Let's start with the good news: the majority of U.S. households, 6 in 10, donate money to nonprofits and charities, and 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. volunteer their time and talent.

The only way our society is going to get through the struggles and the stresses that we face is if we are good to each other. Compassion and common humanity are crucial.

In this PSA episode we discuss strategies around giving, including how to donate money and volunteer time effectively, as well as how to embrace the opportunity to practice informal, random, spontaneous acts of kindness.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#258: “Burned Out in Boston” wants to reach financial independence.

But she’s not sure she can stick it out in Boston much longer.

She and her husband want to move to an area that doesn’t have many job prospects, and they want to make this leap soon, ideally before they reach FI. How do they know when it’s the right time to jump ship to their dream location?

We tackle this topic, plus four other questions about stock market and real estate investing strategy, on today's Ask Paula episode.

Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode258

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#257: “The checking account is like the trash can of personal finance.”

Today’s podcast guest, the famed behavioral economist Dr. Dan Ariely, is not a fan of checking accounts. Or supermarket end caps. Or anything that distracts us from our financial goals.

In this episode, he explains why.

Dan Ariely is one of the world’s most renowned behavioral economists. He’s the James B. Duke Professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University.

His TED Talks have been viewed more than 15 million times. In 2018, he was named one of the 50 most influential living psychologists in the world.

He’s the New York Times bestselling author of many books, including Predictably Irrational, a book that challenges our assumptions about our ability to make rational decisions. He also wrote Dollars and Sense, a book about our cognitive biases, and The Honest Truth About Dishonesty, a book about how we lie to everyone, including ourselves.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode257

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can you find business and investment opportunities in today’s tough pandemic bear market?

What should you do to emerge from 2020 stronger than you started?

We cover 7 specific, immediate actions that can set you up to succeed in this recession. Here's a peek: think about hiring a team, create an original piece of work, take online classes, and keep your plans intact (even if that means quitting an unfulfilling job).

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/psathursday

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#256: Jon is wondering if now is a good time to move his RRSP into a tax-free savings account, given the market downturn. He knows you can’t time the market, but the opportunity is tempting. What should he do?

Laurel’s question revolves around the CARE Act and early withdrawal from a 401k. She needs to rebalance her 401k and wants to buy a rental. Instead of selling stocks, should she sell bonds as a form of rebalancing and to withdraw for a rental property?

After seeing so many businesses experience financial hardship, Rebecca and her husband are curious: why don’t companies have emergency funds?

Salome sees the stock market downturn as an opportunity for tax-loss harvesting, but does this hold if you’ve held stocks for less than a year?

Sheena has the option to purchase company stock at a 15 percent discount through an Employer Stock Purchasing Plan. However, it’s volatile right now. Should she contribute the maximum amount, or nothing?

My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions. Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode256

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before the pandemic, the U.S. housing market was strong. Home prices were at historic highs. Borrowers were more qualified than ever, with two-thirds of mortgage originations going to borrowers with excellent credit. As of January 2020, delinquencies (borrowers more than 30 days late on a payment) reached a 20-year low.

How has the pandemic affected the market? Are we due for another spate of foreclosures? What's going to happen to housing supply? What about demand? Are buyers still buying? Are sellers still selling? And if you're thinking about buying a home -- either as an owner-occupant or as a rental property investor -- what do you need to know about the new pandemic landscape?

We dig into depth in this short, researched-packed PSA Thursday episode.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/PSAThursday

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#255: When a crisis hits, do you stay calm and collected, or do you launch yourself down a rabbit hole of worry and worst-case scenarios?

When the stock market spirals downward, do you shrug and stay the course, or do warning bells explode in your brain?

When news of the pandemic hit, was your first instinct to form a calm and reasoned action plan, or rush to the store to buy months of supplies?

Your personality influences your reactions to these scenarios.

Today’s guest, Dr. Sarah Stanley Fallaw, has a Ph.D. in applied psychology and is the founder of DataPoints, a research firm based on the science of building wealth.

What links between personality and money management has research uncovered? We discuss this topic in today’s episode.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode255

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#254: Lydia earns income as both a 1099 contract worker and a part-time W2 employee. She filed for unemployment as a W2 worker, but can’t find information on how to file as a contractor. Is there a process contractors can follow to file for unemployment?

Florina and her husband have $70,000 in cash to invest. Where should they put this money in light of the current market?

Ali and his wife saved eight months of living expenses in their emergency fund in case they get laid off during the pandemic. Is this too excessive?

Danielle wants to take advantage of pandemic stock prices - what should she invest in?

Anonymous in Real Estate wants to buy a multifamily property with the equity in their first rental as a downpayment. Their husband doesn’t want three mortgages. Should they accelerate mortgage pay-down and be one mortgage down in four years?

I answer these five questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode254

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to PSA Thursday, a segment in which we talk about how to handle money, work, and life in the middle of a pandemic.

Today, our focus is on money - specifically, the stock market.

Why did it crash in March? What effect did that have on us as a society? Why has it rebounded in the middle of a shutdown, and what does that mean? Are valuations too high relative to earnings?

How can we handle our investments and retirement savings at a time when the movements of the market seem irrational and unpredictable?

We explore these questions in today's episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#253: Dr. Steve Wendel is a behavioral economist and the head of behavioral science at Morningstar, an independent investment research firm.

Samantha Lamas is also a behavioral researcher at Morningstar.

They discuss the hidden biases in our decision making and how these hidden biases affect us - particularly during this pandemic and during times of high anxiety and stress.

They also discuss techniques that will help us avoid deceiving ourselves.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode253

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices