BiggerPockets Money Podcast

Once you know how to save money, you can start stacking those savings to buy real estate and businesses or invest in long-term wealth-building investment accounts. But, without a steady stream of savings coming in, you're treading water, and one emergency expense could completely blow you off course. In a high-cost-of-living area like Washington, DC., this can seem even harder as rent, gas, and go...

A financial plan puts you on the path to long-term wealth and a life rich in time freedom. So why don’t most Americans have one? Everyday workers are often so focused on paying bills and having a sliver of time to relax that they completely forget the whole reason many of us work—to one day do what we want, when we want, with who we want. So, if you’ve been on the grind, making money, wanting to b...

Retirement planning is something best started early on. The more time you give yourself to invest, the faster your accounts can grow, giving you early financial independence well before the age of sixty-five. But what are the two best ways to do this? On one hand, you’ve got cash-flowing rentals that appreciate while giving you freedom-enabling income with long-term wealth growth. On the other han...

If you talk about how to avoid taxes, most people will think you’re doing something fishy in the eyes of the IRS. Very few know you can use the tax code to massively lower your year-end burden, all while making an ordinary income. Real estate investors have been doing this for years, using so-called “tax cheat codes” like depreciation and cost segregation studies to write off massive paper losses...

The house hack strategy doesn’t always run smoothly. Turning an old home into a modern, rentable masterpiece takes money—especially if you’re doing a big renovation. One of the easiest ways to get the rehab funds you need? A home equity line of credit (HELOC). But, when used incorrectly, a HELOC’s adjustable interest rate can bury any chance you have at cash flowing, no matter how great of a mortg...

For the past decade, Giving Tuesday has been a way for everyday Americans to donate their money, or time, to charities and causes that help collectively make the world a better place. Whether it’s a little or a lot, we’re encouraged to give what we can to bridge the gap between those that have so little and many of us that have so much. But how do you know a charity or organization is using your d...

The cost of raising a child is constantly changing. Every year, a new article comes out claiming that the cost of raising a child is hundreds of thousands of dollars. But is this figure accurate? Could kids actually cost far less than this, or does a few hundred thousand barely even scratch the service? What should new parents know before they bring home their first bundle of joy, and is financial...

Tech stocks were slam dunk investments for the past decade. No matter what you invested in—Google, Facebook, Amazon, or even some obscure AI toaster company—you probably made decent returns. But, after years of continuous economic growth and massive government stimulus, tech stocks are finally starting to get shaky. The problem? New investors like Zoe have huge paper losses on their dashboards. Bu...

Travel hacks, spending hacks, medical hacks. If there’s one thing that Chris Hutchins has learned from hosting the All the Hacks podcast, it’s that everything is negotiable. You can travel to over sixty countries for (almost) free, outsource your cooking at a reasonable rate and even get free money once forgotten. Chris should know—he’s done all this and more as he works to optimize every aspect o...

You’re one bad real estate investment away from being cash flow-poor and debt-rich. That’s right, not every investment property works out, and when leveraged the wrong way, a single property could put your financial future on the wrong track. While it’s easy to watch social media real estate investors flaunt their infinite cash flow and no money down tricks, buying profitable real estate is a litt...

What should retirement planning look like? How can I invest if I am still paying off student loan debt? What makes a perfectly diversified portfolio? And when is the right time to pay off my rental properties? We went to the BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group to ask what you would like to know from a money expert. And thankfully, we found a couple of them who are friends of the show. Amanda Wolfe ...

With so much going on—a recession, rampant inflation, rising interest rates—overcoming your money fears can be more challenging than ever before. The world is changing, and many of us feel like we’re being swept along with it. Our dollars are worth less, our retirement accounts have fallen sharply, and our cash is wasting away. What should we do when it feels like every financial move has a benefi...

Stock market crashes aren't good news for anyone. For retirees though, this dip in prices can feel like a death wish, as active income is no longer an option. Have the hopes and dreams of financial flexibility gone out the window? Or is a market crash like we're experiencing today just a small blip on a retiree's radar? Pairing this with inflation, how will someone who has just retired make it? We...

Margin loans, medium-term rentals, and potential mortgage rate mistakes summarize what Carl and Mindy have been up to over the past couple of months. It’s been a minute since we’ve checked in on the ever-frugal Jensen family. But they’ve been gone for a good reason. Back at the start of the summer, Carl and Mindy decided that they were finished with rehabbing and big fixer-upper projects. Then the...

The new vs. used car debate has been going on for as long as automobiles have existed. For almost the entirety of time when cars were being bought and sold, it seemed like a responsible, frugal decision to buy used, save up some money, and take the repairs with the deal. But inflation has changed this debate in 2022 (and beyond). Used car prices are high—sometimes even higher than new cars—prompti...

Unless you’re a money nerd, knowing how to start investing from scratch isn’t as easy as it seems. With so many options out there and the economy faltering, how do beginners avoid getting burnt? Is something like real estate investing out of reach for new investors in times like today? These questions become even more complicated if you’re like today’s guest, Steven. Steven recently became debt-fr...

Dollar-cost averaging—you may have heard the term before, but maybe not its implications. According to Nick Maggiulli, it’s probably the easiest way to get rich with stocks, real estate, or really anything else. But what about buying the dip? Wouldn’t investing at historic lows be the wisest move to make when the markets take a tumble? Surprisingly, no! Don’t believe us? Listen on! Nick’s investin...

Taking a sabbatical from work requires a few things: time, money, and the willpower to do some soul-searching. Most people think that they can’t take any more than two weeks of the year off work. They rack up excuses, blaming timing, too many projects, and everything in between. But what if taking a sabbatical, gap year, or any other type of long-ish break was the key to building wealth faster and...

We know financial freedom is possible for those in their 20s and 30s, just starting their careers, without children and serious financial obligations. But what about those getting started on their journey in their 40s and 50s? What about the stories of those who’ve had lifelong debt, went through a financially destructive divorce, or didn’t know early retirement was an option? Monica Scudieri, aut...

Everything you’ve been hearing about social security is a lie. For years, mainstream media and many financial figureheads have said that social security is on a fast track to bankruptcy, with no money left over for Americans when they grow old. But what if we told you that wasn’t true? What if you knew that social security would be there for you when you retire, even if you’ve just started working...

The 2022 housing market doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. At the start of the year, competition was fierce, with bidding wars on every home and lines out the door just to view an open house. Now, in quarter three of this year, interest rates have hit decade-long highs, buyers are more in control, and days on market are starting to creep back up. As a homeowner, investor, or renter, you need to kn...

Financial independence isn’t for everyone. That comes as a surprise for most of us within the personal finance community. Whether we like it or not, the “save, invest, and grind” until you can retire early lifestyle isn't a commonly accepted one. But what happens when your partner is the one who doesn’t agree? What steps can you take to help them see why early retirement is such a crucial piece of...

Katie Gatti Tassin from Money with Katie had her “financial awakening” earlier than most. She saw the middle-class wealth trap of working, spending, and repeating for what it really was. This cash-gobbling cycle is one that many Americans fall into, but once you see the light, it’s hard not to almost automatically do better. And that’s what Katie did, trading twenty-dollar daily lunches and “hot g...

Over the past two years, short-term rental investing has become a financial lifeline for those that are trying to make extra income. A small one or two-bedroom basement, garage apartment, or mother-in-law suite brings in enough cash flow for many to pay off a sizable amount of their mortgage. One such investor is Allen, who turned his low-interest rate primary residence into a lucrative short-term...

Everyone knows that real estate agent commissions are hefty. Those who have sold a house in the past few years may look at their settlement agreement and wonder where those tens of thousands of dollars really went. It’s not hard for a new agent in today’s world to lock in six-figures worth of real estate commissions within their first few years. But, not many agents, even uber-experienced ones, ha...