Afford Anything | Make Smart Money Choices
Paula Pant, Personal Finance Expert | Cumulus Podcast Network
You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
Episodes
Mentioned books
10 snips
Apr 3, 2026 • 41min
First Friday: Jobs Are Up. So Why Does the Economy Feel Worse?
A deep look at a surprisingly strong jobs report versus weaker hiring signals and where layoffs are actually happening. Analysis of why the Fed paused, why mortgage rates stay high, and how a sudden oil and gas spike can ripple through inflation and sentiment. Coverage of proposed 401(k) rules, shockwaves from Vicki Robin’s writing, and major student loan system changes borrowers should watch.
17 snips
Mar 31, 2026 • 1h 3min
Q&A: Why 3 Years Is a Weird Timeline for Money
They debate where to park cash for a three-year goal and compare money market funds, high-yield accounts, CDs, and individual T-bills. They weigh Roth versus taxable strategies for early retirement planning and explain SEPP/72T tradeoffs. They explore whether to form a nonprofit or LLC for an adult day center and cover budgeting, funding, operations, and hiring priorities.
42 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 1h 31min
What Retirement Planning Gets Wrong, with Jamie Hopkins
Jamie Hopkins, a CFP and retirement expert who directs the New York Life Center for Retirement Income, debunks the idea of a single magic number for retiring. He focuses on income versus lifestyle, explains sequence-of-returns risk and limits of the 4 percent finding. He also tackles rising later-life divorce, elder financial abuse and AI voice-cloning scams. He closes by urging community as retirement’s most important asset.
32 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 1h 10min
Q&A: A $30K Promotion Near FI, Learning Put Options, and Scaling a 16-Unit Portfolio
A listener debates taking a $30K raise that could add stress while nearing financial independence. Another asks how to learn put options safely and avoid sketchy courses. A landlord explains growing from four to sixteen units and explores strategies for scaling further. Practical tradeoffs, training tips, and real estate scaling take center stage.
181 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 1h 2min
Nir Eyal: The Four Questions That Can Change Any Belief
Nir Eyal, author and researcher on psychology and technology and former Stanford lecturer, joins to explore beliefs and behavior. He explains why motivation is about escaping discomfort. He explains why visualization can fail and how mental contrasting helps. He walks through a four-question turnaround to test beliefs and shares clear rules for when to quit.
13 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 1h 21min
Q&A: Should You Pause Retirement to Buy a Bigger Home?
Callers ask whether to pause retirement savings to speed a large down payment and how to balance that with employer matches. They debate 20% downpayment assumptions, timeline math, and safe places to park house funds. Listeners also explore 401(k) versus traditional IRA prioritization and how community feedback can shape financial thinking.
140 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 1h 22min
Bill Gurley: The Biggest Career Regret Most People Have
Bill Gurley, a veteran venture capitalist known for early bets on Uber and Zillow, shares career wisdom. He discusses why people regret never trying new paths. He urges following fascination over passion, using side projects to expand options, and that careers often unfold through several stops. He explains how curiosity, financial optionality, and learning networks create chances to pivot later in life.
69 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 59min
Q&A: Should Your Emergency Fund Be Invested?
A discussion about whether emergency cash should stay liquid or be shifted into short-term bonds, T‑bills, or CD ladders. They weigh how big a reserve should be and factors that increase needed savings. A Canadian DIY investor asks if pricey managed funds are worth it while considering a career change. The risks and uses of bridge loans for buying a new home are examined.
36 snips
Mar 6, 2026 • 43min
First Friday: Jobs Fell by 92,000. But the Economy Is Still Growing?
Dr. Ben Zweig, economist and CEO of Revelio Labs who studies workforce intelligence. He unpacks the big February jobs surprise and why different reports paint conflicting pictures. He maps sector swings, especially healthcare and education, and explains the rise in hardship withdrawals and the low-hire, low-fire labor vibe. Short, sharp takes on labor data, mortgage and gas moves, and how to reconcile multiple signals.
61 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 10min
Job Titles Don’t Mean What They Used To (And That Affects Your Pay) — with Dr. Ben Zweig (Part 2 of 2)
Dr. Ben Zweig, economist and CEO of Revelio Labs who studies labor markets and job architecture. He explains why 90 million job titles create pay and comparison problems. He shows how AI can group work by activities instead of labels. He explores managers constantly reshaping roles, why managerial orchestration grows valuable, and how jobs transform over time.
