Everyone loves a good comeback story- exceeept when it’s the villain who is making the comeback! That's basically how we feel about the mullet. We can all pretty much agree that mullets are the most villainous hairstyle. It had its heyday back in the 80s and is now back in full-business-in-the-front-party-in-the-back-force. Similarly, that’s how we feel about consumer debt. Credit card debt levels drastically dropped with the onset of Covid lockdowns and for a minute we thought this might be the...
May 18, 2022•41 min•Ep. 515
We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - My fiance wants to get into house hacking. How can I feel more comfortable with this risky endeavor? 2 - How should my student loans impact how I invest in my Roth? 3 - Fee-based financial advisors...
May 16, 2022•43 min•Ep. 514
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: MCM furniture paying dividends, sweating to save some money, federal tax credits to help you install solar, scammers ...
May 13, 2022•27 min•Ep. 513
“Inconceivable!”. There are certain tasks in life that feel virtually impossible. One that comes to mind is painting your house- “I can’t do that, I’m not a professional painter!”. When in reality, that’s a project you actually could perform well. Or another one might be something like baking some biscuits- “I’m not some culinary magician who can whip together some homemade biscuits from scratch!”. When fact, that’s something 6th graders learn how to do in middle school. And the same thing is tr...
May 11, 2022•54 min•Ep. 512
We’re talking today about how to avoid screwing up your kid’s relationship with money. As parents, our job is to raise amazing adults to one day replace us! And even if you don’t currently have kids, or maybe you know that you never will- today’s conversation will do a great job shedding some light on why you think and feel the way you do about your personal finances. Bobbi Rebell is a Certified Financial Planner, she’s host of the Money Tips for Financial Grownups podcast, and she’s also the au...
May 09, 2022•53 min•Ep. 511
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: boosted HSA contribution limits, making the most of the student loan pause, foibles of student loan forgiveness, Buff...
May 06, 2022•28 min•Ep. 510
There’s a right way and a wrong way to do all sorts of things. For instance we think that the right way to load toilet paper is with it dispensing over the top of course! Or, sometimes you see guys at the beach and they’re beet-red but they’ve still got their shirt off and they’re likely not wearing any sunscreen- what’re they doing?! And similar to quitting your job the right way, getting burned seems to be a lesson that many folks don’t often learn until they are older, or until after they’ve ...
May 04, 2022•48 min•Ep. 509
We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! What can I do about rapidly rising rents at my apartment building? We want to house hack by finishing out a basement apartment- is this a good idea for us and should we finance the project? How do I pa...
May 02, 2022•51 min•Ep. 508
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: insulating your house to save the planet and save you money, #VanLife woes and the search for happiness, why a declin...
Apr 29, 2022•30 min•Ep. 507
When your home’s value increases by over $50,000 in 2021 alone- you take notice! The average homeowner has access to well over $150,000 in tappable home equity while still maintaining 20% equity in their homes. But just because you can cash out, does that mean you should? As you’ve witnessed your home equity continue to balloon, you might be tempted to do something with those newly discovered funds. You might start getting the itch to finally spend some of that ‘hard earned money’ on a boat or m...
Apr 27, 2022•48 min•Ep. 506
Our guest today is Scott Keyes- founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, a travel platform with over two million members around the world. It’s been called “the travel world’s best-kept secret” by Thrillist and received praise in The New York Times among others. But before he became our favorite expert on ways to keep vacation costs down, Scott worked for years as a journalist, with bylines in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and plenty of other publications. And now, he’s published a book titled, “T...
Apr 25, 2022•58 min•Ep. 505
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: we’re kicking off the HTM Newsletter with a book giveaway, why it makes sense to return to the office, desktop apprai...
Apr 22, 2022•31 min•Ep. 504
Have you ever been to a Broadway show? It’s amazing- whether you’re drawn to the storyline, the music, the costumes- but of course the cast is pivotal. And for any major theatrical production, not only are there the performers you see on stage, but there are also countless understudies. The backup cast members who learn all the lines, and know exactly what to do in case one of the performers gets sick or can’t perform. They’re preparing for the worst. We think of prepping for a recession in a si...
Apr 20, 2022•50 min•Ep. 503
We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - What kind of impact will settling my debt have on my credit score? 2 - My employer matches retirement contributions but I really want to pay down my debt ASAP- what should I do? 3 - Where should I ...
Apr 18, 2022•54 min•Ep. 502
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: unavoidable inflation hitting 41 year highs, why gas prices are slow to recede, the best affordable unlimited wireles...
Apr 15, 2022•29 min•Ep. 501
It’s time to celebrate the fact that we’ve now officially recorded and published 500 episodes of How to Money! And what better way to mark the occasion, than to hear some of the best money tips from all of our listeners. From making more money with real estate, to getting on the same page as your partner with money convos, to spending less on groceries and smarter ways to budget- we had more voice memos sent in to us than we had time to get to during this episode, but we’re excited to share a bu...
Apr 13, 2022•57 min•Ep. 500
Our guest today is Nick Maggiulli. Nick is the Chief Operating Officer for Ritholtz Wealth Management and regularly writes over on his site: Of Dollars And Data. But he wasn’t always steeped in the world of finance and investing- before that he was a successful litigation consultant. And even though Nick has always had a heart for personal finance, it’s only been in the past 5 years that he began to seriously write about money. And his new book, Just Keep Buying, actually comes out tomorrow! We ...
Apr 11, 2022•53 min•Ep. 499
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: the rise of 40 year mortgages, free audiobooks for life, the high cost of shipping, whether it makes sense to save fo...
Apr 08, 2022•26 min•Ep. 498
Think about the last novel you read that included a dangerous quest. If it’s a fantasy like the Hobbit, there might be giant spiders, goblins, and dragons- but in the end, it’s worth it because of the unfathomable treasure and riches that await them. The thing is, when we’re talking about investing in single stocks, the chance that this perilous journey ends up with a happy ending is much less likely, but folks continue along in their quest. Why? Maybe it’s because of the sophisticated tools tha...
Apr 06, 2022•43 min•Ep. 497
We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - I’ve recently retired and I’m looking for an affordable health care option- what are your thoughts on health sharing plans? 2 - How do my fiance and I begin the process of house hacking after we’ve...
Apr 04, 2022•46 min•Ep. 496
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: slashing housing expenses with ADUs, new construction, and multi-generational households. Also we discuss making more...
Apr 01, 2022•32 min•Ep. 495
Your birthday comes around every year- and you never forget because it’s something that you look forward to! But we’d argue that there are certain financial tasks that we should also revisit at least once a year, but we’re less than enthusiastic about knocking them out. This neglect is compounded by the fact that our finances have gotten more complicated than ever. You likely have accounts everywhere: you might have multiple 401ks, savings accounts, credit cards- it might feel like there’s too m...
Mar 30, 2022•51 min•Ep. 494
Today we are joined by Naseema McElroy! Naseema is an RN with a master’s degree in healthcare administration, who also founded the website Financially Intentional and launched the podcast, Nurses on FIRE. Both of these resources exist to help nursing professionals achieve a sense of financial freedom in their lives. Given the demand for healthcare workers, there are a lot of career opportunities available so we’re excited to touch on that. Naseema also wrote the book, Smart Money, to give folks ...
Mar 28, 2022•52 min•Ep. 493
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: please send us a voice memo of your best money tip to be featured on episode 500, medical debt officially dropping of...
Mar 25, 2022•31 min•Ep. 492
You know you can’t believe everything that you read on the web, right?! There are all sorts of myths, half truths, and straight up lies that can not only make us look foolish were we to believe them, but they can also separate us from our hard earned money and cause us financial harm. And it turns out there are a number of myths that pervade how many think about their credit scores. Some of this confusion has to do with the fact that different lenders reference different scoring models, so it’s ...
Mar 23, 2022•48 min•Ep. 491
We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - What should be my top financial priority when I know my job is only guaranteed for a year? 2 - Should I make a larger down payment in order to keep my mortgage below 25% of my monthly budgeted expe...
Mar 21, 2022•51 min•Ep. 490
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: send us your money tips, rate hike repercussions- what it means for mortgages and credit cards, commercials make a co...
Mar 18, 2022•28 min•Ep. 489
Would you ever pick up the habit of smoking in order to lose some weight? After all it is effective- by lowering your metabolic rate and reducing your appetite you’re bound to shed a few pounds. It sounds like a quick fix worth considering, but ultimately we hope that this isn’t something that you would do because everyone is well aware of the longer-term health consequences of smoking. The downsides are too severe. But we think this is exactly what is happening when you prioritize getting rich ...
Mar 16, 2022•43 min•Ep. 488
How concerned should I be about getting audited? How much should my business make before I file as an S Corporation? Is there a free accounting software option out there? These are just a few of the questions we have for our guest today, Shannon Weinsteen. Shannon is a CPA, coach, and mentor for small business owners who want more perspective and less paperwork when it comes to their finances. Her company, Fitnancial Solutions, offers tax strategy and fractional CFO services delivered from the h...
Mar 14, 2022•51 min•Ep. 487
It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: capital gains taxes even if you didn’t sell, paying less at the pump, the best credit cards for cashback at gas stati...
Mar 11, 2022•27 min•Ep. 486
