The Stacking Benjamins Show

Monday is the best day of the week to answer mail, and MAN do we have some great ones today. Bill asks us about the correlation between expenses and wealth, Brian wonders whether maxing out his HSA or 401k makes more sense, and Kevin hits us up for an answer about the Vanguard college savings plan. With a little luck, we even might have answered one or two correctly! Plus, on the Haven Life line, we answer a question from Ray about 529 plans. He asks about penalties inside these plans.

But that's not all....in our headline segment we're joined by Greg Johnson from Club Thrifty. Are funeral directors ripping families off? He'll answer a question we found in a recent New York Times article. Of course, we'll talk about being financially faithful, about OG's five iron, Doug's air bath, and more.

Special thanks to  SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show!

Some sad statistics emerged last week...Americans are dying with bundles of debt. What does that mean for relatives? How do we talk to aging parents about money? Our roundtable team of Hilary Hendershott from the Profit Boss podcast, Eric Rosenberg from the Personal Profitability podcast, and anonymous blogger Mr. Groovy from the Freedom Is Groovy blog join us to discuss. They also tackle investing and comfort....if you're comfortable with your investments is that a sign of trouble ahead? Finally, we'll share some crazy stories about making money using your home and bad jobs we've all held.

On the Freshbooks FinTech segment we switch gears to HR, and talk to Suzanne Lucas, AKA the Evil HR Lady.

Thanks to SoFi and MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show!

Have you ever felt like the world was working against you and you just couldn't move your life in the right direction? We've all been there...and today's guest, Daniel Gefen, at one point worked out of a hotel lobby on his business because...well...we'll let him tell the story. If you're struggling, we're glad you're here. Our guest today is specifically for you, but also is a reminder to the people who've climbed the mountain that the journey was difficult and there are so many opportunities for us to lend a hand.

That's not all. In our headline segment we talk Uber. Why? It turns out the current Uber ugliness is a great metaphor for the reason we were so disinterested in the Snap IPO a few weeks ago. Listen in and we'll explain. We'll also tackle the best way to look rich. Sick of chasing rich and just want to look like you've got bank? Today's podcast is for you.

Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line to Kevin, who's trying to buy real estate and help his aging father, answer a great letter from our new friend Nick, and also save time for Doug's more-bizarre-than-ever spring cleaning trivia.

Special thanks to  SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show! We couldn't do any of this without the support of these awesome companies.

Is active investing dead? Phil Bak and Jamie Wise don't think so....but they do think it's changing. We'll talk to the CEOs from two of the newest crop of exchange traded funds (tickers ACSI & BUZ) about not only their methods of choosing stocks versus those of traditional active managers, but how the landscape overall might be different in the very near future for investors.

That's not all. In our headline segment we talk pensions. Is the end near? Also, we'll discuss some active fund managers performing well today. Should you move some money toward those approaches? We'll have an opinion. Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line, answer a great letter from a listener, and also save time for Doug's trivia.

Special thanks to  SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show!

While people say that marrying for money is a horrible reason to wed...are there positives? We ask Len Penzo and special guest Jessica Moorhouse from the Mo' Money podcast, that question...and as usual, the answer isn't what you'd expect. Plus, we talk about guaranteed income streams. It seems everyone wants one...but is the cost of a guarantee worth it? Finally, we'll tackle the video everyone's been talking about...the professor on the BBC who's interrupted by family. What are some workplace gaffes that WE'VE had happen? You'll laugh with us (and probably at us).

On the Freshbooks FinTech segment we talk to Jon Ziglar from Parkmobile about some much-needed technology. How about an app that helps you find and pay for parking without all of the hassle? We'll ask him how it works on today's podcast.

Thanks to SoFi and MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show!

Today we haul the mailbag down to the basement and answer stacks of your letters, about investing an inheritance, taking Social Security, ripping money out of a retirement plan, converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, and more. Plus, on the Haven Life line, we answer a question about interest rates. Janet Yellen and company just raised rates. What does that mean for your money?

But that's not all....we'll talk about the Roth vs. Traditional IRA debate (now even Ed Slott is involved.....), speak to Morag Barrett, co-author of The Future-Proof Workplace about NCAA office pools, and STILL leave time for Doug's trivia. 

Special thanks to  SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show!

Don't belong to a credit union? You may be missing out. While banks work hard to please shareholders and customers, credit unions exist solely for the benefit of their members Today we're joined by representatives from three of the biggest credit union related companies in the USA, who'll give us the lowdown on the huge range of services they provide, share some surprising information about technology, and clear up misconceptions about how credit unions operate.

As always, that's not all. We'll throw out the Haven Life line to save another lucky listener from a financial problem. We'll share headlines, take your letters, and still have time for Doug's trivia.

It's a busy day in the basement. Special thanks to SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show!

This has been a LONG bull market. So if you know that the next eight years will most probably NOT be like the previous eight, do you swap out some of your investments? We ask our roundtable panel that on today's show and as always, find Greg, Len and Paula all have different answers than you probably expected.

We also tackle lifestyle paradigms. Are you paying too much attention to your neighbor's success? Finally, we'll discuss fake news....no, we aren't going politics. We'll ask our panel whether there's any "fake news" in the money area that they're sick of hearing. Of course, they come through with some great examples.

In our Freshbooks FinTech segment we talk to SelfLender CEO James Garvey about building credit. How does SelfLender help people find financial footing? They have an interesting idea and an exciting approach. Can't wait for you to hear all about it.

Thanks to SoFi and MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring our show!

If you're building you budget, why not build for greatness? Sarah Li Cain has a different kind of budget...one that fits that person who isn't a big fan of spreadsheets and managing every penny. How does it work? She'll explain today.Plus, we'll share headlines about new investments with a "performance guarantee," throw out the Haven Life line to Thomas, who has a question about risk, and answer a letter from Donna, who wonders if she should pay off her car.

Special thanks to  SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show!

On today's podcast we have a success story. Kevin & Erin Jones paid off over $107,000 in debt in just over two years. How did they do it? What sacrifices did they make? ....AND how did a financial advisor help them in an uncommon way? We'll have the full story today.

In headlines, we're also joined by John Breyault from the National Consumers League, who tells us about tax time rip offs. Want to avoid fraud this tax season? Listen to John's advice today. Plus, we throw out the Haven Life line to Eric, who asks a question about homeowner's claims, take a letter from Ty, and STILL leave time for Doug's beef-flavored trivia. Of course there's much more....so hit play already, would ya'? 

Special thanks to  SoFi and Magnify Money for sponsoring our show!