Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

It seems absurd now, but Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph was told early on that his company name would never work. Today, he's going to give us some of the same advice he's giving on his new podcast, "That Will Never Work." We'll discuss fighting fear, hiring the right team, having conviction in your ideas, and more. And don't worry if you aren't interested in becoming an entrepreneur. We also asked Marc how to interview better (he's interviewed thousands of people) AND how to ask your boss for a raise. In fact, you'll be surprised what he has to say about raises. Wondering what's going on in the world of fintech? During our headlines, we'll share the newest developments in tech that helps you manage money better. From advancements in technology making your information more secure against hackers to new-new digital banks promising more consumer-friendly resources and more, there's a ton of interesting developments on the horizon. We'll cover many of them. Plus, we'll tackle a headline about Jeff Bezos steppi

How do you get to the top of your game? How far would you go to keep your business and personal social groups aligned with your goals? We'll quiz our roundtable, plus get their thoughts on the number one goal they're trying to attain currently. Our contributors this week are Sandy Smith from YesIAmCheap.com; Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast; and Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog. After we finish talking about goals and dreams with our roundtable we'll pivot to our interview with Brian Hamilton, the co-founder and CEO of the new digital bank One. There's been a lot of great improvements in the digital banking industry, but Brian found a problem: it was hard to find a good bank that offered all the features someone would want. His solution? Make one. During our fintech segment, we'll dive into the making of One with Brian and talk about good business values, vision, and the digital banking landscape. During today's MagnifyMoney call we'll tackle a question on credit card rewards. Alan tells us he

We've told plenty of incredible underdog financial stories on the podcast, but none like the one's you'll hear today. More than recovering from 6-figure debt or learning how to balance their budget, today we're excited to bring you the stories of the first black Americans, some of whom survived slavery, but who all went on to become millionaires. Shomari Wills, author of Black Fortunes, joins us today to bring incredible stories of fortitude, challenges and surpassing hardships. We're sticking with the financial "comeback" theme during our headlines. Think you should throw in the towel on the whole financial independence thing because you've made a few mistakes? While you may not have the star power to pay off a $9 million tax evasion bill, like today's headline focus, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, your path to independence isn't over because you've wracked up some debt or made some bad decisions. Plus, a big life insurance company just was sold to another. If you're a client, what happens to your policy?

Wondering what the heck is going on with GameStop? We'll dedicate some time to explain everything from the beginning: why GameStop and Robinhood are in the news, what a short squeeze is and how it happens in real-time, why Robinhood (and other companies) stopped investors from buying GameStop stock, and more. Of course, we'll also take on the obvious question: should you invest your cash in GameStop stock? Could the "Work till you drop, I'll sleep when I'm dead" mentality actually be costing you more than you think? After we finish our explanation on all things GameStop, we'll share an interview we loved so much we had to play it for you here. Despite what we may say, many of us love to stay busy. Be it at work, with our personal lives, our volunteering on the weekends: staying on go is good. But, slowing down and choosing priorities with more purpose can have surprising results in your life. Expanding on that point, we'll play an interview between Mike Carruthers, host of the Something You Should Know podcas

Life is about odds, and so are negotiations. How do you stack the deck so that you're "playing to the judge" the next time you're in a pressure discussion, high stakes negotiation, or difficult conversation? Today we're joined by a woman who teaches her students to interview better using many subtle (and not so subtle skills), the Scholarship Shark, Pam Andrews. Plus, Len Penzo has been involved in raise and workplace negotiations for the last 30 plus years, and OG has negotiated a ton with his kids, and sometimes he even wins! They'll all join in with their best tips on how to negotiate better. From what to say to non-verbal cues, we'll share LOTS of important ideas. Nearing retirement and think you'll need some help "landing the plane"? After we part ways with our roundtable contributors, we'll sit down with Rhian Horgan from Silvur, a retirement app designed to help you make better financial decisions leading into your golden years. We'll finish out the show with a MagnifyMoney question from Corey, who wan

What do New York City's richest residents, murderous unions, and world-famous guests like Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles have in common? The Plaza Hotel! Julie Satow, award-winning journalist and author of The Plaza, joins us today to share the century of fascinating stories the hotel holds between its walls. From fortunes beyond measure to the Great Depression, from the Golden Age of Hollywood to Home Alone 2, the Plaza Hotel has never been shy about its place in history. Plus, believe it or not, we're about to enter tax season! Tax expert Katherine Pomerantz joins us during today's headlines to share all-new tax rules. Between relaxed guidelines on charitable giving, new deductions for your student loan payments, and more savings than you'd think for your home office, this is one tax talk that'll keep you listening. Cole and his wife are DINKS, and are contributing heavily to their IRAs and Roth accounts. They're planning on semi-retiring early and are looking for some advice on how they can best invest for

Beyond the big sticker price, New York Times money columnist Ron Lieber has a different mindset than most about college costs. After Ron explains why most of our assumptions on college costs are wrong (that includes you), he'll share three key criteria about what we're really looking for when it comes to higher education. We'll also tackle the no-college route, which comes with its own surprising set of misconceptions that have grown over time. What's the bottom line? There's a whole lot more to think about than the price tag, no matter which path you choose. We'll cover all of the options, threats, and opportunities on today's show. In the financial headlines segment: is the sky finally falling on the stock market? For the twentieth time, NO! Despite what non-stop headlines tell you, the market will drop when it drops. Like Joe says, when it comes to the market, this is one of the few areas in life when doing nothing is the right call. Still, feeling the itch to move some money around? Take OG's advice and t

Not sure how to ask for a raise at work? Don't know how to initiate seemingly awkward money conversations with the people around you? This one is for you. Joining us today with their best tips on having an honest, productive dialogue around money are our roundtable contributors: Doc G from the Earn&Invest podcast; Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog; and Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast. Halfway through the show, we'll pivot our money conversation towards data and money management with Brian Barnes, the founder of M1 Finance. We love data and graphs as much as the next Stacker (no really), but Brian approaches automation a little differently. Doing our Fintech segment we'll have a conversation on why less is more when it comes to the streams of information you use for investing choices. During our MagnifyMoney segment, our mystery caller asks if they should take on debt to finish their graduate degree earlier or take it a year slower and cash-flow their degree. Our caller assures us that her degre

Today we welcome the two-time Emmy award-winning host of Travelscope, Joseph Rosendo to the show to share travel tips as we dust off the suitcases and hopefully get ready to hit the road during the latter part of the year. What should we plan to see? Should we try for more or see less? What does he think about travel groups, packing, and learning the language? We'll discuss FOMO, getting to know diverse people, and even having the right mindset on today's show. Plus, anyone who's ever tried to receive an insurance payout knows how much these companies can drag their feet: the tourism and hospitality industry is discovering their pandemic-related claims aren't going the way they'd hoped in many cases. During our headlines, we'll cover what's been going on behind the scenes, and hopefully, leave you with an urge to go recheck your policies for sneaky language from your insurers. During our Haven Life Line, Stacker Steve left us a Stacking Benjamin's BINGO card worth of trigger points, but we didn't let that sto

Ryan Harris has had a front row seat to stress. Over a 10 year career in the National Football League and 4 years as a starting lineman at Notre Dame, he played in plenty of "this is the most important play of all" situations. Now on a quest to help empower people to embrace better financial habits, the former Super Bowl 50 winner joins us today to talk about how to fight stress and how to live with doubt. He'll also share his own story of making plenty of money but still not possessing the systems to hold on to cash. Should this week's changes on Capitol Hill have you worried for your wallet? I won't even make you wait on this one - THE ANSWER IS NO! During today's headline segment we'll tackle a piece stirring up some unfounded fears that your personal finance "hangs in the balance" over the government change in Washington. You should never stick your head in the sand, and ghost the financial markets over the (D) or (R) in your politician's name. Don't take my word for it... just wait for Joe's rant. We'll

We're all tired of hearing about what a "dumpster fire" 2020 was. How do we reboot the computer, restart the machine, refresh the situation, and re-fire our financial engine? That's our topic today, and OG, Paula Pant (AffordAnything), and special guest Roger Whitney (Retirement Answer Man) all have helpful ideas about getting back on track. Halfway through the show we're excited to talk to our old friend (and Joe's co-host on the Money Tree podcast), Doug Goldstein. Doug's created a constant happiness journal. If you've been waiting for the perfect journal to have a more happy 2021 and beyond, Doug will share with you why he created this, how to best use a journal, and why journaling works for so many people. Finally, on our MagnifyMoney.com question of the episode: Jon is thinking about college costs for his four kids. He's heard the Stacking Benjamins expert, Pam Andrews (the Scholarship Shar), say that a HELOC, or equity in the home, can't be factored into the FASFA. Jon's kids are in private school and h

How do you balance getting what you want now without mortgaging your future? Or on the other hand, how do you avoid have ZERO fun today while you prep for a rosy tomorrow? We often recommend that you look at your situation as if you're a business, and today we'll talk to a man who led one business to amazing results, the former CEO of Honeywell, David Cote. Plus, the cryptocurrency market value has topped $1 trillion, with Bitcoin now worth over $38,000 a coin. Feeling the itch to jump into the Wild West of investing? We won't stand in your way, but we do have a few stories about us selling a coin or two... WAY before we should have. In our second piece, is paying to improve your credit a smart play? We'll discuss everything from good habits to shady house financing, automation, and The Big Short. Should you be paying taxes on your unemployment? Mike called the Haven Life Line after he noticed there were no taxes automatically deducted from his two months of unemployment. Should Mike worry about the IRS comin

Know those people who say you need a 4-year university degree to reach success and financial independence? Our guest, Myra Oliver, has a thing or two to say about that. She's worked as a hairstylist, real estate broker, and now is our resident financial coach on today's show. Myra knew she didn't need a degree to reach her goals of financial freedom. Today Myra will share her story about working hard toward success. She shares stories about how she learned quickly how to bring in more money, how she manages real estate, surrounding herself with the right people, and how she and her husband were able to retire from their traditional jobs by age 33. "You have to do what others won't, to get what you want." - Myra Oliver's mantra. Plan on leaving something behind for your loved ones? Get your financial house in order first. We recently covered how former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh passed away without a will, but you may remember Prince also didn't have a will. (Yes, we also talked about Prince way back in 2016). It t

Today we stay focused on goal setting. We're turning our attention to our group of financial media members and asking them how THEY are achieving their own goals. They'll share how they communicate, hold family members accountable, and stay on track. Joining us today is special guest and host of the Seven Figures podcast, Sandy Waters; Paula pant from the Afford Anything podcast, and Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com. Halfway through the show, we'll give our contributors a break while we sit down with health and wellness expert Angelo Poli from MetPro.co. With the holidays over and the new year here, Angelo has some great tips to fatten up your wallet while you trim down the waistline. How are you going to grow your net worth without a healthy body to keep you focused on the prize? We'll share how. Plus, how can early retirees make sure they have enough reserves in the bank to take care of emergencies down the road? During the MagnifyMoney segment, our contributors drop some knowledge for Laura, who called in askin

Rules. When things go wrong we think, "We should make some more guidelines. That'll help people keep things moving." However, Netflix decided that rules might be the problem, so they eliminated many of them. Study after study shows that Netflix employees report high satisfaction with their jobs and perform at a highly productive rate. So how do they do it? Today we'll talk to Erin Meyer, co-author (with co-founder Reed Hastings), of a new book on the topic. Whether you manage a family, a department, or are an entrepreneur, today's interview will help you earn more and manage tasks (and people) more effectively. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll detail a different way of gifting money. MacKenzie Scott gave away $6 billion in 2020 without asking for buildings to be named after her. She gave it quickly and effectively, many say. But if you're giving away money, what oversight should YOU employ before turning over your hard-earned money? We'll share what you need to know, plus in our second headline, we'll re

Most of us start each year looking at external goals, such as "What can I gain," or "How can I achieve...", but after the dumpster fire we just experienced last year, we think the best place to begin 2021 is to look INWARD. If you know yourself better, you'll be able to address your strengths and cover your weaknesses. On today's show, Rachel Cruze joins us to tackle your money history and how your family, upbringing, and past mistakes can help you become a more powerful saver, spender and earner this year and beyond. It's a powerful interview and we're excited to help you avoid the shame, remorse, and guilt that many of us feel around our financial lives. "You can change yourself and you can change your habits." - Rachel Cruze In our headlines segment, we'll discuss the tremendous pressure many students feel to go to college, by tackling one star who just emerged from her prison sentence. We'll also tackle the new Social Security rules for 2021. While there are lots of changes, even if you aren't yet receivi

Wish you knew what the future held? Us too! While we can only foresee the future as well as the next guy, our brilliant, all-knowing device is all fired up and ready to go to kick off your 2021. That's right, this is our annual Magic 8-Ball episode, where we look back on the events of 2020 and ask a plastic, Walmart-purchased kid's toy what it thinks will happen over the next 12 months. For those of you stumbling onto this show for the first time you're in for a treat: each January for the last many, many years, we've asked Len Penzo's Magic 8-ball to predict what's in store, and during the early years, this little ball was EERILY accurate. BUT, not only will we take a look back to see how well the 8-ball predicated 2020's events (and really, who could have guessed this year?), we'll also implore the 8-ball to reveal the secrets of the upcoming year. Plus, for those of you getting serious about your personal finance resolutions, we'll ask the headmaster of the Stacking Benjamins Money Club, Aaron Velky for hi

Welcome to our final show of 2020! We're finishing our the year that seemed like it would never end with another classic episode from 2014. Long-time listeners may remember our interview with one-half of the two man Cannonball Run crew, and new listeners will appreciate this one. Just remember, the show format was a little different back then. Make sure to tune in tomorrow for our very first (brand new!) episode of 2021: our Magic 8-ball show with Len Penzo. Long time fans love this show year after year, and with all the madness that was 2020, you'll definitely want to see how the 8-ball's predictions have stood against the test of time. You can read our original show notes for today's episode below: While OG is moving across country, we thought we’d bring you a cross country adventure episode!Ed Bolian did something you wish you’d also done – he drove coast to coast in a modified Mercedes…..in just over 28 hours. How did he do it? Ed shares his crazy story on this week’s episode. Suzanne Lucas, the Evil HR L

Welcome to our second most quirky Stacking Benjamins interview. This show goes way back, so don't worry if the format feels a little different. You can read our short and sweet headlines below: Ken Perenyi forged masterpieces for a living…until the FBI showed up on his doorstep one day. Ken’s book, Caveat Emptor, describes how he went from a school boy with no money to a world class forgery expert….AND Ken describes the journey himself on today’s show. The Makin’ Sense Babe is in a foul mood, and rants against people who don’t understand side hustles. Joe & OG discuss how financial advisors dress…..does that impact the quality of their advice? Doug brings trivia, the guys show you how to win Jane Blaufus’ book, and they review two hit films: Captain Phillips and Gravity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just a few more days until the new year! We're keeping our countdown going strong with one of America's original big-time investors: Abigail Adams. You can read our original show notes below: As Women’s History Month draws to a close we suddenly realize….we’ve done nothing to celebrate! Today on the show we make up for that (‘in spades,” as mom says) by inviting down to the basement professor Woody Holton, author of the book Abigail Adams, for which he won the Bambridge Award and more. He’ll describe the amazing prowess of Adams in a time when many women not only weren’t investing, but weren’t even allowed to participate in their family’s financial plan. He’ll describe which investments she preferred, why she decided against real estate didn’t work for her portfolio, and how she created an estate plan for herself in a time when many women didn’t have that luxury. In our headlines segment, we’ll talk to Jamie Wise from the BUZZ Index (ticker BUZ). He’ll describe why his strategy and those of some of his algor