Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

Do you think you could pass a quiz covering basic questions about retirement? While you MIGHT be confident that you know the basics, a recent TD Ameritrade survey suggests that most Americans would actually fail a simple retirement quiz. To help us make sense of whether the terms listed on this quiz are actually meaningful we're helped on Joe's Dad's shortwave by Paula Pant (Afford Anything), Andy Hill (Marriage Kids and Money), and special guest Daniel Angelone (Innovative Planning Partners.) Halfway through the show we'll take small break from the roundtable for our weekly Friday Fintech segment. Joe will talk to Brittany Joiner, creator of the social finance app, Penge. Different than many of our interviews, the Penge app isn't yet "a thing." How does a developer create the idea for a new app and bring it to life? Brittany is living that right now. We'll also tackle how she realized that being inclusive with your social circle about personal finance can change our attitudes towards money. We'll cover that

Ever wonder what it'd be like to square off against the sharks? Tanya VanCourt from Goalsetter.co just did that and we'll share the exciting story from start to finish on today's show. Whether you're a fan of Shark Tank, Goalsetter, FinTech, or just entrepreneurship in general, you're going to love our blow-by-blow telling of Tanya's Shark Tank adventure. She shares LOTS of strategic lessons for anyone hoping to be a business owner, networker, or strategist. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll talk to Peter Polson (CEO of Tiller) about Apple's new credit card offering, which was announced just last week. While it's been getting a lot of hype from the media, is the card worth it? We'll break down the features of the new card, perceived benefits from it, and how this offering stacks up against others. Also, we'll dive into one piece from Barrons that could throw a big wrench in a few retirement plans. Are you counting on your primary residence to finance your retirement? We'll discuss why that may not be the

We aren't foolin' around on April Fools Day, because bestselling author, TED speaker, and top researcher of successful people Laura Vanderkam joins us. Laura and Joe tackle time management and priorities. When you have more tasks to do than time to do them in, how do you decide what to do first? What do you ignore? She'll share some simple to implement ideas that will help you conquer your inbox and more importantly, help you increase your attention to what matters. If you need more money, more time, or more life, this is the episode for you. In our headlines segment we'll also talk to Mike Foy from JD Power and Associates about their annual survey on full service advisory firms. This year it appears clients may be ready to ditch their advisor unless they're able to add to the bottom line (especially in a couple crucial areas). What is your advisor doing/not doing? We'll address that on today's show. Also in our headlines segment, Securities America has been hit by an $18 million lawsuit. With the company's n

On today's show, we'll cover all the (once) great financial strategies that have floated around the financial community. What outdated rules-of-thumb are you holding? We'll talk about which financial rules you should probably chuck out the window, and which ones still hold some water in today's world. Joining us on today's roundtable is Sophia Bera (Gen Y Planning), Paula Pant (Afford Anything), and from our very own podcast, OG. Halfway through the show we'll take small break for our Friday Fintech segment, which today we're renaming "Friday HealthTech." Joe and OG sit down with Angelo Poli, the founder of personal lifestyle and weight loss company, MetPro. How do you get yourself in shape? Buy health and sell bad habits. And during our Magnify Money Call, our contributors will take a walk down memory lane to answer Rob's question. Rob's a high school teacher with the opportunity to pass on good financial knowledge to his senior class. He'd like some advice on what knowledge we would've wanted before we star

Tony Bradshaw believes that we all can become millionaires. Growing up in a low income household, Tony learned the hard way how difficult it was to make and keep a dollar. But, using some of the strategies he talks about on today's show, he set a goal, made a plan, and then worked his plan to become a millionaire before he was forty years old. We'll talk about how you can make similar choices on today's podcast. Plus, in our headlines segment, we're NOT talking about Millennials, but instead, the newest study focused on... Gen Z. If we had to put a label or two on this generation's approach to the workplace it would read something like this: fast promotions and BIG raises. We'll dig behind the numbers and find some takeaways that are more than meets the eye, with the CEO of the company that studied the commission, Bill Bennett, from Inside Out Development. Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to David, who has some "big" investor questions. What's the deal with being an accredited investor? The group

What's your money story? What the heck IS a money story? Jean Chatzky from Her Money (and the Today Show money editor) joins us to talk about her money story, why it's important, and how to use it to avoid making mistakes in the future and capitalize on your strengths. We'll also talk about maximizing social security, why many women don't consider themselves to be "investors," and judgement-free financial discussions. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll cover one new story that suggests there's a "alphabeticity bias" in 401k investing. What is alphabeticity bias? We'll not only define it, but probably make you groan when you hear how it's hurting people's performance in their retirement plans. Later on we'll field some of your questions. First we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Tim, who has a pension fund at work and an estimated monthly benefit. How does he calculate his net worth statement. Next, we'll open up a letter from Tyler, who has recently read that he shouldn't own small cap funds in a taxabl

In true Stacking Benjamins fashion today we're all about the Tooth Fairy. A new Delta Dental study shows that the Tooth Fairy is leaving less money for children's teeth. Does this mean the economy is weakening? Does it mean that the value of teeth are lower? Helping us out today we welcome special guest Susan Beacham from MoneySavvy.com. Also on today's motley crew, is Paula Pant from AffordAnything.com, and rounding out our gang is Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog. Halfway through the show, we'll take a break from our discussion with Susan and the rest of the gang to cover a long running IRA problem. Have you been looking for a place to make investing in alternative investments easier inside of your IRA? During our Fintech segment Joe will talk to Eric Satz, CEO of IRA company Alto, about what his company is doing to help streamline the process. Then we'll answer a Magnify Money call for help from Lauren, who wants to save money for her kid's college fund, but is weary about the restrictions that come wi

We're answering your letters today, but first, we'll tackle a headline about the case against rolling over your 401(k) plan to an IRA. Most of us have heard why you should roll it over. Let's now hear the flip side. With points such as the lack of a stable value fund, the fact that many IRA advisors are just salespeople, and 401(k) plans in general beat IRA performance, the author makes many points which, on the surface, sound like an open-and-shut case. But is that really ALL of the argument? We'll discuss it today! Plus, also in our headlines segment, one special interest group who loves fiduciary rules is arguing against one state that's trying to put them into place. Do they have a good argument? What does that mean for advisors helping you with your planning in general? We'll also tackle that big topic. But then, we'll spend most of the show on your letters, which today include a TON of Roth IRA questions, among others. How should you set up your Roth? What about the 5 year rule? How should you invest yo

Finding the right person to help you make your best financial moves is a giant exercise in trust. How do you know an advisor is perfect for you? On that note, how do you know the advisor is right for anyone? What questions can you ask to avoid the wrong relationship? There are a thousand questions you could ask... but the bottom line is this: How do you hire the right person to help you manage your financial decisions? Coming onto the show today is the man with many answers, the author of How to Find the Perfect Advisor, Nicholas Stuller. By the end of the conversation, you'll know what you should watch out for and have the confidence to make the right decision when it comes to hiring a great advisor. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll take a look at marijuana stocks. These types of stocks continue to see a huge inflow of cash, but could investing in a marijuana stock create some big unintended consequences? We'll cover one piece that details the repercussions you could face by throwing even a few dollars

What do rich people do with all their Benjamins? Yachts? Helicopters? Trips to the Alps? Helping us through one MarketWatch piece that seems to have the answer to our burning questions about wealth, is the founder of Reisup, Tara Falcone. Plus, we welcome Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com and OG from our very own SB podcast. Halfway through the show, we'll take a break from our discussion to talk about the future of FinTech. On our special Friday segment to talk about where your next savings opportunity might come from, we welcoming the co-founder of start-up incubator Financial Ventures Studio, Ryan Falvey. Then we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Tim, who has a question about where he and his wife should sock away their retirement funds. Right now most of their money is in traditional accounts, but would it make more sense to have it a Roth account instead? As always, of course, we'll still save some time for Doug's (completely epic) trivia. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get 20% off a

Does it feel like it'll be an eternity until you've finally finished off your student loans? Maybe you're one of the nearly two-thirds of Americans who wonder how they'll ever pay off their loans. Student loans can be a burden for years after you've walked across the stage for a diploma, and it's one expense no one would miss from their monthly budget. And while money and enough time will eventually take care of your student loans, we expect you don't want to wait to be anchored down for a good portion of your working life. So to help you pay down your loans more quickly, today, we welcome special guest David Carlson. David has been in the all-too-known position of having to pay down lots of student loan debt... but he figured out a solution to pay it off. Now he's teaching his process to us. Plus, in our headlines segment, one FinTech company that you've probably heard of is rolling out fee-free exchange-traded funds. Surely it's time to jump ship and invest in them, right? In our second piece, we're looking

Are you aggressively striving for your financial goals? Putting in the time to make your dreams come true? Are you sure you're NOT going to let anything stand in your way when it comes to securing a nice retirement and a fantastic nest egg? Here's a question: when are you working TOO hard toward your goal? How do you know when you've gotten TOO caught up in the rat race? On today's show, we sit with entrepreneur David Hauser, who's built and sold two successful businesses, but who also has been overworked, unhappy, and unhealthy. Early on, David was used to a 100+ hour week, a lifestyle of unhealthy eating, and not a lot of physical activity. After a 10 year journey of self improvement, David has found a work-life balance that not only satisfies his financial needs but his personal ones as well. As you'll hear in the interview, being all about the Benjamins doesn't necessarily mean you need to sacrifice the other important parts of your life. Plus, in our headlines segment, how much do you spend on subscripti

401k? Roth? Dollar cost averaging? Market timing? Target-date funds? Choosing to take responsibility for your financial well-being is often a difficult choice, and it's not made any easier by the long list of jargon that comes attached to being money savvy. That's why on today's show we're breaking down all the words and definitions that'll have you scratching your head as you try to get your budget and retirement plan on the right track. Joining our awesome panel of contributors today (alongside our very own OG, and Paula Pant from Afford Anything) is Nate Abercrombie, from the Investing with the Buyside podcast. Halfway through the show, we'll take a small break from our discussion for our Friday Fintech segment. On today's segment, Joe sits down for a call with Parker Graham from the Destiny App. Do you want to pay off your debt faster (of course you do!), but also get the small wins from the debt snowball method? We'll explore how the Destiny App is setting out to give you the best of both worlds on today

Should you take on debt to buy real estate? Does the stock market really return as much as we're told it after a life of saving and investing? And on the topic of stocks... how should a portfolio be split up between small, large and foreign stocks? That's just a sneak peak of the broad range of question and answers we're discussing on today's jam-packed letters episode. During our headlines segment, OG is sharing his thoughts on Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway letter to investors. Plus, we're calling 1(800)Accountant CEO Mike Savage. What's the deal with this year's tax refunds... or lack thereof? After some unusually fantastic trivia by Doug, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Luke, who is getting his master's degree this fall. With his tuition covered, plus a stipend of $1400 a month, should he try to max out his Roth IRA before school starts, or should he save the amount of $6000? As always, we'll still save some time for Doug's (completely epic) trivia. Thanks to the Murder Book Podcast for suppor

Whether you've never purchased a home before or just don't know much about the process, we've got a treat for you today. We're going to dive into everything mortgages 101 today, like PMI, the negotiability of fees, and the lie that everyone quoting rates is telling (those rates "might not be what you think they'd be.") On today's show we welcome the guy who's teaching us everything millennials need to know about mortgages, Jeff VanNote. During our headlines segment, we'll start with one piece detailing how Americans would spend a life-changing sum of money. Do you know how you would spend yours? In our second headline, we talk to head of retirement research from Carson Wealth, professor Jamie Hopkins. Could you be on the hook for your parents' long term care? Plus, in a special third headline, one Florida man received a $980,000 tax refund. Before you start asking how you can cash in as he did, you'll want to find out the rest of that story. Later on, we'll field a Haven Life Line call from Michael, who has $

What should be the number one priority on your retirement planning list? That answer is going to be different for everyone, and on this roundtable episode our contributors gave their take on one list's "most' urgent items. You can find the original show notes from 2016 below:  What are the most important moves to make in retirement? Harlan Landes (Adulting.tv, Plutus Foundation) joins Paula (AffordAnything) and Len (LenPenzodotcom) to tackle a recent Wisebread piece that claims to give us the MOST urgent items on your retirement planning list. Does our panel agree? You'll find out on today's show. Also, we mull over real estate home improvements (where do you get the most bang for your hard-earned dollar?) AND dream about what we'd do if we could get unlimited points/miles. Heck, even ChiChi's gets a mention on today's show. You know it's going to be a wild one when we're talking ChiChi's. In our FinTech segment we talk to Jamie Wise from Buzz Indexes(BUZ) about their index and ETF. Hedge fund managers have b

When's the last time you gave you financial life a good inspection? It's been a bit since we talked about having a good look at our financial processes and routines, so the Fintern decided to spin up Joe's interview with Today Show Money Editor Jean Chatzky.  Back in 2017 Joe talked to Jean about why people should get a financial "check up." We still think that's a great idea in 2019. Here are the original show notes from 2017:  If anyone knows the heartbeat of personal finance, it's Today Show Money Editor Jean Chatzky. On today's podcast, Jean joins us in the basement to talk about your financial engine. How well is it running? She's teamed up with Dr. Michael Roizen to talk about how to age-proof your life. We'll have LOTS of tips and resources today. In our headline segment, we talk annuities. Our arch-enemy Meg forwarded us a nefarious piece about annuities that clearly displays what some annuity salespeople are thinking--they just want your cash. Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line and also save time

We haven't talked about market timing at all on the show lately, so the Fintern thought it was about time to reach back in the archives and find an old episode on the topic. This eshow is from a Wednesday back before we changed our format. OG sounds like he's in a tin can, to a degree, but if you can get through that, the show itself is a really great collection of letters from you. Here's the original show notes from 2015: Today the star of the show is YOU! You ask us about market timing, diversification and risk…and we deliver the goods. Plus PK is back in the basement to argue with Joe about emergency funds. When is it the right time to save into your emergency fund? Is it best to save BEFORE you pay down debt or AFTER? PK says AFTER and Joe says BEFORE….you’ll hear the epic debate on today’s show! As if that weren’t enough, today’s headline is about China’s recent move to regulate their stock market volatility. Is that good or bad for investors? We also review the film Focus with Will Smith and Margo Robb

It's easy to find financial advice on the internet. But finding GOOD financial advice? You'll find that's a bit more difficult. With so many money "gurus" pushing their sage wisdom, how do you sort through all the noise and find the truth? We'll discuss where the "truth" lies today, with some help from our contributors: Chelsea Brannon from Smart Money Mamas, Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, and OG from this podcast. Today we're tackling money, (bad) advice, and lies! Halfway through the show we'll take a break to talk to Eric Redline, creator of kid-focused money management app, NuMoola. Next we'll answer a Magnify Money call from Scott, who wants to buy a home sooner rather than later. The catch? He doesn't have 20% to put down as a downpayment. Should he charge forward anyway? And don't you worry, we'll save some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Grammarly for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For 20% off a Grammarly premium account, go to Grammarly.com/sb. Thanks Audible! Get Power Moves by Adam Grant for free w

Today we'll throw out our regular playbook to focus on what's really important: your burning financial questions! From Ginny, who wants to become interested in finance (plus a husband who has a BIG man-crush on OG), to Craig and his wife who just inherited a big sum of money....and to Chris wants to know if he should use his savings to pay off his car note before his wedding, we made you and your questions our BIGGEST focus today. BUT, that's not all... we still managed to tackle two big headlines. Making ripples across the financial sector, one ex financial adviser has been sent to prison for seven years after stealing $300,000 from a 97 year old. How do you avoid that mess? We'll show you where this situation went off the rails. Plus, in our second headline, a series of mistakes has the Omaha Public School' pension fund scrambling after a $771 million shortfall. Headlines like these don't exactly inspire trust in the financial industry, so we'll share our big ideas on saving for retirement without walking i