The Stacking Benjamins Show

Ready to be motivated by your peers? Today we share success stories about living your dream, paying off your mortgage, and teaching finance to the neighborhood, and all from our listeners. Stacker Leah explains how she took charge of her finances after graduating from college and moving to New York City with her car and no job. Larry tells us the simple, down-to-earth technique he used to pay off his mortgage quicker, and we hear from Mimi on how she got the neighbor kids to start investing. Plus, we tackle a piece sent to us by Stacker David: why shouldn't investors sell their stocks for a few months each May if historical data suggest guaranteed gains?

Still haven't filed your taxes? Not sure how much you owe and worried about overpaying? Are you confused about the large tax bill waiting for you every year? Helping us answer those questions and more, we welcome CPA Carter Coefield for some last-minute tax advice. OR... depending on your perspective, take this as early tax advice and have everything you need perfect for next year. (We can dream right)?

Why do so many investors still not trust advisors? While every advisor isn't perfect, we think at least some of the blame lies closer to home. During our headlines we explain the importance of through interviewing, asking the right questions, and the power of simply saying "no" when things aren't lining up. Plus, do Warren Buffett's quotes about life and business hold up to the same standard as his investing? We take a look at a few of Buffett's most passed-on adages to see if they're up to snuff.

Of course, there's always time for a bit of Doug's trivia.

Enjoy!

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Ever leave your bank thinking, "someone just made some money and it wasn't me?" Maybe a trip to your local credit union will be the cure. Credit unions are member-owned and offer low fees, high rates on savings and low rates for loans. Today we'll dive into the world of credit unions with some help during a special Wednesday "Fintech" segment from Navy Federal Credit Union's retired Marine Colonel Clay Stackhouse. We'll discuss how credit unions work, the basic benefits, and the perks that people often overlook.

Of course, that's not all. We'll still throw out the Haven Life line to help a lucky listener AND Doug will share his union-oriented trivia...although he might be on the wrong track today (what's new). Enjoy!

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We're celebrating the world of work today! On this special episode, we answer the question, "How does THIS basement-based podcast team work? Sure we own a mic and a shiny new Dell computer, but our work neither starts nor stops there. A whole host of systems, technology, and (of course) creative discussions power the making of our show. Today we're excited to show you a special behind-the-scenes making of the Stacking Benjamins show featuring the very people who make it happen. Brought to you by the Dell Podference, each member of our team shares their unique perspective of what a day in the basement looks like, plus the digital tools we utilize to bring this show to your ears.

Before that though, we'll dive into a piece about the future of work: should employees expect to return to the office soon, or can we get comfortable working from home? I know what my vote is on, but each choice does come with its own list of pros and cons. We explore the possibilities, and long-term considerations, during our headlines.

We finish today's show with some questions about setting up a small business. Tyson and Josh both have questions about consultants, files, staying organized, and more. We'll share our experience working with small business owners and from running our own shop. ...and of course, Doug will share some Dell-flavored trivia.

Enjoy!

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While we can safely assume that most of us are ready to travel, we're not excited about breaking the bank AND quarantine. Yet, after meals, a decent hotel, and the tourist attractions, many of us feel we have to destroy our budget or we'll be sacrificing some fun. What if there was another way?

Today we'll interview George Igoe from the hit new Million Stories YouTube series George Goes Everywhere. He'll share how he experiences some amazing fun in many of America's biggest cities on less than a single Benjamin (that's $100 to the uninitiated). We'll talk about where to look for deals, what to avoid, and we'll even get behind the camera to discuss the making of his show.

Plus, during our first headlines segment back, we'll cover ALL of the stuff we missed during our break. Boy, was there a ton. A couple known as "Bill and Melinda" decided to divorce, Dogecoin went through the roof (and then dropped again), and both AOL and Yahoo! are being jettisoned from Verizon. We'll discuss all of these, our latest TikTok minute video (yet another crypto scam!) and top it all off with the story of a grandmother suing her brokers. They also happen to be her grandsons. Ouch.

Of course there's more! We'll still save time to throw out the Haven Life line and Doug will share some of his amazing trivia. We're glad to be back and have another great eight weeks planned. Enjoy our kickoff episode!

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How far would you go to save a few bucks, or even pennies? Mom always said all things in moderation, but it seems like these super-savers didn't get the memo. Remember, you can always put your energy into increasing your revenue streams, but playing the extreme frugality game quickly steps into the realm of diminishing returns. This round-table originally aired in 2018, but espcially after our last year, the push for extreme frugality could return to the forefront.

You can read our (mostly) original show notes below:

Being financially prudent is one thing, but when does saving money cross the line into being extremely, and possibly even grossly, frugal? Helping us answer these questions are today's special guests: from the Fiery Millennials blog, we welcome Gwen Mertz; and from this here podcast, we welcome our very own OG and Taylor.

(2021 note: On this show's original run Gwen was still co-hosting the Fire Drill podcast, and Taylor didn't join the Basement until about 18 months later. Pretty cool.)

Halfway through the show we'll take a little break to talk to Jason Brown from Tally. Making the decision to get on the road to financial freedom is a good one, and paying off credit cards and debt can be a major road block. We'll sit down with Jason doing our FinTech segment and see just how his company is setting out to help people climb out of debt.

And of course, we'll still have take some time to throw out the Haven Life Line to Joe, who wants to retire in the next few years. There's just one problem: Joe has no goals for retirement life. Can we throw some resources his way so he can figure out what he wants to do?

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Ever wish you had a second chance with your money? Billy B. hoped he'd get one. After being convicted and sent to prison after the death of his friend, Billy went through some serious soul searching, and the end result of that is on display on today's show. Not taking any opportunity for granted, working hard to find solid financial (and life) footing, and the value of surrounding yourself with good friends and mentors are just three of many themes we'll talk about in this fantastic discussion with Billy (who now also blogs at WealthWellDone.com). We originally aired this show in 2018, but the lessons Billy learned are truly timeless. Read the rest of the original show notes below:

In our headlines segment, a new software program means that some of your advisors may be expendable….or maybe not. We’ll discuss the hot topic of humans versus AI on today’s show. Plus, Warren Buffet just wrote his annual letter to investors. What are some of the takeaways? One publication listed their favorites and we’ll review and discuss them. As always, Mr. Buffet doesn’t fail to use the English language as a weapon while talking about investing, value, and evaluating risk.

We’ll of course have more from the world of financial planning, throw out the Haven Life line to lucky listener Luke, who wonders about investing to beat inflation without taking too much risk. For a five year goal, what investment works best? Are stocks too risky? Should he use junk bonds? We’ll shine a light on that topic (and maybe one we can’t talk about here), as well. We also answer a letter from Jon, who asks about asset allocation. What is a great way to manage your money and diversify correctly? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Of course, we’ll still score with some of Doug’s delightful trivia, and more.

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Got debt? We have a solution. Or rather, our guest, Jenni Zepol, does. Every eight weeks we look back through our collection and play some of our favorite interviews, and this one is no exception. No gimmicks or get rich-quick schemes - Jenni shared her strategy and goals on how she paid down her debt in less than a year and they just may work for you too.

Here's our original show notes:

We LOVE success stories, and today we're talking to one woman with a great one. She set out to pay off over $18,000 of debt in a single year. But what happened? She actually did it in just over half that time: seven months. Sounds good? We thought so too, so we called up Jenni Zepol to see just how she did it. The great news? Many of you may be able to follow her tactics and do it also.

Plus, in our headlines segment one whistleblower claims she was fired for raising red flags about her employer's alternative investment sales. While we're not going to set out to prove or disprove her claims, we will draw a point on why it's important to make sure your advisor is always acting as a fiduciary while helping you handle your finances. And in our second headline, one Florida teacher quit his job to become a 6-figure earning personal shopper. Any lessons we can learn there? Absolutely.

We'll also have time to answer a listener letter, and don't you worry, we'll also dish out a dose of Doug's trivia.

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"You'll spend more time searching than watching" would be an honest slogan for which company? If you said… well, let's not spoil every element of the show before it starts.

During today's special game show we ask our contributors to guess which companies our "honest" slogans belong to. It's a lot of fun, and one contributor has a bit of a hard time marking their place on their board. Our contributors joining our round table this week are Stacy Johnson from the Money with Stacy Johnson podcast, Len Penzo from the LenPenzo.com blog, and Paula Pant from the Afford Anything podcast.

After we wrap up our gameshow Joe sits down with the founder of Element, a new company designed to help personal finance creators answer questions from their audience. During their discussion Orban Oz shares how he discovered a startling statistic during his time building up a digital bank: personal finance creators are being asked questions all the time. That's where Element comes in. The platform sets out to make creators more accessible to their audience, and better response times. Today we dive into how it all works.

We finish today's show with a question from Michael, who's wondering if he's too conservative in his portfolio. Michael is 58 and his portfolio is 60% stocks and 40% bonds. He also has a pension with 100% survivorship benefits for his spouse. Michael also tell us he doesn't include the pension in portfolio allocation as fixed income.

He asks us two questions: is he being too conservative not including his pension in his calculations, and two, how much (if any), of their 1.4 million 401k should they convert into a Roth in retirement?

Enjoy!

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It's a bold statement, and one financial coach Rachel Rodgers wholeheartedly believes. After adapting her coaching business last year to the difficult circumstances we were all facing, Rachel not only survived but thrived. She saw her company turn its first million-dollar month not long after. Today Rachel shares how you can get to millionaire status: a change in your mindset, enforced boundaries, and purposeful changes in your community can lead to huge financial improvements in your life.

In our headlines, and to no one's surprise, half the country is waiting for a vacation. While airlines can handle the traffic, car rental companies can't. After selling off fleets to stay afloat, there flat out aren't enough cars to go around anymore. In Hawaii, tourists have taken to using U-Hauls to get around. Are YOU planning a vacation soon? We share what you need to be doing (like yesterday) to make sure you're protected during our first headline.

Looking for headlines on saving money? We have that too.

Ever hear about tax-loss harvesting? If you've ever made bad stock-buying decisions at two in the morning despite all of our warnings, tax loss harvesting is your new best friend. This isn't the whole bit, but basically, it lets you use the losses on your stocks to lower the bottom line on the taxes of the stocks that actually performed well. Win-win, right? Or as most of a win as you can get in the situation. Joe and OG don't stop there, after giving the breakdown on tax-loss harvesting the guys also share tips on reallocating, understanding the differences between ETFs and Mutual Funds, and more.

We finish today's show with a question from an anonymous listener who's wondering how to invest all of his extra cash. Anon has regular W2 income and about $20,000 in self-employment income that they're not sure what to do with. Ideas? The guys give a breadth of things to consider including opening up a SEP IRA, talking to a CPA, different considerations for if our caller is running a side business with frequent income, contribution and tax implications, and more. Plus, we'll finish our answer with some tax-savings advice that's especially helpful for freelancers.

Enjoy!

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Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie--four women we know by first name--were collectively much of the "voice" of NPR, bringing the fledgling network into millions of homes during an era when woman weren't even expected to report news, let alone host shows control what topics were discussed. Today we hear a few of their stories from master researcher and storyteller Lisa Napoli, journalist and the author of Ray & Joan among others. She'll share how you too can achieve your goals and create your dream job - even if it doesn't yet exist.

While these stories are downright interesting on their own, they also serve as great examples of achieving your goals, not limiting yourself, and learning how to thrive in environments where you're not expected to win.

During our headlines we tackle an issue most of the world's procrastinators have faced since working from home: keeping the ball rolling on your work. Studies show that the last year has been difficult for most, and we still have many lessons to learn about maximizing productivity and staying active when we're sometimes only feet from our bed (or the XBox/kids/fire pit/whatever). We've had experience figuring out how to keep productivity and workflow up, and we don't mind passing that advice on to you, along with some help from a great piece from the Wall Street Journal.

In our second piece, should you trust all of the new, up-and-coming "buy now, pay later" services? While you should always use some judgment while considering any purchases, there's a bigger question to answer here: WHY use these services? If you're already financially responsible enough to use credit, there are plenty of great credit card rewards programs to utilize instead. If you're not responsible... well we're back at square one, aren't we? We'll discuss the "why?" with these services and detail how they work.

We finish today's show with a question on HSA investing from Stephen who asks: should he pay for medical expenses out of pocket to allow his HSA contributions to grow interest? Similar to our "buy now, pay later" thoughts, it's not that our answer is necessarily no for Stephen, there are so many things that can go wrong here we have to take a moment to air some concerns.

Of course, there's always time for Doug and his trivia.

Enjoy!

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