Money used to be easy. Go to the bank, make a deposit. Maybe you had a pension. Nearly everyone in America had Social Security. How did money become dangerous ? We'll sit down with Chris Varelas, the man responsible for brokering some of the biggest mergers and acquisitions in finance. Between working as the head of Citi's technology, media, and communications, and co-founding a private equity firm in Silicon Valley, Chris has acquired a special insight into just how the money game has changed, ...
Dec 16, 2019•1 hr 22 min
How do you not only survive the holiday season but thrive during it? Today our roundtable team rolls out their very best holiday survival ideas. We'll talk shopping to family to mindset and fun...plus maybe sprinkle in a laugh or two. Calling in today is Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast, plus Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com , and who can forget OG from our very own show! Plus, at the halfway mark of today's episode we'll talk about flexible spending accounts. What do YOU need to know befo...
Dec 13, 2019•1 hr 3 min
It's the time of year when you're talking to more people AND making more impressions than any other time of year. How do you put your best foot forward and make your best impression? How do you tell that story that makes everyone laugh and wish they were you? How do you endure the party if you're an introvert? We'll cover ALL of those scenarios and more with master communicator Carmine Gallo on today's podcast. Plus, what if you could lower your fees by HALF? we'll discuss why that might not be ...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Whether for holidays, office events, or social get-togethers, December feels like the official month of parties. If you've ever thought about hosting your own event, whether this month or any other, you can feel the need to break the bank so that your guests feel special. But what if you could host a better event without emptying your wallet? That's why today we're thrilled to help you create your best event with the help of an extra special guest: celebrity party planner David Tutera. We'll tal...
Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Is there advice you wish you'd had when you started investing? Wish you could go back in time and tell yourself to do something differently? With the end of the year almost upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on lessons learned... and hopefully help out some new investors so they won't make the same mistakes we did. Experienced investor or not, we'll share some great advice during today's roundtable discussion among seasoned investors. Calling in today for our roundtabl...
Dec 06, 2019•1 hr 39 min
What lessons can you learn from an entrepreneur in technology who was hired just after the turn of the century to lead one of the biggest exchanges on earth? A ton, it turns out. We talk to Former NASDAQ CEO Robert Greifeld about making tough choices, developing leaders, listening, debating, and more. He'll also share stories about his interactions with CEOs like Bill Gates, Howard Schultz, and Jeff Bezos, and his view of the 2007-2008 financial crisis from his front row seat. You'll learn a ton...
Dec 04, 2019•55 min
Visit any online forum and you'll find someone complaining about their health insurance costs. While lots of people complain, our guest today says that the answer may have nothing to do with all of the political rhetoric around the topic. Scott Heiser visits the basement to teach you how to become a better "health" consumer. Changing the healthcare system is one thing, but making proper, well-informed choices about your personal health is another (and one that we can all handle--and also use to ...
Dec 02, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Wondering if there are any good games you can play about money or economics? Long time Stacking Benjamins fans know we have one non-financial event that gets us just as excited (if not more) than any other event all year: our annual board game episode! Today we'll fly with Joe to Dallas, Texas, and the BoardGameGeek.con convention, where he catches up with the star of the YouTube show Game Night!, Lincoln Damhurst. They'll not only talk about a whole host of cool games about money and company-bu...
Nov 29, 2019•1 hr 1 min
What are the hottest deals in tech this holiday season? What should you avoid? Back for her annual visit to the basement, Bridget Carey from CNET shares the highs and the lows this year. There are LOTS of deals you'll want to avoid, and she'll name names. But don't worry, if you're thinking about televisions, computers, game consoles, kitchen gadgets, audio equipment, or security, we've got you covered! Worried about the financial tasks you need to accomplish before year-end? Maybe you should be...
Nov 27, 2019•57 min
Plus, if you're an investor, the game just might be changing. In our headline segment, we'll share news about three big firms who just received the green light to hide holdings inside their ETFs. What does that mean? We'll share why that may be a big win for active managers, and maybe also for you. Plus we'll cover a second piece from MarketWatch about shopping for yourself. People already spend surprising amounts of cash on themselves each holiday season, but by doing it the right way, you'll b...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Think you're underpaid? You aren't alone. Are you even sure how much you should be earning in your position? On today's roundtable we'll discuss one piece examining all the ways you can mess up the driver of all of your financial activity: your salary. Whether you work for "the man" or for yourself, we'll have something for you. Helping us out today is special guest and Stacking Benjamins friend Katie Brewer, from Your Richest Life , Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, and OG from our very own podcast....
Nov 22, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Ever wonder HOW you can finally get ahead? While some people moan that they just can't seem to make ends meet, Craig Curelop worked from the opposite strategy: he realized that EVERYTHING is for sale. Today we'll talk to the 24 year-old who's hacked his house, his car, and more to get ahead. He's biked to work, slept on his couch...and his old boss said he'd even rent you his underwear. Craig shows us all how we can get ahead if we're willing to go the extra mile. Plus, what funds have had the w...
Nov 20, 2019•52 min
While everyone else panics about student loans, what if YOU were able to reach your dream of a great education and ZERO debt? Wouldn't that be awesome? You're going to love our featured interview with Anthony ONeal, author of Debt-Free Degree and Dave Ramsey personality. Between fantastic advice on choosing the right school, lowering your tuition amount, and earning scholarships... Anthony has a plethora of actionable steps you (or anyone else you know) can take to graduate with a degree, but WI...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr 2 min
We've all had those days. Nothing went right at work and on the way home you KNOW you'd feel better if you just stopped at the (insert favorite store) and bought...that expensive (or inexpensive thing). On Instagram, that's often called self-care. But is it destructive? In a recent viral YouTube video, Chelsea Fagan of The Financial Diet lays out her thoughts. We'll play a clip and then jump into a fascinating discussion on the topic with Jacob Wade, from IHeartBudgets.net, and basement regular ...
Nov 15, 2019•1 hr 15 min
Ever wonder why you don't reach any of your goals? Tom and Ariana Sylvester were there. Over $70k in debt, newly married...they needed a plan. BUT more than that, they needed a way to STICK TO their plan. Today they join us in the basement to share the method they've used to achieve some amazing goals. In our headlines segment, we'll discuss a possible merger between two big companies. What happens when you own shares of a company and it's swallowed by another? What happens if the company whose ...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Raising financial literacy rates in the country is not only important for the population at large but especially for military service members. That's why we're honoring service members this Veteran's Day with some HUGE advice from Ellie Kay, founder of the Heroes at Home program. The program provides military members and their families financial education on how to get out of debt, save more, and how to make their dollar go further. Today she'll share resources for veterans and current military ...
Nov 11, 2019•1 hr 5 min
We're finishing out our rewind week with one very interesting topic: should you marry for money? Tune back in next week for another 8 weeks of brand new shows! We'll kick the week off with featured guest Ellie Kay. You can read our original show notes below: While people say that marrying for money is a horrible reason to wed...are there positives? We ask Len Penzo and special guest Jessica Moorhouse from the Mo' Money podcast, that question...and as usual, the answer isn't what you'd expect. Pl...
Nov 08, 2019•1 hr 3 min
We're taking a look back to an episode originally aired in 2016 about a crazy story that left our guest traumatized. She went on to use that fear to change her life for the better. Here is our original show description: A horrifying event changed Leisa Peterson’s life…for the better. What happened? That’s what we’ll discuss with her on this show, along with a great discussion on fear. Plus, we’ll talk about crazy things people buy with student loan money AND answer questions from Amy about when ...
Nov 06, 2019•1 hr 18 min
How about a kick in the pants financially? Deacon Hayes got one...and today, you're going to get one too, especially if you want to be motivated to pay off debt. Let's get that debt paid! Today we bring you one of our FAVORITE episodes. If you're new here, every eight weeks we take a week off to organize and plan our next two months' shows. The good news for you? This whole week we're going to feature some of our favorite episodes from the past! While markets may change from week to week, great ...
Nov 04, 2019•57 min
You have your financial plan, you've cut back on the lattes and the subscriptions, you've downsized your home, you know how much debt you need to pay off each month, and you've socked away LOTS of cash... right? In the race to financial freedom, is that it? Maybe not. On today's roundtable discussion the gang will tackle a recent blog post that says, "Maybe there's something ELSE you should be paying attention to, first." Diving in today, we're excited to feature our long time regulars: Paula Pa...
Nov 01, 2019•1 hr 14 min
Since October is almost Oct-over it's time to turn down the lights and look over your shoulder because today someone might be playing a spook-tacular Halloween episode for you! We'll share some simply horrifying stories about being an adult from Amanda Holden (AKA the Dumpster Doggy). We'll also offer you a nice treat from Chuck Jaffe (The Money Life podcast) who will share how he tricks the treaters. But it's not all partying with fantastic friends, on this celebration of financial horror. In o...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 12 min
Do you understand investments? If not, today's show is for you...and if you DO, today's show probably still is for you, because our guest is all about focusing on what you DON'T yet know about your money. David Stein will help us learn more about how your investments work so the whole process is less of a gamble. He's the host behind the hit financial podcast, Money For The Rest Of Us , and brings to the basement a wealth of knowledge about the questions you need to ask before putting your hard-...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 13 min
You're ready to jump into the waters of entrepreneurship...or maybe you aren't, but you ARE curious. What questions should you ask yourself BEFORE you lay down your hard earned money to invest in inventory, systems, and people? Happy Friday! Today we ditch our usual Friday format and instead offer up a super special game show edition of SB! On today's show we'll quiz Chief Side Hustler and the host of the Side Hustle Show, Nick Loper, plus regular contributors Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and OG...
Oct 25, 2019•1 hr 18 min
What if the difference between today's mediocrity and tomorrow's succes were all steps you've heard before? Things you can do TODAY to get where you want to go tomorrow? Today we'll tackle just that, learning how to ignite success in 52 easy steps with Dr. Melanie Katzman. We've heard a lot of these rules already, but how are we applying them to our lives? Dr. Katzman teaches us how to get on track to become successful. In our headlines segment, Jim Miller from JD Power and Associates stops by t...
Oct 23, 2019•1 hr 6 min
There's a storm coming toward retirements all over the United States (and elsewhere). Pensions are broken, Social Security is headed toward big cuts, and personal savings? Nobody is doing it. On today's show, we'll sit down with the visionary behind the Broken Eggs documentary, Chad Parks. Chad's 2013 documentary shone some light on America's looming retirement crisis. It's been six years since the film released and we'll discuss the progress and changes that have (or sadly, haven't) happened ac...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 8 min
When it comes to your career, should you love what you do? A blog post our friend R.L. Graham reads says, "Maybe not." Is that right? We've heard a TON about how you should be PASSIONATE about your work. On today's show we'll ring up Jen Hemphill, host of Her Dinero Matters and long-time friend of the basement, and the amazing Paula Pant from Afford Anything to ask their opinion. Our contributors will give their take on working, finding accomplishment in life, and focusing on what matters. Halfw...
Oct 18, 2019•1 hr 16 min
This year, diversification may have COST you money, as it has many college endowment funds. We'll dive into that topic and three more in our first-ever show that's mostly headlines ripped from the popular financial press! We'll tackle headlines from NPR, CNBC, Marketwatch, and more, including our lead-off story that asks, could your retirement fun be ruining our economy? Also, nine American families living abroad have reported that their life savings, stowed away in a bank, had vanished. Will th...
Oct 16, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Wondering how the best and brightest leaders emerge in any organization? Whether you're running a business or just your household, we all need leadership skills, and today's guest focuses on those of the great leader, Walt Disney. We'll sit down with Pat Williams, motivational speaker, author, and co-founder of the NBA Orlando Magic franchise. Pat combines his decades of management experience with the leadership lessons from the visionary animator to provide you with relevant and practical lesso...
Oct 14, 2019•1 hr 17 min
What do you get when you place a bunch of seasoned workers in a room? You immediately start telling stories about the best career advice anyone has ever given you. Today we do just that, with the host of the Beyond The Dollar podcast: Sarah Li-Cain. We’ll work from a post detailing how a Netflix co-founder's father left him a handwritten list of 8 rules to success. What are those rules? Check out what Sarah, Len Penzo, and Paula Pant all have to say about them! Halfway through the show, we’ll ta...
Oct 11, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Why are college costs increasing so fast? While there are lots of theories, only one researcher has reached out to many middle-class families to directly ask them how much money they've spent on college and to get the direct story. Today we talk to her. Caitlin Zaloom joins us on today's podcast to dig in to the problem with college funding. 529 plans? Saving directly with the state using pre-paid tuition? We'll tackle LOTS of scenarios and throw out some ways to solve the problem on today's sho...
Oct 09, 2019•1 hr 8 min
