#398: Chris Hutchins is an avid life hacker, a financial optimizer and the host of the top ranked podcast ?All The Hacks?, where he shares his quest to upgrade his life without having to spend a fortune. These passions have led him to being featured in a documentary on financial Independence called ?Playing with FIRE? and collecting millions of points and miles. If you want to learn more about optimizing your spend so that you can travel with less of an impact to your bank account, you?ll want to hear what Chris has to say. Timing of discussion points as per August 2022: 04:13: Is travel hacking a good use of time? 08:15: What is the simple path to optimizing spend? 09:108: Why focus on one rewards program? 10:46: Why are there recommendations for transferable point programs and what are the benefits of co branded cards? 18:08: How can the value of points or miles be estimated? 22:08: Is the best redemption value in booking business class international flights? 32:34: How do you know the best flight to book for optimal redemption? 37:00: What is the difference between airline miles and credit card points? 38:25: What is a ?positioning? flight and how do I utilize this strategy? 47:42: What is the process for choosing flights based on reward redemptions? 57:15: What are the best ways to boost an existing points balance? 1:02:12: Discussion on credit cards with crypto rewards? 1:04:17: Tips for those who want deals but don?t want to work with miles or points? For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode398 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#397: Nic?s parents are forced to confront earlier than anticipated retirement?and they aren?t financially prepared. Now, a bank is offering to buy a part of their mortgage or a part of their house. Is this a scam?! Jon from Colorado is curious about after tax contributions to a Roth 401k, and would like us to talk about why we wouldn?t recommend it. Anna is househacking, and she locked down an awesome interest rate. But, she?s still carrying PMI and is wondering if there?s a way to remove the PMI without refinancing. Courtney from Denver is a real estate investor who wants to invest in new locations, and wants tips on building out her network. Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today?s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode397 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International best selling author and leadership speaker, Julie Winkle Giulioni, talks through a multidimensional career framework that features eight dimensions of career development. She spells out how to apply the dimensions of contribution, competence, connection, confidence, challenge, contentment, choice and climb to different parts of your professional life, whether that?s assessing your current job, navigating a conversation with your superior or setting yourself up for the next progression. In this episode, we cover: 01:15: Introducing the topic of optimizing engagement at work 05:02: The ?Why? behind the Great Resignation 07:28: How to feel like you?re making a true contribution 14:01:The need to increase competence for growth 16:03: Solving for boredom with your superior 23:16: Forging connections in the era of remote work 32:18: Enhancing confidence and imposter syndrome 38:36: Appreciating the role of contentment in the workplace 39:18: The dimensions of choice and climb Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode396 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Invest Anywhere, our monthly series on long-distance real estate investing. Invest Anywhere airs on the First Friday of each month and is co-hosted by Paula Pant and Suni Rao. In this episode, we tackle the challenging decision of how to evaluate a city for rental property investment. We will cover three specific sets of analysis, talking through a macro business cycle view, a more specific economic analysis, and then encourage you to review your own personal network. Enjoy! 01:30: Topic introduction 2:30: Evaluation to be discussed: Business cycle, economics, and hierarchy of boots on the ground 5:48: High level look at the business cycle 08:40: The four phases of the business cycle 11:12: The peak phase of the business cycle 25:40: The recession phase of the business cycle 37:15: The recovery phase of the business cycle 39:40:: The expansion phase of the business cycle 47:10: Factors to consider when choosing a specific economy 57:48: Hierarchy of boots on the ground For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode395 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#394: Bill listened to our episode with Bill Bengen, father of the 4% rule, and he wants to know if there was a way for him to figure out how much money he should be keeping in cash. Sheryl gets stock from her company, and she would usually sell it?but the stock value has decreased. And now, she isn?t sure what she should do. Heather inherited an IRA but MUST empty it within ten years - but she doesn?t need it right now. What should she do?? Julie and her husband have access to an HSA for ONE MONTH. Can they max it out before they lose access to it? In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough questions. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode394 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#393: Chuck Jaffee is a forty year veteran financial journalist who regularly writes for the Wall Street Journal and is also a nationally syndicated financial columnist. He discusses how money and investors' attitude towards investing has changed over the last few decades. 00:44: Introducing Chuck Jaffe 03:05: How people interacted with the market in the 1980?s 06:50: Dealer and liquidity risk when investing in the market 09:23: How the environment 40 years ago impacted investor psychology  12:53: Long term impact of Black Friday, the worst market crash experienced by any living investor 16:10: Discussion of fund options that are more illiquid and can sell at discounts  18:04: The combined influence of access real time data and the ability act in real time  28:31: Moving away from employee supported retirement plans 29:00: The difference between financial education and financial literacy 31:26: Chuck?s take on the 4% rule 50:16: Portfolio and personal optimization For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode393 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#392: Colleen and her husband own SEVEN paid off rental homes. Now they?re heading into retirement and disagree on what to do with some of that equity. Kevin wants to hit FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) and believes his motivation comes from witnessing the financial trauma of the Great Recession. He?s wondering if others are motivated to reach FIRE for similar reasons. Anonymous wants to learn more about utilizing HSA accounts and Susan wants to learn more about investing in tax liens. In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough questions. Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode392 ________________________________________ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#391: Dr. Reza Abraham, an international leadership consultant, walks us through a framework of staying in control of your career and your life. This framework utilizes a singular core, three cornerstones and twelve principles.  He explains how to apply and execute these principles to reinforce personal fulfillment, growth and progression.  0:00:47: Introducing Dr. Reza Abraham + the framework for staying in control of your life through a core, three cornerstones and 12 pillars 0:02:48: The core of taking control: consciousness 0:06:41: The first cornerstone: contentment 0:08:46: The second cornerstone: consistency 0:12:30: The third cornerstone: conversion 0:15:05: Five reflection questions to review for intentional growth and progression 0:24:17: The first pillar: character 0:30:03: The second pillar: communication 0:33:16: The third pillar: curiosity 0:35:15: The fourth pillar: compass 0:38:14: The fifth pillar: courage 0:39:22: The sixth pillar: collaboration 0:45:46: The seventh pillar: connection 0:48:04: The eighth pillar: competency 0:52:04: The ninth pillar: companionship 0:56:18: The tenth pillar: cash 0:56:53: The eleventh pillar: condition 1:00:52: The twelfth pillar: contribution Resources mentioned: #383: How to Talk About Money with Confidence and Charisma, with Vanessa Van Edwards - Afford Anything For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode391 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#390: We start this episode with two anonymous callers who have opposite problems: one says her bills are too high, while the other is worried that she?s saving too much. Anonymous (?Izzy?) saves A LOT. She wants to relax about her spending more, and start including more joy into her life. How should she approach the next 10 or 20 years, so that she can enjoy her financial security? A different anonymous caller (?Starlight?) has the opposite problem: her expenses are mounting. Her bills make her uncomfortable. She wants to shake up her investments so that she can tap her assets in order to make her payments. Ideally, she?d also like to buy a house in Europe within the next 10 years. How should she do this? John liked the episode with Bill Bengen, where we discussed the 4% rule. However, he questions whether that rule should really be applied to the FIRE community. Steve is a landlord who needs his property to cash flow, but doesn?t like to raise rents. What should he do? Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode390 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#389: Should you bother investing in real estate ? especially from a distance? Is the hassle worth it? What?s the upside? Do you really want this? Or should you just stick with index funds? Isn?t it scary to invest out-of-state? How do you know if you?re ready? In today?s episode of Afford Anything Presents: Invest Anywhere, my co-host Suni Rao and I tackle these common questions. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode389 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#388: Recessions are terrifying. Market crashes often bring out the worst in people?s anxieties and fears. This fear triggers us to act even more irrationally than usual ? which can lead to making expensive mistakes in our investment portfolios. In today?s episode, Scott Nations, who spent his career studying market volatility, describes some of the most common cognitive biases and irrational behaviors that investors make. He shares tips on how to master the mental game of investing, especially in turbulent times. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode388 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#387: Lila is concerned about inflation and the risk of a recession. Should she invest in the stock market, despite the scary headlines? Or should she pay off her primary residence or her investment properties? Linda invested in a 529 for her son?s college, and he?ll be starting in the fall. But, the value of the plan dropped right before she was planning on using it and she is wondering how to keep from losing more money. Jen and her husband want to retire in 8 years. They?re hoping to have paid off their mortgage AND hit their net worth goals when they stop working. How should they prioritize between these two goals? Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode387 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#386: We all have our secrets. We keep some secrets from bosses, colleagues and clients, like the fact that we hope to retire early, change careers, or start a business. We keep other secrets from friends and family, like our income, net worth, spending habits and investing mistakes. Research from around the world shows that we tend to keep the same types of secrets ? around 38 common varieties, including secrets about finances, ambitions, beliefs, habits, unpopular opinions, mental health, trauma, addiction, and drug use. These 38 common types of secrets fall into three categories: (1) moral secrets, which we fear will either cast judgment on us or will cause harm to another; (2) relational secrets, which we fear will harm our relationships; and (3) goal and ambition secrets, related to career, business and finances. In today?s episode, Columbia University professor Dr. Michael Slepian discusses the secret life of secrets. Dr. Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. Prior to that, he was a visiting scholar at Stanford University. His research focuses on the social costs of secrecy. What impact do secrets have on our lives and health? What are the hidden costs of keeping quiet? Are there certain things that are better left unsaid? What should we share, with whom, and when ? especially when there are career, social and financial repercussions to revealing information? Dr. Slepian joins us today to share his insight. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode386 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#385: Anonymous (?Jennifer?) keeps hearing us say that you should ?start with the end in mind? ? that your investments should match your goals and timeline. But what if you don?t have any specific financial goal? What if your risk tolerance is different than you once thought? Rachel?s new employer won?t let her contribute to retirement for more than a year - what should she do?? Carri?s parents are in poor health and can?t work much - what should they do about their life insurance policy and their health insurance? Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode385 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#384: Welcome back to the third episode in our special series, Afford Anything Presents: Invest Anywhere. Invest Anywhere is a new monthly series that runs on the First Friday of each month. It lays out the information you need to invest in real estate at a distance. Many of you want to invest in real estate, but you live in a high-cost-of-living area. (Ahem, California and New York). The homes in your city are prohibitively expensive, and they offer lackluster returns. You could invest in a lower-cost area like Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Omaha or Wichita ? but HOW? That sounds terrifying. We?re here to dismantle that fear, piece by piece, by sharing our knowledge and experience. The Invest Anywhere series is dedicated to giving you the guidance you need to make smart, confident choices about investing out-of-state. It?s co-hosted between myself (Paula) and esteemed real estate investor Suni Rao, who?s experienced everything ranging from buy-and-hold rental investing to (accidentally) wholesaling. She?s managed short-term and long-term rentals. She?s owned houses, multi-units, and even a mobile home park.  She joins me in this episode to talk about a variety of strategies that will help you make money in real estate. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode384 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#383: Behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards, who runs the research lab Science of People, breaks down the psychological secrets behind feeling and looking more confident, competent and charismatic. She explains how to apply these techniques to critical conversations around money, whether you?re negotiating your salary, buying a home or car, or arguing with your spouse about your household spending. Subscribe to get the show notes delivered via email, for free, at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#382: Joe is buying his first house hack and would like to understand if the FHA loan or the doctor loan would be better for him. Sara wants to leave her job to spend time with her children, and she needs help in calculating her FIRE number. Kat received a windfall and is wondering if she should invest it in stocks, real estate, or a combination of both. Aisha is moving to the US and wants to start investing ASAP - how should she approach her goal to reach FIRE? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today?s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode382 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#381: Maybe you?re envious of your friend who bought Bitcoin in 2015 and held until it hit 7-figures. Maybe you?re anxious about rapidly rising home prices. Maybe you regret that you didn?t buy a rental property five years ago, because ? at the time ? you felt like prices had already risen so much (from 2012 to 2017) that you just couldn?t justify paying 2017?s pricetag. Our lives, finances and careers invoke many strong feelings. In today?s episode, Mollie West Duffy, the co-author of Big Feelings, shares strategies for not letting our feelings hijack our choices. Mollie and her co-author, Liz Fosslien, run an Instagram channel about emotional management with half a million followers. Fosslien is an economist and behavioral scientist whose work has been featured by The Economist, Freakonomics and NPR. Duffy is an organizational and leadership development expert who?s written for Harvard Business Review. They tackle relatable workplace issues like perfectionism, productivity guilt and Zoom fatigue, among much more. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#380: Matt wants to optimize his portfolio and wants to know if he should invest along the Efficient Frontier ? despite the fact that the asset allocation it recommends is absolutely bonkers; it?s wild and risky and tilted like nothing he?s ever seen before. Ionnie just rolled over her Roth IRA and would like to understand how to withdraw her contributions without getting penalized. Anonymous and her spouse are both in the military and about to reach retirement. They have an expensive whole life insurance policy, costing $550 per month, and wonder if they should switch to term life insurance. Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today?s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Also ? we?re launching a book club!! Each month, we?ll read and discuss a book written by an Afford Anything podcast guest, starting with Morgan Housel, James Clear, Ken Honda, and Dr. Susan David. Sign up here. P.P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode380 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#379: Welcome to our First Friday bonus episode. Once a month, Afford Anything presents a special feature called Invest Anywhere, in which we teach our audience how to invest in real estate from thousands of miles away. We kickoff today?s episode by discussing current market conditions. Yesterday the Fed raised interest rates by another 50 basis points, which means mortgages are more expensive than they?ve been in years. Additionally, jittery investors worried about an impending recession led the stock market to its worst day of the calendar year so far. How should we interpret the current market conditions? Is this a good time to buy an investment property? We cover this in the first 20 minutes of today?s episode. Next, we discuss 5 challenges associated with investing in long-distance real estate investing: (1) fear, (2) accountability, (3) traction, (4) stress, and (5) relationships. We elaborate on each challenge and offer solutions. Finally, we discuss 4 benefits to investing out-of-state: (1) competitive ability, (2) diversification, (3) returns, and (4) repeatability. We elaborate on four types of diversification: economic, strategy, business cycle, and asset based. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode379 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#378: Anonymous is 25. She has a job offer that comes with a substantial raise. Hooray! Buuut ? there?s a problem. If she accepts this job offer, her new employer won?t allow her to contribute as much money to her company retirement accounts.  How should she think about the trade-off between increasing income and funding her retirement? Meanwhile, Dan from California is retiring soon and wants to know what he and his wife should do with the loan they took out against their 401(k). Finally, an anonymous caller who goes by ?Daughter? has a whole life policy that only costs her less than $50 per month. Since her policy is so cheap, should she keep it? In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough situations. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#377: Today?s episode is sheer retirement nerd bliss. We talk to the creator of the 4 percent retirement safe withdrawal rule, Bill Bengen. If you?re new to retirement planning, you might not yet grasp the gravity of this. Let?s cut to the chase: the 4 percent rule is one of the most revolutionary, groundbreaking insights in the field of retirement research in the past 30 years. To understand why, let?s climb in our time machines and return to 1994. Back then, many financial advisors were telling their clients that they could safely withdraw 7 percent of their retirement portfolio each year. After all, the simplistic logic went, the stock market has historically yielded between 7 to 9 percent returns, so that type of withdrawal rate shouldn?t dwindle the principle ? right? ? Bill Bengen, an MIT graduate and former rocket scientist, decided to build a better model. He looked at the performance of investment portfolios across 30-year time horizons, beginning in 1926. Under the assumption that the portfolio is invested 50 percent in an S&P 500 Index and 50 percent in intermediate-term bonds, in a tax deferred account, he found that retirees could only withdraw 4.2 percent of their portfolio in the first year of retirement, and that amount adjusted for inflation each subsequent year. He called this the ?safe withdrawal rate? that gave people a reasonable chance of not outliving their money, based on historic performance. He published the results in the Journal of Financial Planning and caused a stir. This was revolutionary. It upended the assumptions that dominated the field at the time. And it remains a cornerstone of retirement planning to this day. We talk to Bill Bengen about his discovery ? and his latest research ? in today?s episode. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode377 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#376: Meghan?s mom is 64 years old and suffering under a toxic boss. It?s tough to switch jobs at her age. How should she think through the next steps? Ellen has a 20-year-old son with physical and developmental disabilities. Her other child, age 21, will need to look after him for the rest of their lives. How should she handle their inheritance? Joe wants to start working part-time in four years, and fully retire four years after that. He worries he?s investing too aggressively for his retirement date. In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough situations. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail and we?ll answer them in a future episode. _______ For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode376 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#375: Here?s the deal: The majority of people who write about personal finance repeat the same tired aphorisms and cliches. ?Millennials aren?t investing enough,? they?ll lament. ?Millennials are amassing wealth at a slower pace than previous generations!? But when you ask for their source, they turn up blank. Each writer points to a headline, which sources another headline, in a neverending circular secondary-source-citation that fails to point to any primary data source. Nick Maggiulli doesn?t play that game. If you haven?t heard the name Nick Maggiulli yet, prepare to meet one of the most original, insightful voices in the media landscape of personal finance and investing. (His last name is pronounced ?ma - julie,? and his godfather refers to him as ?paper hands,? but that latter point is a different story for another day.) Nick is a data scientist with a knack for clear written communication, a rare Venn Diagram intersection of skill sets. He holds a laser-focused interest in the arenas of personal finance and investing, and he?s eager to share fresh, nuanced, evidence-backed takes about savings, spending and investing with anyone who will listen. He recently released his first book, Just Keep Buying; the title reflects a user-friendly reminder to continue dollar-cost averaging. It also speaks to the main idea behind wealth creation: accumulate income-producing assets, consistently, for as long as you possibly can. It?s an honor to welcome Nick Maggiulli onto the Afford Anything podcast for what I hope is the first of many appearances. In today?s episode, we discuss actionable strategies for managing your money, including assessing your spot along the save-invest continuum, implementing the 2X rule into your spending decisions, and saving half of your inflation-adjusted future raises. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode375 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#374: Andy in Palm Springs wants to create an income stream through a taxable brokerage account. What strategy should he use to minimize the tax impact of withdrawing his gains? Jake wants investment cash flow until he?s eligible for his military pension in 10 years. Should he buy small multifamily properties right now, wait a few years and invest in syndications or should he invest in index funds through taxable accounts? Anonymous is a US Citizen, lives in London, and can?t invest in index funds. How can he invest while reducing his risk? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today?s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#373: How do people make money in real estate? Many focus on rental income, but this is only one of five ways that properties create wealth. We explain five surprising ways that real estate builds your balance sheet: cash flow, appreciation (market-based and forced), tax benefits, principal paydown, and instant equity at closing. Why does this matter for long-distance investors? If you?re investing out-of-state, you?ll need to choose a city or town. How do you decide? First, think about how you want to bias your returns. Do you want to optimize for cash flow? More appreciation potential? Identifying this will help you align your city/town selection with your financial goals. If you?ve been thinking about investing in real estate ? especially if you might invest long-distance ? you?ll love this episode. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode373 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#372: Eve has been investing in her brokerage account and the tax liabilities are starting to add up. She wants to retire in 12 years and is wondering if she should invest in after-tax contributions and plan on a Roth conversion. Anonymous has rental properties and wants to start building his kids credit histories. Is it a good idea to add them as co-borrowers on the mortgage? Lily is really excited about investing in real estate, but househacking wasn?t the right fit. She?s looking for advice on investing in opportunity zones through crowdfunding platforms. In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough situations. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#371: Psychology professor Bill von Hippel explains the evolutionary science behind how we?re hardwired as humans. We?re wired to be social, to connect, to communicate and cooperate. We?re wired to want to learn and teach, to build a collective body of knowledge that stretches beyond what any single individual could ever learn in their lifetime. We?re wired to feel surges of happiness that fade, so that we?re intrinsically motivated to keep repeating behaviors that lead to additional surges of happiness. Once we understand the evolutionary science behind what makes us happy, Dr. von Hippel explains, we can apply this knowledge to making better decisions for our work, money and lives. Bill von Hippel is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan. He?s currently a psychology professor at the University of Queensland in Australia. He joins us to share his insights into the history and science of happiness. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#370: Kristen is 32, and she and her husband want to retire in less than 20 years. They make too much to contribute to a Roth IRA. Should they use back door Roth conversions to speed along their path to early retirement? Michelle makes $190,000 and is going to switch to a career that pays $40,000 on average. To prepare for this lower salary, she's selling her current home and buying a different one. Should she pay off her new home with the proceeds from the old one? Or should she invest her profits? Anonymous lives in a high cost-of-living area and is wondering where to keep her down payment and emergency funds. Should she use I-bonds, TIPS, or some combination of these two? In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough situations. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#369: To answer these questions, we need a deep, tree-trunk understanding ? a core, fundamental understanding ? of how the stock market operates. What, exactly, IS a stock ? and how are stocks valued? What?s the difference between the Dow Jones, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq? Why is the market a voting machine in the short-term, but a weighing machine in the long-term? Brian Feroldi, the author of ?Why Does the Stock Market Go Up?,? joins us for a Stocks 101 explainer episode. If you?d like a deeper understanding of the world of stocks, you?ll enjoy this explainer episode. And if you have a friend/spouse/coworker who?s said, ?I need to learn more about investing,? share this episode with them. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode369 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#368: Grace wants to buy a manufactured home for rental income. Should she calculate her returns differently for a manufactured home? Alex is curious about cryptocurrency. How should she analyze the returns promised by different platforms and where can she go to learn more about crypto in general? Thomas and his wife have parallel goals of saving for a down payment and contributing to retirement accounts. How should they balance both of these goals? In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough questions. Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode368 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#367: Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many commentators have remarked that we?re living in an ?epidemic of anxiety.? More than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety, and countless millions more notice themselves ?acting out? against their responsibilities in smaller, self-sabotaging ways: procrastinating, lacking motivation, grappling with an inability to concentrate. In today?s episode, Dr. Ellen Vora, M.D., discusses both the internal and environmental factors that can exacerbate anxiety. She talks about nutrition and sleep, as well as the fact that, frankly, your job just might suck. She applies these ideas to tactics that allow us to better handle our finances, investments, careers and lives. Dr. Ellen Vora holds a B.A. from Yale University and a medical degree from Columbia University. She?s a board-certified psychiatrist. Enjoy this conversation, and share your comments and feedback with members of our community at affordanything.com/community For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode367 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#366: Micheal?s parents just sold their home to pay off debt and fund their retirement. How should he invest the profits? Ryker would like to understand what it would take for cryptocurrency to be considered as a good investment option for a diversified portfolio. Megan has qualified for her employer's 401k and needs help deciding between investing in a Roth 401K and a Roth IRA. In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough questions. Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#365: Nearly every financial news story for the past several months has centered around inflation ? but what, exactly, is inflation? What are its causes? What are its effects? How is it measured? What notable inflationary events have unfolded throughout history, and what can we learn from these? In this episode, we peel back the layers of the onion in order to deepen our understanding of the concept of inflation. We discuss hyperinflation, biflation, stagflation; we discuss the CPI, the PPI, and core inflation. We discuss the demand-pull inflation, cost-push inflation and the wage-price spiral. We resist the temptation to make predictions about the future, choosing instead to focus on refining our understanding of the present. Enjoy! For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode365 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#364: Our first caller is curious about whether he should keep his 30 year term life insurance policy or let it lapse with 12 years left on the policy? Anonymous is wondering which financial products would work best for to cover her older age care and expenses? Max is thinking through real estate and stock market returns as they relate to future population trends. Ramon asks us about the details behind infinite banking. Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#363: In our 20?s and 30?s, we have high levels of fluid intelligence, or raw intellectual horsepower. We can ace tests, impress people with our memory and recall, and analyze facts, documents and data. But in our 40?s and 50?s, we have higher levels of crystallized intelligence, which allows us to draw together novel insights from across domains. Fluid intelligence allows us to analyze, or break apart. Crystallized intelligence allows us to synthesize, or put together. Each type of intelligence invites us to express different skills, to pivot our role at work ? or perhaps even to change careers or industries altogether. In today?s episode, Harvard professor Arthur Brooks discusses these two types of intelligence, and outlines how we can gracefully move from one strength to the next. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#362: David is questioning how to better manage his spending. He?d like a stronger framework to think through budgeting challenges. Elisa and her husband bought a home, and now they?re saving extra income every month. She has a pension and her husband is an entrepreneur. How much should they be saving for retirement and how should they invest their extra money? Geoff invested primarily in taxable brokerage accounts for the last twenty years. He?s built a $6 million portfolio and reached financial independence. He wonders about the smartest strategy for withdrawing from those taxable brokerage accounts to efficiently manage capital gains? Jenna and her husband are planning on buying their next home in a few years. She wants to know if I-bonds are a good way to save for the down payment and closing costs. Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today?s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#361: Wall Street Journal columnist Spencer Jakab marks the one-year anniversary of that weird time when the subReddit Wall St Bets pumped shares of meme stocks like GameStop and AMC Theaters, triggering a short squeeze that forced several hedge funds to lose billions. What did we learn from that experience? And how do we actually take down Wall Street? How do we launch a truly effective financial revolution? We share those insights in today?s episode. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#360: I?m worried my parents are getting ripped off by their financial advisor. What should I do? My wife is trying to qualify for student loan forgiveness ? but we might lose a bunch of tax benefits in the process. Is it worth the risk? I?m enrolling in grad school, and I want to optimize how to pay for rent and groceries. Should I use money from a 529 plan? Three callers. Three questions. In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough Q?s. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#359: Money, relationships, health and purpose: life is running smoothly when all four of these elements are working together in tandem, like wheels on a car. But how can we make spending and investing choices that facilitate stronger relationships, better health and a deeper sense of purpose? Andrew Hallam, who became a millionaire on a teacher?s salary, shares researched-backed, evidence-based insights into how to find balance, drawing from the worlds of behavioral finance and stock market history. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#358: Where is the balance between the risks and potential returns of actively and passively investing in index funds?Where do you place your savings after you max out your retirement and HSA accounts? How do you finance building a rental unit when there?s already a home on the lot? Is it more beneficial to buy back pension time with post tax deductions or a 457b plan? Or should I not buy back pension time at all? In today?s episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I discuss the purpose and practice of mindful money. Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Enjoy! Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#357: Discussing advanced investing topics with me is former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy. You may recognize him from the Ask Paula episodes, but we discuss financial topics shared in his new book "STACKED: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management" - co-authored with Emily Guy Birken. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#356: How do you find balance between smart money management vs. missing out on opportunities? Should you pile money into investments or take that dream trip to Tanzania? What should you do when your heart leads you to a decision that doesn't make sense on paper? In today's episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I discuss the purpose and practice of mindful money. Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#355: When Jordan Grumet realized he has achieved financial independence, he fell into a deep depression. He didn?t know who he was anymore, he says, and he didn?t know what should come next. He learned about how to deal with us by observing his hospice patients. In this episode, Grumet, a hospice doctor, describes how working with the dying has taught him about life. Subscribe to the show notes at affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#354: Charlie in Cali has enough money saved to pay cash for a house, but she and her husband decided to finance their home, instead. They?d rather invest the money and arbitrage the spread. But one problem: how can they keep themselves from touching this investment? Jay is choosing between Fidelity and M1 Finance, and has questions about tax loss harvesting. Nicole and her siblings will be inheriting some properties that they eventually plan to sell. How should they set up or organize these properties among so many owners? Should one person take the lead? Do they need a shared business account? Also, how should they evaluate a property and make sure they get a good deal when they sell? Ed owns three homes, two of which he plans to sell in the next few years. He plans to live in them long enough to establish residence and take the capital gains exemption when they sell. Is his plan for handling the taxes solid? We answer these four questions in today?s episode. Enjoy! Subscribe to the show notes at https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#353: Daniel Pink joins us to discuss an unusual theory: (1) that our energy rises, falls, and then rises again; (2) that this pattern plays out across our days (morning energy, afternoon slump, nighttime second wind); (3) this also plays out across our lives, with serious implications for how we spend those ?muddled middle? years of our 30?s, 40?s and 50?s. Get the show notes delivered to your inbox by visiting https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#352: Anna and her husband have volatile income, but Anna thinks that having 18 months of living expenses is unnecessary. She?s torn between paying off her student loans ($30,000) or investing the money. Mentally, she always figured she would pay off her debt first, but wouldn?t investing pay off in the long run? Charlotte and her husband are taking a phased approach to financial independence, where they need to bridge two gaps before they each turn 59 ½. How can they calculate how much they need at each phase? Elle has a retirement plan in place, but her company is adding a Roth 403(b) option soon. Should she stay the course or adjust her strategy in these last five years before retiring? Sara wants to purchase land and build her dream house by refinancing her rental property and turning her current home into a second rental. How can she improve this plan? Joe Saul-Sehy, my friend and former financial planner, joins me to tackle these questions on today?s episode. Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it at here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. Get the show notes delivered to your inbox by visiting https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#351: Geoff Woods, Vice President of The ONE Thing and host of The ONE Thing podcast, is an expert on ruthless prioritization, habit development, and goal setting. The simple framework he presents allows you to focus deeply and commit to the actions you need to take if you want to take your productivity to the next level this year. Get the show notes delivered to your inbox by visiting https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#350: Anonymous and her husband have set themselves on the path of saving for retirement. But an old mistake haunts them: a financial planner convinced them to buy a mix of whole and term life insurance, which costs them $700 per month. Do they need whole life insurance, and where else can they save their money? Mike has $60,000 in cash earning one percent interest. He has plans to buy a home and get married in three to five years. Where else can he put his cash to earn a little more? Is the stock market too risky for such a short time horizon? Anonymous and her future husband are wondering: what?s a realistic amount to spend on a wedding? My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions on today?s episode. Enjoy! Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we?ll answer them in a future episode. To subscribe to the show notes, go to https://affordanything.com/shownotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#349: A frank and candid conversation about life, dead-lifting, and enjoying the hell out of doing meaningful work. For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode349 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices