Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

We're dedicating today's show to all of your burning financial questions. Will the fact that Anna's parents are opening up a 529 plan for her daughter create unintended financial consequences down the road? What should Keith do with a $50,000 inheritance and no job? What should ANYONE do when they receive $50,000? Jessica is a new investor. What platforms should she be looking into when trying to invest? After our David McKnight interview, Ryan is focusing on more money in his "tax-free" bucket. Does the SB team have any good tips on tax savvy financial moves? Of course we do! And in our headlines segment, there's BIG news in college scholarship land. It turns out that a couple of schools are reducing their tuition to FREE. Who is it? Should you consider changing your college plan? In our second headline, while owning your home is a great financial position to be in...if you want to get rich one publication insists that you should own somebody else's home. We'll dive into rentals and real estate on today's sh

On today's show we're talking to Chris Peach and Andrea Robinson about big life changes. Think it's too late for you to change your direction? Or maybe you're too apprehensive about jumping into the unknown? Chris and Andrea will break it down on just how Andrea made the jump herself. From making use of your time to start a side-hustle to cutting expenses and making a good budget, there are bite-sized pieces that make the huge life decisions a bit easier to make. Plus, in today's headlines, would real-time payroll deposits improve the quality of live for workers living paycheck to paycheck? Would not having to wait a couple of weeks for cash really make a difference for employees? Plus, in honor of Veterans Day, we're talking Dr. Mike Haney from the Syracuse Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Veterans and their families can find all the resources Joe and Dr. Haney talk about on the show by clicking HERE. Later we're throwing out the Haven Life Line to Kathrine, who wants to know if her and her husb

How do you find time to make all of the right money moves, have relationships with family or friends, AND keep a career that brings in the Benjamins? We'll talk about that and a TON more on today's podcast, recorded live in Detroit, Michigan, to round out our three-city tour! As always, we're bringing the party with a cast of special guests from the Detroit area. First, we'll talk to popular blogger and mother of twins Catherine Alford (CatherineAlford.com) and father-of-two, podcaster Andy Hill (Marriage, Kids and Money podcast), about how they juggle multiple priorities. We'll then hear a story about life, family, and a limo from professional storyteller Shannon Cason. We'll talk to TIAA Difference Maker Inger Griffin, from the Emily Ann Griffin Foundation. She'll describe how she decided after her young daughter passed away to help families in need. Plus, we'll answer a Blooom call for help with blogger Tasha Daniel (FinancialGarden.net), who personally paid off over $80,000 of debt!  We're also excited th

We're kicking off our live Kansas City show with a fantastic hometown story on how one guy went from small time jobs to BIG time pre- and post-game shows for Kansas City Royals television broadcasts. You heard his podcast recently on our feed (as he interviewed Bob Kendrick for his Rounding The Bases podcast), and now you get to hear HIS story. Not only will he talk about chasing his dream career, but also how he's thinking critically now about "what's next." With off-season time and his speaking ability, how does he round out his career to be even more fulfilling and to give more to the world that only he can uniquely offer. We'll talk to Joel about all of that and more on today's LIVE show from Kansas City! Plus, just like at our live show in Orlando, we're bringing the party with a cast of additional special guest. First, our TIAA difference maker making an impact in her community, we'll talk to Kathleen Webb from Children First CEO Kansas. She'll describe how she decided when her neighbor needed help, to

We kick off live show week with a great story. How about a blogger who owed thousands in student loan debt and turned things around so much that only a few years later she's earning six figures every month and lives on a sailboat? Michelle Shroeder-Gardner joins us live from Orlando, Florida, to help us kick off our Three-Town Tour! But that's not all. Plus, because we're live, we've brought a TON of financial and community stars with us. Helping TIAA support difference makers in the Orlando community, from Rise Against Hunger we welcome Jason Haulbrook. Plus, in a our headlines segment, Josh Elledge from Savings Angel joins us to talk about saving money at hotels; from DIY.FUND, Eric & Wendy Nissan talk about innovating in the Orlando area; helping us answer your questions, Paula Pant from Afford Anything joins us, plus the ladies from the Money Millhouse, Ellie Kay and Bethany Bayless. We're also excited that in every city we had a Stacking Benjamins band! In Orlando we were helped by the woman behind Plant

Investors. Right when they turn left they turn right. You've heard lots of stories about people who've lost fortunes...all because they lost their head. Yet one recent publication shows the mindset shift of investors over time and through different market conditions. By knowing what most people think, by learning the psychology of an investor, maybe you can avoid many of their mistakes. We're excited by our roundtable team today because they've all not only made mistakes but they've also helped people overcome mistakes...and because of that, we hand picked them to help pick you up on today's market volatility-themed episode. Today we welcome Kine Corder, Nick True, and Paula Pant to the microphones to help us talk about the investor mindset. Plus, we're throwing out the Friday FinTech segment for a special discussion with Kristen Holt and Dusti Young from Greenpath Financial Wellness. They've designed a #NoSpendNovember month of sound financial tips to help you better manage money as we roll into the holiday

We're bringing two specially picked Halloween inspired guests down to the basement today, (and as a bonus, for once we can call all of our cobwebs and flickering lights seasonal decoration. Bonus!) Today we welcome the two brains behind the Mad Money Monster blog, Mr. and Mrs. Mad Money Monster. And speaking halloween decorations, Mr. Mad Money Monster, (or Harrison for short), is also a horror film director! Not only are we going to discuss practical money habits gone scary, we'll also peek into the mind of a director who sets out to scare us ALL. Plus, in our headlines segment, we're looking at a response letter penned by Blink-182 frontman, Tom DeLonge. It was previously reported that Tom's UFO organization accumulated $37 million worth of debt. Tom fired back that the original reporter didn't understand the SEC filing that the report is based on. Bottom line? Someone in this argument is VERY wrong. Later on we'll answer Doug's trivia question, and a listener letter from Mike. With dollar cost averaging in

We're kicking off the week talking about new jobs, annuities, paying down your mortgage, and spreadsheets....that's right, it's our favorite episode: we're answering YOUR letters. Joseph's got his first "big boy" job as an engineer after college. He's already got his eyes set on financial independence, what steps should he be taking to get there? Next, Gwen wants to know the reasoning behind not paying off your mortgage early. Wouldn't it be better to put $500 towards the mortgage each week rather than investing that amount? We're also answering a numbers question from Axel, who has a big question about calculating the end number for retirement. Based on the equation, Axel should have a lot more money than he actually does. What does that mean 40 years down the road? Plus, in today's headline segment, is FAANG out the door? We're shining the spotlight on one recent piece that says we should be looking at "MAAN" stocks to lead us into the future. What new companies comprise MANN? Is it a good idea to change yo

Just like how you need to know where the pedals are when you ride a bike, learning the key financial terms is an important part of your success as a saver. What are the most important terms to know? We're joined by Tom Drake from the Maple Money podcast, CFP Katie Brewer from Your Richest Life Planning, and Paula Pant, to tackle most of the basics. Which of these terms do you know? We'll also talk to Lucas Hall, who we give us a walk through this week's Friday FinTech featured company, Cozy. If you're a landlord or you're a renter, Cozy might be a company you'll want to know more about. They help landlords make life easy for themselves and for their renters. We'll talk about common problems landlords have and how this particular company has attacked those issues. Finally, we'll answer a listener call for help AND save some room for Doug's amazing trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credi

Today we bring you two fantastic podcast episodes in a single package! As part of our three city tour we headed to Orlando, where Chris Browning and the Popcorn Finance podcast took the stage. Chris tackles some of his (and the audience's) biggest money wins and failures. He talks about controlling spending, buying some dumb stuff, listening to some bad advice, and more.  And in the second half of our show, Joel Goldberg and the Rounding the Bases podcast take center stage from our show in Kansas City. Joel welcomes one of the best storytellers we've ever heard, Bob Kendrick, from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, to introduce people to some of the stories, adversity, culture, and excitement of the Negro Leagues. You're going to love these stories. Think they're about sports? Think again. Bob will talk about entrepreneurship, business opportunities, creating a successful team, and the value of strong leadership. Thanks to Blooom for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get a one month free at stackingbenjamins.com

Need inspiration to pay off your debt? We have it today. Alaya Linton from the blog HopeandCents.com and her husband paid off over $74,000 of debt in....wait for it....25 months. She'll walk us through all of the bad decisions she made wracking up the debt, then hitting the wall where suddenly she was in huge financial trouble, her first credit card denial, her car being repossessed, and more. But then she'll also share how her family changed and she attacked her debt and paid it off in 25 short months. She'll discuss how she kept her family involved, what she cut, how she budgeted, and what debts she paid off first. Plus, in today's headline segment, an unlikely source says that the future of advice is going to come from humans. Who would say something so crazy? You'll find out. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line and take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to Nutrafol for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get your first month supply with a subscription plan for $10 nutrafol.com and promo code SB Thanks to A

What's the ONE thing you need to figure out to get what you really want? A popular blogger wrote a piece on the topic and today we have a special all-guest panel to help us work through it. On today's show we welcome, from the Hippocratic Hustle podcast, Dr. Carrie Reynolds, and from the Poorer than You blog, Stephonee....AND also, the guy behind the Financial Residency podcast, Ryan Inman.  In our Friday FinTech segment we're taking a break from showing you the hottest new gadget to helping you build it. Have a great idea for the next hot FinTech app? Jake Hare has helped hundreds of potential app developers bring their idea to market and today he's going to talk about forming and executing on your next great idea. That's not all...of course we'll still have Doug's trivia segment AND answer a listener call for help...all because we care, and because that's what we do on Friday. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here's a success story: Brynne was couch surfing because she had nowhere to go and now is releasing one of the biggest financial books of the year. Think that isn't inspirational? Oh, we've got inspriation in spades on today's show. Whether you're thinking about maybe starting a business or looking to pump up your side hustle or business, today is for you. If you're looking to figure out how to make your bad situation better....Brynne has been there. Maybe you're actually trying to start a business? Creating a new business from the ground up can be a monumental task and can seem impossible to do. But, like with anything, breaking down the process into smaller manageable steps can make starting a business feel like it's within arms reach. Helping us break down this whole side hustle business (see what we did there?) is our featured guest, from the Femme Frugality blog AND the author of the new Feminist Financial Handbook, we welcome Brynne Conroy. Plus, in our headlines segment, the U.S. government has announc

Spend $10 on fast-food at lunch, or carry in a bag lunch to eat in at the office? Order some delivery for dinner because you're too busy, or meal prep at the beginning of the week? Small choices we choose each day turn into habits that make up the backbone of our money decisions. It's easy to say, "I'm going to spend less money this week," but it's a lot harder to actually ACT on those choices throughout the week. Turning our bad habits into good habits is key to great financial health. Today we're bringing down the guy who wrote the book on the topic...the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear. Plus, in today's headlines, the stock market has been a little shaky lately, if you haven't noticed. Should investors be worried? We'll have a few words for people experiencing "market panic." And in our second headline, what are the best places for new retirees to live? You'll be a bit surprised at some of the places that made this year's list. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line to David, who is dollar-cost averagi

Being financially prudent is one thing, but when does saving money cross the line into being extremely, and possibly even grossly, frugal? Helping us answer these questions are today's special guests: from the Mr. Fi Guy blog, it's Mr. Fi (or as his friends call him...Taylor); from the Fire Drill Podcast, we welcome Gwen Mertz; and from this here podcast, we welcome our very own OG. Halfway through the show we'll take a little break to talk to Jason Brown from Tally. Making the decision to get on the road to financial freedom is a good one, and paying off credit cards and debt can be a major road block. We'll sit down with Jason doing our FinTech segment and see just how his company is setting out to help people climb out of debt. And of course, we'll still have take some time to throw out the Haven Life Line to Joe, who wants to retire in the next few years. There's just one problem: Joe has no goals for retirement life. Can we throw some resources his way so he can figure out what he wants to do? Thanks to 

How do you become a money pro? Like most people...you start off as a financial nightmare and you learn the hard lessons that teach you how to be much better with your Benjamins. Belinda Rosenblum lived that life....she was horrible with budgets and used archaic systems that didn't work to keep track of both her own bills and those of family members she cared for. You'll hear the story today of how she went from being completely disorganized to becoming a Money Ninja working for her clients. Plus, in our headlines segment, it looks like mortgage rates are going up and so are bond rates...what's the correlation? We'll explain how these two work in tandem. Plus a new FINRA proposal would allow brokers to ease restrictions on brokers' outside activities. Why are some organizations against this? What would this have to do with your money? We'll explain the plusses and minuses of this proposal. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, a listener letter from Shaun, who asks about betting with

Our featured guest coming down to the basement has two kids... and he still kicked his job to the curb and made the jump to the self-employed route. Why did he do it? And HOW did he do it? Lee Huffman will tell us the story today. Plus, in today's headlines, USAA's Director of Life and Health Insurance, Sean Scaturro will walk us through open enrollment and health insurance, which can be a pretty daunting thing to take on. In our second headline, what are the hidden costs behind Amazon's recent wage hike for their workers? You might be surprise at what's REALLY going on. Later we'll throw the Haven Life Line to Ethan, who has a few questions on backdoor Roth conversions. Plus we'll answer a letter from Elizabeth, who's a little late to the financial game. What should her investing focus be... and what are some good financial tips for someone who got into the game later on? Of course, we'll still take some time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and g

Long-time basement listeners know what the Friday after FinCon means... it's our episode you know and love: when we take you on a tour of some of the biggest innovations and coolest concepts we see at the show. So, just what are we covering this year? While plenty of companies are doing amazing work to help everyday people save, invest, and become financially independent, we brought to our microphones a few of our favorites. Today you'll hear stories from brands like USAA, and what they're cooking up in their labs, and Chris Hutchins at Grove, where they're inventing financial planning tools for the masses, and many more innovation-themed talks about the future of your money, (and wallet). Of course, we'll still save time for some of Doug's trivia. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings.

Today in the basement we're turning inner strength into outer money success with financial coach Beth Burns. Plus, in our headlines segment, do you live in one of the least financially savvy states? We'll go over that list... plus tell you which side of Texarkana had the honor of (not) making the list. And in our second headline... Mark Cuban once said that, "if you use a credit card, you don't want to be rich." Does he really mean exactly that? We'll jump in more during the show. Later on we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, a listener letter about adjusted gross income and modified adjusted gross income, AND throw out the Haven Life line to Nick, who's side hustle has quickly became his main hustle. With a new house this year, plus a baby, and still tackling student debt... what should Nick and his wife be doing with all of his new found cash? What type of financial advisor should a person in Nick's position be looking out for? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins!

You first heard him on our Friday roundtable episode... and now he's coming back for his victory lap (and the mic all to himself). Today we welcome Mr.Groovy, of Freedom is Groovy to talk all things financial independence. How did he become financially independent in a short time after not saving much well into his forties? How does he make sure he's healthy so he can pursue the things he saved money for in the first place? PLUS, in our headlines segment, it's been 10 years since the last market crash. What could company retirement plans do better to help people weather the storm? Later on we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Shane. Some jobs are more likely to provoke lawsuits than others. What are some strategies for professionals who might get sued? And as always... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia AND to answer one well written letter to the podcast. Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Thanks to RXBAR for supporting Stacking