The Stacking Benjamins Show

Brian Klaas has an interesting backstory...to say the least. He owes his existence to a woman who murdered her family. Because she did it--and took her own life, he was born. This complete fluke is the catalyst behind Brian asserting that your decisions matter more than you could possibly think. While planning is important, Brian emphasizes that it's even more important how you respond to all of the flukes in your life. We'll talk about the weird falling of dominos and how we're all more interconnected than we'd like to believe (and more) with Brian.

Before that we take on a difficult headline; a HUGE number of advisors say they're going to retire in the next ten years. What do you do if your advisor says they're going to retire before you do? How do you change advisors...and how do you even broach the topic of retirement with your advisor? We talk all things retirement and THEIR retirement on today's show.

Plus, we're continuing the first round of our Great Math Joke Off. Four more Stackers see their jokes go head-to-head for a chance to win a couple of books AND possibly more if they continue winning. We also share trivia from Doug and take a call from a Stacker who'd Better Call Saul....Sehy and OG.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/everything-you-do-matters-brian-klaas-1468

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’s important to you? Owning a car? Family time? Retirement? No matter what your goals are, they’re always intertwined more with the goals of those around us than we may think. For Gigi Gonzalez, culture was everything when it came to working toward her goals. When she began shoveling money toward her own non-family goals, it created rifts in her family. Did she think she was too good for them? Was she losing her cultural identity? While that’s not at all true, what is true is that balancing reaching her goals and working with her family was an important middle ground that Gigi needed to find as a first generation American AND that she passes on to others. She also helps us with our budget, car buying strategy, and more.

In our headline segment, check writing is in the crosshairs of one popular New York Times columnist. We’ll talk about why YOU probably want to eliminate checks once-and-for-all from your financial life. In our TikTok minute, we talk about maybe the BEST diet AND wallet saving food on the market. We also help a Stacker who had to Better Call Saul (Sehy & OG). Of course, you can wash it all down with some awesome trivia from Doug.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/cultura-and-cash-gigi-gonzalez-1467

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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Ever wonder how where you live and work could affect your ability to reach your financial goals? More specifically, is living in a big city making you poor? Here to discuss this topic on today's special roundtable episode, we're happy to welcome Maggie Tucker from the Inside Out Money podcast. She joins Len Penzo and OG to tackle this important topic and extract key lessons that Stackers can apply to their own lives.

In our second half of the show, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, we dive into what are ways that Stackers can save money despite living in a big city? Be sure to listen to the show, as you won't want to miss these tips!

Be sure to stick around for the continuation of our year-long trivia game. Doug has a doozy of a question with a literacy charity-related theme.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/is-city-living-making-you-poor-maggie-tucker-1466/

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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Amy Minkley is a woman on a mission. Sometimes, she admits, the mission is WAY over her head. She's an overachiever by nature, coming by her work ethic out of a need for independence when her dad left the family when she was young. From that beginning (which she says she's grateful for), Amy has gone on to big things, including creating the FI Freedom Retreat in Bali. Amy joins us for a wide-ranging episode on being okay with imperfection, finding like-minded people, and on intentional living and more. If you're feeling stuck, this is the perfect episode for you. If you're an overachiever and perfectionist, this is also the episode for you.

Amy isn't the only awesome guest on today's show, though! Comedian and show writer Lisa Curry joins Joe, OG and Doug to dive into the rest of the show. In our headline segment we tackle long term care (and again the need for community when it comes to caring for our elders). Lisa offers a solution we may or may not dismiss while also being slightly fearful about it. In our new Better Call Saul (Sehy) segment, we take a question from a Stacker wondering about the Coverdell ESA. We dive into how to best plan for education, which usually doesn't include using a Coverdell.

In this episode we discuss:

...and more!

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/building-your-fi-community-in-bali-amy-minkley-1465

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 founder of one of the nation's most loved budgeting tools says he dislikes the term "budget." Why? Because most of us see a budget as restrictive and limiting. The good news? Jesse Mecham from budgeting program YNAB to dive into how to make your money go further and align with your goals. We'll share thoughts about giving every dollar a job before you earn it, "aging" your money like a fine wine, the struggle every app builder has with interfacing with banks, and much more. If you either have a budget, a "kinda" budget, or are looking for a budget that works, this show is for you!

But before that, in our headline, long time bond manager Bill Gross says that bonds may be overheated in this current market. What does that mean? What does it mean for your long term money? We take some time to talk through the not-so-simple idea of tying your funds to the timeline you've built to spend that dollar. If you need a long term investment strategy, you'll especially want to listen in to our headline.

In today's TikTok minute, consumer finance guru Clark Howard discusses pricing schemes at both Costco and Sam's Club. Is that deal your scoring really a deal? Is it as budget friendly as they make it seem? Some deals are great and others aren't, and both of these retailers hide their strategy in plain site.

Think that's all? Oh, of course we have more! This week we debut a NEW call in segment for the show. No more life line...today we'll share how we are going to handle YOUR call when you need some help with your money? Have a question? Head to stackingbenjamins.com/voicemail and you may hear yourself on the show!

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/master-your-2024-budget-jesse-mecham-1464

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 are some rules to live by to make your 2024 the best year ever? Our very own OG, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, Len Penzo from LenPenzo.com, and Jonathan Clements' article served as the inspiration for today's topic.

New year, new you, amirite? We dive into mantras whose adoption could benefit you for the long term, not just until you lose your New Year's resolution motivation. We touch on our top three best pieces of advice.

During the second half of the show, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, our panel runs down their next favorite picks from the list.

Be sure to stick around as our year-long trivia contest kicks off! Doug has a racy trivia question that will leave your head spinning. Which one of our three regular contributors will pull out in the lead with a W?

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/24-life-tips-for-2024-1463

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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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maybe the holiday season got away from you. Maybe it's been a bigger, longer issue that you've been trying to solve. Maybe you have manageable debt, but you'd love to see it gone. Even less likely, maybe you have no debt, but wonder how to counsel those around you to help them pay off their loans. No matter, today we go to the overlords--AKA the computer--to ask AI how to solve debt issues. Chat GPT sprang on the scene just over a year ago and already has a checkered relationship with the truth. Can Chat GPT answer our debt questions? We ask it LOTS of different questions and receive some great answers and others that are...suboptimal. No matter, we spend this issue diving into how WE think you should look at your debt and solve your own debt issues.

In our headline segment, one popular money management firm is in the news because rumors are swirling they're for sale! What happens if YOUR money is at a firm that is sold? We ask OG for the insider look into money management and what happens if your advisor or the place your money is parked changes, even though you didn't make a move. Is your money still safe? Is there something you can do to protect it? We dive in.

And of course, we also feature some empire building trivia from Doug and much, much more.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/chatgpt-and-your-finances-1462

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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Last week we were all about focus and goal setting. Today? We'll teach you how to tenaciously grip those goals when times get tough. Jenn Drummond knows what it takes to work through adversity. She was the first woman to scale each of the Seven Second Summits, the second tallest mountain on each of the seven continents. These mountains are considered more technical as a group than the Seven Summits (tallest on each continent), and also are harder because there are far fewer resources to help you scale them. We'll walk through Jenn's adventures in Antarctica, Asia, North America, and more, as she negotiates adversity around every corner. From dreaming to planning, climbing and celebrating, we cover it all. If you want big goals in 2024, Jenn will speak directly to you.

In our headline segment, some disturbing news on employment: it was harder to find a job in 2023 and 2024 doesn't look like it's going to be easier. We'll help you build a to-do list of tasks to make sure aren't on the outside looking in when it comes to your next job opportunity.

Our TikTok minute features MORE 2024 predictions...this time from Professor Scott Galloway and another from Dan Yang. Both are great predictions (Galloways is slightly better), and we'll talk about home ownership extensively today.

Of course, Doug will still help you become king of the virtual watercooler with today's trivia challenge AND we'll answer an interesting question from Christian who calls all the way from Germany!

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/climbing-your-next-mountain-jenn-drummond-1461

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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Ever wish a cheap plastic toy from Walmart could tell you the future? We sure do! And we try every year. It’s our annual Magic 8 Ball episode today with Paula Pant, Len Penzo and OG. Each year, we ask the Magic 8 Ball (yes, really, the one you can buy at Walmart) riveting questions for the upcoming year then reflect back on those questions at the end of the year. Today, we run through the answers to our questions from last year and ask new questions for 2024. How will the Magic 8 Ball perform this year? We’ll find out!

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/yearly-8-ball-predictions-1460

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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Many of us struggle with goals. Maybe it's the words we use around them, like "legacy" and "purpose" that freak us out. For whatever reason we look into the future...

...and we freeze.

Jon Acuff was one of those people. After struggling through college with "purpose" and spending lots of time wondering "what am I supposed to do next?" he found a solution. The solution worked. Today he dives into how to create goals in a manner that's not only easier, but also more fun and rewarding. Yes, you read that correctly - the process itself is rewarding and fun. We'll share exactly how it works on today's episode as he mentors us toward successful Stacking.

Before that we share a headline that's also instructive. A popular money manager (Jeffrey Gundlach) took out his crystal ball and look at 2024. We'll share his predictions (our own will come on Friday's episode) and then we'll of course offer you our guidance about whether you should follow them.

But that's not all. Doug shares some incredible trivia AND we answer a benefits-related question from a Stacker. ...all that and more!

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/start-2024-right-with-goals-jon-acuff-1459

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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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.