Investing is Risky. Do it Anyway w/ Jesse Cramer #872
Aug 28, 2024
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Join financial educator Jesse Cramer, who traded a stable aerospace engineering job for a passion in personal finance. Together, they tackle the upsides of career transitions and the dangers of an overly conservative investment approach. Jesse shares strategies for managing risk, why diversifying investments matters, and offers alternative college savings insights. They discuss the importance of aligning finances with life goals and the realities of Social Security. Dive into a conversation that balances calculated risks with the rewards of smart investing!
Jesse Kramer emphasizes the importance of understanding investment risks and actively educating oneself about financial strategies for long-term growth.
The podcast discusses how transitioning careers for passion, like Kramer's shift to a fee-only wealth management firm, can enhance personal finance education.
Kramer highlights that managing family budgets becomes crucial for new parents, necessitating flexibility in financial planning to accommodate increasing expenses.
Deep dives
Supporting Military Homeownership
Navy Federal is dedicated to aiding military personnel and their families in achieving homeownership. Their innovative no-refi rate drop option allows buyers to secure a home at current rates while offering the ability to modify their rate for a small fee if interest rates decrease in the future. This feature addresses the unpredictability of current interest rate trends, making home purchasing more accessible. The organization also provides mortgage options with zero down payment, enabling individuals to buy homes without extensive savings.
Jesse Kramer on Financial Education
Jesse Kramer, a financial educator and advocate for personal finance awareness, emphasizes the value of understanding investment risks. He transitioned to a fee-only wealth management firm, leaving a lucrative career for the passion of educating others about financial literacy. Kramer highlights the importance of educating oneself about investment strategies and financial planning, urging individuals to take control of their money by learning how to navigate various financial pathways. His commitment to demystifying personal finance and making it accessible to everyone is a central theme in his discussions.
Risk in Investing
Investing inherently involves risk, but choosing not to invest can pose an even greater risk to financial growth. Individuals must assess their willingness, ability, and need to take on investment risk to align their financial strategies with their goals. For example, a young professional may have a high ability to recover from losses, thus allowing room for more aggressive investments, whereas someone close to retirement may prioritize capital preservation. This risk assessment is crucial for developing a sound investment strategy that matches personal circumstances.
Childbirth Financial Planning
Becoming a parent brings various financial considerations, ranging from childbirth costs to childcare expenses. Managing a budget effectively becomes even more crucial as new parents must plan for both expected and unexpected expenses, such as medical procedures. Kramer shares his experiences of budget adjustments needed to accommodate these new responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of flexibility in financial planning for families. Recognizing that certain expenditures are non-negotiable for the well-being of a child can lead to necessary shifts in overall financial strategies.
Navigating Social Security
Concerns about the stability of Social Security funds fuel discussions on retirement planning, particularly among younger generations. Experts indicate that while the trust fund may deplete by the mid-2030s, ongoing contributions will still cover a significant portion of promised benefits. This suggests that individuals should incorporate a conservative estimate of Social Security into their retirement planning without disregarding its potential value. Financial planners like Kramer advocate for recognizing these benefits while developing robust personal savings strategies to ensure financial security.
“Looking to the long-term upside potential of changing jobs” and “the ways that an overly pessimistic point of view can derail your life”, were just a couple of our big takeaways from talking with our friend Jesse Cramer, from The Best Interest. At his core, Jesse is a financial educator who strives to break down the bigger and nerdier personal finance topics into nuggets of wisdom that all can learn from. In fact, he loves personal finances so much that he stepped away from a lucrative and stable job as an aerospace engineer, in order to join a fiduciary fee-only wealth management firm. We discuss what kind of cojones it takes to start your own business, his alternative to a pure 529 approach to saving for college, how and why an overly conservative portfolio will crush you, what percentage of Social Security he thinks we can count on, and much more!
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