The Stacking Benjamins Show

(See our note on sound quality below...this is below par but an EXCELLENT episode). Happy Labor Day, Stackers! We're kicking off fall with fantasy football, pumpkin spice lattes, and some good ol' retirement planning. There's no time like today to get your financial plan in order. Emily Guy Birken not only co-wrote Stacked with Joe, she's also written several other books AND came on our show a few...

Trying to cut back on spending? Now that vacation season is coming to a close and it's back to school for many people, lots of us are thinking of ways to tighten the belt. Today, our roundtable discusses proven ways to save money. Everything from drinking coffee at home to automating your savings to cancelling subscriptions are discussed. Headed into a holiday weekend we decided to make it Game Sh...

What's cooking this holiday weekend? Labor Day picnics are just around the corner and tons of people like you are planning festive weekend fun. Not sure what food to prep? Not great with the grill? We've got you covered. Chef Marie Saba joins us with not only LOTS of puns from her hilarious new book, but she also shares some delicious and easy recipes to make your Labor Day picnic or get-together...

When life gets you down, it's easy to fall into a death spiral of negativity. The harder choice? Figuring out how adversity makes you stronger and picking yourself back up for another round. Twila True was born into the Lakota tribe, in the poorest county in the United States. From a young age, she knew she wanted to find her own way and not rely on another person for financial stability. Today sh...

Every year the personal finance community comes together for the Plutus Awards, an annual ceremony that shines a light on some of the best and brightest brands in our space. If you're looking for new podcasts to listen to, new blogs to read, videos to watch, or social media to follow, you're going to love today's show. We start off this special episode with a simulcast of the actual award reveal,...

What does your dream retirement look like? One popular blogger had high expectations for retirement, and now, four years in, reviews some WOW unexpected changes in his life. If you've ever fantasized about how you'll spend your retirement days, today's show is for you. What if it doesn't go as planned? Our regulars (OG, Paula Pant and Len Penzo) are back for Paula's last episode for the next 10 mo...

ON a recent Money Rehab podcast episode, financial commentator Nicole Lapin brought up some pretty explosive reactions to words said by talk show host Dave Ramsey. On today's show, we ask the basic question, "Do commentators attacking each other hinder their efforts to spread financial literacy?" But, we also zero in on exactly what language Ramsey used that Lapin objects to. We invited her on the...

Today, Joe and OG are answering YOUR questions, and man do we have some good ones. They explain deflation in more detail, dive into dollar cost averaging, talk about shifting your investment allocation, and talk about the importance of keeping your accounts safe online. In our headline segment, we talk to Ken Tumin from MagnifyMoney about their recent saving index survey. Are Americans saving more...

Are the grocery store and gas pump killing your Stacked vibe? While tightening the budget belt is one way to control your finances, you can't shrink your way to greatness. Today we'll present another option: increasing your income! Today we'll share lots of ideas on how to make money...so many that in fact, we hope you'll finish this show realizing that a future side hustle idea is closer than you...

Where do your best money habits come from? As a kid, did you have chores and earn an allowance? Were you told all debt is bad? Or maybe your family never talked about money growing up? Our guest today grew up with family mantra that she can still recite perfectly today, a "repenting bench," and a chore list that required bidding and negotiation. Paige Cornetet learned awesome lessons from her fath...

Do you have a dream that hasn't yet been achieved? Are you fascinated with the sinking of the Titanic? If so on either account, you aren't alone. The Titanic's demise is one of the most famous shipwreck stories that has been told over and over again by survivors, and dreaming? Well, that's natural. We all want better. So how do these two ideas mesh? While some dreamt of riches bringing the ship ba...

Game of Thrones tells us that "Winter is coming." While we're not sure about that, we DO know that fall is just around the corner, vacation time is over, and it's time to get serious again about work. So how do you hit reboot and get in gear to hit September running? If the end of summer is making you anxious, we've got you covered today because our roundtable is sharing tips and tricks to staying...

Have you looked through your closet lately? Have you closely examined the people around you? Today's guest's father married the two once, when he told her, "Your friends are like the clothes in your closet." Jen Principe is a stylist for the stars, whose passion for fashion started at a young age. While now her life seems perfect, Jen's childhood was a horrible mix of abuse, alcohol, getting kicke...

Tired of the constant talk about inflation? Don't tune out yet because we are back with the MOST interesting and fun look at the cost of rising prices....Len Penzo's annual sandwich survey. He's on the 14th year of his iconic survey and he's here today to share this year's results. Will the BLT remain the most expensive sandwich of all that he follows? Will bologna stay at the bottom? Len shares t...

How organized is your financial life? Is it a jumble in your head? How much complexity is a good thing...diversification, accounts at different institutions... and how much complexity is truly just disorganization? To help attack the complexity problem and create a simpler, more fluid financial life, today we welcome CFP Dawn Dahlby to chat with financial writer Paulette Perhach and Len Penzo. The...

Are you truly living? Following your passions, doing what you love and finding purpose in life? The balance between living for today and saving for the future can be hard. How do you fulfill both sides of the equation? Jordan Grumet, aka Doc G, is a hospice doctor who takes care of patients at the end of their life. He's witnessed both sides of the spectrum: people who died with immense love and p...

Ever feel stuck? Are you sometimes suspicious that maybe what's in standing in between you and goals goals is...you? Today's guest knows that our brain does a great job of tricking us into thinking we can't accomplish something. Colin O'Brady not only summited Mt. Everest twice, he's also the first person to trek across Antartica solo, unassisted. He shares how limiting beliefs restrict us from ch...

Is your wallet feeling the HUGE pressure of rising prices? Groceries, autos, travel...nearly everything costs more today than it did a year ago. If you're feeling the budget crunch, we've got you covered with hacks and tips to keep costs down. Our roundtable today is discussing a piece on hacks to fight inflation and they talk about everything from the value (or not?) of Costco memberships, buying...

We all have a money story, and today we're sharing some of YOUR most inspiring ones. What makes personal finance really awesome is when we can come together and share stories to inspire and motivate others. Today we talk to three stackers who have done incredible things with their money and learned lots of lessons along the way. Katie was deep in debt for years before paying it off and entering he...

Being part of a cult isn't something you'd normally want to flaunt, but today's guest leads a "cult" in the FIRE community that you'd love to be in, because you value saving money, finding your "why" in life, and seeking financial independence. Even if you aren't part of the FIRE community, you'll recognize today's guest. Pete Adeney, aka Mr. Money Mustache, sat down with Joe to talk about family...

If you planned for late summer or early fall travel at the beginning of the year (or heck, even the beginning of summer), your budget now looks ugly. Although gas prices have retreated, they're still significantly higher than only a few months ago. Airline fares are sky high, and hotel pricing plus rental car fees have also seen inflation. Today we're coming to the rescue of those travel plans, di...

In the 1940's mutual funds helped the average investor achieve what rich people had known for a long time: that diversification can save your net worth from ruined. In the 1990s exchange traded funds began to trade in serious volumes, with the pace only accelerating. Where do we go from here? Rich Compson, the Head of Managed Accounts at Fidelity Investments joins us to share a solution he and oth...

When you're "winning" at work it's easy to double down and think, "I'm going to work even harder and the results will multiply." This is the first move in a long, painful set of lessons for most people who learn the hard way that working harder doesn't always equal working smarter. Jodi Katz sees this mistake often in the rough-and wild world of beauty. The popular podcaster and beauty media compa...

How many times have you told yourself that you really, really needed to buy something and acted on emotion? If you bought, did it wreck your credit, your savings, or your budget? Did you feel huge regret after the purchase? Spending is emotional and emotion drives a lot of our spending - and investing - decisions. Our roundtable today talks about emotional spending and how it relates to your overa...

Ever wondered what an "authentic" real estate fix-up story sounds like, instead of the magical rehab stories that make things look way-too-easy on television? Good news, Carl and Mindy Jensen have done everything from house hacking, fix-and-flip, and buy-and-hold real estate investments. They are here today to share their real estate investing successes and horror stories, Carl's final 1500 day co...