Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

Have you ever had a bad job? We'll discuss bad jobs and lessons that you learn while working in a field that might not be ideal or meet your end goals. We'll talk farming, golf caddie, working at McDonalds, and other bad jobs with our special guest Andy Hill (from the Marriage, Kids and Money podcast) along with our regular contributors Len Penzo from Len Penzo dot com and Paula Pant from Afford Anything! And halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk to Natalie Angelillo from OfferUp. It's time to spring clean and OfferUp gives you a platform to buy or sell things from you comfort of your phone and with a photo-first look.  Plus we answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. Rod is investing some of his money for a retirement condo. When he has enough funds for his second choice, should he buy it and rent it out until retirement? Or should he keep investing until he's able to get Condo #1? Thanks also to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins as well. MagnifyMoney.com saves u

We back up the truck and plow through the mailbag today! We'll start off with a question about employee stock purchase plans, work our way into niche real estate, fly through small company stock investing, and dive headfirst into mutual funds vs. ETFs....plus LOTS more. In our headlines segment we'll talk with Ken and Ben from FICO about auto financing. A recent FICO study shows that the move toward shopping online for financing rates isn't nearly as wide as we may have thought. What are the takeaways? We'll ask FICO for some best practices and more on today's show! Plus, are you a Wells Fargo customer? We have more news about claiming your settlements and more on today's podcast. Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line to Ryan, who wants to work in the financial planning field. What advice do we have for him when it comes to talking to others about their money? Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Looking to have your financial product questions answered? Head to MagnifyMoney.com for

Even though he's an engineer by trade, Harry Campbell was excited about the opportunity to earn extra money driving people (and stuff) around town so he tried out Lyft. What happened? Now he runs arguably the biggest website dedicated to ride sharing services AND he'll give you all the secrets about making money in the sharing economy on today's show! In our headlines segment, we tackle a piece about inheritances. Do you know why people don't receive their inheritance? We do, and it probably isn't what you think it is.... Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line to Adam, who wonders about buying property in China. Should he and his spouse spend their money on a home before prices escalate more? We'll also answer another listener letter, throw out Doug's trivia question, and more. Thanks to CollegeBacker for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Sign up at CollegeBacker.com/sb and get a $10 match when you start a college fund for your own family or send a gift to kickoff someone else’s college fund. Thanks to Harry’s f

Just starting out with money? Do you know someone just beginning in life, or graduating this month? Dorethia Kelly from The Money Chat joins Greg McFarlane and Len Penzo to tackle exactly that topic and more. We also discuss Uber’s plans to bring auto financing to the masses (and tips to buy a car), plus how to make debt disappear quicker. As we do often, we juggle a ton of topics on this episode! ALSO – with Father’s Day this weekend, maybe you’ve decided that dad has enough ties. What about buying him stock? Dan Schatt joins us on our FinTech segment to tell us about Stockpile, a site where you can give dad shares of your favorite company, an ETF, and more. You can also buy physical gift cards from retailers. Now dad can actually get a gift that appreciates! Griffin the Intern (the "FinTern") is bringing the party on today's rewind episode. Enjoy! You can find the original show notes here: Our Best Advice for Graduates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jane Blaufus, author of With the Stroke of a Pen, Claim Your Life joins us in the basement to share her very personal tragedy, and how making non-emotional insurance decisions helped her cope in a difficult time. She'll share a refreshing view of insurances that might change your mind about your personal coverage. Matt Becker from MomandDadMoney.com joins Paula Pant from Afford Anything on this week's roundtable to discuss the Zen of Investing. You'll learn some important investing lessons that may change your overall philosophy.  Of course we work to give something away, Joe & OG talk about current financial topics, and tackle reviews of Prisoners and The Spectacular Now....and much much more. Griffin the Intern (the "FinTern") rewinds to when we talked about when things go wrong....and the best time to prep? right now, while things are going well. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Money, it turns out, does bad things to your brain AND to your skin. Author Kabir Sehgal from the NY Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Coined, The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us joins us in the basement. We also take your letters, talk about Stacking Bordens with a Canadian friend, and more. This episode originally aired November 2, 2015. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Looking for a better deal on our insurances? We'll tackle a piece today about tracking devices that trade privacy for your data, which will hopefully save you money on your insurance. Would you trade your data for lower costs? We'll discuss this and the many ways you CAN save money on insurances with our special guest Shannon Harvey (author of How To Avoid Financial Disaster), along with our regular contributors OG and Paula Pant from Afford Anything! And halfway through the show we'll take a break and talk to Nic Kopp from online bank N26. After successfully scaling in Europe, this bank is poised to now bring easier mobile banking to the USA. We'll talk to Nic about exactly what N26 has to offer and when you can sign up. Plus we answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. VJ wonders if he should ditch his insurance agent AFTER he helped him find a policy? He feels guilty because even though the agent answered lots of questions and was helpful, VJ found a better price online. What should he do? Tha

One of our most frequently asked questions revolves around the Roth IRA. Should I invest in it? How much should I invest? Why should I invest in a Roth vs. a traditional IRA? That's just ONE of the many questions we answer on today's show, including questions about investing, buying a house, spiking your interest rates on short term goals, and more.  In our headlines segment we'll talk about how financial advisors market their services. Can you tell from an advisor's method of pitching (and her pitch) whether they'll be a good fit for you? Absolutely...and we'll explain on today's show, as we talk about seminars, workshops, Facebook ads, radio shows, and more. Plus, we'll tackle a piece about remodeling your house. Which improvements improve your home's value the most? We'll share all of those on today's podcast. Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line to Eric, who's contributing to a target date fund and wonders if he could do a better job on his own. Can he? Do we like his target date fund? We'll also throw

Lillain Karabaic has done everything. From bicycle valet to bookkeeping to radio, she's had just about every job you could imagine (she held over 40 jobs during her 20's!). Today she's sharing advice and stories about grabbing the reins. Think you aren't saving enough money? She'll inspire you with her work ethic. Think you have trouble getting money in the right place? She'll share her favorite tips... and more.  In our headlines segment, we'll share some statistics from Transferwise about banking fees. It turns out that many people are surprised by the fees their bank charges. Overdraft fees? Sure, banks charge those, but how about returned mail fees? We'll share the whole list and ways to reduce fees. We'll also debate a new media piece about retirement planning. Is it time to share the old planning practices out the window? We'll share the authors' tips and also those that OG and Joe advocate, on today's podcast. Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line to Abbey, who wonders about starting a financial coach

How much do your friends control your fate when it comes to your money? One recent piece contends that your community (including friends) is a HUGE piece in the puzzle toward financial success. Does our panel agree? Here to answer that question we welcome Jen Hemphill, author of the new hit financial book Her Money Matters. She'll join OG on today's show for that AND Doug's amazing trivia (we know you can barely wait....). Plus we answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. Daniel wonders about life insurance. How much should he and his spouse plan on for life insurance for his children? Thanks to Housecall Pro for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Waive your $99 activation fee by going to HousecallPro.com/SB. Thanks also to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins as well. 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. Learn more about y

Why are you saving money? How much joy are you receiving from that "stuff" you own? You may rethink your financial plan after today's show, because our guest is the co-author of the HUGE bestselling book, Your Money or Your Life. Vicki Robin helped shape the financial independence/retire early movement, and she's on her way down to the basement today to talk to us about re-examining your beliefs around your life and your money. Your money or your life, indeed. In our headlines segment we'll talk about student loans with Robert Farrington from The College Investor. He'll talk about how over 3,000 people just took part in an event to pay off a TON of student loan debt. We'll share best practices, how best to apply to lower interest rates on your debt, and how to pay them down in a way that makes sense for your situation. We'll also discuss the new SEC proposed fiduciary rule. Is THIS finally the rule we've been looking for? Will it replace the mostly knocked-down rule from the Department of Labor? We'll review

What happens when you're booted from your company? Jordan Harbinger found out firsthand. The former host of popular and award winning Art of Charm podcast tells us his story and then we talk about building YOUR network so it's available when you need it. We'll discuss the right (and horribly wrong) ideas, tools, and strategies to use when taking on the challenge of expanding your circle of influence. Plus, in headlines, we'll tackle a recent headline about a big financial company that may have stepping in the same BIG problem twice. What's the problem and how do YOU avoid being a victim of this company? We'll unravel all of that plus another headline about risk. Where do you run from stocks if you've had enough...international bonds?  We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Dom, who wonders what stocks he should buy in his "sandbox" portfolio. How do you evaluate individual stocks and where is the the best place to purchase them? Both Joe

It's nearly tax time and we're hearing lots of rumors about tax strategies that just don't work. So we were relieved to read a headline that walked us through several rumors that weren't true. We'll go over them in detail on today's podcast! Plus we get serious about sexism in the financial press. Do pieces aimed at women speak to them differently than pieces aimed at men? Our roundtable will weigh in on men, women, and the differences in the way we talk about money. To talk about these topics, we're joined by our crack regular team of contributors: Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Len Penzo (Len Penzo dot com), along with our very own OG. We also answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. Steve wants to know if there's any reason NOT to consolidate his many accounts spread all over the place. What's the downside he might not be seeing? Thanks to TurboTax Live for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get a personal review of your tax return with a CPA or EA backed with a one-hundred percent Accuracy Gua

What happens when a bestselling money author teams up with an SNL star to talk about financial literacy? You end up with some awesome videos featuring Kate McKinnon and Beth Kobliner! Beth joins us in the basement today to talk about the making of the videos and to share some much-needed financial literacy tips for children. How do you teach kids (or other adults) about money when you don't feel like YOU'RE a whiz with your cash? Beth shares some great tips that you'll be able to use today. In our headlines segment we'll talk about a recent lawsuit about "reverse churning." What does that even mean? We'll talk about why it's important most of the time to do absolutely nothing with your money, and we'll also discuss when you should expect to pay for advice and exactly what you're paying for when you work with an advisor. If you're in a fee-based account, are you paying for trades or for advice from the advisor? We'll debate that question on today's show.  In our second headline we'll talk to Mike Foy from JD P

Ever wonder whether individual stock investing is for you? Chuck Jaffe, host of Money Life with Chuck Jaffe, joins us to talk about the differences between investing in individual companies and in indexes or actively traded funds. We'll discuss diversification, learning about companies, the impact of fees, and more. Plus, in headlines, we'll tackle a recent headline about a big financial company possibly faced with a billion dollar judgment. What does it have to do with your money? You may learn a lot about estate planning on today's show. We'll also follow one writer who's decided to go cashless. Is it a good idea to dive into the empty wallet-end of the pool? We'll discuss upsides and downsides on today's show. We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Melissa, who wants some advice on how her and her husband should structure their funds inside of their accounts. Without fully knowing their situation, can the guys still give her ideas for

We've snared a HOT topic! Bloggers online are talking about a recent piece written by Miles Howard, entitled "Is Frugality For The Rich?" It asks many questions about bloggers online and the transparency of how they earn their money. We talk to our roundtable about whether the frugality that's made to sound awesome by bloggers is really something we can all attain. Is any of it real? To talk about that topic, plus a recent study that explores the differences between rich and poor kids, we welcome our special guest Jonathan Mendonza from the awesome Choose FI podcast to the show! Jonathan is joined by our crack regular team of contributors: Paula Pant (Afford Anything) and Len Penzo (Len Penzo dot com). We'll also bring you some cool Friday FinTech on today's show. Thomas Beattie from Voleo.com stops by to tell us how they help investors turn their love of stocks and (sometimes wild) opinions into better informed decisions. The wisdom of the crowd wins again on today's show! We also answer a three-oh call for

Why haven't you scored a raise recently or grabbed that next bar on the better job rung? Well, your wait is over, because Gary Burnison, author of Lose the Resume, Land the Job, joins us to help you increase your income potential, enjoy your career more, and rock your next raise! We'll talk about how a skunk helped Gary realize many of the dilemmas facing people, and how NOT to answer questions during your next interview...and of course, much more. In our headlines segment we'll throw a surprise your way. An age group you don't expect is conned more often on the phone than any other...and it isn't the group you think. How do you make sure you aren't taken advantage of by scammers? Jonathan Sasse from First Orion joins us to talk about how to figure out that someone is really secretly after your wallet instead of the person they pretend to be. We'll also cover a recent spring cleaning story. While you're cleaning out the attic and the garage...what about your wallet? What should you clean and what should you k

Ever had that time in your life when you just couldn't get ahead? You'd come home after payday, think that you could maybe relax and spend a dollar or two, and then realize, "Oh, $%#!" Kristin Wong has been through that cycle before herself, and she also knows how to dig your way out. She's coming down to the basement today to share her own story and tips to help you better manage your budget. In our headlines segment, we talk about your brokerage account. Do you keep your cash reserve in the cash portion of your brokerage account? A new Wall Street Journal piece tells us that you might be losing lots of money. We'll also discuss guaranteed income strategies. A recent study shows that people want to hear from their advisor about guaranteed income. We'll talk about why people want advice on this issue and why most advisors don't spend a lot of time on this area. We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Andy, who's worried about cashing out

How do you say goodbye to a long term advisor? Whether it's a financial advisor, CPA, financial coach, or someone in another field, we'll talk about the common practice of "ghosting" advisors. Is it okay to just leave your advisors and not tell them that you're going? If you decide to tell them that you're leaving, what should you say? We'll ask our crack team, including not only OG and Len Penzo, but special guest Mrs. Groovy from FreedomIsGroovy.com.  Plus, we'll also talk about taking time off from your job to begin constructing your ultimate life. How do you begin taking time away? We'll not only review a piece on this topic but also ask our panel for tips on today's podcast. We also answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. What should our listener expect from tax preparation help? How do the fees work? We'll ask our team that question, and also answer a letter from another listener, share Doug's trivia, and more. Thanks to Lexington Law for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For a free credit r

Thinking about placing some of your hard earned Benjamins into investments in China? So have many American investors, yet lots of them don't know how much trouble they might be inadvertently be walking into. Jed Rothstein, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award winning director) joins us to discuss his new documentary, the China Hustle. How do people get swindled out of millions of dollars while trying to buy Chinese stocks listed on American stock exchanges? We'll hear how the game works and also show you how deceptive it is even though it was all legal.   In headlines today we hear a gut-wrenching story about how an NBA star went from a $61 million fortune to being six figures in debt. We'll also discuss a headline about buying insurance online. There are many questions people should ask when purchasing anything online, and we ask Haven Life CEO Yaron Ben-Zvi to share some tips with us. As always, he gives us lots of ideas to make sure you know what you're buying.   Plus, as always, we throw out the Haven L