The Stacking Benjamins Show

Think of a money mistake you made early in your adult life. It might have been getting into trouble with credit cards or not saving into -- or even knowing about! -- your company's 401k plan, or maybe you didn't know how to budget. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself to avoid those sticky situations? Our guest today is passionate about helping the next generation beco...

In every household there are a few items that you purchase once and then never purchase again. For some of us, our goal is to find as many of these as possible so that we can invest our money in other ways. It turns out that investing in quality, guaranteed equipment that's more expensive up-front can actually pay huge dividends later. We'll ask our roundtable team of OG, Len Penzo (LenPenzo.com),...

Have you ever looked at your futon in your kitchen and thought, "Hey, I think I will rent that out to a stranger?" Believe it or not, our guest today, Avery Carl, has some friends who did exactly that. It gave her the idea to invest in short-term rentals as a stepping stone to building a more extensive real estate portfolio. Joe and Avery discuss having an income to support lending criteria, the p...

How would your life be different if you spent more time designing and less time winging it? Would you be where you are now, or would you be working on more fulfilling projects? Today on our show we talk with Kevin Bethune, the author of the new book Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation . He has reimagined and redesigned his career a few times over, going from working in nuclear power...

You've probably been told to live in the present at some point in your life but does that do more harm than good when it comes to your finances? Splurging on that purchase today might feel good in the moment but is it going to make 'future you' happy too? Thinking about ourselves in the future is hard. Our roundtable today discusses this topic. Jason Hallonquist, Paula Pant and Len Penzo join our...

Have you checked in with your health lately? Stacking those Benjamins is awesome but it means nothing if your health holds you back from doing the things you enjoy in life. Our guest today shares an incredible story of the scary moment she realized she was constantly running at full speed ahead. Dr. Amy Shah joins us to share that story and her journey to better overall health. She explains how ho...

You'd never fall for it, right? Scams can look so obvious from the outside. "How could they have let that happen?" we ask. Reading about Bernie Madoff or some of these other big "scammers" from history, it's easy to think of how gullible the victims must have been. Being in the midst of it, though, leads to the true, deeper, and disturbing story. Radhia Gleis knows how scams work because she was i...

How can you tell if someone is rich or poor? It's not as simple as looking at what someone buys or where they live. Being rich is about more than the size of your wallet. To round out our rewind week, today our roundtable discusses this topic. They share their thoughts on what it means to be rich and what that really means. This episode originally aired in 2019 so ignore and mention of giveaways o...

Have you ever been overwhelmed by all the choices that come with employee benefits? From health insurance to retirement savings, child care and an HSA vs FSA, there's can be no shortage of benefits to choose from. Amanda Lannert joined us to share the details on some popular employee benefits. This episode aired in 2020 so be sure to ignore any mention of current giveaways or events. See our origi...

Are you looking to spring clean your finances? Get organized and on the right track to crush your goals this year. We've got Gary Burnison here to help you clean up your resume and land your dream job. It's the start of our rewind week, and this episode originally aired in 2018, so ignore any mention of current giveaways or events. See our original show notes here . Enjoy! Learn more about your ad...

Do you have a family money philosophy? A money philosophy can simply be an idea of what you do and don't value. Or it can be as complex as a charitable giving strategy or a very specific spending plan. There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to a money philosophy. Today our roundtable is sharing their money philosophy and they talk about mapping goals, spending based on values, how they tau...

Do you ever feel like you just don't have much influence over others? Not in a negative way, but in a way where you wish people would truly hear you. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and re-evaluate what we are trying to accomplish. Zoe Chance is an expert in influence, the author of the new hit book Influence Is Your Superpower, and also teaches the most popular class on the topic at Ya...

Looking for a few quick money wins? Personal finance, and developing a complete financial plan can be overwhelming, but you don't have to start by climbing that mountain. Today Joe and OG are sharing their top five easy money tips. They talk about automating your financial life, writing down your debts, reviewing subscriptions and our favorite, HSA accounts. They're giving you easy tips to get sta...

Have you seen -- or used -- those popular buy now, pay later apps? They seem to be on almost every website as an easy way to split your purchase into several payments, all interest-free. As tempting as it may be, the downsides might hurt your wallet in the long run. While paying in installments with no interest might work out for the best for some purchases, it can also lead to a habit of overspen...

How important is spending less on what you don't need? Today our guest will share why you may want to rethink your laisse-faire attitude about minimalism. We'll tackle a big a-ha for savers with a tax strategy you haven't heard, plus, it's Joe's birthday, and he's looking to be inspired. So today, we're excited to hear from YOU and some of the great things you all are working on. We have three gre...

We're chucking the expensive flowers and chocolates that go right to your hips this Valentine's Day. Instead, let's share the love by bringing on the Benjamins! Are you looking to up your finance game? Maybe you have debt you'd like to pay off, an expensive soon-to-be ex-spouse, or you're looking to just be more intentional with your money. On the love side of the equation, Anjie and RJ from the h...

Ever wish there were small changes you could make that would have big impacts on your money situation? We've heard the big ideas such as start a side job or max out your retirement accounts, but what if that's just not in the cards? Today our roundtable is lining up a bunch of ideas that aren't huge, but that collectively can help you get the ball rolling with your financial picture. They discuss...

What financial mistakes could you have avoided? Most of us learned personal finance the hard way, by stumbling through life without training and learning from our mistakes. Unfortunately, most schools don't have a personal finance class that teaches students about budgeting, saving, or what the word "taxes" actually means. Peter Lazaroff is chief investment officer at Plancorp and a CFP® who share...

How did the founding fathers of the United States make a living after the Revolutionary War? Believe it or not, they had to make some choices similar to ones you may have had to make when struggling with money. Washington took a job just because it paid well. Franklin juggled many "side gigs" to bring in money. Sound familiar? Today is our 10 year podcasting anniversary, so we are throwing it back...

Do you prefer in-person interactions or using apps for things like banking and personal finance? We're giving you both sides of the coin today. Banking has evolved and apps give us almost the same capabilities as walking into the bank, so do we still need physical bank branches? Our roundtable today shares their thoughts on banking and what banks can do to excel in this world of technology. Harlan...

Will more money make you happier? If you've never heard the phrase 'more money, more problems,' today's episode is for you. Money CAN buy you independence, but only if you know how to use it. Nicole Lapin is a New York Times best-selling author and joins us to talk about being intentional with our money. Having loads of cash is great but it goes bye-bye quickly without concrete goals and values. S...

Did you participate in the Gamestop trading craze last year? If you didn't -- and had FOMO while small traders banded together and took down "the man" -- we're going to help you feel better today by diving into what really went down. From short selling to Reddit and Robinhood, our guest today shares it all. Spencer Jakab's interest in Gamestop was piqued when his son was talking about Reddit threa...

Ever buy something just because of the advertising? I think everyone has at one time or another. Marketing affects our purchases. It's almost like advertisers know what we need before we know! Today we're looking at the marketing tactics behind a staple food...eggs. How does egg marketing relate to our finances? Our roundtable wasn't sure at first either but they have some great advice! Brittany G...

Has any well-meaning rich person told you to "follow your passion" when it comes to achieving your goals? Also, how comfortable are you with getting out of your comfort zone? Do you actually need to leave your comfort zone to succeed? Today's guest believes both of these ideas aren't true, and she has a Tedx talk that was watched by over 7 million people and a new hit book to prove it. Terri Tresp...

How's the clutter around your house? Too many Amazon boxes laying around to count? Good news, we are sharing ways to help both the environment, your ability to focus, and your wallet today. Tara McKenna joins us to share her journey to living a largely zero-waste lifestyle. It wasn't always easy, but she found some surprising results, and you could too with just a few simple changes to your lifest...