The Stacking Benjamins Show

If you could win medals for your financial performance, what would you need to accomplish? Today, four-time Olympian and the first American woman to medal in both the winter AND summer games, CFP Lauryn Williams, joins us to both share the inside look at tonight's opening ceremonies and help our roundtable team outline the moves YOU need to make to score gold with your money. We'll talk about the foundation it takes to begin the journey and then the moves beyond to be a true champ. Of course, our gold-medal team of Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and CFP OG from our podcast join in the fun. On top of some great advice, you'll also hear our weekly trivia challenge between our participants as THEY try to score gold for correct answers. It's a great episode marking a fun date in history. Let the games begin! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new study shows that baby boomers are tapped out. On today's show we dive into the reasons why this is the case and explore a TON of ways that you can ensure that you aren't running out of money before you run out of life. We'll explore lots of areas, like: Health care costs Automatic savings plans Better investing to increase returns Avoiding common pitfalls ...and lots more. In our TikTok minute we explore estate planning. What happens when dad is about to die and he tells his son, "Just put me in my boat and let the sea take care of me." The reply from the son may not be what you'd expect. We also take a call from Stacker Eric, who's wondering if he should keep pumping money into his HSA even though he has a significant amount saved already. What if he doesn't need that money? Of course, we also save time for Doug's trivia AND we avoid celebrating "old joke day." FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/running-out-of-money-in-retirement-1550 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tessa West has seen lots of people in the wrong careers. Either the job has drifted from what they'd initially thought, or maybe they're a leader at work, but they're passed over for promotions or raises. There are many reasons why people feel the malaise of a job that doesn't work anymore, but the effect is nearly always the same. Either you stagger through the work, wasting your life, or you dream about early retirement. What if there was another answer? What if the job that lights you up is actually out there? You need to know the tools to go find it. That's what Tessa Woods gifts us on today's show. You'll learn how to throw off the ennui and find meaning at work by either rebooting your current career or finding a new job elsewhere. We'll talk about how to engage in effective networking, how to assert yourself as a leader in your field, and why changing fields isn't a bad idea--even if you're an older worker. While many of us think that we wouldn't qualify for jobs against seasoned pros who've already had experience in the given area, Tessa shares how and why employers often want someone with a fresh perspective. You have to know how to sell your strengths, and we'll share some keys today. In our headline segment, we'll review how Mark Cuban saved his fortune from disaster when everyone else lost money in the 2000-2002 tech wreck. We'll share the tools he used and how it all went down. Plus we'll answer the question: should YOU also use this strategy to avoid losses? It's a great question, and we tackle it head-on! We'll cover options, market declines, and the financial planning reasons Cuban executed this strategy. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/find-a-job-you-love-1549 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How wealthy are you? Today we talk about different currencies than cash. While you may be monetarily rich, if you're truly stacking a better life, there are other priorities. Today we dive into a piece from the Retirement Manifesto blog (and from past guest James Clear) on building OTHER types of wealth. What are they? We ask contributors David Stein (Money for the Rest of Us podcast), Allysa Maizes (Amplify Your Wealth online), and Doc G (Earn & Invest podcast). This all-star cast has spent lots of time and energy maximizing not just their financial readiness for independence, but also their overall wealth in many of the areas we discuss today. Of course, we'll pause halfway to battle out Doug's trivia. Mom's been making a surge in our year-long competition. Can David Stein (playing for mom) keep the run going? Will Allysa (playing for Paula Pant) start reeling in mom and OG? You'll find out today! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/5-types-of-wealth-1548 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show we dive headfirst into the mailbag, and answer your excellent questions on every facet of investing, saving, and protecting your money: Do I need a trust? What should I do with these savings bonds? Should I take my money out of a 529 college savings plan? Can I stop saving money well before I retire? ...and LOTS more. We're excited to not only bring you those questions, plus our TikTok minute (wait until you hear THIS bride...), AND Doug's incredible trivia question. Plus, we may rail on too long about fake IDs (just to help parents know how to spot them, of course). FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/investing-saving-and-protecting-your-money/ Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does winning at investing mean that you need more information, a better rule set to follow, or better connections? Our guest today says that while those can be advantages, it's hard to "win" those games. However, there is one method which can help us easily increase our odds of becoming a better saver and investor. More good news? This method is available to us all. Our guest today says learning from the Stoics, philosophers from ancient times, we can easily beat the average investor and we can set ourselves up for life. If you're listening to SB for that reason, you're in a for a treat. Darius Foroux is not only one of our favorite bloggers (we've used his work several times as the centerpiece for our Friday roundtable chats between personal finance luminaries), he actually joins us today in the basement to help you become a wiser, stronger, and hopefully wealthier Stacker. In our headline segment, one saver says that he saved too much money into his 401k retirement plan. Huh? How does that even make sense? We'll chat about how to best save for retirement and also challenge you to think about how you save...and not just about the amount you're saving. We'll hear from a Stacker in need as well AND of course, save time for Doug's trivia question that you'll be talking about all day long. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/money-and-philosophy-1546 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Insurance is a topic we all often avoid, with HUGE consequences. When disaster strikes we have either the wrong coverage or none at all. That's why we decided today to have some fun talking about how making better insurance decisions can truly improve your life. You may find yourself skipping down your street because you've either 1) saved money or 2) found better coverages for your situation. We'll chat about: Big picture about using the stuff you buy (ensuring that the purchase is actually "worth it"). How much insurance is "enough" When you can skip the insurance altogether Working with insurance brokers Adding riders to your policies Long term care...the mother of all insurance problems Pet insurance ...and LOTS more. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/finding-better-insurance-1545 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's special episode, Joe and Paula Pant (AffordAnything) dive behind the scenes to share key learnings from the Craft & Commerce conference in Boise, Idaho. Recording live from the Kit studios in downtown Boise, they share lessons learned about serving audiences, fighting fear, breaking through business insecurity, and much, much more. It's a wide-ranging discussion where you'll see behind-the-scenes of both brands, and hear about how two creators learn, build, and grow. You'll learn lots of takeaways about your own career, life, and (if you're an entrepreneur) brand that you can apply. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/live-craft-and-commerce-conference-1544 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do you do to diffuse the retirement time bomb? The government has a plan, and you won't like it. Joe was the emcee recently for maybe the biggest name in tax planning -- Ed Slott -- and his book launch event. We're replaying as our mentor segment today Joe's interview with Ed from that event because there are so many "a-ha" moments and good direction toward ensuring that your tax time bomb doesn't go off all over your retirement. In our headline, we talk about interest rates and the financial markets. How do you avoid chasing interest rates and instead focus on the big picture? Doug and OG dive into this topic. Plus, we take a call from Nicole, who wonders about her husband's stock options. We talk options, restricted shares, and planning. How do you ensure that you don't overpay taxes on these incentives but at the same time don't end up holding on to worthless options or with an underdiversified portfolio. This type of planning can be messy, so today we help you unwind it all. Of course, Doug shares his trivia and much, much more! FULL SHOW NOTES: Add show notes url here. Be sure to please include https://www at the beginning of the show notes url that makes it clickable on YouTube Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is there anything worse than someone who brags about how much money they make? Many of us would say, "No." On the other hand how many people wish someone would be more transparent about how much they make so that we can emulate them better and maybe earn more ourselves? Today we cover that in the final installment of our greatest hits episode series. We're back next week with new shows! Here are the original show notes from December 10th, 2021: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1127/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show...what skill do you need to lead a group of people toward real estate success? Leadership! And man, do we have a leader here to teach you that skill...REMAX Co-founder, Dave Liniger. In our headlines, we chat about the state of airbnbs and if guests get the warm and fuzzies when they walk in. Plus, we’ll answer a call to Ruth's Rotary phone from Aimsley who wants to avoid being over-leveraged, under-leveraged or inter-leveraged-we've got answers. And of course, Neighbor Doug will pop in later with the property pop quiz. Have a question for the show? Head to StackingDeeds.net/voicemail Subscribe to the new show wherever you're listening to today's episode! Just type "Stacking Deeds" into your search function so you catch all of the latest shows the day they arrive (every Tuesday). Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Whether you're a current leader or aspiring to become one, today's leader, Rachael Robertson, has a story you'll need to hear. Tasked with leading an Australian team in Antarctica, Robertson had to make quick, decisive decisions in an environment where nobody was allowed to find refuge. Everyone had to find a way to work together immediately and without fail. How did she do it? You'll hear today how the employment of one simple (but not easy) technique helped her not only maintain control but help her group thrive in the harshest of environments. Of course, as always, this greatest hits episode also includes a headline, Doug's trivia question, and more. For details on those, here are the original show notes: Being Liked Is Overrated (with Rachael Robertson). Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you listen to the news (or see the carnage around you), you know that recessions are a time of hurt. Companies downsize or go bankrupt. People lose their jobs, their homes, and in a stock market decline, their ability to meet goals. But are recessions actually good for us? One recent financial piece says that they are, and our collaborator and friend Doc G at our award-winning sister show, Earn & Invest, dives into it today. He's asked two people from his community plus Joe Saul-Sehy to a panel discussing the possibility that just maybe...behind all of the tears and horror, a recession might be healthy. Find the original show notes here: https://www.earnandinvest.com/episodes-8/are-recessions-good-for-you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever look at yourself in the mirror? Of course, you have! How often have you had to tell that person looking back at you to get out of the way? If you’re like us, A TON. Mel Robbins discovered that one simple gesture in the morning can make all the difference in our decisions. She’ll share details of her own journey to success after financial hardship and how five seconds and high-fives changed her outlook. High fives aren’t just for big accomplishments or a way to communicate with friends. You can (and should) give yourself a high five every day for all the successes in your life, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Mel dives into the science behind how these small habits changed her life and how they can change yours, too. We are back teaching you about annuities during our headline, and one annuity company is pleading to independent financial advisors to give their products another shot. Annuities aren’t always painted in the best light, and we’ll hear what this company is doing to change that. During our Magnify Money voicemail, Roy wants to pick Joe and OG’s brains about their asset allocation. And, of course, we’ll include some of Doug’s trivia. This show originally aired in September of 2021, so please ignore any mention of current events. You can find the original show notes here: How To Get Out Of Your Own Way With One Simple Tool (with Mel Robbins). Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the secret to investment success all about making your decisions as if you were a 50-year-old woman? We tackle that take on today's roundtable discussion. We're joined by one of the best voices who gives investing advice online, Brian Feroldi. He's joined by the lady who knows all about making wise investing decisions, no matter your age, Paula Pant. And finally, we also feature the advice of our in-house financial planner (who happens to have the temperament of a 50-year-old woman), OG. In the second half, brought to you by DepositAccounts.com, we continue down the list of how to win by investing like a 50-year-old woman. And, finally, be sure to stick around for Doug's sky-high stock-institution trivia. It will surprise you! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/invest-smarter-think-like-a-50-year-old-woman-1537 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 During our conversation, you'll hear us mention: Sticking to your investment plan, even in times of market correction. Why "this time is different" is a dangerous mindset. Weighing the long-term risk-reward relationship. The benefit of indexing. Investing according to your time horizon and risk tolerance. The fallacy of trying to time the market. Dollar-cost averaging. How to resist the temptation to tinker with your investments. How to trick yourself from reacting to every piece of news. How to avoid FOMO. Why you shouldn't care about what others think. Stop comparing yourself to others. Allowing yourself to allocate a small amount of your portfolio to taking outsized risks. Investing in individual stocks if it works for you. Allocating a limited amount of time to making investment decisions. How to distinguish between sound advice and not-so-reputable salespeople. Use good judgment when deciding whose advice to follow. Finding the investing style that works for you. Learning from failure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Time to revolt! Tired of thinking everyone else is in control when it comes to your money? The grocery store, utilities, retirement plans and their fee structures...everyone wants a piece of you, don't they? Well, today, that all changes. We're burning down ideas like high-interest debt (or debt at all), kids eating your entire budget, needing a million dollars to retire, and other tired ideas. We'll swap these and other ideas out for useable tips and ideas to help you revolt and build your own financial freedom. Our headline today features a top economist who says the idea of retiring with a million is too much. You can retire on much, much less. We'll share why we agree today, but do you really want less? Our TikTok minute is about budgets. Who can afford the fresh produce area of a grocery store? The Better Call Saul... Sehy and OG segment features Dave, who wonders about credit card reward points. Should he begin taking advantage of them? FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/how-much-do-you-need-to-retire-1536 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you think, "I've made it once I reach financial independence?" Douglas Tsoi has been "retired" for over ten years and will tell you, "Not even close." For all of us, a new journey begins once we reach financial independence. What does this look like? How can we prepare? Today, Douglas sits down with Joe Saul-Sehy to dive into the five stages we all experience after reaching what many think of as the finish line. In short, we'll discuss: The fallacy of "I'm done" The reason why people are afraid to retire, even though they may say otherwise The darkness phase of "is this all there is?" and how to fight it The joy of finally realizing that, after the emotional journey, you can flip into a new, gratifying state. In our headline, we'll share a story about two executives in court because their investment scheme was "built on lies." This company promised eight percent returns without volatility. What's wrong with that? We'll walk through: How companies make money and why volatility is always EXPECTED with an eight percent return. Historical returns for asset classes, including the much-maligned international and emerging markets asset classes. Will they ever outperform again? We'll share several ways people try to even out returns to ATTEMPT, including what these alleged scammers said they could do (and couldn't). But that's not all. Of course, we'll also share Doug's amazing Formula One trivia question and much, much more. FULL SHOWNOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/emotional-stages-after-financial-independence-douglas-tsoi Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the biggest fifteen items on most budgets that can derail your spending plan? One blogger, our friend Allison Baggerly at InspiredBudgets.com, made a list. Today we use that list as the basis of a game show episode! Paula Pant (AffordAnything), Doc G. (Earn & Invest) and our own OG go head-to-head in a match to figure out which items made Allison's list. The best part? Even when their guesses are wrong, they bring up MANY budget busters that can help all of us do a better job fixing the holes in our spending plan. Topics we cover: Gifts Taxes Auto maintenance Pet care Holiday spending Medical deductibles/costs ...and much more. We also share MANY solutions to plug the holes in your budget. AND if that weren't enough, we pause at the halfway point of our conversation for our normal trivia competition (a competition inside of a competition? Meta!) FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/budget-gotchas-1534 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even if you only have $500 in your emergency fund, today we reveal why having this money in the right place can yield BIG dividends. If you have your $500 in an account paying the average rate, you'll make around $2.50 in interest per year. Yet, by moving these Benjamins to a well-structured emergency fund, you could earn around $22.50. Doesn't sound like much? Assuming this takes 30 minutes, we're talking about earning $40 an hour! That's a GREAT rate of return on your time invested. Episode Overview Why Your Emergency Fund Matters More Than Ever: Ever wondered where to stash your emergency fund for the greatest benefit? With rising interest rates, it’s a discussion worth your time. We’ll cover: How much should you keep in your emergency fund? Avoiding common pitfalls. Understanding the differences between money market accounts, high-yield savings accounts, and other options. And yes, we clarify all this mumbo-jumbo so you can actually understand it! (What are YOUR thoughts on emergency funds? Share with us on Instagram or on Facebook!) Segment Highlights: TikTok Minute: What’s “guy math”? We’ll dive into this fun trend and how it compares to “girl math.” This guy applies girl math to his tool collection. What could go wrong? New Segment Debut: Sometimes, online advice needs a second opinion. Hear OG’s take on some questionable financial tips. Today, we open with Sammie, who is asking for help with her 401k. As you can imagine, any time you ask for advice on the internet, it goes downhill quickly from there. If you see horrible advice in a financial forum, send it to us! (joe at stacking benjamins dot com) Doug’s Trivia: Test your knowledge with Doug’s latest trivia question and much more! Today, he dives into Federal holiday trivia to celebrate Juneteenth. Join the Community: For deeper dives, curated links, and exclusive discussions, subscribe to our newsletter, The 201. Join the Stacking Benjamins community and let’s achieve financial success together! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tax planning in June? Of course! Why would you wait until next year, when you can't make ANY financial moves that save you money, to start figuring out how to cut your tax bill? Right now, at nearly the halfway point of the year, we'll dive into how to understand your taxes and make cuts with our tax planning mentor, Hannah Cole. Hannah will walk us through tax savings ideas for everyone, and then we'll focus on those people who have either started a side hustle or who are entrepreneurs and share some great tips for business owners. Even if you're just dreaming about having a business or "working for the man," we've got you covered. Plus, in our headline segment, two brothers woke up one day this spring and found themselves disinherited, losing out on approximately one million dollars! How did that happen? It could have all been avoided, and YOU can avoid this problem too. We'll walk you through HOW to make sure your beneficiaries receive the funds you've decided should go to them. We'll also explain how wills and trusts work, and get you started toward building a better "estate plan." Of course, Doug brings his awesome trivia challenge AND we answer a question from a Stacker in need. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/tax-planning-year-round-1532 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices