BiggerPockets Money Podcast

Blake Nielson is a college professor whose wife stays home to raise their four children. Despite having only one income - and six mouths to feed - they have paid off their home and are on the path to early financial freedom. Blake currently loves his job and has no plans to stop working - but still wants the freedom that financial independence gives.So how did he do it? He started off debt free from college, a HUGE leg up in life in general. Blake details just how he accomplished this feat, from college selection to funds available, scholarships and even working during the school year and especially during the summers between.Blake even shares a Solid Gold tip for finding out about scholarships that aren’t well publicized!Blake also strategically chose where he lived during his college years. He specifically chose a rental that was priced significantly lower than the “college” rentals in town - but still close enough to walk to school.There is no secret to Blake’s success. He put in the work at an early age and is on track to hit lean FI by age 40 and Fat FI by 45. Spend less than you earn, invest wisely. Blake shows you can live the FI life with four kids and one income.In This Episode We Cover: Blake's money story Simple principles of frugality 4 keys that any person can go to college debt free Talking about school selection How he budget his money House hacking Talking about scholarships His experience after getting a PhD Blake's job The problem that most people have with negotiation And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums BiggerPockets Money Podcast 80 with Rich & Regular BiggerPockets Money Podcast 32 with Mr. & Mrs. PoP BiggerPockets Money Podcast 64 with Zach Gautier Check the full show notes here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/moneyshow141 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Belinda Rosenblum is a CPA, a certified coach and her clients include Harvard Business School, Harvard University and the SEC. She’s worked for Arthur Andersen and L3 Enterprises. She’s got money all figured out, right?Well, she does now…On today’s episode, Belinda shares her biggest money mistake - ignoring a giant pile of mail as she cared for her recovering father.Once she cleared that up, she focused on her own finances, growing her net worth to more than $1 million by the time she was 33. She quickly realized that her trajectory was NOT taking her where she wanted to go. So she pivoted.She took a new job with a huge bump in pay and rode out their boom and subsequent layoffs, taking a package to leave and using that opportunity to travel to India, a life-changing experience.When she came back, she realized she didn’t need all the things, didn’t need the stress that came with the big corporate job, and struck out on her own, filling a need she saw in her own friends - financial education.Belinda parlayed her financial knowledge into a multi 6-figures company, pivoting again last year to helping businesses strategically and consistently generate income.This episode is for anyone who has made a money mistake, anyone who has gotten past one, or anyone looking to start their own business to truly live the life they want.In This Episode We Cover: Belinda's journey with money How she worked out with her money management Emotional side of money What she did after she was laid off Her experience during her financial advising jobs Biggest challenges for entrepreneurs Talking about her business How she grow her business Unconscious spending How her clients think about taking the leap away from a job into entrepreneurship How to start a business And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums 5 Simple Ways to Create Consistent Revenue Money-Making Tracking Sheets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life Insurance is the most exciting topic on the planet!Just kidding. But just because it isn’t a super exciting topic doesn’t mean you don’t need to know about it.Today, Joe Saul-Sehy, host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast, joins Scott and Mindy to talk about Life Insurance. Joe comes from a background as a financial planner and was licensed to sell every type of insurance product available.Joe is here today because he understands how life insurance works - how it's priced, how you can use it, the pros and cons of the product - but he has no skin in the game whether you buy life insurance or not.He's the perfect person to explain this product from a factual standpoint and let you make the decision of what type - if any - is best for you, based on facts, not commissions.Joe walks us through the basics and shares how life insurance actually covers you - from term, to whole, to universal life. There's no bad product, only different ways of paying out.If you're struggling with how to figure out what life insurance policy is right for you, this episode can't be missed.In This Episode We Cover: How life insurance works How to incorporate life insurance into financial planning What bucket of insurance should people be thinking about How does life insurance gets price Whole life insurance versus term life insurance Universal life insurance What decreasing term policy and level term policy are Things that affect insurability Tax triangle Is life insurance payout taxed What age should you get life insurance What makes good life insurance policy Common reasons for being denied in life insurance And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums BiggerPockets Money Podcast 40 XY Planning Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Farnoosh Torabi grew up talking about money. Her parents are from the Middle East, and in her culture, they “never miss a moment to talk about money.”As the go-to girl for finance advice among her friends, imagine her surprise when she sat down and looked at her financial situation to discover tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt! Farnoosh realized that paying for everything with a card, then paying the minimum balances didn’t lead to debt free life.Not wanting to continue a life of debt - mainly so she wouldn’t have to tell her mom - she hustled during school. Taking class notes and selling them on her school’s notes system, babysitting, bird sitting, anything that would generate income so she could throw money at her debt and pay it off.Graduation took her to New York City and a stroke of luck found her a shared apartment with a married couple for $500 a month. Definitely less than she could find on her own. She started off making very little, and strategically increased her income to offset the fact that she “isn’t a good saver.”Farnoosh has parlayed her own financial knowledge into a career teaching others how to manage their own finances. From books, to podcasts, to television, Farnoosh is everywhere, educating this oh-so-important skill so that others can work toward their own financial freedom.In This Episode We Cover: Farnoosh's journey with money Where she learned about money Talking about her money behaviour How she got rid of her debt Her approach on accumulating her assets How real estate helped her Her advice on people who are in a relationship The leading cause of a divorce The right time for people who are just starting to date to talk about money What her asset allocation looks like And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group FinCon NextAdvisor with TIME | Smart Money Moves BiggerPockets Money Podcast 119 BiggerPockets Forums Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Felicity’s story to financial independence is going to be similar to listeners of The BiggerPockets Money Podcast. She got a good paying job, spent less than she earned, intelligently invested in Index Funds and is now financially independent at the age of 30.Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.Except, it’s NOT that easy, actually. She lives in America, and for much of that time, she lived in a very high cost of living city, Boston.Felicity rented a 250 sq ft apartment with her husband, Fergus, while he was in graduate school - because he didn’t want to live above his means, and he was making less money than she was at the time.In fact, Fergus is leery of the 4% rule, and would be much more comfortable if they were only pulling 2%-2.5% of their retirement funds every year.Their story illustrates the point Mindy makes so frequently in this podcast, “personal finance is personal.” Their story also illustrates the path one must take to get to financial independence.Spend less than you earn. Intelligently invest. Stay the course through the tough times. This too shall pass.In This Episode We Cover: Felicity's journey with money Talking about her unconscious spending and fixed expenses What she did with her money prior to discovering financial independence The moment she started his financial independence journey How she got obsessed with personal finance Conversation about money with her husband Her approach on her money Talking about happiness Where she planted her money And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group The Power of Financial Freedom - Fetching Financial Freedom 5 Ways Losing 50 Pounds and Saving $1M Was Exactly the Same Donating a Year’s Salary to Our Donor-Advised Fund Mint Mr. Money Mustache BiggerPockets Money Podcast 120 with Michael Kitces Millennial Revolution Mindy's email Scott's email Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doug Nordman wanted to teach his daughter about money. But he knew that to get it right, he’d have to start when she was very very small. So he did. First, he taught her how to count, then he taught her how to add, then he showed her what she could do with money by using cash in transactions.As Carol got older, she was able to handle the cash herself, learning how to make change, count change, etc. Carol started “earning” her own money, through allowance and jobs - which could only be done after her (non-paid) chores were complete.Doug’s common-sense approach to teaching his daughter about money is actually quite brilliant. She starts learning about money - and making money mistakes - when the stakes are low. Your 8-year-old making a $20 mistake is far better than your 20 year old making a $10,000 mistake because he or she never learned how to manage money.Carol joins her dad to talk about how these teachings affected her life - and how she is planning on teaching her own daughter about money and finances. Carol and Doug have combined their recollections of this time together and written a book called Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence, and it is the blueprint for exactly how to raise children who are ‘good with money’ and how to prepare them to be adults who are great with money.If you’re struggling with how to teach your children about money, this is a must-listen episode.In This Episode We Cover: Doug's journey with money How he learned to be smart about money How he budgeted money on raising a child What does high savings rate means to him Carol's outlook about finance Carol's financial story Overview of Carol's financial position Lean FI Talking about Carol's husband and his view about money Doug's advice on how to approach your kids when you are just starting out on this journey Where they planted their money And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group CNBC ChooseFI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth Williams invests in real estate in a way you may have never heard of before. He buys and sells land. And no, he’s not a developer. He literally buys a piece of blank dirt, and then sells it—frequently within days of buying it—for fairly high margins. And he does this without taking out loans for the purchase.How?He’s paying hundreds of dollars for this land, as opposed to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a piece of land with a house on top of it. He turns around and sells it quickly, frequently realizing a 300% profit—or more!Even better? Deals are EVERYWHERE! Land is literally everywhere, and deals can be found very easily. (We discuss several ways to find absentee vacant landowners, many of whom just want to be rid of the property!)Seth shares what to look out for in a deal so you minimize your chances of getting burned and what makes a deal great. He shares different ways to find these deals and even gives guidance for doing your homework so you know exactly what you’re buying.If you’d like to get started in real estate but may not have the funds or simply don’t have the time or desire to run a flip, land may be your way in.In This Episode We Cover: Seth's money journey His first land deal The reason why people buy land How to get into your first deal buying land What you should know about title insurance Dealing with mistakes All about title searches Tax implications of buying land The best and worst type of land for those just starting out And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group Dave Ramsey's Envelope System The title search article/video Land Flipping Lifecycle How to Juggle Your Real Estate Business with a Full-Time Job Six Months After Quitting My Job, Here Are My Honest Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Browning had dreams of creating movies for Pixar - until he started art classes in college and realized that wasn’t his calling.He was also taking a personal finance class and thoroughly enjoyed it, so he changed his major to finance and never looked back.Chris should have perfect finances, right? Well…Chris found himself in debt after graduating in 2009 and working as a bank teller, trying to impress his girlfriend (now wife). He took control of his finances, telling his girlfriend that they needed to reign in their spending so he could pay off debt. But once his debt was gone, he started saving in earnest for an engagement ring, spent everything he had on that, and found himself in debt again when they started planning their wedding.Life happened, debt continued to stack up until they realized they were $27,000 in debt, with salaries just over that amount - all while living in Southern California.Living paycheck-to-paycheck makes it hard to throw extra money at your debt. Chris and his wife reviewed their spending and were shocked by what they were spending on. Once they knew where their money was going, they were able to drastically reduce their spending and throw more money at their debt.It turns out, tracking your spending and sticking to a budget are both excellent pieces of advice that can help anyone turn their financial situation around and start down the path toward financial independence.In This Episode We Cover: His journey with money How much debt he has on his wedding What he did on paying off his debt Changes he make while paying off his debt How he approached his wife on making changes about their budget Talking about his emergency fund Dave Ramsey's baby steps How he plan his retirement Steps towards saving for early retirement When did he discover Financial Independence His vision for retirement How to use credit card responsibly His tips on travel hacking And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group Mint: Budget Tracker & Planner BiggerPockets Money Podcast 75 with Justin from Saving Sherpa BiggerPockets Money Podcast 39 with Jamila Souffrant BiggerPockets Money Podcast 15 with Brad and Jonathan from ChooseFI Dave Ramsey's Envelope System Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doc G wanted to be a doctor since he was eight years old. He went to medical school, started his career and quickly realized he actually didn’t like all the parts about being a doc - and didn’t know how to leave the profession. Something he’d wanted for 20 years suddenly wasn’t so awesome anymore.Cue The White Coat Investor. He’d written a book and asked Doc G to read it and review it for his medical blog - and suddenly Doc G saw a way out!This way out didn’t have the expected results, however. Instead of jubilation, Doc G was thrown into a spiral of anxiety and depression. Something he’d wanted his whole life, this thing he’d identified with so strongly for so long, and the thought of walking away from such an enormous part of his life was terrifying because now he had a way to do it and it was suddenly real.Having always saved at least 50% of his income, Doc G went to his accountant - who was unfamiliar with early retirement and sort of threw out a number he needed to save to retire. His financial advisor was a bit more helpful, asking questions like, "how much do you spend in a year?" Not knowing, Doc G threw out a number, which turned out to be really close to what his accountant said he needed. But he was still unsure.So he did what anyone in the FIRE community would do - he started reading. Everything and anything he could get his hands on. He realized he had enough money to stop doing those things he didn’t like, so he started practicing what he calls "The Art of Subtraction." He removed the things that did not make his heart sing, so that he could focus on those things he DID enjoy.And his plan worked. He now can spend his working hours doing the things he loves to do, and does not have to do the things he doesn’t. He has focused more time on non-doctor side projects like writing and podcasting - where his enjoyment runs sky high even though the paychecks do not.As his side projects bring more joy, walking away from the physician thing gets easier and easier.Making plans for retirement is great, but today Doc G shares how to plan your transition into retirement which can be even more important! In This Episode We Cover: Doc G's specialty as a doctor His journey into the medical field How his life changed from being a doctor to investor How his money journey began The art of subtraction Stepping away from being a physician and leaving a large paycheck behind Questioning what truly makes you happy Doc G's portfolio His rental property business And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Podcast 99 with Scott, Whitney Hansen, and Doc G BiggerPockets Money Podcast 6 with Sarah Wilson BiggerPockets Money Podcast 11 with Joel What is Hedonic Adaptation and How Can it Turn You Into a Sucka? Hacking Hedonic Adaptation to Get Way More For Your Money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marquez Griffin graduated from high school but did not feel that college was his path. His uncle worked in a sheet metal shop, and was able to get him a job there.He quickly learned that taking a bit of action with regards to his sheet metal training would catapult him higher in his earnings, so he enrolled in trade school and alternated between work and school to learn the trade faster.His earnings rose as he completed coursework, but Marquez found himself unexcited about his path and started looking for more. Moving in with a friend and his dad turned out to be a real-life Rich Dad event, with his friend’s father introducing him to the concept of saving and investing.Marquez started listening to audio books and podcasts while working in the shop, looking for information about a better life. This self education led him to Scott’s book Set for Life, and then to BiggerPockets where he discovered that House Hacking, real estate investing and that he could marry real estate with a career and go from salaried trade work to commission based agent work where the sky was the limit with regards to earnings.He further discovered the job of Signing Agent and has now incorporated that into his work schedule as well. (For more information about Signing Agents, check out our episode 74 at www.biggerpockets.com/moneyshow74.)Marquez knew college was not his path, so he followed the path he was meant for and is reaching for Financial Independence on his terms.In This Episode We Cover: Marquez's journey with money His experience working in a sheet metal shop Practical approach on making more money while in school Things that influence him to financial freedom His approach on building emergency funds and investments Talking about house hacking and his everyday expenses How he became a Notary Signing Agent Marquez's portfolio On index fund investing And SO much more! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Money Podcast 44 with Tinian Crawford BiggerPockets Money Podcast 74 with Mark Wills Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices