Choosing and upgrading smoke alarms

Some episodes help you protect your money. Some help you protect everything your money makes possible. This episode does both.

Joe Saul-Sehy and OG welcome fire safety expert Steve Kerber from UL's Fire Safety Research Institutes, who delivers simple, practical, "do this today" steps that dramatically increase your home's safety. From upgrading outdated smoke alarms to understanding lithium-ion battery risks to spotting hidden hazards most people walk past every single day, Steve gives everyday Stackers the tools to keep their homes and families safer. This isn't scare tactics. It's straightforward guidance from someone who's spent his career studying what actually prevents fires and saves lives.

Then the show shifts gears for the headline segment. Joe and OG unpack T. Rowe Price's latest Global Retirement Survey to explore what savers around the world are most anxious about right now. How are people adapting to inflation? Are retirement expectations shifting across different countries? What can you learn from how others are handling the same fears you probably have? The data reveals patterns that might surprise you and insights you can actually use to build more confidence in your own retirement planning.

Between these two segments, you'll get Doug's trivia throwdown, a TikTok detour through airport lounge mythology, and a few classic basement moments that remind you why this show mixes serious topics with serious fun. It's a wide-ranging episode packed with actionable takeaways and a good reminder that your financial plan works best when your home, your health, and your long-term outlook are all protected.

What You'll Walk Away With:

• The small home safety upgrades that make the biggest difference in fire prevention

• Why smoke alarms fail more often than you think and how to pick the right replacement

• Lithium-ion battery safety covering where to store them, what to avoid, and which myths to ignore

• How real-world fire prevention thinking overlaps with smart financial planning habits

• What savers around the world worry about most when it comes to retirement

• How inflation, longevity concerns, and economic uncertainty are reshaping retirement expectations globally

• Practical steps to feel more confident about your long-term retirement plan based on what the data reveals

• Permission to take simple safety steps today that your future self will thank you for

This Episode Is For You If:

• You can't remember the last time you checked your smoke alarms (or know they're overdue for replacement)

• You've got lithium-ion batteries around the house but aren't sure if you're storing them safely

• You're curious what retirement worries look like around the world and how yours compare

• You want retirement insights based on actual data instead of just one expert's opinion

• You believe protecting what you have is just as important as growing what you're building

Before You Hit Play, Ask Yourself:

When's the last time you actually tested your smoke alarms or checked their expiration dates? And what's your biggest retirement worry right now? Drop both answers in the comments because Steve's fire safety tips and the global retirement data might address fears you didn't even realize were universal.

FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/holiday-fire-safety-tips-steve-kerber-1774

Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201

Enjoy!

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