Be Smart by Jared Dillian

No stock is "safe," but blue-chip stocks tend to be the safest. That's why, if you go to a financial advisor, they're likely to load you up on stocks found in the Dow Jones Industrial Average—the Boeings and Microsofts of the world—because it's a strategy that's much harder to screw up than others. In this episode, Jared discusses risk, growth, the sad reality of the brokerage industry, and the key to financial success as an investor.

Fun fact: Most people in the finance business believe in crazy, ridiculous conspiracy theories. It's astounding the type of stuff people believe in—like, for instance, that a shadowy government organization buys large quantities of stocks or futures to bleed short sellers and turn a profit. In this episode of the Be Smart podcast, Jared discusses why so many people perpetuate conspiracy theories and how their mentality seeps into everyday situations.

Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) is a movement defined by frugality and extreme savings and investment. It's also a dumb philosophy. Why? Because it is a perfectly normal human desire to accumulate material positions. Consumption is not immoral, and depriving yourself for several years only to continue living in deprivation doesn't make any sense. The FIRE followers have it backwards: You don't gain self-esteem and happiness from no stress. You get these things from overcoming stress through work and achievement.

Not having a lot of debt, minimizing your exposure to risk, and having financial security are all ways to deal from a position of strength. Sure, having more money often helps, but not always. There's more to it than that, which we'll dive into, along with six key things you must do to eliminate financial stress and put yourself in a position of strength.

There's a lot of money out there. We have printed trillions of dollars. Let's put it this way: There is no shortage of money. Really, there's a surplus, and it's not that hard to come by. You don't need to starve yourself or keep the thermostat at 60 degrees in the winter to save money. What it comes down to is a change in attitude. Instead of thinking that money is hard to come by, you need to embrace the idea that it's easy to get… you just need to know how to do it.

A lot of people say they want to get rich, but most of the time, these people are full of it. Being rich is a lot harder than it seems—a rich person's life gets much more complicated once they become rich. More houses, cars, bank accounts, greater investments, and rising taxes… it's a lot to keep track of, and it can create a lot of added stress. Truth is, if you like leading a simple life, you won't like being rich. Let's talk some of the complications that come with more money…

If you get into a top-tier school, like Harvard, you must go. But what about second- and third-tier schools? It's not always a no-brainer based on the cost. Student loans can be crushing, and you need to factor in your return on investment via earnings potential, especially in a world where student graduates are netting $55K a year for sales jobs while high school dropouts receive offers for $110K for trucking jobs. Luckily, I have a rubric to help you determine whether you can (and should) enroll in college…

There's an old saying: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." If you want to make money, you must take the risk… because sitting idly and wishing to make money is not going to yield positive results. In today's episode of the Be Smart podcast, Jared discusses the ways people fall backwards into money, what you should do if you come into a windfall, and the value of cash.

John C. Bogle, the founder and chief executive of Vanguard who is credited with popularizing the index fund, was only worth about $20 million when he died in 2019. Sure, that's nothing to sneeze at, but he created something so revolutionary that he could have been a billionaire many times over. His idea transformed the entire asset management industry, and it's still transforming it to this day. Yet he was only worth $20 million? In today's episode, Jared reemphasizes the idea of choosing to make more money. Because remember: Money is a choice, and guess what? Making more money DOES affect your level of happiness. It's okay to want more, but it also can't become an obsession…

What is a hedge fund? In today's episode of the Be Smart podcast, Jared discusses the ins and outs of hedge funds (including the different types), why they are not magic money machines despite rich people's inclination to invest in them, and the distinction between absolute returns and relative returns.