Stacking Benjamins: Your Gateway To Money And Personal Finance

You've done well with your money. Should you tell people online how well you've done? Maybe even show your 401k balance or your savings account? One piece in today's headlines segment has an opinion, our roundtable team will share theirs on today's podcast! Today Len and Paula are joined by CFP Katie Brewer, who helps us dig into another topic: One millionaire received some FANTASTIC money advice at age 18. We'll ask Katie and our team what the best advice is they received growing up about money. You'll be surprised by their answers.  We also answer Scott's three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. His parents and in-laws are asking him for money advice. Should he give them advice or send them to a financial planner? On top of that, we'll also answer a letter from another listener, share Doug's trivia, and more. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/SB and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins as well. M

What does it take to make it to the podium with your pocketbook? Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams knows. She's not only the host of the Worth Listening podcast, but also a financial planner...and more important for today's specific pre-Olympics show, silver medalist in the two woman bobsleigh. She'll talk about the keys to winning with your money on today's show! In our headlines segment, it's tax time, and CPA Craig Cody joins us to help you get organized for this year's tax-prep fest. What are the areas most people miss? How do you make sure all the "I"'s are dotted and "T"s crossed? He's got you covered. We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Johnny, who wonders about rolling his old retirement fund into his new pension. We'll also answer a listener letter from the mailbag and score with some of Doug's delightful trivia, and more. Thanks to Harry’s for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Get your Free Trial Set – go to Harrys.com/SB

Is the FIRE movement dying? One blogger says that it might be, so we bring in our crack team of Paula Pant, Len Penzo and The Other Guy...and well, you'll have to listen to hear whether they agree, won't you? Plus, some bad news out of Bank of America. A popular free checking account is going away. Our contributors may give you some better options if you're looking for a new home for your banking. Speaking of better, we're excited to introduce you to a FinTech company called Better. This mortgage company simplifies the mortgage process. CEO Vishal Garg will not only share his story, but he'll also walk us through how it works. We'll answer someone's three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. On top of that, we'll also answer a letter from the mail bag, share Doug's groundhog related trivia, and more. Thanks to Blue Apron for supporting Stacking Benjamins! Check out this week’s menu and get $30 OFF —WITH FREE SHIPPING—by going to BlueApron.com/SB. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins

The basics of finance ain't easy...at first, but once you jump on and learn them, it's just like riding a bicycle (as mom says). Today we welcome CPA Michele Cagan, whose written a clever Infographic Guide to Personal Finance. She'll take us through a few lessons, from compounding interest to earning more money and spending less. It's a fun interview and a great way to either learn if you're just getting started OR to dust off your knowledge if you're an old finance pro. In our headlines segment, we discuss investors going crazy for stocks--which never ends well. Plus, we talk about active investing. What's the future of active investments? Is it really going to be all robots and automation? One recent piece in the popular press thinks so. We'll discuss it. Of course we'll still throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky listener. This time Bobby asks about 401k management fees. Should he pay a company .6% to manage his stash? We'll also answer a listener letter AND still have time for Doug's trivia.  Check out

The latest statistics on romance money scams are out, and oh boy, is mom upset. A whopping 20 percent more people were ripped off last year than the year before, so how do you protect your loved ones? If someone seems like the perfect match but they need money before they agree to meet you...maybe it turns out that they aren't the perfect fit. Today we call Sandra Bernado from Experian on dad's shortwave, and she drops a ton of great ideas for all of us. Plus, in our headlines segment, we'll cover a fishing trip gone bad. How does fishing affect your money? We'll explain. We'll also tackle a recent study showing the perfect retirement strategy. What is it? I don't think the study is, in the words of a classic Princess Bride line, "what you think it is." We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Kirk, who wonders about his debt. They owe money to a few different loans...which should they pay first? Of course, we'll still score with some of D

Looking for a new financial show that's fifteen minutes or less? Back from the basement...the same team that brings you Stacking Benjamins debuts a new show...Money in the Morning. Joe Saul-Sehy records two financial headlines daily in front of a Facebook live audience.  On today's sample episode: airline prices may soon rise AND the IRS begins accepting tax returns. What do you need to know? We'll talk shopping flights, credit card rewards, tax document organization, and who should help you finish your taxes.  Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should you pay down your debt or invest? Chris has a very specific question on this topic, and our roundtable team comes charging to the rescue! Also, in our headline segment, we tackle a similar topic...should people focus on early retirement? Not only that...we'll throw in some travel tips to make your next vacation less expensive. We also answer someone's three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline. On top of that, we'll also answer a letter from another listener, share Doug's trivia, and more. Thanks to LinkedIn for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to LinkedIn.com/SB and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Thanks 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 your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every year we ask Len Penzo's magic 8 ball how the market's going to perform...and more. Today we rewind to our episode a year ago to review the events of 2016 and then make predictions for 2017. If you've never heard our annual "magic 8 ball" episodes, this is a great starting point. On Friday, January 5 we'll be revisiting the eight ball again to see if these predictions came true. How good is the eight ball? You'll have to listen to find out. Happy New Year! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We head back in time to 2012, when we asked friends of ours AND top HR writer Laurie Reuttiman what lessons we should have learned from that year. What's funny about this list? It could have been 2017.... Hope you're all having a happy holiday week!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do YOU define a "rich" life? Certified Financial Planner Michael F. Kay joined us to talk about his definition, and it's probably MUCH different than yours. This rewind show is from 2016. Hope you enjoy!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Think your 401k rocks? In our headlines segment today we'll share a story from an author who thinks your retirement plan isn't all that it can be. Should you stop investing? Reduce the amount you save into it? We'll tackle both of those questions with Paula Pant from Afford Anything and Andrew Wang from the new podcast Inspired Money. They'll also help us cap off 2017 with a discussion about 2018. Fewer people are making money-based resolutions. Does that mean our finances are going to be a mess next year?  We'll also answer two questions from listeners, share Doug's trivia, and more.  Today we'll also introduce you to CollegeBacker. Co-founder Abby Chao joins us to detail the frustrations people have saving for college and how they're working at making 529 plan savings easy. Think it's difficult to save for college? You'll want to listen to today's interview. Can't wait for you to hear all about it. Thanks to HelloFresh and MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod

n our MONSTER recap of 2017, Today show money editor Jean Chatzky joins in the fun to share five lessons we should have learned from some of the biggest events of the year. She'll talk about the stock market, data hacks, and...well...we don't want to give them all away, so you'll just have to listen, won't you? Plus, in our headlines segment, our social media correspondent, Jamie Wise from the BUZZ Index, shares news from the crowds of people talking about investing online. He'll share thoughts on the Disney/Fox deal, discuss Target, Valient, and more. We'll also tackle a headline about delegation and wealthy people. How much do wealthy people delegate, and what does that have to do with your money? We'll share details 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 Teddy from Brooklyn, who wonders about switching from a mutual fund from an ETF that tracks the S&P500, score with some of Doug's delightful trivia (who swears he has

Many people call finding more cash the name of the game, but today's guest, rapper Dee-1, goes further, discussing how passion, courage, and confidence can give you the strength to find your purpose...and then find more money. He'll also talk about mentoring, his new album, and more, on today's show. Bitcoin is back in our headline segment again, as people are financing their house to jump into the deep end on block chain investments. Should you cash in everything and put it in bitcoin? We'll discuss. Plus, we'll tackle how a "min-Madoff" escaped from prison, and also how you can protect yourself from a Madoff-like scandal. Of course, we'll also throw out the Haven Life line, share some amazing trivia from Steve, who's filling in for a mysteriously (and suspiciously) missing Doug. Special thanks to M1Finance for supporting our show. M1Finance is now FREE! Congrats to the team at M1 for that big announcement last week. Thanks also to our friends at HelloFresh for sponsoring the podcast. Receive $30 off your fi

Wait, who? Why is Madonna flying coach? Why would YOU fly coach if you had the money to afford better? We'll talk about that on today's show! Plus, we'll also discuss We also talk to Eddie Lim from Point. What happens if you need money, but all you have available is the equity from your home? Point was created to try and solve that problem. Eddie today comes down to the basement to tell us why in an age when 50% of homeowners can't get government loans, they still can access the money in their homes to solve financial issues. That's not all....we also ship you some free trivia from Doug, ship some answers to your questions on our wrong number voicemail AND also ship you some answers to letters.... Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taylor Schulte, CFP and his spouse saved over six figures for their dream home, only to find that all of their hard work nearly meant nothing. What went wrong with their real estate transaction? What could you learn from their situation? Taylor shares not only the painful details of his transaction but also important lessons on today's show. Of course, this is a Stacking Benjamins podcast episode, so that ain't all. In our headlines segment, we'll talk about a BIG mistake made by a popular celebrity. Lessons from John Cena being reportedly sued by Ford? We'll share how it affects your money. Plus, we'll also detail how much money parents spend on adult children. Is it enough? We podcast from our mom's basement, so we'll let you decide.... We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Anon, who wonders how to get out of a sticky situation involving a 401k loan, score with some of Doug's delightful trivia, and more. Huge thanks to Roofstock (chec

Today the star of the show is YOU! We're answering your questions about the right way to invest in bonds (that'll go well), goal setting, retirement plan over-contributions, and more! Plus, we'll answer a call from Leo, who tried to play OG and Joe against each other (that'll ALSO go well), with questions about real estate and investing. We'll share tips on networking, bond mutual funds, equations to determine your risk tolerance and long term goals, and more. In our headlines segment, we discuss Green Monday (we didn't even know what the hell green Monday WAS until we read this piece....), plus share some tips from FICO to keep your identity safe while you're shopping, using ATMs, and generally banking. Plus, with the HUGE run up in Bitcoin we detail news about the IRS focusing attention on Bitcoin profits. Just cash in on the big Bitcoin craze? You'll want to listen to today's episode. Plus we'll throw out the Haven Life line, share some amazing trivia from Doug, and more. Special thanks to M1Finance for su

A new study about online shopping yields surprising results: the allure of cheaper online products might not be as compelling as shopping at traditional retailers. Should you change your shopping habits? We'll dig in to this topic with Paula Pant and special guest Chris Costello from 401k allocation experts Blooom. Plus we'll also tackle automation in finance. Are all of these lower fees across the board for investors fantastic innovation or do lower fees encourage investors to move more frequently than they should and ruin their results? Our contributors will weigh in with great (and surprising) opinions. We'll also talk to Tanya VanCourt from Goalsetter.co. Tired of your children receiving gifts that will pile up alongside other unplayed-with toys? How about the gift of financial education. In time for the holidays, Tanya explains how Goalsetter works and tells stories about helping her own children learn about money and financial responsibility. Besides that, we'll answer some questions from listeners, one

Haven't thought much about your retirement? Wondering how to more creatively plan for either FIRE or a normal retirement? We're excited to share the insights of Roger Whitney, CFP, AKA the Retirement Answer Man. He'll talk about being more aggressive in your planning, why old planning methods don't work, and how to attack your retirement plan more boldly than you'd ever thought possible. In our headlines segment, we'll talk about saving at the grocery store. Not into clipping coupons? Kiplinger recently published a piece with LOADS of tips to help you save money on your next grocery bill. We'll talk about the store entrance, how to comparison shop, and what NOT to buy while shopping. Also, we'll detail the story of a wedding photographer who niched down far enough to stand out in a crowded market. Hoping to score bigger with your main job or side gig? This story's for you.  We'll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener John, who wonders about s

Not sure how to manage your life so that you make money faster? David Osborn and Paul Morris are two men who know how to make PILES of money right now. They'll talk about how to avoid money traps and how to accelerate your earning potential on today's podcast. We'll also throw out the Haven Life Line to Derrick. She wants to get into the real estate market and is thinking about using a self-directed IRA. Is this a smart path to go down?He wonders about taxes. His spouse has started a side income job. Should they itemize their taxes or still take the standard deduction? Then we answer a letter from Ashley, who's wondering about life insurance. Should they keep putting money toward their whole life policy or cancel it? Special thanks to M1Finance and Harry's for sponsoring our show! Want deals? Use our "stackingbenjamins" code to score a free year of M1Finance. To get a limited-edition holiday shave set while supplies last, go to Harrys.com/[SB] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic

We wonder out loud....is buying that insurance that comes with your new phone worth it? Is the insurance for your next vacation worth it? How about insurance on a concert or your rental car? We'll ask that question and answer it on today's show! But that's not all. We'll also talk about delays to the new fiduciary rule. What does the delay of this rule mean to your wallet? Better yet...did you know that there WAS a new fiduciary rule? We'll explain. We'll also talk to Tim Yu from Pluto about gamifying you financial goals. What if there were an app out there that would analyze your spending patterns and savings goals, and then recommend challenges to help you save more and spend less? What if we told you this app already existed? We'll talk to Tim about how the Pluto app works and how to turn your goals into actionable solutions you're saving for, without hardly thinking about it. Besides that, we'll answer some questions from listeners, one via voicemail from Michelle from Oklahoma, whose daughters need to sa