Ramit Sethi (I Will Teach You To Be Rich) detailed what he thinks are the four best starting points for people in their 20's. Are they the best? We're excited that Investment News' 40 Under 40 honoree Eric Roberge joins Paula Pant from Afford Anything and Joe to tackle all four of Ramit's strategies. Of course, that isn't all. Next we discuss the active vs. passive investment debate. Which is better? A recent piece says that this particular debate isn't the right one to have. Instead, we should talk about what's right for the investor, based on their beliefs and their needs. Do you agree? Does our roundtable agree? You'll find out today! We finish off our discussion with a rousing debate about another crazy Marketwatch.com Moneyologist question. Today's question? If your boss asks you to take a roommate, should you charge the person rent? ...that's not all of the question, but we get some GREAT answers from our roundtable participants. In our Friday FinTech segment, JJ Ramberg from Gumdrop joins us. Are you back to school shopping? Searching for great deals? Hoping to also help some charitable causes? We'll show you how Gumdrop works on all of those fronts today! Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com and FamZoo.com for sponsoring our show, and thanks also to everyone who's visited Amazon.com using our link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why aren't you saving more? How about $15,000 a year more? Our guest today just organized her financial picture and saved a TON of money. Anna Davies saved by doing the little things that people talk about all the time. Today's topic isn't about "have you heard it." It's about "have you done it?" We also have time to throw out the Haven Life line, bring on Doug's trivia, share some bad jokes, and lots more.... Huge thanks to Roofstock for helping us with today's show. New to real estate or a seasoned investor looking for a better partner? Check out Roofstock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bernie Madoff perpetrated the largest scam of investor money in history. How? Today we're thrilled to talk to the author of the book which HBO has now made into a four time Emmy-nominated film, The Wizard Of Lies," Diana Henriques. We'll discuss the scandal, her interactions with Madoff, and what we can learn from this tragedy. In our headline segment we ask the question, "What happens to your HSA during retirement?" Morningstar asked the same question in a recent article, and the guys review it and discuss many retirement options. We then turn to a recent survey by GenFKD about millennials and homes. Apparently many millennials would like to buy a home but they're fighting an uphill battle. We talk with David Grasso from GenFKD about their findings. We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line to Conrad, who's concerned about our new sponsor, and we'll answer a letter from the mailbag. Special thanks to M1Finance for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of this awesome company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A big problem that we have at the Stacking Benjamins show is that nobody ever talks about their mistakes. So today....as our final topic, we discuss a BIG financial mistake we've all made. One of us shares a DOOZY. We'll let you listen to hear which one. We also cover (as we do EVERY Friday), LOTS of other topics, including perks that your company SHOULD offer if they want to keep employees long term, and also In our Friday FinTech segment we have a great guest...Neal Stern from AICPA joins us to talk about a new online game you can play that will teach you the basics of money-making decisions! Yesterday's Tomorrow teaches concepts about life from birth to the grave. You'll learn a lot, and Neal takes us through the game to tell us all about it. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show, and thanks also to everyone who's visited Amazon.com using our link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes money lessons resonate. After 500 episodes, we've heard LOTS of lessons. Get a 15 year mortgage, get a 30 year mortgage. Pay off your debt faster, THEN save. Pay off debt slowly AND save at the same time. What advice is right? What sticks? On today's show we'll share what OG and Joe think stuck for them. Our Top 5 episodes have been some of long-time listener favorites, so today we're bringing it back with a special top 5....which 5 lessons from guests and contributors have been the ones that we should ALL remember. But a big part of today's show comes from YOU. We'll play some of your big wins from the years that we've completed 500 shows. It's AMAZING to us what the people in this community have accomplished. You've paid off incredible amounts of debt, learned to invest, started a savings plan, created a budget...and more importantly? You've achieved some amazing goals, like buying houses, retiring, putting kids through college....we're in awe of your ability to achieve. You inspire us. Thank you! Of course that's not all....we STILL have time to throw out the Haven Life line, bring on Doug's trivia, share some bad jokes, and lots more.... Huge thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for helping us with today's show and through the years on this show. They're an awesome company and if you're not using them, I'm not sure you know what you're missing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What would happen if you lost more than $50,000 that was meant for your first home? Shannyn Allen lived that harrowing nightmare and she's going to share the story today. She unknowingly handed a hacker $50,000 , and will share the mistakes that were made around her situation, and will also let you know the steps YOU should take if you're even in a similar situation. It's a raw, horrifying story, and also one of the longest interviews we've done on Stacking Benjamins in a long, long time. In our headline segment we talk about Beyonce and Jay-Z. It appears they're spending money like they're....Beyonce and Jay-Z. What does that have to do with you? We'll share that on today's show. Also, Jamie Wise from the Buzz Indexes shares with us some welcome news about oil prices. Are we seeing the lows in oil? He'll share the wisdom of social media chatter on today's podcast. Of course, that's not all. Doug has yet another hare-brained scheme to become wealthy....but still has time to share some trivia. We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line to Nikki, who asks an existential question about money and goals, plus answer a letter from Jason about the Roth IRA. Special thanks to M1Finance for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of these awesome companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investment tips abound on today's podcast. We cover the keys to successful investing, so you can STOP making critical investment mistakes. Then we pivot to some money mistakes people on their 40's make (don't worry...even if you aren't in your 40's these will apply to you). We'll then talk about mistakes a certain bear in England made, and how you can avoid those. Jason Parker from Sound Retirement Radio joins our panel that also includes Paula Pant and Len Penzo on today's show! Want to travel the world? In our Friday FinTech segment we have a great guest...Lauren Proctor from Jobbatical joins us to describe how you can work your way around the globe with help from her firm and companies that need help in regions you might be hoping to explore. It's an interesting concept and a way to expand your horizons you may not have considered. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show, and thanks also to everyone who's visited Amazon.com using our link! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking for the reason to invest a quarter of a million dollars wisely? On today's show, Joe and OG answer your questions, including how to save a bunch of money away at one time. BUT that's not all. We throw out the Haven Life line, bring on Doug's trivia, share some bad jokes, and lots more.... Huge thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for helping us with today's show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices