Every year we ask a magic 8 ball that Len Penzo purchased at Walmart to predict the future. In the early years the ball was spot-on. Lately...not so much. But we do learn a lot about not falling into "current thinking" traps and about not worrying so much about what's top-of-mind in the moment. The truth tends to have a longer shelf life.

So, we'll spend the first half of the show with Len, OG, and a mystery guest diving into last year's predictions and reliving some of 2022. Then we'll spend the second half prognosticating 2023. It's a lot of fun and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it.

FULL SHOW NOTES https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/magic-8-ball-1301

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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It feels like yesterday we were fastening the string between two tin cans in mom's basement to make a podcast...but now we've actually reached 1300 episodes. We've spent lots of time talking about the guests and special events that have shaped our little basement-based money literacy project, but we haven't talked about some of the big headlines we've covered. So today, we've picked three out of the 1300 to focus on that represent much of what we've covered over the last nearly twelve years.

But that's not all. In our headlines segment, Adam Carroll joins us to talk about shredding your debt in 2023. While other Americans are busy opening up new credit cards, we'll challenge you to swim upstream and instead join the Stackers who are focusing on slashing not just their payments but also the amount they owe to other people. You'll love the feeling of freedom being debt-free gives you.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/episode-1300

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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If there's anything we've become great at, it's committing too much of our time, money, and lives to things we don't care about. Today we'll help you start the new year on the right foot by learning to commit to ONLY those important things and take control of your time. Dr. Don Davis joins us to tackle this vital topic that'll help us frame the rest of this year in the right light.

But that's not all. We kick off today's show with a headline to help you ramp up your retirement savings. Then we'll share an ugly TikTok minute about a recent crypto implosion. And, of course, we'll also throw out the Haven Life line to answer a Stacker call for help.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/don-davis-1299

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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The Magic 8 Ball is back. Ahead of our show next week where our regulars will ask the Magic 8 Ball their questions for the coming year, we're going back to the predictions made last year. We take a look at the questions asked of the Magic 8 Ball and find out how many it got right.

Take a look at the original show notes and full Magic 8 Ball predictions for the year here.

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/magic-8-ball-1298.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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What does it take to be a great leader? David Gergen served four US Presidents (from both parties) and believes that our youth have the potential to be great leaders in society. To round out our week of most inspirational guests, we bring back our conversation with David. He talks about leadership, service, and how you can help motivate and inspire others around you.

Take a look at the original show notes here.

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/david-gergen-1297.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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Inspiration can come from almost anywhere and creativity plays a huge role. Don't think you are creative enough to come up with great ideas? Think again. Daniel Lamarre is the former CEO and now Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board of the legendary company Cirque du Soleil. He joined us to talk about why creativity is crucial to professional and personal success and shares his own journey with Cirque du Soleil to improve in every area of his own career.

Check out the original show notes here.

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/daniel-lamarre-1296.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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Step into the New Year with a new perspective on influence. Getting what you want and deserve doesn't have to be a negative thing. Zoe Chance is an expert in influence and is an Assistant Professor at Yale. She joined us to share her secrets to positive influence and happiness. She talks about the power of ‘no’, charisma, and my favorite, the Kindly Brontosaurus technique.

Take a look at the original show notes here.

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/zoe-chance-1295.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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Finding great mentors and role models isn't always easy. Once you find one, hold on tight. Professor Scott Galloway joined us to share his thoughts on education, role models, patriotism, and so much more. His new book takes a fascinating look at the U.S. and explains how we got where we are today, achievements we’ve made, failures and our socioeconomic systems, and all explained in charts.

Check out the original show notes here.

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/scott-galloway-1294.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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Year-end is a time to reflect on the past year and set new goals for the year ahead. What lessons did you learn in 2022? Our roundtable joins us today to share their biggest takeaways. Paulette Perhach (Powerhouse Writers), Len Penzo (len penzo dot com) and OG join us to talk about 2022. They share their thoughts on crypto, the stock market, and how to position yourself to be successful financially. And then, we crown the annual trivia contest winner with the best trophy anyone has ever seen!

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1293.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

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2022 is coming to an end. What were your biggest takeaways and lessons for the year, financial or otherwise? A volatile stock market, rising interest rates, and uncertainty left a lot of people feeling uneasy about their investments but there's a silver lining. Katie Gatti from Money With Katie joins us to share her top five takeaways from 2022. She says that if you got through 2022 and have a clear outlook on your financial plan for the upcoming year, you are in a better position than you might think. She talks about lessons from crypto, the bond market comeback, why diversification still matters, and more.

We're also talking about Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) today. Shawna Hausman from FSAStore joined us to help you spend those FSA dollars before the year-end deadline. She shares some of the less-known items and products that qualify and shares a calculator to help you determine how much to contribute to your FSA next year. Then we'll hear Nick's question about cutting expenses and Doug will share his trivia.

Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/katie-gatti-1292.

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201

Enjoy!

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