Are you aggressively striving for your financial goals? Putting in the time to make your dreams come true? Are you sure you're NOT going to let anything stand in your way when it comes to securing a nice retirement and a fantastic nest egg? Here's a question: when are you working TOO hard toward your goal? How do you know when you've gotten TOO caught up in the rat race? On today's show, we sit with entrepreneur David Hauser, who's built and sold two successful businesses, but who also has been ...
Mar 11, 2019•1 hr 9 min
401k? Roth? Dollar cost averaging? Market timing? Target-date funds? Choosing to take responsibility for your financial well-being is often a difficult choice, and it's not made any easier by the long list of jargon that comes attached to being money savvy. That's why on today's show we're breaking down all the words and definitions that'll have you scratching your head as you try to get your budget and retirement plan on the right track. Joining our awesome panel of contributors today (alongsid...
Mar 08, 2019•1 hr 21 min
Should you take on debt to buy real estate? Does the stock market really return as much as we're told it after a life of saving and investing? And on the topic of stocks... how should a portfolio be split up between small, large and foreign stocks? That's just a sneak peak of the broad range of question and answers we're discussing on today's jam-packed letters episode. During our headlines segment, OG is sharing his thoughts on Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway letter to investors. Plus, we'r...
Mar 06, 2019•59 min
Whether you've never purchased a home before or just don't know much about the process, we've got a treat for you today. We're going to dive into everything mortgages 101 today, like PMI, the negotiability of fees, and the lie that everyone quoting rates is telling (those rates "might not be what you think they'd be.") On today's show we welcome the guy who's teaching us everything millennials need to know about mortgages, Jeff VanNote. During our headlines segment, we'll start with one piece de...
Mar 04, 2019•1 hr 20 min
What should be the number one priority on your retirement planning list? That answer is going to be different for everyone, and on this roundtable episode our contributors gave their take on one list's "most' urgent items. You can find the original show notes from 2016 below: What are the most important moves to make in retirement? Harlan Landes ( Adulting.tv , Plutus Foundation) joins Paula ( AffordAnything ) and Len ( LenPenzodotcom ) to tackle a recent Wisebread piece that claims to give us t...
Mar 01, 2019•1 hr 6 min
When's the last time you gave you financial life a good inspection? It's been a bit since we talked about having a good look at our financial processes and routines, so the Fintern decided to spin up Joe's interview with Today Show Money Editor Jean Chatzky. Back in 2017 Joe talked to Jean about why people should get a financial "check up." We still think that's a great idea in 2019. Here are the original show notes from 2017: If anyone knows the heartbeat of personal finance, it's Today Show Mo...
Feb 27, 2019•1 hr 2 min
We haven't talked about market timing at all on the show lately, so the Fintern thought it was about time to reach back in the archives and find an old episode on the topic. This eshow is from a Wednesday back before we changed our format. OG sounds like he's in a tin can, to a degree, but if you can get through that, the show itself is a really great collection of letters from you. Here's the original show notes from 2015: Today the star of the show is YOU! You ask us about market timing, diver...
Feb 25, 2019•1 hr 6 min
It's easy to find financial advice on the internet. But finding GOOD financial advice? You'll find that's a bit more difficult. With so many money "gurus" pushing their sage wisdom, how do you sort through all the noise and find the truth? We'll discuss where the "truth" lies today, with some help from our contributors: Chelsea Brannon from Smart Money Mamas, Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, and OG from this podcast. Today we're tackling money, (bad) advice, and lies! Halfway through the show we'll ...
Feb 22, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Today we'll throw out our regular playbook to focus on what's really important: your burning financial questions! From Ginny, who wants to become interested in finance (plus a husband who has a BIG man-crush on OG), to Craig and his wife who just inherited a big sum of money....and to Chris wants to know if he should use his savings to pay off his car note before his wedding, we made you and your questions our BIGGEST focus today. BUT, that's not all... we still managed to tackle two big headlin...
Feb 20, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Nearly everyone has had a "great" business idea. However, as mom says, "the devil is in the details," and great businesses aren't built on ideas, they're built on successful implementation and follow through. To help you set up either your next side gig or start your next big venture, we're excited to talk to Maria Aspan, Editor at Large for Inc. Magazine. She'll discuss where to look for financing, the importance of a business plan (is it really important?), how to ask family for money, when to...
Feb 18, 2019•1 hr
Whether it's big check time from the IRS or not, it's always important to know ahead of time what to do with a large sum of money. Do you have a plan for your tax refund cash? Today, whether you have the beginnings of a plan or no clue, this show is for you. Today we're joined by host of the Seven Figures podcast, Sandy Waters, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and our very own OG. About halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk to Mark Elliot from TIAA about your career. Looking for a...
Feb 15, 2019•1 hr 8 min
We're celebrating Valentine's Day in true money podcast fashion, talking all things romantic, like wine, spreadsheets, money dates, and open communication about money. We know...total romance. Joining us to discuss all of these things and more are a father-daughter financial planning team of Walter Wisniewski and Allison Vanaski. We'll also talk about non-verbal money cues (what is your significant other NOT telling you about money, but is showing you?), why we're afraid of money chats, and how ...
Feb 13, 2019•1 hr 16 min
Tanja Hester realized at a young age that even though she loved her career, she was still helping an organization chase THEIR goals instead of her own, and that's when her plan to make work optional was hatched. On today's show she'll talk about not only her story, but also about how she and her husband tracked their progress (dual spreadsheets!), discussed the timing of leaving, and downsizing her lifestyle. She also shares potential struggles she sees down the line, like rising health care cos...
Feb 11, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Ever ask yourself why you never seem to have enough money? Maybe the answer is that you need to make more at work, or maybe you just eat out a little bit too much during the week? On today's roundtable, we're joined by Marcus Garrett of the Paychecks and Balances podcast, Len Penzo (from LenPenzo.com ) and our very own OG. We're tackling 7 questions that, if you're honest with yourself, will give you the answers to why you never seem to have enough money. Halfway through the roundtable, we'll ta...
Feb 08, 2019•1 hr 13 min
If you're hoping for financial freedom, Grant Sabatier is maybe the perfect man to hear speak. At one point he was down to less than ten dollars in his accounts, and within a short time went from broke to a millionaire. How did he do it? He'll share his story (which includes how he made money), but also share how to drastically cut your expenses so that you can build your own fortune. In our headline segment, we'll talk to JJ Kinahan about financial independence. TD Ameritrade recently commissio...
Feb 06, 2019•1 hr 25 min
THE Jill Schlesinger returns to the basement to talk about three horrible investments people buy: gold, reverse mortgages, and hedge funds. We'll also discuss annuities, permanent life insurance, and other frequent offenders. If you're using any of these products, don't panic! These can all be used successfully in your plan, and Jill will talk about the horrible ways people are tricked into using these products so that you don't make the same mistakes. Then, in our headlines, we'll cover a piece...
Feb 04, 2019•1 hr 17 min
This is the weekend we'll nearly all see (whether we're a fan of sports or not) people at the "top of their game" showing off their ability to excel at their craft. Here's our question: how do you excel with your money? That's why today we're discussing how YOU can maximize you financial Big Game with some good thought-out planning. Plus, we're not bringing you just one special guest today... but TWO. Joining us is Jace Mattinson and Clark Sheffield from the Millionaires Unveiled podcast. And we...
Feb 01, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Are you horrible with money? Turns out you're not alone (big surprise)! While most of us have been bad with money at some point in our lives, we don't usually write a book about it. Today we're joined by Gaby Dunn, who today will dive into her early years, and the money scripts she learned from school, parents, and friends. It's a quick look into her new book : Bad With Money . Plus, during our headlines segment, a Barron's piece proves again just how many people don't understand the FIRE moveme...
Jan 30, 2019•1 hr 9 min
On today's show we're taking your letters, but first, we're talking to Hannah Rounds, our favorite tax software reviewer, who gives us the lowdown on the good, bad and ugly of tax software. She'll tell us which brands to avoid, which are her favorites, and which packages are surprising. Whether you're willing to pay for your tax support or are looking for the best software package for free, we'll dive into all of the brands to help make your filing season easier. We're happy that the government ...
Jan 28, 2019•1 hr 10 min
What does it really mean to be poor? We're not talking about poverty...that's a whole different issue, when compared to one article we're discussing today, which covers the difference between people who are "poor" but own lots of stuff and people who are "rich" and own very little. What do we mean? We'll dive in to this topic today with our roundtable group of bloggers and podcasters, including Cody Berman, co-host of the FI Show; Len Penzo of LenPenzo.com; and from our own Stacking Benjamins po...
Jan 25, 2019•1 hr 5 min
With all of the news dominated lately by the government shutdown and Washington politics, it's easy to focus on things outside of your control. But if you're going to become a millionaire, it's time today to refocus your energy on YOU and what you need to do personally to find your way toward financial success. The perfect person to talk to about personal responsibility comes down to the basement today, Chris Hogan. We'll dispel some of the myths around who's a millionaire and help you set up yo...
Jan 23, 2019•1 hr
We're dedicating this episode to a very special guest: YOU. Our mailbag is overflowing, so today we realized it was time to devote a whole episode to answering your burning questions. Scott has cash left over after he pays bills and maxes out his regularly scheduled savings contributions... should he open up a Roth IRA? How should Laura prioritize her savings goals: pay down debt, add to retirement accounts, or build her emergency funds? Tyler has been recruited by his local Edward Jones agent. ...
Jan 21, 2019•58 min
How do you put the brakes on spending so much money? ....... Our special guest today is Ashley Feinstein Gerstley, author of The Thirty Day Money Cleanse, and she's an expert in cleaning up your budget. We'll talk with her and our team about a recent Budgets Are Sexy blog post in which blogger J. Money lays out how he avoids spending money. What games do you play with yourself to distract yourself from spending money. Plus, two contributors you know and love, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog...
Jan 18, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Could you go a few days without spending any money? A few weeks? How about a few months? Starving your wallet might be simpler than you've previously thought. Jen Smith, co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast, joins us today to talk about gifting yourself a "No Spend Challenge." How does it work? We'll cover her story of spending little to no money to cure her debt issues, and then how she refined the concept to create a plan worthy of talking about on our show and elsewhere! And in our headlines...
Jan 16, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Ever wonder how someone decides to aggressively attack a goal, like paying down your mortgage? Talaat McNeely and his spouse Tai decided to think HUGE thoughts when they set out to pay off their house in five years. They didn't know how they'd do it, but they set out anyway and took action, and ultimately accomplished their goal. Today Talaat will tell their family's fantastic story from start to finish. He'll share what they did well and also how they could have maybe paid the house off even fa...
Jan 14, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Did you spend too during the holiday season? Studies showed that many of us WAY overspent this year, to the tune of over $1,200 more spending than we could truly afford. Add that to the huge amount of debt people are already carrying, and this year's problem can easily become next year's problem. To help you wash away your debt problems, today we're talking to Nick Clements on the psychology behind debt management, and the many different ways you can get your year started on the right foot in ou...
Jan 09, 2019•1 hr 3 min
In this tumultuous market, how certain are you about your investment strategy? Larry Swedroe joins us today to talk retirement planning, but especially to talk about weathering the storm of risk and uncertainty in this market. We'll talk about what's normal for the market, why so many people fail, how an all-stock portfolio might or might not work for you, and more. Plus, in our headlines segment, lots of people moved their money to treasures to start 2019. Could this foreshadow upcoming negativ...
Jan 07, 2019•1 hr 20 min
What's on tap for 2019? We don't know what you have planned personally, but we CAN tell you what our Magic 8 Ball says is going to happen. We'll ask it all the important questions, like, "What will the stock market do in 2019?" and "Will the price of oil be higher next year than now?" plus heavy hitters like, "Will Harry and Meghan have a boy?"...important stuff like that. But that's not all. We'll also share how the 8 Ball fared last year. Did it predict the future? In our Friday FinTech segmen...
Jan 04, 2019•1 hr 25 min
What do you want from 2019? How about becoming a badass? Our guest today says you're already a badass and just might not know it. Jen Sincero has written TWO New York Times bestsellers, but today she's here with us teaching you how to kick off a new year by bringing out the best in yourself and your wallet. Plus, in our headlines segment, why should employers be worried about employee financial stress? We'll tackle one article on the impact that financial stress has on employees while they're at...
Jan 02, 2019•1 hr 7 min
2018 was quite a year....maybe the opposite of March (in like a Lion/out like a lamb)....and began fairly gently and definitely is finishing with a roar. What should we have learned, if we turn the events of this year into timeless lessons? What could we have learned from this year's volatility? What about the Federal Reserve raising interest rates? What about the strong employment numbers? What does that tell us (among other things) about our wallet? We're excited to finish the year off strong ...
Dec 31, 2018•1 hr 17 min
