Popcorn Finance

Should I be investing in a HSA instead of a 401(k)? Last week, we tackled some HSA questions from a listener. Today Andrew Giancola, host of The Personal Finance Podcast, is back to dive into the finer details of HSAs, including how to access your money and how he uses one for retirement. Part 1: Ep. 441 Connect with Andrew Instagram | Website | The Personal Finance Podcast | Youtube Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a cap on how much in taxes the Federal Government can take from your paycheck and it is not as high as you think. Plus, you should use this episode as a reminder to check in on those CDs you opened last year. You might find a drop in your interest rate. We’ll discuss this and more in today’s episode of Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 37% This is the highest Federal tax bracket... but only if you make more than $578,126 Today’s Article  How High-Yield CDs Turn Into 0.05% CDs While You’re Not Looking written by Imani Moise Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is an HSA and do I need one? A listener wrote in with some great HSA questions including whether or not they are a good option for retirement. Andrew Giancola, host of The Personal Finance Podcast, is joining me to breakdown all things HSAs! Connect with Andrew Instagram | Website | The Personal Finance Podcast | Youtube Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail or Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram|Twitter| Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that over 65% of tax filers get a refund? Have you started spring cleaning your bank account? We’ll discuss this and more in today’s episode of Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 65% About 65% of tax filers received a tax refund in 2023. Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever read a book that has stayed with you for years? "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders is one of those books for me. That’s why I wanted to share a replay of the interview I did with Cait a few years ago on the podcast. In it, we discuss her book and how money influences every aspect of our lives, shaping who we become as individuals, and how her book helped her realize the changes she wanted to make in her own. Connect with Cait Instagram | Website | The Year of Less Book Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail or Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram|Twitter| Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

February’s inflation numbers left economists disappointed and housing might be to blame. We’ll discuss this and more in today’s episode of Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 1 Housing was the number 1 contributor to the total inflation number in February. Today’s Article  US Inflation Remained Higher Than Economists Had Expected in February written by Diccon Hyatt Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you know how tax brackets are set up here in the US? Also, did you know this one tax deduction saves you tons of money each year on your taxes? Today let's get into tax brackets and the standard deduction. Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation remains stubbornly high and interest rates are staying right where they are… at least for now. We'll dive into what the Federal Reserve is thinking and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 3.2% This is the February inflation rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today’s Article  Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, projects three rate cuts later this year written by Scott Horsley Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I have a house and a kid with my partner, but we're not legally married. Does this change how I should file my taxes? There is nothing simple when it comes to filing your taxes, so it makes sense that most of us have a ton of questions. That's why CPA Keila Hill-Trawick is joining me again this week to address a tricky question from Tara, a listener who wants to know if she should file her taxes separately or jointly with her long-term partner.  Connect with Keila Website | Instagram | The Build to Enough Podcast Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you all set for tax season this year? With the tax deadline just around the corner, CPA Keila Hill-Trawick is back on the show with some last-minute tips to help you get organized and make this tax season a little less stressful.   Connect with Keila Website | Instagram | The Build to Enough Podcast Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail or Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram|Twitter| Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That $5 bill in your wallet or purse isn’t going to last as long as you think and I have a few good hacks that could help you save some money! We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 4.7 4.7 years is the estimated lifespan of a typical $5 bill Today’s Article (is a news segment this week) In my weekly news segment on NECN I discuss a few money hacks I learned from this book Money Hacks: 275+ Ways to Decrease Spending, Increase Savings, and Make Your Money Work for You! written by Lisa Rowan Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can I make therapy more affordable if my insurance doesn't cover it? This week, I continued my conversation with financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin. Unlike last week's discussion in ep.430, where we explored why many therapists in the U.S. don't accept insurance, this time Lindsay offers insights on making therapy and mental health services more accessible through reimbursements, mental health programs, and employer-offered initiatives. All the resources Lindsay mentions in this episode will be linked below and a lot of them were new to me, so I’m so happy to be able to share them with all of you! Resources Mentioned - The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) states that financial cost-sharing requirements for mental health/substance use disorder benefits (such as deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limitations) must be the same as those for physical health care. (E.g., if you have a $20 co-pay for physical therapy, you should have a $20 co-pay for mental health therapy) - Mentaya is one of the services I mentioned that facilitates reimbursement if you have a therapist who's out of network. Advekit is another similar service. - How to Get Reimbursed for Therapy. I wrote this post to help people understand their Superbills and how to increase their reimbursement from their insurance provider when their therapist is "out of network." Other episodes with Lindsay: 327, 328, 343, 430 Connect with Lindsay Website | Instagram | Twitter | Her book, "The Financial Anxiety Solution" | Money Personality Quiz Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail or Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram|Twitter| Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover the surprising percentage of money printed annually to replace old and damaged bills. Plus, get my latest guide on when, how much, and how often to tip as tipping culture continues to evolve. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 95% The percentage of all the money printed by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing in Washington DC that is just to replace old & damaged existing money. Today’s Article A Guide to the Ridiculous New World of Tipping written by Chris Browning (That’s Me!) Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the best investments I ever made was starting therapy a few years ago. Unfortunately, in the U.S. most of us are paying out of pocket because many therapists don’t accept insurance. I wanted to get to the bottom of why this is so common, so I asked financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin to come back on the show to give us all a peek behind the scenes. Resources Mentioned The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) states that financial cost-sharing requirements for mental health/substance use disorder benefits (such as deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limitations) must be the same as those for physical health care. (E.g., if you have a $20 co-pay for physical therapy, you should have a $20 co-pay for mental health therapy) Other episodes with Lindsay: 327, 328, 343 Connect with Lindsay Website | Instagram | Twitter | Her book, "The Financial Anxiety Solution" | Money Personality Quiz Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail or Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram|Twitter| Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation numbers are in. Are things looking better or worse? Also, are you hoping to travel more in 2024? If so we’ve got a few tips for you. We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 3.1% This is the inflation percentage reported for January in the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today’s Article The 10 best budget travel tips that will help you travel more in 2024 written by By Lori Zaino and Kyle Olsen Connect with Today's Guest - Bianca Alba This Latina Travels | Instagram | Travel Guides Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail or Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram|Twitter| Facebook | YouTube | TikTok Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot has changed in the world of savings over the past few decades. Interest rates have climbed and crashed, CDs have lost popularity, and online banking has changed the way we interact with banks. Today we’re wrapping up our Saving Series by talking about these changes and more with John Blizzard, the President and CEO of Seattle Bank, and the Founder of CD Valet. John has 30+ years of banking experience, making him an expert when it comes to the changes we’ve seen in the industry.  This Savings Series was supported by our partner CD Valet Access and compare over twenty-five thousand CD rates by visiting PopcornFinance.com/CDValet Connect with CD Valet at Instagram | Twitter | Website Saving Series Episodes  426:  Savings Series - Everything You Need to Know About Money Market Accounts 424: Savings Series - Everything You Need to Know About CDs 422: Savings Series - Everything You Need to Know About High-Yield Savings Accounts Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is a financial red flag that would stop you from dating someone? Welcome to a special Valentine’s Day episode of Popcorn Finance! In today’s episode, I’m sharing the interviews I recorded with Allison Baggerly of Inspired Budget, while at the Podcast Movement conference in Denver, Colorado. One of my favorite questions we asked people was what their financial red flags were when it came to the wild world of dating. I’m sharing some of my favorite answers and be sure to check out these interviews over on my Instagram to put some faces to these voices. Connect with The Guests Allison Baggerly - Website | Instagram | Twitter | Podcast Mallory Kassoy - Kitcaster Brittany Greene - Instagram Megan Powers - Making a Marketer Podcast  | Instagram Kate Nystrom - Kitcaster Angelica Cordero - Instagram Charity Youngblood - Life’s Questions & Lessons Podcast | Website | Youtube Ziearre Zubar - Instagram Jocelyn Hudak and Sophie Anderson - Pass the Mic Podcast Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a world of high-yield savings accounts, why would I want to open a money market account? Welcome back to our Saving Series! In our previous episodes, we've delved into the world of high-yield savings accounts and CDs. Today, we're taking a closer look at money market accounts. I’m breaking down the key differences between high-yield savings accounts and money market accounts and highlighting the specific restrictions that come with opening a money market account. I’ll also be answering a listener question about money market accounts versus funds.  Saving Series Episodes  424: Savings Series - Everything You Need to Know About CDs 422: Savings Series - Everything You Need to Know About High-Yield Savings Accounts Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Reserve announced last week that it won’t be making any changes to interest rates right now, but it didn’t take the possibility of future interest rate decreases off the table. What does this mean for you and me? We'll discuss this and more on Popcorn Finance NEWS! Today’s Number is 5.33% This is where the Federal Reserve has set interest rates as of February 6th, 2024 Today’s Article The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady but signals rate cuts may be coming written by Scott Horsley Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Join Me on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/PopcornFinance Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What exactly is a CD and is it worth using? Welcome back to our Saving Series! Last week was all about High Yield Savings Accounts. This week let’s tackle CDs - from their origin to when to open one. Plus, I’ll be answering a question from Jackie, a listener debating whether to save up for a new car in a CD or her savings account. Episodes Mentioned 422: Savings Series - Everything You Need to Know About High-Yield Savings Accounts 414: Popcorn Finance NEWS - Inflation is Cooling, Will Interest Rates Fall? Subscribe to the FREE Popcorn Finance Newsletter - PopcornFinance.com/Newsletter Want to submit a question to the show? Send an email to questions@popcornfinance.com  Send me a message at PopcornFinance.com/Voicemail  Call 707-200-8259 Connect with me Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok  Thank you for listening to today’s episode! Help support the show by leaving Popcorn Finance a rating or review on Apple or Spotify! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices