Today, we continue our education series with a discussion of my ideas and vision for primary and secondary school education. One large problem in the world of financial planning is that often parents wait too long to consider college planning. I propose that we instead consider college planning at birth and build flexible, comprehensive plans. This show is purely about some of my ideas for my son's education. I hope you'll consider them and create your own list. Enjoy! Joshua Links: First episod...
Nov 10, 2014•1 hr 29 min
It’s Friday! Time for another Q&A show! I was able to answer a total of three questions: I basically doubled my income from $100,000 to $190,000. I’m spending $30,000 per year. How do I invest all the extra money? My parents want to retire but they only have $150,000 of home equity and Social Security. What […]
Nov 07, 2014•1 hr 4 min
Sometimes it’s easy to think that financial independence is accessible only to “extreme” people. That’s simply not the case. You don’t have to live in a tent in the woods in order to gain financial independence. Certainly, you might be able to do it faster by living in a tent, but if you don’t want […]
Nov 06, 2014•1 hr 23 min
Many of you have asked me to do a show on dividends and dividend investing. I decided to do it with an interview format instead of on my own. Today, we talk with Jason from DividendMantra.com about his path to financial independence. Jason woke up financially at the age of 27 to realize that he was […]
Nov 05, 2014•1 hr 29 min
Today, we continue the Early Retirement FAQs series with Arebelspy, one of the lead moderators in the Mr. Money Mustache forums. We tackle the question of “Should I pay off debt first or invest first?” from every angle we can think of. This show is packed with ideas and perspectives, many of which I’ll bet […]
Nov 04, 2014•2 hr 9 min
Babies are expensive! Right? Well, Mrs. RPF and I haven’t found it to be so. Today, I’d like to introduce you to my wife and we’ll share with you some of the strategies we’ve found useful in raising our son. General themes: Kids will cost you exactly as much money as you have. Or as much as […]
Nov 03, 2014•1 hr 9 min
It’s Friday! That means it’s time for Q&A! Today, I take one comment from a listener and two questions: A listener did their cash flow statement “Joshua’s way” and discovered taxes are the biggest item in their budget!!! How many different business entities do I need if I want to start some sideline businesses? Should […]
Oct 31, 2014•59 min
I’m constantly asked about the topic of hiring and working with a financial advisor. I’m asked how to find a good advisor, what makes a good advisor, and how to know if you have a good one. I’m also asked how anyone with morals or scruples could ever be a financial advisor, why anyone would ever […]
Oct 30, 2014•1 hr 54 min
Many of us have had exposure to various forms of insurance throughout our lives. But how do you make the initial decision whether insurance is appropriate for you? Today, I share with you a framework for considering various risks that you face and various ways to deal with those risks. Enjoy! Joshua Terms from today’s show: […]
Oct 29, 2014•1 hr 13 min
This is an audio recording of Dorothy Sayers‘ well-known essay entitled “The Lost Tools of Learning.” The Lost Tools of Learning Dorothy Sayers That I, whose experience of teaching is extremely limited, should presume to discuss education is a matter, surely, that calls for no apology. It is a kind of behavior to which the […]
Oct 29, 2014•52 min
Today we have Part 2 of my interview with Brett Veinotte on the history of school. If you haven’t heard it yet, start with yesterday’s show! Joshua Links: Brett’s website: www.schoolsucksproject.com Gatto’s book: An Underground History of American Education Dorothy Sayers: The Lost Tools of Learning The Story of Two Buses
Oct 28, 2014•58 min
Today, we continue our education series by exploring the history of school with a special focus on the information you probably don’t know.. Education is a fundamentally important topic in financial planning both within the context of our own learning and also within the context of planning for our children’s education. It’s also often incredibly […]
Oct 27, 2014•1 hr 40 min
Intentional minimalism is a powerful strategy to consider for personal financial planning. The richest man is not he who has the most but he who needs the least. My guest today is Joshua Becker. He is a normal, married, middle class man with two children. He and his wife discovered the joy and abundance of […]
Oct 24, 2014•1 hr 16 min
Do we really need another book on finance? There are already tons of really great books on finance extant. But, how can we reach those who really don’t read very much? My guest today is Joey Fehrman, CFA and he decided to create a pirate adventure novel as a conduit for teaching the lessons of […]
Oct 23, 2014•1 hr 24 min
The Personal Finance blogosphere is healthy and growing. Many of the writers who heavily influenced and contributed to the growth are no longer writing. And, many new writers are doing an excellent job! But, only a few have been around since the beginning and are still going. My guest today is one of those few. […]
Oct 22, 2014•1 hr 22 min
Since we’re constantly working our way around the triangle formula of wealth (income, expenses, rate of return on the difference), there is a consistency to all aspects of financial planning. We’re either focusing on increasing/optimizing income, decreasing/optimizing expenses, or we’re optimizing rates of return. That’s it. That’s the essence of financial planning. Today, we focus […]
Oct 21, 20140
Many people today are concerned with the potential impact to their wealth of long-term inflation, mass inflation, and hyper inflation. Few have a plan to deal with it. Today, I present one strategy that could be implemented which would help to protect your standard of living. It’s called The Alpha Strategy. The Alpha Strategy is […]
Oct 20, 2014•1 hr 24 min
I’ve got a great Friday show for you! Today, we’re going to interview early retiree Justin who writes at www.rootofgood.com. Justin has a great story. Why should you listen to him? Well, he retired at 33 as a millionaire, even though he followed a relatively mainstream path through college and law school I’ll pull this […]
Oct 17, 2014•1 hr 55 min
I’m interested in the topic of Peer-to-Peer lending but I’m not an expert on the subject. So, I went out and found an expert to teach us about the basics! Simon Cunningham is the founder of www.LendingMemo.com and is an expert on Peer-to-Peer Lending. He has borrowed through the system, he’s lent through the system, […]
Oct 15, 2014•1 hr 29 min
Today, I have an interview with Rob Roy for you. Rob is an awesome guy. He’s the author of “Mortgage Free: Innovative Strategies for Debt-Free Home Ownership.” He and his wife live in a house they built in upper New York State. They’ve never had a mortgage! Today’s interview covers: Rob’s strategy for debt-free homeownership […]
Oct 14, 2014•1 hr 18 min
I have a special spot in my heart for teachers. In many ways, the teaching career is an ideal career for building financial independence. But, it comes with its own unique set of challenges. Many people automatically assume that because of the “low salaries” that teachers earn, they can’t easily build wealth. But, our guest […]
Oct 13, 2014•2 hr 10 min
I’ve always been interested in bus conversions and people who live in them. Today’s show is an interview with a young family who is living in a bus while saving and building their house. Sarah and Noah Springfield have three young children and they’re expecting their fourth in the next month or so. They’re saving […]
Oct 10, 2014•1 hr 2 min
I’m excited about the massive growth of the early retirement community online. I’ve benefited hugely from the information and I want to serve and give back to the community. One of the most active forums I’ve found which is focused around early retirement is the Mr. Money Mustache forum. Over the years, I’ve admired the work […]
Oct 09, 2014•1 hr 25 min
Today, we start our series on intelligent and radical ways to pay for college. We will arrive quickly at the technical discussion on this topic but first, we start with one of my new interests: early education for infants and toddlers. Today, I share with you my recent discovery into this world and what I’ve […]
Oct 08, 2014•59 min
Today’s show is about prudence and preparation in all areas of life. One of the oft-ignored aspects of personal financial planning is to plan appropriately for the areas of life that can’t be solved with the purchase of a financial product. This risks can vary from the mundane, common things of daily life to the […]
Oct 07, 2014•1 hr
Today, we have some excellent questions submitted from some very smart listeners! I was excited to be able to answer the questions for you and I’m really pleased with the variety, interest, and depth of this show. I hope you agree! Questions answered in today’s show: How do I plan for an appropriate amount of […]
Oct 03, 2014•2 hr 26 min
After yesterday’s deep dive into the science of financial planning I decided today we need something a bit lighter. And, in many ways, more practical. Today we jump into some very practical and useful tips and ideas for saving money with a special focus on groceries and travel. Enjoy! Links: SavingsAngel.com – Josh’s coupon site […]
Oct 02, 2014•1 hr 16 min
There’s a great deal of information online about the “4% Rule” for retirement income. Much of the information is excellent. Some of it is flawed. It’s very challenging to work through the data in this area of research because much of it is highly technical. But, it’s worth the effort! In celebration of the 20th anniversary […]
Oct 01, 2014•1 hr 19 min
I’m back! After two weeks out of the office and on the road, it feels good to be home in front of the microphone! Today’s show is a bit more personal. I share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned over the last two weeks from two very different but very complementary events. I […]
Sep 30, 2014•1 hr 16 min
I’m on the road today so the show is a little different. Today I have a very short story for you about the compounding of a career. I think you’ll really enjoy this story of success. Links: The original James Clear article Investors Earn Handsome Paychecks by Handling Buffett’s Business
Sep 29, 2014•17 min