Extreme Personal Finance Show

From getting laid off in 2015 to building a life completely on his own terms, Doug Cunnington has one hell of a story. In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show, I get to sit down with Doug to talk about escaping the corporate machine, building an online business from scratch, stumbling into the FI community in Longmont, CO and redefining what “success” and “productivity” actually mean....

After years in corporate, Amber Smith had enough of the cubicle grind. What started as a side hustle to pay for grad school turned into a full-time reselling and influencer business that now earns more than her old salary, and gives her total control over her time. In this episode, I get to talk with Amber, Amber Waves of Brain on social, about how she went from flipping Patagonia fleeces to partn...

Escaping the Financial Vortex: How to Break Free from the Debt and Spending Cycle with Brian Muller Ever feel like you’re trapped in a financial vortex ? Are you working harder, earning more, but somehow never getting ahead? You’re not alone. In this episode host Chris Luger sits down with financial coach Brian Muller to shred through the chaos of consumer debt, lifestyle creep, and the mental tra...

Building Better Financial Habits with FinanceRox | 081 It's time to building better financial habits with FinanceRox! From poverty to buying a house in cash, Roxanne of FinanceRox proves that confidence and consistency can crush money stress. In this episode, we dig into the real psychology of financial habits. Discover why we fall into bad ones, how to rewire our brains for better ones, and...

Choosing a health insurance plan doesn’t have to suck — and this week, we’re proving it. In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , I get to sit down with Mike Anderson , owner of Anderson Benefit Partners , and one of the rare humans that make health insurance actually make sense. Open enrollment is here, premiums are totally skyrocketing, plans are changing, and one major carrier jus...

Work Less, Live More and Own Your Time with Andy Hill | 079 In this powerful episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris Luger sits down with Andy Hill , Accredited Financial Counselor®, author of Own Your Time: 10 Financial Steps to Put Your Family First and Escape the Corporate Grind , and creator of Marriage, Kids and Money . Andy shares how he and his wife went from overworked corpora...

No 4 year Degree, No Problem: Rock Your Way to a Successful Career with Brian Dolan | 078 Do you think you need a four-year degree to land your dream job? Think again. In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris sits down with Brian Dolan , a Worldwide Technical Leader to talk about how he built a career without a traditional college degree. From washing cars and driving trucks to...

How Gen Z Thinks About Money! Lessons from 21-Year-Old Financial Expert Candela Larson | E077 Candela Larson isn’t your typical 21-year-old. She’s a STEM scholar, entrepreneur, and licensed financial professional who’s already stacking credentials like Series 7 and 66 before most people finish grad school. In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris Luger sits down with Candela La...

Charitable Giving and Tax Strategies with Sean Mullaney, The FI Tax GuyIt’s time to shred your confusion about taxes and charitable giving. In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show, Chris from Heavy Metal Money sits down with Sean Mullaney — also known as the FI Tax Guy — to talk about how upcoming 2025–2026 tax changes could impact your charitable giving, deductions, and retirement pl...

PPO, HMO, HSA, FSA… WTF? Understanding Employee Benefits with HR Pro Veronica Barnas | E075Open enrollment season is here — but don’t just click “same as last year.” This week on The Extreme Personal Finance Show, Chris sits down with HR powerhouse Veronica Barnas, a 20-year Human Resources veteran specializing in employee benefits. They break down the alphabet soup of benefits — PPOs, HSAs, FSAs,...

Long-Term Investing That Actually Works with Jesse Cramer | E074https://youtu.be/dVtYp07ZNSYWhat happens when a rocket scientist becomes a fiduciary wealth advisor? You get Jesse Cramer — the mind behind The Best Interest blog and host of Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors. In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show, Chris and Jesse talk about what really makes long-term investing...

In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris sits down with Lauren Aumond , host of the Adulting Is Easy podcast and real estate investor who became a millionaire by age 31 and retired from corporate life at 33! Lauren shares her journey from buying her first house at 23, building a diverse portfolio of long-term and short-term rentals, and creating financial systems that gave her...

In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show, Chris sits down with Cletus Coffey—former professional and world champion athlete turned motivational speaker and coach for single dads and business owners. Cletus opens up about his journey from chasing money and titles to building a life of truth, authenticity, and freedom. He shares how men often tie their identity to the “scoreboard” of bus...

Mountains, Money, and Community of Longmont, Colorado | 071 In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris sits down with Amy from Longmont, Colorado—the so-called FIRE Mecca made famous by Mr. Money Mustache. Amy shares her story of moving from Michigan to Longmont, and how this vibrant community has become a hub for financial independence seekers. We dive into what makes Longmont s...

The Magic of the EconoMe Conference and Community with Diania Merriam In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris sits down with Diania Merriam , founder of the EconoMe Conference and host of Optimal Finance Daily . Diania shares her inspiring journey from racking up $30,000 in debt while living large in New York City, to discovering the FIRE movement, and eventually creating one...

What if the life you’ve been sold is a scam? At CampFI Midwest, Chris Luger—founder of Heavy Metal Money—delivered a powerful message about cranking life up to 11 and living on your own terms. In this presentation, Chris dives into: Why the “default life path” of school, work, retire, and die is broken How to reclaim your identity after setbacks and rewrite your story Building a mindset that fuels...

How to Retire Early (Even If You’re Starting Late) This is an automated translation from the blogpost: Do You Want To Retire Early?  https://heavymetal.money/howtoretireearly/ Think early retirement is only for tech bros and trust fund babies? Think again. In this blogcast episode, we're tearing down the myths and breaking down exactly how you can retire early —even if you're behind, bro...

Ever wonder what really goes down at CampFI ? Spoiler: it’s not just a bunch of nerds sitting around spreadsheets in the woods In this special live episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , I take you inside CampFI 2025 Midwest Week 1 . Recorded in front of a live audience, you’ll hear from campers on why CampFI is more than a retreat—it’s a financial independence festival where money nerds,...

Doom Spending: Retail Therapy or Financial Sabotage? This is an automated translation from the blogpost: Doom Spending: The Destructive Financial Habit https://heavymetal.money/doomspending/ In this blogcast episode, we dive into the chaos-fueled spending habits known as doom spending. From late-night Amazon hauls to buying crap you don’t need just to feel alive—this one's for every rebel who...

In this electrifying episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , we sit down with Dr. Paris Woods—award-winning education leader, social entrepreneur, and author of the #1 bestseller The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom . With over 120,000 copies sold, her book is flipping the script on how we talk about money, especially for women of color. Paris shares her powerful personal story of ri...

How AI Is Changing the Way We Manage Money This is an automated translation from the blogpost: How AI Is Changing the Way We Manage Money  https://heavymetal.money/moneyandai  Artificial Intelligence isn’t just for robots and sci-fi movies—it’s now headbanging its way into your bank account. In this blogcast episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , we break down how AI is transforming everyt...

In this powerhouse episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , Chris sits down with personal finance legend and podcasting icon Joe Saul-Sehy —host of Stacking Benjamins and co-author of Stacked: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management . They dive into: How humor and storytelling can supercharge financial learning Why most financial advice is either too serious, too salesy, or strai...

What if you didn’t have to wait until 65 to slow down? In this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show , we sit down with Scott Folland, a physician assistant and FIRE movement enthusiast, to talk about the art of living intentionally before traditional retirement. Scott shares how a sabbatical and some well-timed lifestyle choices allowed him to downshift from full-time work to a 4-day workw...

Demystifying Your Credit Score: A Financial Report Card This is an automated translation from the blogpost: Demystifying Credit Scores: Your Financial Report Card and Why It Matters https://heavymetal.money/creditscores/ Think credit scores are just for loans? Think again. In this blogcast episode, we go full shred mode on the mysterious world of credit scores —what they are, how they’re calculate...

Why do smart people make dumb money decisions? Certified Financial Planner and financial journalist Hanna Horvath joins Chris on this episode of The Extreme Personal Finance Show to dive deep into the psychology behind our money behavior. From childhood money beliefs to doom spending and Gen Z’s financial nihilism, Hanna breaks down how our unconscious money scripts shape everything—from how we bu...