Have our financial lives become so complex, that the different ‘advanced’ options available to us are actually keeping us from doing the right things altogether? It seems that the more complicated the approach we take to our money, the more likely the wheels are going to come off as we completely bag the system down the road. It’s a sad irony that applies to many of us- whether because we are overwhelmed with the convoluted nature of our personal finances, or maybe due to the fact that we lose i...
Jun 17, 2020•32 min•Ep. 215
We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ 1 - If I try to purchase a home with cash, can I expect to get a better deal? How does this work? 2 - My employer is changing health coverage options, so what should I do with money that is in my HSA? 3 - What are CDs and are they a good idea these days? 4 - How should I go about shopping for the lowest mortgage rate? 5 - Should I be contributing...
Jun 15, 2020•40 min•Ep. 214
Friday episodes are all about the week’s news and the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to not just weather this health and financial crisis, but to thrive. In this episode we cover a lot of interesting topics like the updated Paycheck Protection Program and what that means for small businesses, taking time off in order to avoid burnout, and the ridiculous overdraft fees b...
Jun 12, 2020•22 min•Ep. 213
Money just feels like a topic that is off-limits when it comes to discussions you have with your friends. Is it because it’s too personal? Maybe you feel it’s none of your business? A big part of why we started How to Money is because we feel that money conversations need to happen more often. Talking about money shines a light on it and brings about awareness, which can ultimately lead to improvement as we all have room to grow. Listen as we discuss some of the major ways you’re likely missing ...
Jun 10, 2020•50 min•Ep. 212
We’ve all made some financial mistakes, but hopefully through reading, listening to podcasts, and learning from our previous mistakes, we can move forward and make smarter moves with our money. That’s what we’re covering during this interview. Our guest today is Jill Schlesinger who is an on-air CBS News Business Analyst who covers the economy as she guides people through their personal financial decisions. Jill is a Certified Financial Planner and also the author of the book "The Dumb Things Sm...
Jun 08, 2020•50 min•Ep. 211
*While we typically try and record our Friday episode just days before being published, we recorded 207 and 210 weeks ago in order for us to be able to take some time off with our families. This means the death of George Floyd and the protests around the country hadn’t occurred yet and we were not able to comment. However, we believe that Black Lives Matter and we encourage our listeners to all work toward making our world a more loving place.* Friday episodes are all about the week’s news and t...
Jun 05, 2020•26 min•Ep. 210
Is everything in life negotiable? It depends on who you ask. We all enjoy paying less than we have to and getting a deal, but there are certain instances where it makes more sense than others. Just because you can negotiate a bill to get a few bucks off doesn’t mean it’s a good use of your time, when there might be a different bill that you should focus on instead. There are several areas in our personal finances that we often overlook to the detriment of our bank accounts. And then one of the o...
Jun 03, 2020•35 min•Ep. 209
We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ 1 - How big should my emergency fund be and should I count my Roth contributions towards that cash cushion? 2 - Should I open up a high interest custodial savings account or a 529 Plan for my baby with some gift money? 3 - Is it OK to snag a store discount by signing up for a store credit card, even though my credit is frozen? 4 - As a recent gra...
Jun 01, 2020•43 min•Ep. 208
Friday episodes are all about the week’s news and the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to not just weather this health and financial crisis, but to thrive. In this episode we cover a lot of interesting topics like Netflix cancelling subscriptions, the high price folks pay for delivery apps, and AI and customer service. We also spend some time on the most affordable used c...
May 29, 2020•21 min•Ep. 207
There are professionals who can help us in almost every aspect of our lives. In some cases it’s a slam dunk easy decision, but there are other times when we can, and should, handle it ourselves. The problem is knowing when to DIY it and when to call in the big guns, the professionals, in this case- the financial advisor. There are a lot of aspects of our personal finances that don’t require professional help. You don’t need a financial advisor to tell you that you need to start paying down your ...
May 27, 2020•37 min•Ep. 206
In this episode we have the honor of speaking with Richard Cordray, who served for six years as the first Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB. Since his time at the CFPB, he has written a book, WATCHDOG: How Protecting Consumers Can Save Our Families, Our Economy, and Our Democracy. In his book, Richard shares stories of individual consumers in order to show how the Bureau quickly became a powerful force for good. WATCHDOG tells a hopeful story of how our system can be ...
May 25, 2020•47 min•Ep. 205
Friday episodes are all about the week’s news and the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to not just weather this health and financial crisis, but to thrive. In this episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also address how you might have the option to make changes to your health care coverage, how your credit score might drop due to the de...
May 22, 2020•26 min•Ep. 204
Change can be a little frightening, but it’s the only constant. Our entire economy has seen a massive change- industries that were in slow decline are now quickly accelerating towards obsolescence, and we’re seeing other industries that were fairly new and unproven showing explosive growth. There is a good chance you have experienced some changes at work, and so whether you like it or not a career pivot might be on the horizon for you. In this episode, we’ll talk about what these pivots could lo...
May 20, 2020•40 min•Ep. 203
We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ 1 - Is now a good time to make a Roth IRA conversion? 2 - I’m in my mid-30s, should I focus on paying down debt or investing more towards retirement? 3 - Should I sell some stocks that I’ve purchased via my employer’s ESPP? 4 - How much should I be budgeting for housing repairs and rental vacancy? 5 - Coming off a gap year, what financial tips do...
May 18, 2020•37 min•Ep. 202
Friday episodes are all about the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There’s a lot of news and information out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to weather this surreal health and financial crisis. In today’s timely episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also address how spending is up home improvement, whether there is more stimulus money heading our way, and where to look for new jobs. And as we’ve ram...
May 15, 2020•22 min•Ep. 201
Why is it that when a consumer item like a new phone is on sale, we pounce, but when the stock market is on sale, we run? Buying and holding are both far more difficult to do in a volatile market for most investors. And when we see terms like ‘bear market’ and ‘recession’ in the headlines, it makes it even harder for many of us to continue to invest. But what is important to remember is that buying into this market volatility is the source of future returns. The overall American stock market has...
May 13, 2020•37 min•Ep. 200
In his early 20s, Thomas Nitzche found himself in loads of debt. Like so many folks, he didn’t learn how credit cards really worked, and so the charges began to add up, and before he knew it he had an overwhelming balance that he could barely make minimum payments on. Couple that consumer spending with student loans, a car payment, a mortgage, and the final kicker- getting laid off and losing his income. Thomas found himself in a really stressful spot, but he was able to move from a place of des...
May 11, 2020•48 min•Ep. 199
Friday episodes are all about the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There’s a lot of news and information out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to weather this surreal health and financial crisis. In today’s timely episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also address the surge in bicycle riding as well as the likelihood of all of us to become more frugal, due to the coronavirus. And as we ramp up the pod...
May 08, 2020•29 min•Ep. 198
Money anxiety is something we have all experienced in one way or another. Whether it’s student loans, trying to save up enough for a car, or even having enough money to make it to the end of the month- this stress is a very real thing. Covid-19 and its effects on our economy and our jobs have only exacerbated the issue. According to a recent Qualtrics report, 67% of people say they have higher levels of stress since the beginning of the health crisis. And money anxiety doesn’t just plague low-in...
May 06, 2020•36 min•Ep. 197
We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ 1 - I really like investing via Fundrise, but should I be maxing out my Roth IRA first? 2 - Bad news: I’ve recently lost my job. Good news: I just sold my house and got married! What should I do with the money from the sale of my home? 3 - Should I take advantage of super low interest rates and refinance my student loans? 4 - I have a high-paying...
May 04, 2020•31 min•Ep. 196
Friday episodes are all about the effects of Covid-19 on your personal finances. There’s a lot of news and information out there, but we are distilling it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to weather this surreal health and financial crisis. In today’s timely episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also address some of the impending changes to credit card limits as well as mortgage forbearance. And as we ramp up the podcast with an additional Frida...
May 01, 2020•28 min•Ep. 195
With the Great Lockdown continuing to take its toll on the economy, mortgage rates are at near all-time lows so now is a great time to consider refinancing. Pouncing on these lower rates can lower our monthly mortgage payment, allowing us to free up some money that was being funneled towards housing. But what else should we consider? Are you a good candidate for a refinance? And then on top of that there are also costs involved in refinancing that can make it prohibitive. In this episode we disc...
Apr 29, 2020•34 min•Ep. 194
Our guest on this episode is personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi who has transformed what most would consider setbacks, into the very things that drive her forward. She found herself living in NYC at the age of 22 with over $30k in debt, but it was through the process of climbing out of debt that Farnoosh realized her desire to help others with their money. She has done it all, from reporting for Money Magazine, to hosting her own podcast, to writing multiple books including ‘Psych Yourself ...
Apr 27, 2020•54 min•Ep. 193
Friday episodes are all about the Great Lockdown, Covid-19, and your money. There’s a lot of news and information out there, but we are distilling that down to specific takeaways that will allow you to weather this surreal health and financial crisis. In today’s timely episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also share our thoughts on some states reopening for business, getting refunds, and privacy concerns of working from home. And as we ramp up the podcast wi...
Apr 24, 2020•27 min•Ep. 192
Many of us have been stuck at home with extra time on our hands due to the quarantine. Even if your state or local government hasn’t made it an official order, it’s likely you’ve found yourself trying to figure out what to do with these free nights and weekends! And while we wouldn’t suggest that you must use all that additional time to work on your personal finances, it would helpful to use at least some of it to work on some money matters that typically get swept under the rug. So in this epis...
Apr 22, 2020•34 min•Ep. 191
We’re kicking off the week by answering your questions! And if you have a question for us, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask/ 1 - I have a lot of bonds in my portfolio- is now a good time to sell them and buy more stocks instead? 2 - How are new student loans being affect by the health crisis? 3 - I’ve recently started doing business with an insurance broker, saving me time and money! What’s the catch? 4 - Are savings bonds a good product for my young daughter? 5 - I’m ...
Apr 20, 2020•38 min•Ep. 190
Friday episodes are all about the Great Lockdown and your money. There’s a lot of news and information out there, but we are distilling that down to specific takeaways that will allow you to weather this surreal health and financial crisis. In today’s timely episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also take a look at the changes we’ve seen to consumer spending, energy use as an indicator of what’s going on with the economy, and our thoughts on the housing marke...
Apr 17, 2020•26 min•Ep. 189
A stimulus check, tax refund, or any large windfall doesn’t happen all that often, so it’s no surprise that we’re not all that great at doing something smart with that money. Most of us think of it as a bonus that we should spend! And for people who diligently prioritize saving and investing every single month of the year, that might be ok. But for most people, a more thoughtful approach is in order. Much of it depends on your specific situation, and so we have some thoughts as to what you shoul...
Apr 15, 2020•32 min•Ep. 188
We’ve all heard about the minimalist lifestyle- maybe you’re picturing a bearded hipster drinking coffee in his perfectly white dining room or an Instagram worthy, perfectly styled modern kitchen. It turns out that’s not what minimalism is all about- it’s about priorities. Also, we’ve all been spending more time in our homes than we’d probably like to be, and all that clutter might be getting to you. Here to talk with us today about minimalist living is Joshua Becker. While beginning the process...
Apr 13, 2020•53 min•Ep. 187
Friday episodes are all about the coronavirus and your money. There’s a lot of news and information out there, but we are distilling that down to specific takeaways that will allow you to weather this surreal health and financial crisis. In today’s timely episode we cover a lot of good news we’ve come across in the past week. We also dive into some changes to retirement accounts due to the CARES Act as well as a topic on a lot of minds- stimulus checks. Who’s getting one, how much, and when are ...
Apr 10, 2020•30 min•Ep. 186
