The Stacking Benjamins Show - podcast cover

The Stacking Benjamins Show

Joe Saul-Sehy and Josh ‘OG’ Bannerman, CFPart19.com

Named Best Personal Finance Podcast by Bankrate.com and Kiplinger — and the only podcast the Plutus Awards retired from competition after winning twice — The Stacking Benjamins Show is personal finance that doesn’t put you to sleep.

Hosts Joe Saul-Sehy (former 16-year financial advisor, ex-WXYZ-TV “Money Man”) and Josh “OG” Bannerman, CFP (Certified Financial Planner, Bannerman Wealth) sit around the card table in Joe’s mom’s half-finished basement in Texarkana and talk money with the smartest guests in personal finance, investing, and behavioral economics. As Fast Company wrote, the show “strikes a great balance of fun and functional.”

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: expert guests, real headlines, listener questions, and Doug’s trivia. Topics include investing, retirement planning, budgeting, real estate, behavioral finance, taxes, and financial independence — for anyone who wants to be smarter about money without being talked down to.

Subscribe to The 201 — the free newsletter that goes deeper than the show — at stackingbenjamins.com/201

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Episodes

Teaching Better Money Lessons - Our Back to School/Back to Work episode! (SB1396)

As we buckle up and prep for fall we think "curriculum." What lessons do we need in our life? What lessons do our children need from us? Whether you're headed back to work or back to school, we're diving into helping those around you do better with money. John Lanza, host of the Art of the Allowance podcast joins us to talk families and money...and even if you don't have a family OR money, there are LOTS of lessons in this discussion. In our headline segment we remember that HOW we pay can somet...

Aug 16, 20231 hr 9 min

The Power of Confidence When Investing (SB1395)

If you've been wondering HOW to get where you want to go. If you've been wondering WHY you aren't getting the results you want. If you wonder WHERE you should look for better ideas, Peter Atwater has you covered on today's show. We recorded this podcast two weeks ago and we have already referenced it in SO MANY other situations…Peter Atwater joins us to talk confidence when investing, when managing, when leading…and generally when living. At first, we didn't understand why this was the breakthro...

Aug 14, 20231 hr 5 min

Invest Better: How To Slash Taxes in Your Portfolio (SB1394)

Believe it or not, where you hold your investments can have a big effect on how much money you actually keep - even if you don't touch them! On today's special Friday roundtable, we're talking tax efficiency, and what account types are best suited to maximize your after-tax returns, as well as the tax implications of different types of investments. And how to position your investments to maximize their after-tax returns? We are overjoyed and honored to have Christine Benz, the Director of Person...

Aug 11, 20231 hr 6 min

Inflation and the Price of a Sandwich - Len Penzo's Annual Study (SB1393)

Our annual look at inflation is back...by looking at the price of a sandwich! Award winning blogger Len Penzo joins us to reveal his look at ten different sandwiches and how their prices have changed since a year ago. What's REALLY happened to the price of eggs? (hint: it's not what you think) Is a baloney sandwich still the least expensive? What sandwich ingredient went up the most? How does a sandwich compare to McDonalds or buying from work? We'll dive into ALL of the details on today's show....

Aug 09, 20231 hr 13 min

Building a Better Life with Lessons from The Past (SB1392)

Thinking about a better future? Maybe look at what happened to you during your childhood and learn lessons that can help you grow. That's what today's guest, Charles McCarrick did. He took important lessons from some hilarious, educational, and sometimes disturbing moments from his childhood growing up the next-to-youngest of five brothers (and one sister!). Charles shares stories that made him the scientist, entrepreneur, and thinker that he is today, and that can also help you either build you...

Aug 07, 20231 hr 21 min

Fortune Favors the Prepared - Managing a Windfall (SB1391)

In today's roundtable, we dream the same dream that millions of lottery ticket buyers dream week in and week out: what would you do if you pick the right six numbers in the correct sequence? Beyond the lottery, how do you effectively manage any lump sum of Benjamins that may appear in your account? Our elite 3 roundtable panelists dive into the deep end when it comes to taxes, inheritance, and expected/unexpected windfalls. Joining us today is a lady who knows a little something about managing m...

Aug 04, 20231 hr 9 min

Spotting a Subpar Advisor: Our Top 5 Clues (SB1390)

Advisors aren't all created equal. Besides charging different fees and performing vastly different services, some just aren't very good at their job. So today we give you our top five clues that your advisor might not be right for you. By the end of the episode, you'll have a much better idea whether the team you've hired or are looking to hire is up to the task of helping you make better decisions. Before that, we dive into a headline about investors who are too bullish. How do good advisors he...

Aug 02, 20231 hr 8 min

How to Re-Start Your Student Loan Repayment Plan (SB1389)

No more pushbacks. No more reprieve. If you have student loans, interest begins again in September and payments resume in October. That means you need a plan TODAY. That's why we invited debt expert Leslie Tayne to the basement to help you create a plan to change your budget, crush your student loans, and get on with your life. We'll chat about other legislation working through Congress, how to think about repayment options, and what to do if you can't repay your debt. In our TikTok minute we pr...

Jul 31, 20231 hr 3 min

401(k) Hacks for Optimal Retirement Savings

How does using your retirement plan as a path to a cool million sound to you? Are the existing tools that are currently available to most of us enough to get us there, or do changes need to be made to update the rules around what investments are accessible to the masses? Joining us to tackle this important issue, we welcome Stephanie McCullough from the Take Back Retirement podcast. Also, we're happy to welcome back our friends who are ready to talk retirement at the drop of a hat, Paula Pant an...

Jul 28, 20231 hr 12 min

Innovations in Credit Union Land

What a rare look we bring you today "behind the curtain." Credit unions are owned by members and serve (in most cases) a community of people. In theory, they should be your go-to resource for financial matters. So why are they often your second resource (if you think of them at all) behind banks? Banks, owned by shareholders and not at all beholden to customers (Bank of America said out loud during an earnings call last year that they don't pay more on savings because customers aren't demanding ...

Jul 26, 20231 hr 14 min

From Letterman's Early Boss to Radio Rebel (lessons from FM Radio Mastermind Jeff Smulyan)

You may not know Jeff Smulyan's name, but you know what he's done. The creator of New York's famous The Fan radio station and the former owner of the Seattle Mariners baseball franchise joins us today to talk about lessons learned during his tumultuous career. Experience teaches you to learn from your mistakes and Jeff isn't afraid to share his (along with, of course, the huge wins he's had that shape an incredibly successful career). We'll talk about managing talent like Don Imus and trying to ...

Jul 24, 20231 hr 6 min

Money Lessons for a Strong Financial Foundation

What are some of the most valuable lessons in money that you've acquired over your lifetime? Money education is a lifelong process. Today, our weekly roundtable reviews one popular author's list of money lessons, and we'll add a few of our own. We also welcome co-host of the Talking Real Money podcast and the owner of one of the smoothest voices in the industry, Don McDonald. Joining us from NYC, recent Columbia graduate and host of our sister show, Afford Anything, Paula Pant. And the roundtabl...

Jul 21, 20231 hr 6 min

Earning a Cool Million, Saving Tons with a FREE Resource, and Rocking a Podcast (our Stackers Share Success Stories)

Today we hear from our amazing community...and you will never be more motivated than after hearing their stories. First, we were excited to begin with TJ because so many of us live in an area a coach of ours calls "the gap." That's the state of mind where you're always thinking about how much more you have to do, how far behind you are, and how nothing in life is the way you want it to be. Yet, for most of us, it's actually far better to think about our successes. TJ celebrates earning money, am...

Jul 19, 20231 hr

The Credit Gamechanger: Expert Insights for a Better Score

Ready to kick your credit game into high gear, even if you come from a less-than-ideal credit background? We go straight to Christina Roman, who lives and breathes credit as part of her job as Consumer Education and Advocacy Manager at credit bureau Experian. She shares a ton of wisdom about the importance of maintaining a stellar credit report - and what steps to take to improve your credit score. Listen up, especially Millennial and Gen Z Stackers! In today's headline, we dive into the topic o...

Jul 17, 20231 hr 6 min

Boost Your Efficiency With These Hacks For Maximum Productivity

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity and unlock your full potential? Today, we're diving deep into the world of productivity and sharing some of the best practices to help you find your stride. Get ready for a spirited roundtable debate featuring our esteemed roundtable contributors: Doc G from Earn & Invest, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and our very own OG. In the first part of our discussion, we'll review a compilation of 50 top productivity hacks. Prepare for a rigorous deba...

Jul 14, 202358 min

Financial Self-Defense: Techniques for Outsmarting Scammers

Is it really human nature to believe what we're told at first pass, but then start to doubt after the conversation ends? Should we be more doubtful from the get-go? Today we welcome to the basement two men who want to share how to avoid getting sucked into false promises, hoodwinked by snake oil salesmen, and bamboozled by smooth-talking neighbors who have a sweet El Camino: Doctors Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris. In today's headline, we question the legitimacy of the advice given by a mo...

Jul 12, 20231 hr 2 min

From Stuck to Unstoppable: How to Get Up, Get Started, and Get Moving

Trish Hunt had no idea that one phone call in her late twenties would change her life. This call, for most of us, might stop us in our tracks forever, unable to function or move past events she had no control over. Yet, in that moment, she decided that she had to move. She had to take control. She had to become, in her words, "Unstoppable." Today we'll share her story and her advice for those times in life when you're simply "in the weeds" (up to your armpits in tasks going nowhere) or you're tr...

Jul 10, 20231 hr 19 min

Is It Taxable? (and an intro to Clarity Money) Greatest Hits Rewind

Fun with taxes! Riveting, isn't it? On this 2017 roundtable powwow, Paula, Len, and Greg McFarlane flexed their obscure tax knowledge. The show originally aired in 2017 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here . FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/len-paula-greg-taxes-roundtable-rewind-1379 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn m...

Jul 07, 20231 hr 3 min

When Retirement Seems Impossible (with Dr. Steve Wendel from Morningstar) Greatest Hits Rewind

Don’t miss our podcast rewind episode where we interview the head of behavioral science at Morningstar, Dr. Steve Wendel, on the topic of some potentially big problems in retirement - and he dishes out eight possible ways to improve your retirement readiness. The show originally aired in 2018 so ignore any mention of current events. Check out the original show notes here . FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/dr-steve-wendel-from-morningstar-rewind-1378 Deeper dives with curated li...

Jul 05, 20231 hr

Money Saving Hacks (with David Pogue) - Greatest Hits (Rewind)

Tired of paying retail for everything? David Pogue (of NOVA and CBS Sunday Morning fame) joins us to talk money-saving hacks. How much can you save just by buying at the right time, using the modern version of coupons, and shopping at the right stores? We'll talk about Best Buy, Amazon, Retail Me Not, and more on today's show. That's not all. Rob Berger from Dough Roller joins us to discuss the new Betterment offerings. Is this a company on the attack or one that's been forced to be defensive? W...

Jul 03, 202359 min

Real Estate Kickstart: Exploring Investment Strategies

Is real estate the best investment for first-time investors? Today's roundtable discussion is a special one - our panel shares their thoughts, experiences, and opinions about real estate as a viable investment for beginners. We are thrilled to welcome the co-host of our sister show, the Stacking Deeds podcast, Crystal Hammond. Of course, we couldn't have a real estate roundtable and not invite the real estate maven herself, Paula Pant. And, just to bring a little of the opposing viewpoint, we br...

Jun 30, 20231 hr 13 min

Your World on Money - Behind the Scenes of the new Million Stories Series with host Andini Mankosinski

How do you improve your credit, your real estate savvy, your knowledge of taxes, your ability to budget and save, and more? You listen to shows like SB, watch YouTube, read books, and surround yourself with great people! A new series from Million Stories gives you ALL of those topics AND combines them in a humorous, fun, introductory way, and today we go behind the scenes to see how they made it! We speak to host Andini Mankosinski who is NOT a money expert herself, so the series features her le...

Jun 28, 202350 min

Three Tales of Financial Triumph (with Jonathan Clements)

Many think that the people who write about money on the internet were either born with a special "saving and investing" gene, or they had to grind their way to the top. The good news? Our guest today, The Humble Dollar's Jonathan Clements (and former Wall Street Journal Personal Finance columnist) shares tales from some of the top writers on his site and how they stumbled their way to victory. We talk about paying down debt, investing wisely, rent vs. buy, and much, much more. In our headline se...

Jun 26, 20231 hr 18 min

Mastering Rollovers: Strategies for a Smooth Transition of Retirement Funds

Do you have assets in a previous employer's retirement plan? Would it be easier to consolidate all your retirement assets into one place? Today we're all about rollovers: what they are, how they work, and why you should care. We welcome Dana Anspach, CFP, the force behind Sensible Money, a financial planning service focused on clients who are nearing/in retirement, to help make sense of what rollovers are and if it makes sense to do one. Joining Dana is, Paula Pant, who has more knowledge about ...

Jun 23, 20231 hr 10 min

From Orphan to Fintech Award Winner: How to Find Mentors, Build a Future, and Help Others Grow

Rosalia Gitau is a force of nature. Don't take our word for it...Monday's guest Michael Gilmore, creator of the prestigious Money Awareness and Inclusion awards, said that to US when we interviewed him. That's when we knew we needed to talk to Rosalia. We're super glad we did and you'll be happy you sat in to listen, because in this interview performed LIVE on the Fireside app, we dive into: Her upbringing in poverty as an immigrant and an orphan How she found early success, including a mentor H...

Jun 21, 20231 hr 2 min

Zen and the Art of Better Money Decisions

Does picking the right investments, avoiding debt, or saving for goals stress you out? To most of us -- even the best savers -- stress is a reality, and just part of the "game" of money. Michael Gilmore, the Seven Dollar Millionaire, says that it doesn't have to be that way. Today he's on the show to teach us how Zen philosophy can help us relax, unwind, and still reach our financial goals (and maybe while living a better life). In our headline segment, there's LOTS of money sitting in cash righ...

Jun 19, 20231 hr 8 min

Uncovering Money Wisdom from Dads

Happy Father's Day weekend, and thanks for joining us! In honor of Father's Day, our all-dad roundtable tackles the topic of what are some important life lessons that they learned from their dads about money, work, and life. We're happy to have Brad Barrett from the ChooseFI podcast join the other two dads who frequently our Friday roundtables - Len Penzo of the award-winning blog, lenpenzo.com, and our very own OG. These three dads will share their fatherly wisdom with us. Plus, we top it all o...

Jun 16, 20231 hr 6 min

Money Magnet Manifesto: Our Top 5 Money Mindset Tweaks to Build Wealth

Mindset. The one thing you can change instantly is to find more opportunities, attract more dollars, and win new income streams. OG and Joe both share their top 5 best mindset quotes and dive into why they believe this outlook is key to winning with your money. Our goal? You'll hear a few old favorites and several that you've never heard before, to set you up for more success tomorrow. Plus, in our headline segment, we speak with Karl Brauer from iseecars.com about two recent studies they comple...

Jun 14, 20231 hr

Panning for Profits: Uncovering Wealth Lessons from the Old West

Crypto? Quick stock trades? A timeshare in a swamp? Huge profits? Taking advantage of people? Has that ever happened before? It turns out, that it has, in the wild, wild west, which roped in celebrities like Wild Bill Hickok and many others. Today, we'll tell their stories and rope the lessons around to today with master storyteller and host of the Legends of the Wild West podcast, Chris Wimmer. In today's headline, many of the day traders are bemoaning the "June swoon," thinking that there's so...

Jun 12, 20231 hr 7 min

Maximizing Your Money: Unveiling the Top 20 Money-Wasters You Should Skip

Do you really get what you pay for? Are some things just worth it to pay more for? We're beyond excited to welcome the one and only Paula Pant back to the roundtable. She's joined by Len Penzo of the award-winning blog lenpenzo.com and our very own high roller, OG, to carry on the year-long competition by guessing which items are on a top 20 list of things that aren't worth the money. (Number 14 will shock you!). Doug also brings some eye-opening trivia about one of America's biggest vices. Be p...

Jun 09, 202359 min
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