You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
#616: Two school teachers in Ohio saved their entire lives for one dream — buying a farm. When they inherited $1.3 million and found the perfect property for $1.2 million, everything seemed perfect. Five days before closing, they received what looked like a legitimate email from their closing company with wire transfer instructions. They sent the money and showed up at closing, only to discover they'd been scammed. The email was fake, sent by hackers who had infiltrated the closing company's ser...
This episode tackles two listener questions. First, a family nearing Coast Fi with $1.2M saved asks if they should buy a home now or continue renting, and how to approach down payment and mortgage strategy. The discussion emphasizes renting first to explore a new area, flexibility of a 30-year mortgage, and thinking like a CFO about debt. Second, a listener with significantly appreciated rental property debates selling based on cap rate vs. withdrawing 4% from investments, or keeping it despite not wanting to be a landlord, exploring property management as a potential solution.
#614: The US just added 139,000 new jobs in May. That beat expectations. But the real story isn't in the job numbers — it’s in the bond market. Something unusual is happening in bonds. Treasury yields are spiking. The dollar is weakening. That combination almost never happens together. And it's signaling concerns about future inflation. Trade wars continue on. A federal court just struck down some tariffs. The administration will appeal. Meanwhile, the EU has until July 9 to cut a deal. If they ...
#613: Rachel Rodgers graduated from law school with $330,000 in student loans. Her starting salary? Just $41,000. Most people would have accepted this crushing debt-to-income ratio. They'd slowly chip away at payments for decades. Rodgers had a different plan. She deferred her loans and started her own virtual law practice in 2008 — during the recession, when jobs were scarce and most lawyers were struggling to find work. Her mom thought she was crazy. Her first year, she made around $65,000 in ...
Grant Sabatier never worked in retail, never worked in a bookstore, and had no idea what he was doing when he opened Clintonville Books in Columbus, Ohio. But that's exactly the point. The experiment required 1,200 hours of solo work — measuring spaces, moving 40,000 books, and navigating city regulations. But it taught him something crucial: even experienced entrepreneurs face steep learning curves when they try something new. The serial entrepreneur and author of "Inner Entrepreneur" joins us ...
#611: With the state of the world changing so rapidly, Lesley is struggling to accept that “this time isn’t different.” Does the past still reliably inform the present in the face of major decisions today? An anonymous caller and her husband want to achieve financial independence through real estate within 10 years. Is it better to pay off existing mortgages or prioritize buying more rentals? Melanie feels duped by the FICO credit scoring system. She’s doing all the right things, but her credit ...
In 2005, Sebastien Page nearly died from a mysterious bacterial infection that doctors couldn't diagnose for a week. A single observant physician noticed cuts on his toes from running in wet terrain and connected the dots. The experience forced Page to confront mortality — and completely changed how he thinks about goals. Page, the chief investment officer at T. Rowe Price and author of The Psychology of Leadership, joins us to share why traditional goal-setting might be sabotaging your happines...
Eva is approaching financial independence, but she’s worried about messing up the transition. How does she set her portfolio up for success during the drawdown years of early retirement? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I deep-dive into this question in today’s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. Episodes about the Efficient Frontier: https://affordanything.com/577-qa-the-efficient-frontier-was-perfect-until-hr-got-involved https://affordanything.com/357-practical-inves...
#608: At age seven, Robert Rosenkrantz made a decision that would shape his entire life: he would take full responsibility for his future.As a child, Rosenkrantz watched his parents struggle financially. His father was unemployed for two years, and his mother worked as a drugstore clerk.Their financial insecurity was painfully obvious to young Robert. He never knew if the electricity or telephone service would be shut off.But rather than seeing this as an obstacle, he saw it as a path to self-re...
Paula and Joe tackle questions about navigating financial media overload, the rent vs. buy decision, and strategies for market volatility. They emphasize the importance of critical thinking, foundational economic knowledge, and understanding personal risk tolerance. The episode also features listener updates and actionable tips for making informed financial decisions.
#606: Hospice nurse and end-of-life educator Suzanne O’Brien joins us to discuss the financial realities of dying in America — and they might surprise you. Remember Aretha Franklin? Her handwritten will was found in her couch cushions after she passed away. Despite her substantial wealth, this simple document was legally upheld. It's a powerful reminder that having any form of will is better than none at all. But there's more to worry about than just having a will or trust. The costs of aging an...
Paula Pant and Joe Saul-Sehy answer questions about returning to the office and structuring finances for living abroad. Pedro seeks advice on finding remote work after being called back to the office, and Anonymous (dubbed Grace) explores how to manage her finances while moving overseas and potentially gaining residency. The episode covers strategies for job hunting, networking, investment considerations, and the importance of community involvement.
This episode breaks down the economic impact of April's historic tariffs, the highest in over a century. It contrasts strong job data with plummeting consumer and small business confidence, analyzes volatile market reactions (bonds, stocks, dollar), discusses rising recession predictions, and explores why sentiment is so low. The episode also dives into a listener's question about staying Coast FIRE after a significant portfolio drop, offering insights on long-term planning, taking action, and focusing on controllable factors.
#603: Bethany’s partner wants to invest most of their money in gold and silver, but no one seems to talk about this kind of investing. Is this a red flag or a potential opportunity? Diana is worried she’s been saving too much for her kids’ college - hundreds of dollars a month since they were born. How does she know when to stop? Wendy’s pension and social security will cover all her basic expenses during retirement. Does the four percent rule still apply to her discretionary nest egg, or is the...
#602: Ever looked back at an old Facebook post and cringed? According to Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic, that discomfort is evidence of something powerful: your personality has changed, even if you didn't notice it happening. In our latest episode, Khazan, who recently wrote a book on the science of personality change, breaks down how our personalities aren't fixed traits but flexible characteristics we can intentionally shift to achieve our goals. The conversation centers on the "Big...
#601: Nick and his wife have $100,000 to invest, but they’re worried about the volatility of the current stock market. Should they look into alternative investments such as private equity? Even though Roth IRAs come with tax-free withdrawals in retirement, Josh is worried about his tax bracket going up and neutralizing the benefits. Is he right to be concerned? The retirement portion of Cindy’s financial three-legged stool is set, and she’s now focused on her taxable brokerage. What investment s...
#600: Jillian Johnsrud was falling apart. After suffering a miscarriage, she couldn't pull herself together to return to her job as a youth pastor in DC. She decided to take a month off. That unexpected break became Jillian's first "mini-retirement" — a deliberate step away from work for at least 30 days to focus on something meaningful. Today, Jillian is a mom of six who has taken more than a dozen mini-retirements with her kids, who currently range in age from 8 to 17. During her first mini-re...
#599: Becky and her husband are about to semi-retire. But the four percent retirement withdrawal rule doesn’t make sense for them. Are there other financial frameworks they should explore? Kris is excited about a potential boost in local real estate values when the World Cup comes to town. Will this have any significant impacts on his property? Peyton’s parents are pressuring her to buy a house, but she’s worried this will cripple her early retirement goals. Is she right to be concerned? Former ...
Tax strategist Natalie Kolodij shares overlooked deductions, busts tax myths, and offers planning tips for W-2 employees, small business owners, and real estate investors. She covers sales tax deductions, medical expense strategies, charitable giving, and home sale exclusions, while emphasizing record-keeping and planning for tax code changes. The episode provides actionable advice to potentially save thousands on taxes.
Bob Elliott, former head of Ray Dalio's investment team, discusses the high probability of a recession due to growth-negative policies like tariffs and spending cuts, combined with persistent inflation. He advises individual investors to embrace simple strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification, emphasizing that consumer spending drives the US economy and is about to be squeezed. The episode also explores the importance of data-driven charitable giving through GiveWell.
Paula Pant and Bob Elliot analyze the economic impact of new tariffs, changes to student loan forgiveness, mortgage market consolidation, and the government's strategic Bitcoin reserve. The conversation explores the potential for inflation and recession, along with the long-term implications for manufacturing and the job market. Bob Elliot provides a sobering assessment of short-term economic challenges, while remaining optimistic about the long term.
#595: Eva is finally closing in on her financial independence goals, but she’s grappling with how to make a smooth transition from accumulation to decumulation. What should she consider? John has noticed a game-changing omission from recent discussions about traditional versus Roth IRAs. Is this as big of a deal as he thinks it is? An anonymous caller is excited to convert his primary residence into a rental property. But he’ll only make a profit if he first sells some equities to pay down the m...
#594: Ever wonder if you could afford to travel for months at a time? According to Nomadic Matt, who's visited more than 100 countries over the last 19 years, you can see the world on just $75 a day. That's about $27,375 per year, less than many people's current cost of living. Matt Kepnes, better known as Nomadic Matt, joins us to challenge common assumptions about travel costs. He explains that long-term travel can actually be cheaper than staying home. When you're traveling, you shed many reg...
#593: An anonymous caller is brooding over a mistake he made in 2023 when he decided to contribute to his Roth instead of a pre-tax account. How does he get over this? June is annoyed that she triggered short-term capital gains and wash sales when she sold assets in her taxable brokerage last year. How does she avoid these issues in the future? Zerai wants to add mid and small-cap exposure, but his 457 plan has a limited selection of mutual funds. What’s the proper way to select the best fund am...
#592: Ever wonder what's happening in your brain right before you knock on your boss's door to ask for a raise? Dr. Joel Salinas, neurologist and brain health expert, joins us to explain the neurology of negotiation. When you avoid difficult conversations, your brain actually rewards you with a small dopamine hit. That temporary relief feels good, reinforcing the avoidance behavior. But Dr. Salinas explains this creates a problematic loop: the more you avoid conflict, the more uncomfortable it b...
#591: Imagine you're about to ask your boss for a raise. Your stomach tightens. You've rehearsed what to say, but doubt creeps in. Should you be more assertive? More understanding of company constraints? Bob Bordone, who has taught negotiation for 25 years including 21 years at Harvard Law School, joins us to explain why you don't have to choose between empathy and assertiveness. In fact, combining them is key to successful negotiations. "It might feel like a tension, but it's not an actual one,...
#590: In the left corner, we have Paul Merriman, the seasoned finance veteran weighing in at 183 pounds. In the right corner, Dr. Karsten Jeske, the scrappy newcomer at 208 pounds. The bell rings, and the small cap value debate begins. This episode features a financial boxing match between two investment heavyweights with dramatically different perspectives. Paul Merriman champions diversification through the efficient frontier, which means adding small cap value to your portfolio. Dr. Karsten J...
#589: Kimmy is worried that her mom’s retirement portfolio is invested too conservatively. Is she right to advise her to take on more risk? Peyton has heard the financial advice about staying away from Whole Life Insurance as an investment, but what about as a savings account for children? Is there good a use case for this? Jeff and his wife are in a great financial position, but they fear that their retirement savings are too heavily apportioned in traditional IRAs. Will they run into tax probl...
Paula Pant analyzes the latest economic data, including job growth, inflation fears, and consumer sentiment. The episode covers the Fed's likely decision to hold interest rates steady, Treasury's focus on long-term inflation, and the impact of consumer pessimism on spending. It also delves into AI competition, crypto regulation, housing market trends, and student loan developments, providing a comprehensive economic update.
#587: Debi is stressed about saving a down payment to buy a house in her high-cost-of-living area. Should she cash out her brokerage account to speed up the process? Lucas and his wife are high earners, but they’re tired and ready for a change. What strategies can they use to maximize their investments and confidently step away from their jobs? Grant is thrown off by recent discussions about the efficient frontier. It sounds a lot like market timing to base an investment strategy on an arbitrary...
