Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

Have you ever lied about how much money you make? Most likely, along with the rest of us, you've probably puffed up the number at least once in your life. So exactly why do people lie? Helping us discuss fibbing to spouses and to statisticians is our special guest, Hilary Hendershott. Also helping, we welcome our good friend Paula Pant, and from our very own podcast, OG. Halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk to one CEO whose company, RateGravity, is disrupting the mortgage industry. And in typical Stacking Benjamins style, we'll also find time to answer Doug's trivia AND help out a caller who left the basement a voicemail from Leo, who with his wife has worked hard to reach financial independence... and can't seem to give himself permission to have some fun. 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 MagnifyMon

We're pulling out all the stops today because we're talking to a special guest that you may (or may not) have heard of... Suze Orman. We'll talk all things women and money, mentorship, understanding your investments and financial tools, and more. Plus, during our headlines segment we're extra packed because we're delivering three awesome headlines. First: is Robinhood really making MILLIONS by selling out millennials' user data? One group thinks so. And if that wasn't enough, in a retirement plan court fight, one retirement fund is fighting back against participants that sued the employer by asking for monetary sanctions against the six employee-plaintiffs and the law firm that represented them. But that's not all....because we're also dissecting one piece about Barry White and the estate he left behind. How much of your estate does your girlfriend receive when you've been separated from your wife for two decades (but never actually divorced her?)...do we have some news for you... Of course, we'll still have

We're kicking off Monday by talking by asking, how do you achieve quantum success with your career and your MONEY? Helping us improve our financial lives is today's special guest, Christy Whitman. Plus, in our headlines segment, would you enjoy being called a "boring" investor? And in our second headline... a company is offering insurance for space travel, what's up with that? Later on, we'll tackle a voicemail on the Haven Life Line... with a baby on the way what should Michael and his wife be doing with their extra income? We'll also try to help Jackson, who wrote today's letter to the show. He has a job and has recently graduated from college, so now Jackson wants to move out of his parents' home in the next year. He already has some savings built up... so what's his next few moves? And as always... we'll still have time for Doug's trivia. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/sb and get $50 off toward your first job post. Thanks to Emperor Investments for supporting Stac

Ever wonder what outside factors are keeping you from making more money? If so, it turns out you're not the only one asking that nagging question... big surprise there! Helping us cover a recently released blog post covering many reasons why you aren't making more (and what to do about it) we're rolling in our "A" team: Paula Pant, Len Penzo, and OG. It's important to consider automation, robots, inflation, wage stagflation, employer collusion, a proliferation of workers who are highly educated, and more. It's even more important to know what you'll do about it, now that you're armed with all the reasons why. There's no reason to not be making more money, whether with more money from your primary income, with a side business, or using other strategies (such as passive investments). Of course, that's not all. We'll still have time to answer a voicemail from a listener, and to answer Doug's trivia. Drew recently changed employers. What are the options he should be aware of? Are there time constraints we should

What would you do if you found yourself with a big inheritance? You might have some ideas on that, but do you really know what you SHOULD do if you found yourself in that situation? Helping us with just that question is our special guest, Doug Goldstein. Doug will explain what you need to know if you found yourself in an inheritance situation in easy to understand steps. Plus, in our headlines segment, we're discussing one piece that looks at the 401k funds that took a beating in 2008. Could it be impacting you? Plus, we'll have a surprise headline in the form of a Stacking Benjamins language course... but don't count on it being in French. Of course, we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, throw out the Haven Life line to Dany who wants to know more about stocks that pay out dividends, and answer a listener letter about investing side-gig money. It's a content-packed episode today... enjoy! Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking B

Need a kick in the pants when it comes to your career? Time to look inward and make some improvements? Check. We've got you covered. Thinking about selling....anything, but maybe even real estate? Check. We've also got YOU covered. Need a healthy spoonful of laughs (and a surprise or two) in our headlines? We've got that covered too. Coming down to the basement to share the sometimes painful but always poignant story about how he went from zero to million dollar listings... we welcome Million Dollar Listing reality television star and author of Sell It Like Serhant, Ryan Serhant. It took Ryan years to discover what his competitive advantage was... and he's going to share it with you today. But that's not all. In our headlines segment, we'll discuss a new checking account with features that look and smell a lot like those offered by credit card companies. Is this the future? Should you switch banks? We'll discuss. Plus, we'll share a story about a bride who might have asked her guests for a touch more than the

A special BONUS treat! We've asked Mr. Plutus Awards Harlan Landes and our friend (and Plutus Award team member) Miranda Marquit down to the basement to share this years finalists, and they agreed! They'll spend a little time sharing ALL of the finalists in every category. Is your favorite nominated? Are there fresh new names of blogs, podcasts, You Tube videos, or social media sharers that you need to add? We'll share the complete list on today's podcast. Then in our EPIC panel discussion, we'll spend about 90 minutes hashing out ten of the categories. Who are the dark horses to win? Who could surprise? What names should win, and who do our panelists want to win? We'll dig in deeper on today's podcast! We still have a great episode in the morning (Ryan Serhant from Million Dollar Listing joins us!). It's a busy week here in basement-land.... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spend $8 at the coffee shop, $5 dollars for a little snack later on... maybe $20 eating dinner at a restaurant with your co-workers later tonight. Rinse, wash, and repeat a few days a week and you'll start to wonder where all that extra cash you're supposed to have in your wallet actually went. And maybe you're not leaving your money "faucet" on full pressure all the time, but like any homeowner can tell you, even a constant drip can run up a bill at the end of the month. Helping us face our own money leaks today, from the Mad Money Monster blog, we welcome Lisa Harrison. Rounding out our contributors today is Paula Pant (from Afford Anything) and Len Penzo (from LenPenzo.com). But that's not all... we'll also have time for Doug's trivia, and also will tackle a voicemail from a listener. Derek wants to know how you explain the concept of a non-physical thing, such as cash or credit on a card, to young kids? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Thanks to Warby Parker for supporting Sta

Ever want to see how someone else lives and spends money? The Money Diaries, a wildly popular feature at Refinery29, digs into the personal lives of people who volunteer to share the details of their lives and expenses. What you find, are lots of lessons that now Work & Money editor Lindsey Stanberry has compiled and used as the basis for a new book which dishes out popular lessons on money, from setting a plan, to paying off debt, to insurances and investing. It's all here and we're excited that Lindsey is coming today to the basement to share some of the biggest lessons. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll list off the 10 highest paying jobs in the USA. There might be some trends that you may want to explore if you're looking for your next employment opportunity. We'll also share lessons about other careers NOT listed among the top ten. Also, in our second headline, one big ETF company is cutting some funds from its lineup. Are you invested in any of them? Even if you're not, what happens to the money fro

Do you have what it takes to be a wealthy heiress (or heir)? Our friend Linda P. Jones says that you already have the ingredients...now you just need to dive in and show your prowess. She'll take you through the steps to claim your wealth, and we'll talk about investing based on cycles and momentum on today's show. Plus, in our headlines segment, a new study shows that financial pros want the best of all worlds...active management with passive-like fees. Is that a pipe dream or is it really on the horizon? We'll mull it over. Plus, banks are protecting themselves with some additional language you should put on your checks if using mobile deposit. What are the words? Will it also protect you? We'll share everything on today's show. Of course, that's not all. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line, answer a letter from the mail bag, and more! Thanks to Warby Parker for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Order your FREE Home Try-On’s at warbyparker.com/sb. Thanks to Away for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to aw

We're finishing this week strong with today's rewind episode. Featuring Joe, Len Penzo, and Paula Pant, this roundtable has our group looking back at their 20's. What sort of money education would have made their lives easier? Later on the show, the group asks themselves: what's the deal with tipping? And should you tip the takeout host? When is it appropriate to leave a tip? The gang answered all that, and more, on today's episode. PLUS, in our FinTech segment, we talked to Ross Kimbarovsky from Respect. Worried about elder care for your relatives? Ross and his team rolled out some new systems to address the issues in elder care.  We'll be back on Monday with a whole new batch of fresh episodes. See you then!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pay down your debts, or invest in the market? Upgrade to a new car, or start stashing away money for a house? Opportunity costs face us everyday, and today, we're rolling back the clock to when we sat down with Emily Guy Birken, who explains just how it all works. Plus, we talk on the problems with "free", sunk costs, and other strategies to manage money. In our headlines we're talking Johnny Deep (remember that phase?), and talk financial knowledge. How much does the average person learn about money over their lifetime? You'll be surprised with the answer.  In this full-featured rewind episode we also answered the Haven Life Line about an important (and not uncommon) tax question you may relate to, get around to Doug's trivia, and a listener letter.  The original show notes can be found here. This episode originally aired May 17th,2017. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're rolling back the clock to one of our extra-stuffed letters episodes. The guys will cover questions about buying homes, paying down student debt, investing, bitcoin and more. Then in the headlines segment the guys looked at mistakes that investors are prone to make...PLUS one policy from an insurance company that was a bit ridiculous.  The original show notes can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're ending this eight week series of shows on a very special note, with some awesome guests and fun surprises! First, have you ever groaned while paying the same debt payment over and over every single month? Sure you have! Today we'll talk to our guests Chelsea Brennan from Mama Fish Saves and her reader Megan Grossi who hatched a BRILLIANT plan to make paying down student loans (or any loan for that matter) more fun. We can't wait for you to hear it. But that's not all we can't wait for you to hear. Pam Andrews' son grabbed over $700,000 in scholarships and completely avoided student loans. How did he do it...and can you do it too? Pam believes you can, and that's why she created her company the Scholarship Shark. She'll walk us through the process today. AND in our Friday Fintech segment, you've heard Emperor Investments on our shows lately...but exactly how do they work? We invited the co-founders, Brenna Casserly and Francis Tapon to join us with a quick walkthrough of how they work. Thanks to MagnifyM

You've diligently saved and invested. You've taken careful care of your money, and you're now ready to enjoy your golden years...but your tax situation isn't what you'd expected and now you have a whole lot less money than you'd hoped. That's the situation that today's guest is hoping to help you eliminate by taking taxes out of the savings equation as much as possible. Coming down to the basement today we welcome the author of the bestselling book The Power of Zero, David McKnight. PLUS, in our headlines segment, one company is upping the credit card rewards game. Is it worth jumping on board? We'll share our thought on that, along with the details of the 2018 TIAA Plan Sponsor Survey results. What are employees looking for from their employer when it comes to saving for retirement goals? We'll dive into the results and maybe find some common ground between employers and employers today. Of course we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, plus tackle a Haven Life Line letter and more, on today'

Looking to get into real estate? Or maybe you're hoping to clock out of work early... permanently? Today we're bringing down to the basement the guy who used real estate to make sure his family was in great financial shape at an early age, Chad "Coach" Carson. Whether you're interested in flipping houses, buying and holding, or just curious about how to get started, we'll talk all things real estate on today's podcast. PLUS, in our headlines segment, is active investing dead? One pundit says that calls of the death of active investing are exaggerated, and points to four ways we'll use active investments in the future. Looking for some ways to beat an index? Today we'll point to four possibilities. And in our second headline, are you using your 401k like an ATM machine? We'll tackle a recent piece about workers who cash out their 401k plan well before they should. Of course, we'll still have time to answer Doug's trivia question, we'll throw out the Haven Life line, and answer a listener letter. Looking for so

As much as we don't like to admit it (and let's face it, Doug never will), we're not perfect here in the basement. We can mess up and make mistakes, just like anyone. But not all mistakes are created equal. Forgetting to start the dishwasher? Yeah, that's not the end of the world, but what about financial mistakes? A small one might mess up your weekend... but a big one could spell disaster. That's why today we're covering (and sharing some of our own) 8 mistakes the middle class is making with their money (a piece written by Holly Johnson for The Simple Dollar). Joining us today our special guest, from Rich Life Advisors, is Beau Henderson. Also joining in the discussion are our regular roundtable contributors, Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Len Penzo (Len Penzo dot com). Midway through the show we'll take a little break and talk to the co-founder and chairman of Acorns, Walter Cruttenden, about his new brand new venture, an app that mixes two unlikely ideas: video games and saving money. When we first hea

PB&J or BLT? Before you answer that question you'll want to listen in on today's show. You guessed it! Today's the return of Len Penzo's annual Sandwich Survey. We're mixing the costs of going back to school, nutrition, and a little inflation talk all into one discussion. Turns out you can learn quite a bit from comparing the rising (or falling) costs of sandwiches year-to-year. Who knew that the economics of lunch could be so fun? And if you're not particular towards any particular sandwich, we're also bringing the sauce in our headlines. First up? If you're a homeowner you could be sitting on a record amount of cash. Maybe you're not a homeowner? We've got you covered too in our second headline... we'll be looking at some new loan programs targeting homebuyers with 3% down or less. We'll also have time to answer Doug's trivia, listen in on a Haven Life Line call from our basement friend Lee, AND still get around to a listener letter. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney

Life transitions are always stressful, and can be more than a little scary. Oftentimes, it's not until we're settled back into a routine that we notice we haven't been on our money management game. Maybe we made some big decisions while emotional. Worse yet, maybe some of those decisions were irrevocable and now you're stuck. With all the big changes happening ourselves here in the basement we realized that talking about managing money during transitions might be long overdue. Coming down to the basement today to talk about money management during BIG life changes like a divorce or elderly family member moving to managed care, is Certified Financial Planner Dorie Fain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's more important, money or time? While that answer is up for debate, one thing isn't: better time management will lead to making more money. So, how do you maximize your money AND your time? Helping us answer that question is money coach extraordinaire, Dorethia Kelly. Also joining the conversation today is basement regular, Len Penzo. And rounding out the crew today, from our very own podcast, is OG. After we tackle time management, we'll be getting some big news from the life insurance front during our FinTech segment. How about some life insurance services that you can benefit from while you're still... alive? We're talking to long-time basement friend and CEO of Haven Life, Yaron Ben-Zvi, about some big changes coming to the company. Still want more? We'll make time to answer Doug's trivia AND a voicemail. Once you have your financial house in order, what should you do with your extra savings? We'll answer Dan's question right after we figure out what Doug's trivia. Thanks to Away for supporting Stac