What would you say to someone who said they could teach you to be rich? Would you have a hard time believing them? Today we'll sit down with the person who has already done just that for thousands of people across the country: New York Times best-selling author Ramit Sethi. In our headlines segment, what's the deal with gold? We'll take a look at one article from InvestmentNews that makes the case against gold. But, do we think it has a place in your portfolio? Is that money better deployed else...
Oct 07, 2019•1 hr 19 min
Is it frustrated watching successful people work? They seem to do it so easily....and sometimes they even tell you that it IS easy. But is that the truth? What's really behind the success of many people who wisely handle money, or make better business decisions, or seem to juggle priorities easily? There IS a secret...and once you know it you think about the working world differently. Today our special guest Steven Donovan from EvenStevenMoney.com joins OG and Joe to tackle what's really behind ...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 22 min
Ever wonder what it would be like to buy a van and hit the road? Van life is an exciting reality for many people you read about online...but would it be for you? Today we talk to Lisa and Harrison from the Mad Money Monster Podcast, who together decided to try it out. The results? Let's just say it may not have gone exactly the way many bloggers act like it will. In our headlines segment, we're all about cults! One recent financial piece compares Multi-Level Marketing companies (MLMs) to a cult,...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Hoping to retire someday? What about retiring early? On today's show we'll sit down with Chris Mamula who retired at...wait for it....41, about how he did it. He's the co-author of the newly released book, Choose FI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence , and also is an award-winning blogger at CanIRetireYet.com . He and his wife blazed their own trail toward freedom after meeting with advisors who didn't serve them and reading blogs that didn't speak to them. They might have also listened t...
Sep 30, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Does it makes sense to hire a coach? Our roundtable discussion today is all around the pros and cons of finding a coach--why do you need one in the first place? How do you find a good one? How do you know it's a good fit? We'll cover all of these and more on today's show with two coaches and a guy who doesn't have one....Sharita Humphrey joins us from Family, Faith and Finance, along with Roger Whitney, the Retirement Answer Man, and Len Penzo from Len Penzo dot com. Halfway through the show, we...
Sep 27, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Have you ever wondered if you're handling your money right? Sure you have. More important, have you ever worried that you aren't doing LIFE correctly? Our main guest has been there. She's the best-selling author of the philosophical guide to life in the age of overwhelm titled, Am I Doing This Right?, Colleen Bordeaux. Colleen will share her deeply personal search for more meaning in life and lessons she learned along that way. We'll talk about your personal philosophy, getting comfortable with ...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 15 min
How does a guy with a great job at Facebook end up as a standup comedian? Today we talk to Paul Ollinger, host of the new Crazy Money podcast, about chasing your dream...in his case, the dream of becoming a comedian. It's a compelling conversation if you've ever hit the wall with your career, or you've ever made a spur-of-the-moment decision, or you realized that you needed to sharpen the saw to get where you wanted to go. There's something for everyone in today's interview. During our headlines...
Sep 23, 2019•1 hr 15 min
We spend more and buy stuff to make us happy, but does it? Does more really equal better? On today's show we dive into a recent blog post from the Four Pillar Freedom blog to look at the nature of happiness. Money is always intertwined in our view of "happy," probably because advertisers love making us think that if we just buy one more thing we'll finally get that elusive joy that we've been craving. We'll talk about joy, addiction, happiness and more on today's podcast with a team including Be...
Sep 20, 2019•1 hr 21 min
At some point you feel fried. Been there? Today's guest, Nicole Lapin, has been there. She thought she could outrun her problems and find success...and today we'll hear how that worked out. Nicole is a New York Times best selling author of both Rich Bitch and her second title Boss Bitch. Today she's back with a new guide to help us figure life out. We'll talk about balance, acceptance, and not trying to outrun your problems on today's show. In our headlines segment, how's your will looking? The ...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Would you know what to do in the 24 hours after a car accident? What about that next 7 days? The days following an accident is a stressful time, but following the right steps can make a big difference. On today's show we'll talk to Elizabeth Calora, partner at PCVA Law, to talk about what you should do after you are involved in an accident. During our headlines segment, one retiree placed her life savings into an annuity without knowing the full consequences, (on the advice of a financial adviso...
Sep 16, 2019•1 hr 14 min
"Speed kills" is a popular phrase, but in business, you already hear that faster = better. But is it? If you make a mistake with your money, whether it's making it, spending, tracking or investing...how important is speed (or slowing down) in your decisionmaking? We'll take this philosophical discussion and dive in today with Amy Blacklock from Women Who Money, Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, and our very own OG. It's a lively discussion that ping-pongs between deep philosophy to light tactics, and...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Have you ever thought about investing in the wide world of real estate but weren't sure whether it was for you? Today's guest, Michele Cagan, says that it probably IS for you...but maybe not in the way you'd traditionally think. Sure, you can go fix up and flip houses or become a landlord, but Michele shares LOTS of other ways to invest in real estate as well, and gives us five reasons why you should at least think about it. Whether you're a seasoned real estate investor or newbie, there's somet...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Do you want better answers in your life? It may seem like a simple solution, but Andy Andrews, New York Times best-selling author, says you just need to be asking better questions. He'll share secrets from his new book, Bottom of the Pool, on today's show! In our headlines segment, we'll ring up Christine Benz on Joe's Dad's shortwave radio. She's the director of personal finance at Morningstar, and we'll ask her how some of our listeners who are new investors can get their retirement plans roll...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 23 min
The Fintern is finishing out our rewind week with one of our old school roundtable favorites: we're talking about lies about retirement. You can read the original show notes below: On today's podcast we're talking about lying. A recent news piece reports that there are nine lies we're told about retirement planning. We'll break them down with Greg, Paula, and special guest Rich Jones from the hit podcast Paychecks and Balances. We won't stop there, thought. We'll also discuss a recent question t...
Sep 06, 2019•52 min
Time for something a little different in the basement! While it's still "rewind week" here, instead of playing an old SB episode, we instead are serving up our little sister show, Money With Friends! This show appears six days a week wherever you listen to Stacking Benjamins. Money With Friends is news and commentary with diverse thought leaders. It's performed in front of a LIVE Facebook audience. This show originally appeared Monday on that channel. If you like it, head on over and listen to t...
Sep 04, 2019•21 min
Welcome to our Stacking Benjamins rewind week! Normally doing this week we would play you some of our favorite episodes from the past that you may have missed... but this week we're mixing things up. Monday and Friday will go as planned, but stay tuned on Wednesday for a special surprise. The Fintern is kicking off the week by queuing up our time with Shannyn Allen, who lost over $50,000 to a hacker. We won't spoil the interview in case you missed it the first time around, but this is one emotio...
Sep 02, 2019•1 hr 20 min
What do YOU worry about when it comes to money? Is it the same thing others worry about? Today we head to sunny Orlando, the home of Podcast Movement (the nation's biggest podcasting conference), and catch up with some top financial podcasters at the FinCon booth in the expo hall (they were nice enough to set up a podcasting booth for shows to use!). Today we talk to Mindy Jensen from Bigger Pockets Money, Lacey Langford from the Military Money show, and all the way from Australia, the host of o...
Aug 30, 2019•1 hr 4 min
Ever walk into a wine store and wonder what all the labels mean? Looking for a way to upgrade your Labor Day celebration without spending a ton of money? Today, wine expert Dave Falchek from the American Wine Society joins us to talk all things vino. How do you pick a wine? What are some clues that a wine is good for your party? What do those ratings mean in a wine shop? What wines go best with burgers and dogs? We'll answer all of those questions and more on today's show! In our headlines segme...
Aug 28, 2019•1 hr 2 min
We're celebrating Labor Day in style (and a week early) with Frankie Celenza, the chef at Struggle Meals on the Tastemade network. We'll talk not only how to make your holiday weekend grilling perfect, but also how to make smart and frugal food choices in the kitchen. Not only will he share tips on how to make your perfect burger, but also grocery ideas in general, how to make sauces, and the key to that recipe in front of you. Before our fantastic chat with Frankie, we'll discuss the retirement...
Aug 26, 2019•1 hr 7 min
We see people without children retiring early all the time. Is that because children are the speed bumps on the road to the financial heaven? We'll ask our panel for their thoughts, including a woman who has six kids and is chasing financial freedom, Wendy Mayes from the House of FI podcast. We'll discuss meal planning, where you live, your transportation costs, child expenses and more, on today's show. Halfway through the show, our roundtable discussion will take a break for our Fintech segment...
Aug 23, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Len Penzo is the king of the sandwich study...and of independent thinking ABOUT sandwiches (and many, many other topics). On today's show we dive into the latest iteration of our favorite way of talking about inflation: comparing the rise and fall of prices among popular school lunch/work brown bag sandwiches. How much do different sandwiches cost? How much more do they cost than last year? What are the most inexpensive sandwiches? Which have changed in price the most? If you're looking for a de...
Aug 21, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Today we sit down with Rob Berger, host of the Dough Roller podcast and author of Retire Before Mom & Dad about the five lies we all are told about money. Because we fall into these traps, we're duped to live a life on the hamster wheel, working harder and harder, but getting nowhere. Today we'll talk about debt, investing, insurances, advisors and more, so that you can take charge of your finances. Plus, during our headlines segment, we'll cover one piece from Financial Planning about an ex...
Aug 19, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Today our roundtable discussion focuses on one set of homeowners who successfully sold their house, but realized that they could've saved $60,000 if they had instead rented and never purchased the home in the first place. Is buying a home a waste of money? Did the couple make some big mistakes that we can all avoid? Did they use professionals wisely or make some bad decisions? Discussing this headline with us are three veterans of the financial blogging and podcasting community: Tom Drake from M...
Aug 16, 2019•1 hr 8 min
Who wouldn't want to be one of the Grateful Dead (love the play on the rock band name, don't you?)? Today we'll ask the question, "When's the last time you've thought about your estate plan... (if you've made one)?" Making a will or even a full trust may seem like a daunting task that's best done tomorrow, or the day after that, but we all know that it's an important piece of your financial life that shouldn't be overlooked. To help us understand the ins-and-outs of estate planning in the most f...
Aug 14, 2019•1 hr 22 min
While we all love talking financial independence, side hustles, and paying off huge amounts of debt, another topic doesn't get enough attention, mostly because it's difficult. We don't pay nearly enough attention to the biggest threat facing any retirement: long-term care. What happens if you have a catastrophic illness and can't take care of yourself? Nursing homes are expensive, home care is expensive, and asking loved ones to take care of you can be horrible for their health and wellbeing als...
Aug 11, 2019•58 min
Sick of working for "the man"? Today we'll talk to a woman who's never held down a single full time job but who's created a career out of what most people call "side hustles." We'll explore pitfalls, opportunities, and more with Shanah Bell, author of The Art of Being a Pita , Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and from our very own podcast, OG. Halfway through the show we'll take a break from our side hustle conversation so Joe can sit down with Tony Aquilar, the founder of new student loans app ...
Aug 09, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Ever wonder how an insurance company would look at some of your favorite movie and television series characters? We might be nerds (who are we kidding...we're huge nerds), but that's exactly the question we wanted to ask Haven Life's Brittney Burgett, who gives us some really enlightening answers. Not only do we find out information about how insurance companies view cartels, money laundering, and 1950's office spaces (all funny and not shocking), we also talk frankly about contestable periods, ...
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr 33 min
PT Barnum was the king of over-the-top sales pitches...or was he? He certainly was the king of hustling to earn a living. If you're looking for a role model to help you work harder, sell better, or be more...entertaining, there are few people you should look to before the Greatest Showman himself. Today, biographer Robert Wilson joins us to dig into the early years of Barnum's life, from his time organizing lotteries and working on general stores to his first move to New York City. Barnum not on...
Aug 05, 2019•1 hr 7 min
We're absolutely thrilled to bring you the best in 2019's personal finance indie podcasts, blogs, and video. Today we welcome Miranda Marquit from the Plutus Awards to walk through the 2019 Finalists for the Plutus Awards. The goal of these awards is to shine a light on a wider spectrum of names and brands so that we all have the ability to hear from a wide universe of points of view. Today we present that universe with our finalists picks in our 10th annual awards celebration. Good luck to all ...
Aug 02, 2019•1 hr 41 min
The cast in the Broadway play "Rent" asks, "How do you measure the life of a man?" Today we ask that question as we speak with Nicholas Mann (a great musician in his own right) about his father, the founding member of the Julliard String Quartet (among many other accomplishments), Robert Mann. We'll be talking about Robert Mann's early years: growing up in Portland, getting started on the road to his dream, taking the plunge to move to New York City, his years at Julliard, his military service, ...
Jul 31, 2019•1 hr 15 min
