Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

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 be further ahead by maybe partaking in a little selfish gift-giving yourself. Later, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Julien, who has been reading about income taxes going on. He'd like to know if there's any truth to that claim, and if so, how should he be balancing contributions between his Roth and Traditional 401ks? Of course, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. It's the start of our Thanksgiving week extravaganza of shows, and we can't wait for you to hear it, so jump in! Learn more about your a

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. Plus, halfway through the show, we'll take a break from our discussion while Joe sits down for another chat with Angelo Poli from Metpro. It's not exactly Fintech, but keeping a mind on health tech will keep you healthy through the holidays... which keeps money in your pocket. During our Magnify Money segment we'll answer a voicemail from Jordan. Jordan and his wife are doing great in their savings and investments, and would like some advice on the best way to tackle asset allocation. As always, we'll carve

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 worst returns in 2019? We'll share the list, which is interesting (to say the least). Not only that, but we'll also watch OG maybe throw up in his mouth as we tackle target-date funds. New information shows that maybe the big brokerages know these tools are broken...or at the least, suboptimal for many people. That's not all. Of course, we'll also finish out the show with some of Doug's absolutely amazing trivia! It's gonna be fantastic! Hit play already! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.

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 WITHOUT being shackled to loans. Buying a car? In our headlines segment we'll talk about the HUGE number of people who are "underwater" on their auto loans. Maybe that's the new epidemic. We'll talk about how to handle auto loans much more effectively, plus, we'll also talk about one new piece pushing the claim millennials should be happy that they're stuck renting their house. We'll do a dive into today's pieces and naturally give our two cents as well. Later we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Kathy, who has

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 Len Penzo, of the LenPenzo.com blog. Whether you own a business or are thinking about starting a side hustle, one problem we KNOW you'll have is handling your books. How come current bookkeeping and business management software programs don't work together? A company working at solving that puzzle is called Roger.ia, and halfway through the show, we'll take a break from our discussion to talk to Catherine Anderson, the cofounder of Roger. Catherine will walk us through how Roger does everything from fraud detection

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 shares you own devours another? We'll use this current news to discuss how mergers work from the viewpoint of a shareholder. Then, after a little dose of Doug's trivia, we'll wind up the show by throwing out the Haven Life line to a lucky listener, as always. Today's question? Is Social Security going to go extinct faster if younger people join the FIRE movement? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 members alike, plus there are LOTS of takeaways for those of you who aren't military-related. During our headlines segment, we'll take a look at another brokerage firm slashing fees and the reactions of two other CEOs in the industry. Are you missing out by not chasing lower fees? We'll give our thoughts, plus, cover a second piece about the wife of a convicted Ponzi scheme fraudster. She recently pleaded guilty to trying to cash in on $26,000 in credit card points - points earned from the Ponzi scheme of course.

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. Plus, we talk about guaranteed income streams. It seems everyone wants one...but is the cost of a guarantee worth it? Finally, we'll tackle the video everyone's been talking about...the professor on the BBC who's interrupted by family. What are some workplace gaffes that WE'VE had happen? You'll laugh with us (and probably at us). During our FinTech segment we talk to Jon Ziglar from Parkmobile about some much-needed technology. How about an app that helps you find and pay for parking without all of the hassle? We'll

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 to hire a financial advisor and from Michael about when to diversify his investments. There’s ALL of that and more on today’s show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 financial advice doesn't. Here's the original show notes from two years ago: Thinking about retiring early but you're stuck in neutral with your debt? Maybe it's time to change your money habits. Deacon Hayes (recent winner of the Plutus' Blog Of The Year award), joins us to tell his personal "getting his money act together" story, that YOU can also use to get out of debt and start on your road to early retirement. Then we talk about retiring early, the topic of his new book. From investing in stocks to real es

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 Pant of the Afford Anything podcast, Len Penzo of LenPenzo.com, and from our very own podcast: OG. We'll take a break halfway through the show while Joe sits down with Michael Bovee from Resolve. Resolve is a company that's setting out to be your personal guide out of financial stress, and Michael will share just how the company intends to do that. During the Magnify Money segment we'll answer a question one of our listeners posted in the Stacking Benjamins facebook group. When you know you'll be needing to sell

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 our headlines segment, we'll show you a super easy way to save some money...and it's one that's probably sitting in your house right now. Like a few extra Benjamins a year? We do! After a little dose of Doug's trivia, we'll wind up the show by throwing out the Haven Life line, as always. It's a fantastic, horrible, money-saving episode of Stacking Benjamins on tap! Enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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-earned money into any investment. Picking a popular stock is easy, but truly understanding the thing you put your cash behind? That's more difficult, and David will break down why. October is fire prevention month, so during our headlines segment we'll ring up Steve Kerber, the Director of the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute. He'll share fantastic advice on not only how to keep your family safe, but your home too. Plus, could there be a magic number to emergency savings? One recent study suggests that if yo

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 on THE questions an entrepreneur should ask before creating a start-up. Think you have what it takes to create your own business? Play along with our cast and find out! After we have our fun with the game show, Joe will ring up Justin Pogue, the author behind Rental Secrets. We'll talk to Justin on how to get more value out of your dollar by using insider knowledge to lower your rent and earn yourself more leverage. Plus, with Nic Loper on the roundtable, we'll answer a specially-themed entrepreneurial questio

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 to talk about the trend toward a cashless society. They just finished a survey which shows some surprising results around you and those bills in your wallet. Are we really going plastic only? Plus, we'll find out why security lawyers call on FINRA to halt their "expungement" process. What the heck is expungement? It's actually more exciting, and potentially sickening, than you can believe. After a little dose of Doug's trivia, we'll wind up the show by throwing out the Haven Life Line to Mitch, a 26 year old who

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 across the retirement landscape since then. During our headlines segment we'll keep the retirement theme going strong by examining TIAA's newest study on retirement and lifetime income. Plus we'll discuss one piece from InvestmentNews about SoFi refunding investors for a tax hit caused by their very own, proprietary ETFs. Later we will throw out the Haven Life Line to Trent, who's worried we'll become over-leveraged as he continues to buy rental properties. Here's the question: what exactly is being over-leverage

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. Halfway through the show, we'll detour from our usual roadmap and swap out our fintech segment for some Friday HEALTH tech. We've had such great conversations on the correlation between health and finance with Angelo Poli from Metpro that we couldn't resist bringing him back to answer LOTS of your questions. Later we'll answer a Magnify Money call from Patrick: how does someone know if their financial advisor is doing a good job? Sure, there will be good times and bad times, but what's the criteria for judging an ad

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 the bank reimburse their money? Finally, we'll talk about pensions. GE has frozen pensions for over 20,000 employees, and many more are eligible now to take their funds as a lump sum. How does that work? We'll detail all of the factors you need to consider, on today's show. After a little dose of Doug's trivia, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Jan calling all the way from Germany, who says first, that we are awesome, and second, about diversification between accounts. Should he also invest in multiple currencie

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 lessons on how to lead in the modern workplace. Our talk with Pat begins at the 30:49 mark. Plus, during our headlines segment, we'll take a call from Leo Acheson, associate director of multi-asset and alternative strategies team at Morningstar, about the company's newest report on the state of health savings accounts. HSAs have changed a lot since we last spoke with Leo a year ago, and we'll ask him about improvements in the industry and which plans are the best accounts you should be watching out for. We'll begin our

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 take a break to talk about higher interest rates. Who’s working on that? Well, one company is, and today we’ll give you an introduction to Froogal, with CEO Kale Pasch. Plus, we'll answer a voicemail during our Magnify Money segment asking for resources on podcasts and blogs for families AND we'll have some fun with another of Doug's wild trivia questions.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices