The Stacking Benjamins Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Sure, you've rented a car. Maybe your home. But what about renting your clothing, your tools, or even your Christmas tree (if you celebrate the holiday)? Today we talk about an emerging group of people who have taken renting to the extreme. They rent nearly everything. If you decide to rent are you asking to spend more money or is the concept of "ownership" outdated? Today we dissect renting and what it truly means AND how it affects your financial picture. We're excited that CFP Benjamins Brandt (Retirement Begins Today podcast) and Paula Pant (Afford Anything) join OG, Joe and Doug to help you make better rent/own decisions. Plus, of course, at the halfway point of our discussion, we make time for our epic trivia challenge! FULL SHOW NOTES: Add show notes URL here. Please include https://www at the beginning of the URL, that makes it clickable on YouTube Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We collectively lose MILLIONS because we skim our company benefit package and quickly pick options, or we simply take what we've always had and ignore the rest. Today we'll dive into the changing world of benefits. From tele-health to mental health and gym memberships, perks are looking different at companies than they did ten years ago. We'll share what's new in the world of benefits, what's out, how to pick smarter, and shine a flashlight on some hidden gold in that gigantic pdf most of us receive to make our choices. In our TikTok minute, we share the story of a hated football player and also a valuable money lesson. Do you have haters? Of course you do! Maybe you can learn something about cha-chinging the cash register in a quirky way on today's show! Of course, Doug shares his trivia, but we also open up a fun election-jitters contest. OG will explain, and we hope you participate. Joe will also unveil a new guide from Stacking Benjamins that could help you save thousands. He'll walk you through the details. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/raising-money-smart-kids-1565 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's the most fun way to look at inflation? Well, even though it might not be fun to watch your wallet disappear at the grocery store, it is VERY fun to watch trends in food costs over time. Len Penzo began his annual sandwich study to just prove that packing your lunch is cheaper than buying food at a restaurant. He also wanted to show just how much money you could save to either pay down debt or invest. Instead, many years later, Len's sandwich study is always compared to the classic "Big Mac" study, where they track the price of a Big Mac. We prefer Len's study because making a sandwich is healthier, cheaper, and also maybe a little more fun. So today we'll compare the cost of ten sandwiches and see which one is this year's champion...but more importantly, we'll see if your grocery bill has gone up or down from a year ago. In our headline segment, your home is your castle so it probably holds LOTS of cash value that you may want to tap into during your retirement years. How do financial planners look at home prices that might not rise as quickly in the future as they have in the past? We'll chat about housing, selling your house for retirement, how people navigate selling and "downsizing" in real life, and much more. Of course, we still take a call from a Stacker on our Better Call Saul....Sehy and OG segment. Plus, we always leave room for a helping of Doug's trivia. FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/len-penzo-2024-sandwich-survey-1556 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Lapin is someone (maybe like you, and definitely like me) who wasn't taught money lessons growing up. However, different than many people, she's been able to create and stick to a money plan. She's been recognized two years running as the #1 money guru at site GoBankingRates.com, and now she's with us teaching YOU how to stick to the plan. Even if it's difficult. Even if you don't think you can...she'll talk about money myths, truths, and probably more than a few board games. In our headlines segment we're taking a special look at annuities. Could they be a better option than bonds? One popular financial piece says they are. Plus, in our second headline we're looking at what's going on with the fiduciary rule. Is it dead...or could new rules be on the horizon? Then, after a small break for Doug's trivia we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Jenny, who wants to know what type of investments she should use to live on before the normal retirement age. Similarly, in our letters segment, Andrew and his wife want to retire by 55. What should they be doing to make that happen? Thanks to Emperor Investments for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Go to emperorinvests.com/sb and select "Stacking Benjamins podcast" when asked how you heard about the show. Thanks to Stamps.com for supporting Stacking Benjamins. For a 4 week trial (that includes a digital scale and postage) go to Stamps.com, click on the microphone at the top of the homepage, and enter SB.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you know any kids already bored with summer? Know someone who needs some help breaking down basic finance for the kiddos? You're in luck because today we're talking kids and money. Joining us today, from the National Bank of Mom, is our new friend Maggie. ...and back for another round, from FamZoo, we welcome Bill Dwight. And rounding out our roundtable, from ConnieAlbers.com, we welcome Connie Albers. They'll talk about many ideas to brighten your summer and help your children grasp money concepts at the same time. It'll make a better summer for both them AND you. Don't have children? We thought about you, too, and invited Kate Ryan from TIAA to join us to share tips for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and money savvy friends. We'll talk about everything from sharing money stories to helping a child start a summer business or save a few dollars. Of course, we'll answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline.  Nicole wants to take her family on a vacation. What are the best places to be consider, and what should she be watching out for? Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Thanks also to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mail call! Today we're ripping open your letters and answering tons of your questions. We'll share our thoughts on 401k loans, improving your credit, saving money... and much, much more. And during out headlines segment we're looking at Vanguard's 401k changes and... an article about millennial saving habits. It appears that many millennials think they're either going to retire early or not at all. As Joe's mom would say, "that doesn't sound good." It isn't...and bigger problems lie in the details of this story.  Plus we're throwing out the Haven Life line to Heather. With the possibility of Student Loan Forgiveness on the horizon, how much money should Heather be putting towards her loan? And with debt to pay off, what's some good advice for getting on track for retirement? Thanks also to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Looking for something deeper than what we talk about on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Invest there, save here, charge this, spend that... what's behind our financial decision making? We might not personally have all of those answer, but we know someone who does. Coming down to the basement is the head of behavioral science at Morningstar, Steve Wendel. Morningstar has some alarming statistics about retirement, and Dr. Wendel will present eight different ways to solve some potentially big problems in your future. And in our headlines segment... is the market about to take a tumble? We'll discuss why analysts think the market is about to endure a shake-up, and what you should be doing about it. In our second headline we're turning our attention to cryptocurrency. If only 2% of planners seeing the crypto as a viable investment option, should we be paying any attention to it? Then, after Doug's trivia, we'll throw out the Haven Life Line to Blake who's asking about "play" money. After someone uses a "sandbox" account, do they replenish the fund? And in our letters segment we answer the question: What should you do with your cash if you're saving for a big purchase in the next year? Thanks to Slack for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Slack: Where work happens. Go to slack.com to learn more. Want that latest news from the basement? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: Stacker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Wednesday we talked about what goes into picking the right financial advisor. You'd want to be sure of the person your entrusting with your financials, after all. But would you trust a financial advisor who's a couple of decades younger than you? We're asking that same question to our wonderful panel of contributors: special guest Shannon Mclay (from Financially-Blonde.com), Len Penzo (from LenPenzo.com), and Paula Pant from Afford Anything. PLUS, in a second Friday headline, living next to a lottery winner makes YOU more likely to go broke. What's up with that? And halfway through the show we're taking a break to talk to Matt Reiner from Wela, the all-in-one budget app. Wela can track your daily spending, group transactions, and the app's AI, Benjamin, can answer any questions you may have about your money. Of course, we'll answer a three-oh call for help to the Blooom hotline.  Julianne works on commission... how can she make a useful budget on a variable income? Also, should we be waiting on the market to go on sale before we buy more stocks? Thanks also to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Thanks to Honey for supporting Stacking Benjamins. Signup for FREE with joinhoney.com/SB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The hardest part of hiring a financial planner? Making sure you pick the right one! That's why today we're welcoming the CEO of Sofia Financial, Stephanie McCullough. She's not only sharing her insider tips on what to look for with the right financial planner, but what to look out for from potentially the WRONG financial planner. In our headlines segment, one start-up blockchain CEO is claiming that Bitcoin isn't the holy grail that people may hope. BUT, he does think that bitcoin, along with their own digital currency, each have their own niche where they're needed. What should you do with your own crypto strategy? We'll tackle that today. Plus, we'll feature a new investment that promises a steady 7% annual distribution rate... what's the catch? We'll dive in during our headlines. We'll also throw out the Haven Life line to Lee who recently left his job to work for himself. How does that impact his retirement and investment plans? What should he be doing with his 401k now? Of course, we'll also have time for Doug's trivia and answer a listener letter. Thanks also to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins. MagnifyMoney.com saves users on average $450 when they compare, ditch, switch and save on credit cards, student loan refinancing, checking, savings and more. Check out MagnifyMoney.com for your savings. Looking for something deeper than what we talk about on the show? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: The Stacker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices