Clipping Chains Podcast

Thinkers and philosophers of ancient times sorted out much in the way of living a meaningful and purposeful life. But after thousands of years of progress, material growth, and convenience, we largely fail to find meaning in our modern lives. Today we examine the philosophy of eudaimonia and how we can truly develop our sense of meaning and purpose.

We’re back to the digital mailbag to answer your questions! For this week: Hot Seat Questions: My favorite blogs, podcasts, articles, and books. Musings on my biggest financial mistakes and the advice I’d give my younger self. How do my wife and I keep meaning and purpose in our lives without traditional careers? To sell or not to sell a home that was purchased in 2021 How to sell investments and...

We are prone to believing that outcomes will have stronger emotional impacts on us than they often do. This state of expectation, or impact bias, highlights why anticipation of an event is a much more palpable emotion than the event itself. The impact bias can lead to behaviors that make us less content despite our best efforts for happiness. Let’s learn more about how to recognize this bias and m...

Today’s guest on episode 47 is Shay Skinner. Shay came to me with a question for a Q&A episode that I felt was far too intriguing to address in short form. What I’ve found in four years of running this platform is that it’s often easy to find yourself preaching to the choir, in a sense. Perhaps folks are new to some of these methods, but below the surface, most who are successful in their pursuit...

The 4% rule suggests that a retiree who withdraws no more than 4% of their portfolio each year could have provided for a 30-year retirement window during most historical retirement windows. And that is true! The problem is that the FIRE community, however, perpetuates at least two misconceptions when discussing the 4% rule. Today, we address those common misconceptions about utilizing investment i...

We’re back to the digital mailbag to answer your questions! For this week: Thoughts on the bear market Getting invested with a Health Savings Account Paying for education with retirement accounts My philosophy on rest from climbing How to develop financial mentorship in the climbing community Travel and rescue insurance ideas Determining a cost-effective approach to climbing destinations Should I...

Today’s guests on episode 44 are Meghan and Jeff, two Colorado climbers who are at very different positions on the spectrum of financial independence. Jeff achieved financial independence along with his wife, Rose, over four years ago. Meghan, along with her husband, were inspired to get serious about their personal finances after meeting and learning from Jeff and Rose. Jeff and Meghan now write...

Today on episode 43 I’m happy to have Chris Weidner, a long-time Colorado Front Range local, writer, husband, and father. This conversation is special to me for unexpected reasons. I hoped to interview Chris about his career as a writer, but what emerged was something far more interesting, and admittedly, brave on Chris’s part as it relates to career and finances. Chris is shockingly frank in many...

Today on episode 42 I’m very pleased to host this enjoyable conversation with entrepreneur and climber Ashley Green of Climb On Equipment , a climbing specialty retailer in Squamish, BC. Today we discuss how Ashley, at age 27 and with hardly a loonie to her name, came to own this business and turn it in to the thriving pillar of the community that it is today. We dive deep into the mechanics of fu...

I’ve been slack on writing, which is generally a reliable indicator of an overly stressed life. That busyness came to a screeching halt early last week. Five minutes before my partner—let's call him Bob—arrived to pick me up for the new-school classic Spirit of Squamish (5.8, 8 pitches), everything changed.  At the strike of 6am, just as the sun began to crest over the lush coastal mountains, I be...

We’re back to the digital mailbag to answer your questions! For this week: Does the 401(k) max include employer contributions? Should I invest in my 401(k) or pay down my mortgage early? What about Fidelity’s zero expense ratio fund, VZROX? Investing tips for a Health Savings Account Do you write off business expenses for Clipping Chains? How and when do you pay yourself from investments? Winter c...

Today on episode 39 I’m pleased to welcome long-time climber and Front Range local Peter Beal. Peter, at age 58, has been climbing for over 45 years, with notable achievements including multiple 5.14 first ascents and bagging V12 in his late forties!   But Peter is also known for his critical takes on the culture of outdoor life. Today we discuss some of the realities of meaningful work, family li...

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Hello! We’re back in the digital mailbag to answer your questions. In this Q&A episode we take a hard look at inflation, the reality of a bear market, tactics for balancing a career and climbing, saving for a home down payment, my dream interviews, the pros and cons of maxing out retirement plans, cryptocurrency, financial advisors, and traveling the world for cheap. And of course, so much more.  ...

Today on episode 36 I’m pleased to welcome climber, author, editor, father, and prolific first ascensionist Matt Samet. Recently, Matt was unexpectedly laid off from his position as editor of Climbing Magazine, a position he has held on and off for nearly two decades. The state of media, particularly print media, is something that has held my attention in recent years. Although I’ve considered rea...

Find me a person who can talk and you’ll find someone with an opinion on the housing market or real estate investment. And most of those opinions—even from happily settled homeowners—bear the tones of suspicion at best and downright defeat at worst. Housing prices have skyrocketed a staggering 34% nationwide over the past two years. This rate is essentially an order of magnitude higher than histor...

Today on episode 34 I’m excited to have climber, author, coach, and business owner Eric Horst . Many of you are aware of Eric’s multifaceted influence on climbing, notably performance rock climbing. He is a pioneering figure in the world of climbing training and the author of the international bestselling (and well-named) book, Training for Climbing . But this guy gets a lot done. In 2020, Eric re...

I’ve been asked many times the details of my favorite investing strategy, or what I think about this or that stock. And there seems to be a high correlation between a hot market and the number of these inquiries I receive. Conversely, it is rare to be asked about the emotions and psychology of investing. I can’t think of a single email or message asking about methods for keeping cool when the enti...

Steven Dimmitt is the host of the popular Nugget Climbing Podcast , a show about performance climbing and the life-long journey of self-improvement. At the surface, it seems that Steven left his engineering job and moved into a van to pursue what might seem like a whimsical and youthful passion. Digging deeper, however, we see that the journey to critical and financial success is one of dedicated...

Ok! We’re back to the digital mailbag to answer your questions. In this Q&A episode we take a deeper dive on I Bonds, forming a solid plan for our financial lives, how to catch up on saving later in life, ideas on how to free up time from the many distractions in our lives, my daily structure and routines, and the best way to invest for compound growth.   Support this project: Buy Me a Coffee Subs...

Brice Karickhoff is a climber and development economist with a passion for charitable giving. In this episode we discuss the importance of balanced saving and giving, the utility of the donor-advised fund, and broader macroeconomic trends that affect us all. Topics Discussed with Brice Karickhoff Brice’s recent bouldering accomplishments and how he manages to send and maintain a career in Atlanta,...

Today on episode 29 I want to welcome back to Clipping Chains writer, climber, father of five, and fellow personal finance geek, The Frugal Professor. We cover it all on this one, from how the Frugal Professor was able to save nearly $2 million dollars with a family of seven, to how my wife and I are continuing to navigate a post-Financial Independence life.   Topics Discussed with the Frugal Prof...

Many of us understand that investing in an appreciating asset results in compound growth of our initial investment. But how does this really work? How can a small sum of money grow to something that can provide financial freedom with little to no effort beyond securing the initial investment? And most importantly, what are the different outcomes when debating whether to invest now or later in life...

Today on episode 27 we are taking a deeper dive on real estate investing with climbers Tien and Brandon Rooney of Five Twelve Real Estate. This couple shares a very intriguing history, spanning from college athletics to corporate world wake-up calls, the latter of which inspired them to uproot their lives and teach and travel throughout Asia. Eventually, looking to rekindle the youthful days of tr...

Topics on How to Spend Retirement Money Early What is a Roth conversion ladder? How can we save for retirement and withdraw those funds early without penalty and with little or no tax burden? Establishing how much our lives cost and our current and future tax burden The ethics and morals of lowering our tax burden Roth vs traditional 401(k) contributions during our working years Step-by-step proce...