Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Savings rates: how should I account for a disability payment when calculating my savings rate? 2 - $300,000...
Oct 27, 2025•53 min•Ep. 1054
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: The running industrial complex Exorbitant cost of running tourism Lead in the protein powders More money leading to sloppier habits ...
Oct 24, 2025•38 min•Ep. 1053
Figuring out your money is tough enough if you’re flying solo. Doing it with your partner ramps up the difficulty level because you're throwing in varied money history, habits, and goals. It can create a lot of friction! Our guests today have a lot of great advice for couples looking to do better with their finances and create a ‘team vibe’ with their partner. If you looked up the definition of ‘power couple’ in the dictionary, you just might see a picture of Doug and Heather Boneparth next to i...
Oct 22, 2025•58 min•Ep. 1052
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Credit card no-nos: after getting a $900 welcome offer should I take advantage of one year of no interest? ...
Oct 20, 2025•52 min•Ep. 1051
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: Government shutdown federal layoffs Deploying a Bare Bones Budget Accidental landlords Ending capital gains on primary residences Sp...
Oct 17, 2025•41 min•Ep. 1050
Our guest today is a self professed personal finance oddball! Len Penzo spent 35 years in the aerospace industry before retiring at age 58 as an electrical engineer. Along the way he launched LenPenzo.com in December 2008 (he even helped to give Joel a start writing personal finance content back in the day). Since then, the blog has drawn millions of readers and earned awards from publications like Kiplinger. Len’s work has appeared in outlets like Forbes, Time, Business Insider, CBS MoneyWatch,...
Oct 15, 2025•54 min•Ep. 1049
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - eBay: when to list and when to sell locally? 2 - Quarterly estimates: making estimates vs increasing withho...
Oct 13, 2025•51 min•Ep. 1048
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: The refi revival 2026 investing limits Ditching the S&P Private equity in target date funds Falling behind on payments Debt coll...
Oct 10, 2025•38 min•Ep. 1047
“Demographics are destiny” is a phrase we’ve all heard. And while the future of America isn’t a foregone conclusion, declining birth rates, rising inequality, and the dramatic increase of single-parent households are having a profound impact on our society, impacting the overall economy. With all of this in mind, another question is raised: how should we respond and what money choices should we be making now? To help answer this question, we’re joined by Melissa Kearney who is an economist known...
Oct 08, 2025•58 min•Ep. 1046
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Credit card autopay: how do I avoid getting hit with an interest charge? 2 - Timing a HELOC: should I apply...
Oct 06, 2025•52 min•Ep. 1045
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: Government shutdown Streaming price hikes Underwater autos Best high mileage vehicles Car insurers that have your back Freelancers F...
Oct 03, 2025•37 min•Ep. 1044
Our guest today says, “you can’t transform the world if you’re living paycheck to paycheck.” We couldn’t agree more! And money literacy is at the heart of avoiding that fate. Not only did Professor Kristen Carioti literally write the personal finance textbook, but she also found a way to make personal finance classes a requirement at her school, Mount Mary University. Kristen is boots on the ground, teaching the next generation how to think about and handle their finances effectively. We discuss...
Oct 01, 2025•55 min•Ep. 1043
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Switching banks and HSAs: what’s the break-even dollar amount for it to be worth it? 2 - Best early retirem...
Sep 29, 2025•57 min•Ep. 1042
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: Coffee tariffs Avoiding the import tax Just in case financial planning Startup investing Investing like Nance Quitting quarterly ear...
Sep 26, 2025•38 min•Ep. 1041
The supposed luxury of avocado toast, along with the latte, has become an “ok boomer” personal finance tip. “Stop frivolously spending your money and you’d be rich!”... we don’t actually believe that here at HTM and even if there’s a modicum of truth to that statement, it presents other challenges like: how long do you sacrifice in the short-term in order to achieve long-term financial success? Which is why we’re pumped to have financial counselors Justin & Haley Browns-Wood join the podcast...
Sep 24, 2025•55 min•Ep. 1040
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Selling a home and renting instead: what do we do with cash from the closing table? 2 - Best credit card fo...
Sep 22, 2025•54 min•Ep. 1039
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: RATE CUTS Pricey porch pumpkins Recency bias and expecting the rosiest returns Twitter for trading Job hugging Tips only please (no ...
Sep 19, 2025•34 min•Ep. 1038
Benjamin Franklin once wrote “... in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” It was true over 200 years ago and it’s true today! But we’re here to argue that there’s another certainty pertaining to taxes: that we all have the ability to change our individual tax rate by our own actions! Our guest today, Cody Garrett, has thoroughly internalized that reality. He is an advice-only CFP at Measure Twice Financial who specializes in helping folks make a comprehensive financial plan. T...
Sep 17, 2025•55 min•Ep. 1037
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Health spending and protein: what are the best ways to invest in health and get affordable protein? 2 - VA ...
Sep 15, 2025•52 min•Ep. 1036
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: thinner iPhones , recipe for saving the most with cellular , flipping for cash , health insurance hikes , thrifty Teslas , the futur...
Sep 12, 2025•37 min•Ep. 1035
Want to live joyfully and abundantly on a shoestring budget? Is it even possible or is it something from a bygone era?! With headlines shouting that even high income earners making $300,000 are living paycheck, achieving financial freedom on a $40,000 salary sounds like a pipe dream. But our guest today is proof that it’s possible and that you can have a good time along the way, too. Hope Ware runs the site & YouTube channel Under the Median along with her husband Larry, to instruct and insp...
Sep 10, 2025•53 min•Ep. 1034
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Is it time to sell my condo or should I continue to rent it out? 2 - How do I financially prepare for our s...
Sep 08, 2025•51 min•Ep. 1033
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: Walden Pond and your wallet, stocks at all-time highs , more ETFs than you can shake a stick at , forgotten 401k , peaking pessimism...
Sep 05, 2025•40 min•Ep. 1032
A lot of folks discover personal finance podcasts like this one after hitting a few bumps in the road – most often with debt. Maybe you’ve maxed out your credit cards, or you’re juggling more Buy Now Pay Later payments than you can keep up with. That kind of financial stress is heavy, and it often comes with a side of shame. But what if your money struggles aren’t just about willpower? What if the financial services industry is stacking the deck against you? Our guest today, John Dinsmore, is a ...
Sep 03, 2025•57 min•Ep. 1031
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Should I not take a higher paying job because of a 401k loan I still need to pay back? 2 - My wife and I ar...
Sep 01, 2025•53 min•Ep. 1030
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: job skill certificates that don’t pay, pre-K for pay, death of the one page resume, debit card spending growth, BNPL saying the quie...
Aug 29, 2025•36 min•Ep. 1029
Some families have lived on the same plot of land for generations… what’s more Americana than passing down the family farm to the next generation?! But the US also has a history of moving towards opportunity – the settling of the west and the gold rush in California, returning veterans moved at higher rates in the aftermath of WW2, and then more recently the pandemic led to an uptick in people reconsidering their living situation. BUT, what if the next great place to move to is an island in the ...
Aug 27, 2025•52 min•Ep. 1028
Let’s kick off the week with some fresh listener questions we have lined up for you! And don't just stand on the sidelines- if you have a question you’d like us to answer, toss your voice memo our way. It only takes about 90 seconds to record and you can find a step by step guide over at HowToMoney.com/ask . Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it! 1 - Should I pay for Acorns to help me invest and what about real estate investing? 2 - How can I plan for the ...
Aug 25, 2025•53 min•Ep. 1027
Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like: autopay fees, school supplies and sloppy joes, Aldi item of the week, a recipe for mediocrity, digital nomad fatigue, treat culture,...
Aug 22, 2025•38 min•Ep. 1026
The pace at which technology advances is straight up disorienting in our current age. So much so, that it’s likely digital natives and even our kids who can figure out new tech gadgets faster than we can! For those of you who are using apps and AI regularly but not feeling like a pro – you’re worried about your privacy, passwords, & data as you navigate the online world – this episode is for you. Nathan Bartram founded TheNewOil.org in 2018 to equip everyday folks with the resources, website...
Aug 20, 2025•57 min•Ep. 1025