The Stacking Benjamins Show

Ever wonder what personal finance topics worry everyone else? You're not alone. We all wonder if our view of the world (and personal finance, by extension), are the same that other people hold. That's why today we're live from the floor of the 2023 Podcast Movement Conference with two other great podcasters: Shannah Game from Everyone's Talkin' Money and Paula Pant from Afford Anything. Both Shannah and Paula, along with our own OG share their take on how our audience worries have changed this year. We tackle every personal finance topic from inflation to employment to interest rates...and more.But that's not all of the personal finance fun. We kick it back to Doug, who's holding down the fort in mom's basement for us, with a trivia question that you just might get right...Truly the takeaway from this year's version of what's become an annual episode for us? It's that while personal finance is truly personal, it turns out that the one constant is that the world always is changing, and if something seems like a "sure thing," it's sure to become unsure at some point. In one discussion, the conversation moves to inflation, which three years ago wasn't even on the radar as a hot topic. Today, inflation is driving many of the worries that we have, from interest rates to real estate prices. It's true that the world of personal finance only has a few topics to master, and yet, staying on top of them so that you make better decisions is always more challenging (and yes, sometimes even fun!) than you may think.FULL SHOW NOTES: Add show notes url here. Be sure to please include https://www at the beginning of the show notes url that makes it clickable on YouTubeDeeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the secret to achieving your financial independence in taking a never-ending sabbatical? We're thrilled to have sisters Sammie and Michelle Varghese to discuss what they've learned about financial independence and how taking time off work can lead to greater things in your life.In addition to financial independence, what other life and/or career goals do you have? How did discovering the FIRE ("Financial Independence, Retire Early") change Sammie and Michelle's trajectory, what can you do to reach financial independence earlier, and what are the benefits to doing so?And how can you get on the fast track to financial independence from only your 9-to-5 job? In our headline segment, we'll help you get closer to the financial independence you seek by sharing some best practices on how to ask for a deferred compensation arrangement - and demonstrate how it's in your employer's best interest to work with you. And in our Haven LifeLine segment, OG's self-restraint skills are put to the test when he answers a Stacker's request for backup to help his friend's mother respond correctly to a financial advisor's questionable recommendation.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/never-ending-sabbatical-Sammie-and-Michelle-Varghese-1401Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does a hard life automatically mean you're destined to struggle with finances? On today's show, we're all about mindset and how adopting the right mindset can set you on the path to financial success—and how having the wrong money mindset can hinder your financial progress. We're honored to invite Tiffany Grant down to the basement to share her real-life experiences and struggles, and how having the right mindset helped her overcome the early disadvantages. Doc G from The Earn & Invest Podcast joins us to share his formative-years experiences with a hard life, and how his mother's scarcity mindset affected him. And our resident gold bug, Len Penzo joins us to explain why he insists on preparing for economic doomsday by hoarding gold and cash.We discuss the role habits play in mindset formation, as well as the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and influences.In the second half of the discussion, we dive into how you can make the necessary changes in yourself to improve your life situation. Spoiler alert: gratitude plays a big role in your quality-of-life.And finally, Doug brings the heat with some trivia about a well-known budget-friendly food. With two of our regular contributors MIA, will Len use that to his advantage and inch ahead of Paula Pant? Will our guest of honor flex her budget-friendly food knowledge and give her soul-sister Paula the lead for the first time, I think, ever? Will Doc G throw OG a lifeline and the impetus to start a 4th quarter rally to emerge from the cellar? Three enter, only one will emerge victorious (unless there's another tie). Tune in and find out what everyone many a few nerds will be talking about until next Friday.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/fri-roundtable-mindset-tiffany-grant-1400Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How much is enough? Enough money, enough status, enough possessions, enough leisure? We are happy to welcome Manisha Thakor to the basement to discuss some of the revelations she learned after experiencing what she calls the "cult of never enough." How do we disconnect our personal lives from our work lives?Is a cool $5 million enough to retire on in America? In our headline, we take a peek into the retirement lifestyle of the top 0.1% of households.And in Doug's trivia, he might leave you scratching your head with his question about a symbol that can't be pronounced.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/getting-zen-with-your-money-Manisha-Thakor-1399Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the top 5 money lessons from movie characters. Discover tips for working from home and maintaining work-life balance. Explore the significance of GDP and the importance of saving and investing for financial success. Find inspiration for financial success in unlikely places and incorporate ultimate goals into daily work life.

Michael Kitces, Dana Anspach, and in-house CFP OG discuss where to find true financial advice. They explore the positives and negatives of financial Facebook groups, webinars, and masterclasses. The panel emphasizes the importance of psychology in financial planning and creating a personal financial "board of directors." They also touch on the consequences of bad financial advice and the success of Michael Jordan's endorsement deals.

As we buckle up and prep for fall we think "curriculum." What lessons do we need in our life? What lessons do our children need from us? Whether you're headed back to work or back to school, we're diving into helping those around you do better with money. John Lanza, host of the Art of the Allowance podcast joins us to talk families and money...and even if you don't have a family OR money, there are LOTS of lessons in this discussion.In our headline segment we remember that HOW we pay can sometimes be as important as WHAT we are buying. Fraud is through the roof, so we discuss the different ways you can settle up with a merchant, so you have smooth transactions.Of course, we answer a (very creative) Haven Life line call for help AND Doug also spoon feeds us some trivia.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/allowances-and-raising-money-smart-kids-john-lanza-1396Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about the significance of confidence in investing, managing, and leading in this episode. Discover the rising trend of 401k hardship loans and potential solutions. Dive into the power of confidence in changing the financial game and making better investment decisions. Explore the connection between confidence and preferences, and different options for investing cash flow. Hear a personal experience with a Chinese scam company and get advice on handling such situations.

Believe it or not, where you hold your investments can have a big effect on how much money you actually keep - even if you don't touch them! On today's special Friday roundtable, we're talking tax efficiency, and what account types are best suited to maximize your after-tax returns, as well as the tax implications of different types of investments. And how to position your investments to maximize their after-tax returns? We are overjoyed and honored to have Christine Benz, the Director of Personal Finance at Morningstar (yes, that Morningstar) join us. Also joining us is a lady who knows a thing or two about getting the most bang for her investment buck: from Afford Anything, we welcome Paula Pant. And finally, none other than the man who has been helping his clients dodge taxes in his years as a practicing CFP, our very own OG brings his wisdom.In the second part of the conversation, our roundtable tackles execution - when it makes sense to change your investments, and how to strategically reposition your investments for best tax efficiency - and where to take distributions from first, when selling your investments.Stay tuned for Doug's Airbnb-themed trivia. Will Paula shock the SB World and pull into a tie for first place with Len? Will Christine flex her knowledge base and assist Len in keeping ahold of first place? Will OG take the first step to ascend from the cellar? Tune in to find out!FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/fri-roundtable-christine-benz-1394Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! (..and by the way, we HAD TO create a title with a colon in it). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our annual look at inflation is back...by looking at the price of a sandwich! Award winning blogger Len Penzo joins us to reveal his look at ten different sandwiches and how their prices have changed since a year ago. What's REALLY happened to the price of eggs? (hint: it's not what you think) Is a baloney sandwich still the least expensive? What sandwich ingredient went up the most? How does a sandwich compare to McDonalds or buying from work? We'll dive into ALL of the details on today's show.But of course, that's not all. In our headline segment, US debt was downgraded last week. What does that mean for your money? We'll explain. Plus, we'll answer a question from a Stacker about what to do if you have money you need now but it's in a volatile spot? Should she move it now? Wait because it's going up? Which is best?All of that, Doug's amazing trivia, and more on today's podcast! Enjoy!Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices