The Stacking Benjamins Show

In today's roundtable, we dream the same dream that millions of lottery ticket buyers dream week in and week out: what would you do if you pick the right six numbers in the correct sequence? Beyond the lottery, how do you effectively manage any lump sum of Benjamins that may appear in your account? Our elite 3 roundtable panelists dive into the deep end when it comes to taxes, inheritance, and expected/unexpected windfalls. Joining us today is a lady who knows a little something about managing money efficiently. Paula Pant; the man who probably has the winner's phone number on speed dial, Len Penzo; and the CFP extraordinaire who may or may not have worked with lottery winners in the past (but he won't tell us), OG! Then we hear a heartwarming story of another winner who fulfilled his promise that he had jokingly made with his stepdaughter by letting her know that; unfortunately, she would have to start paying her phone bill - as a result of her reaping the $200,000 prize. The disappointing part of this story is that she plans to spend it all on a combination of home improvements and splurge on a big family vacation, with no mention of anything being saved or invested. Have you made a plan of what you would do if/when you come into a big sum of Benjamins? Let us know in our Facebook group, The Basement!In the second part of the show, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, we put our money nerd hats on and talk about how we'd invest a huge sum of money.Plus, stick around for Doug who tries to lift our spirits by bringing some bubbly trivia.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/lotteryDeeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Advisors aren't all created equal. Besides charging different fees and performing vastly different services, some just aren't very good at their job. So today we give you our top five clues that your advisor might not be right for you. By the end of the episode, you'll have a much better idea whether the team you've hired or are looking to hire is up to the task of helping you make better decisions.Before that, we dive into a headline about investors who are too bullish. How do good advisors help you rein it in? We'll share some of the best practices one piece has to share and add in our own. Plus, we'll throw out the Have Life line to a lucky caller AND we'll also dish out some of Doug's delectable trivia.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/top-5-financial-advisor-red-flags-1390Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

No more pushbacks. No more reprieve. If you have student loans, interest begins again in September and payments resume in October. That means you need a plan TODAY. That's why we invited debt expert Leslie Tayne to the basement to help you create a plan to change your budget, crush your student loans, and get on with your life. We'll chat about other legislation working through Congress, how to think about repayment options, and what to do if you can't repay your debt.In our TikTok minute we present an experience that many in relationships can relate to...it seems like possibly a great use of money! You'll hear exactly what magic this TikTok'er is suggesting just before we dive into our headline about index funds. It seems that a couple of your favorite indexes are in the process of rebalancing. What does that mean to you and your investments? We'll share.But that's not all. We'll share more diversification tips with today's Haven Life line caller, who wants to know how exactly the efficient frontier works. We'll dive into that AND into Doug's delicious trivia question...and maybe even more (of course)!FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/debt-resolutions-with-leslie-tayne-1389Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does using your retirement plan as a path to a cool million sound to you? Are the existing tools that are currently available to most of us enough to get us there, or do changes need to be made to update the rules around what investments are accessible to the masses? Joining us to tackle this important issue, we welcome Stephanie McCullough from the Take Back Retirement podcast. Also, we're happy to welcome back our friends who are ready to talk retirement at the drop of a hat, Paula Pant and Len Penzo.We also dive deeper into actionable best practices for Stackers who are just starting out by addressing the question of how to be aggressive without overdoing it on the risk.Plus, stick around for Doug's constructive trivia question! Will Len extend his stranglehold on the lead? Will Paula demonstrate that she deserves to remain squarely not-in-last-place? Will Stephanie do OG a solid and lift him out of the sole cellar-dweller spot?For full show notes go to https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/all-about-401ks-roundtable-1388Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a rare look we bring you today "behind the curtain." Credit unions are owned by members and serve (in most cases) a community of people. In theory, they should be your go-to resource for financial matters. So why are they often your second resource (if you think of them at all) behind banks? Banks, owned by shareholders and not at all beholden to customers (Bank of America said out loud during an earnings call last year that they don't pay more on savings because customers aren't demanding it!).There's good news on the way, though...Joe was emcee of the relEVENT Conference at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and while there, he found out SO MANY innovative ideas from leaders in the credit union space. Not only are they already leading the way in individual communities...they're also working hard to get even better. Today we'll share short interviews with a number of experts at the conference about the future of credit unions, what leaders are thinking about, and what's available now that you may have not known.It's a mega-episode at over 75 minutes...but certainly a rare look at the other side of the table at what "they're thinking" while they're trying to help you with a car loan, mortgage, savings account, or other services.Thanks to Jeff Klein and Choice Creative Solutions for asking Joe to emcee. Need maybe the world's greatest emcee for your event? Head to joesaulsehy.com.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/credit-union-relevent-conference-live-1387Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may not know Jeff Smulyan's name, but you know what he's done. The creator of New York's famous The Fan radio station and the former owner of the Seattle Mariners baseball franchise joins us today to talk about lessons learned during his tumultuous career. Experience teaches you to learn from your mistakes and Jeff isn't afraid to share his (along with, of course, the huge wins he's had that shape an incredibly successful career). We'll talk about managing talent like Don Imus and trying to manage people double your age when you're leading in your twenties. It's a wide-ranging, thought provoking interview.In a rare treat, you'll also get TWO headlines today. First, an antiquated payment system is finally (maybe) being taken out to the trash. What is it? We'll share news from the Federal Reserve today...along with a second headline about your estate plan. The government has quietly changed the game around sheltering money in your estate. How does it work? We'll share that as well, plus steps you should take right now to make sure your estate is handled as you wish.Of course, we still will throw out the Haven Life line to a lucky Stacker, dive into a TikTok minute, and let you ponder Doug's trivia question about a huge hit song that was released (and that earned lots of Benjamins) on today's date back in 1984.FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/entrepreneurship-rollercoaster-lessons-jeff-smulyan-1386Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are some of the most valuable lessons in money that you've acquired over your lifetime? Money education is a lifelong process. Today, our weekly roundtable reviews one popular author's list of money lessons, and we'll add a few of our own. We also welcome co-host of the Talking Real Money podcast and the owner of one of the smoothest voices in the industry, Don McDonald. Joining us from NYC, recent Columbia graduate and host of our sister show, Afford Anything, Paula Pant. And the roundtable panelist who has the most life experience of our regular panelists - by a long shot - we welcome back creator of the award-winning blog LenPenzo.com, Len Penzo.In the second half of the show, our panelists add their own life money lessons.Doug dazzles us with a piece of head scratching NYC-related trivia. Will Paula be able to make the most of her homefield advantage to pull out the win? Does Don have an ace up his sleeve with some inside knowledge? Will Len extend his lead and bring home the dub?FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/money-lessons-roundtable-1385Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we hear from our amazing community...and you will never be more motivated than after hearing their stories. First, we were excited to begin with TJ because so many of us live in an area a coach of ours calls "the gap." That's the state of mind where you're always thinking about how much more you have to do, how far behind you are, and how nothing in life is the way you want it to be. Yet, for most of us, it's actually far better to think about our successes. TJ celebrates earning money, among other cool things. Today he shares how he realized he'd earned a million dollars...and then how he threw himself a party to mark that big moment. Plus, he chats about some of the other cool milestones he tracks. Then we turn to Annette, who takes full advantage of a community resource that we'll bet 99% of you have available, and that every study shows is underutilized. It can save you THOUSANDS of dollars and also help clean up the clutter at home. What is it? You'll have to listen to find out!And finally (but definitely not least!) we talk to Skyler who climbed a mountain many never reach: he's created 100 episodes of his podcast, Money Talk with Skyler Fleming. He tells us why he started a podcast (and the lessons YOU should take from this), plus discusses some of the incredible conversations he's had and lessons learned from the first 100. We know how hard it is to make ONE episode, so to make 100 is an incredible accomplishment.Today we have a special co-host, Kate Younkin, who leads our social team along with mom's friend Gertrude, and who helped us pick these special stories from a list of hundreds of cool things you're all doing. She shares why these are so worth sharing and what we can glean from all three of these Stackers.Of course, we still saved time for Doug's trivia...and so much more! FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/community-episode-1384Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready to kick your credit game into high gear, even if you come from a less-than-ideal credit background? We go straight to Christina Roman, who lives and breathes credit as part of her job as Consumer Education and Advocacy Manager at credit bureau Experian. She shares a ton of wisdom about the importance of maintaining a stellar credit report - and what steps to take to improve your credit score. Listen up, especially Millennial and Gen Z Stackers!In today's headline, we dive into the topic of "periodic retirement." Why wait on pins and needles until you're completely done with your career, only to experience disappointment with retirement reality? Plus, what's guaranteeing that we'll be able to even live long enough to enjoy the fruits of our labor in retirement years? Doc G from Earn & Invest joins Joe, and Doug and brings his unique perspective as a hospice doctor to this very personal topic. Plus, we throw out the Haven Lifeline to Jay, who has a question about replacing bonds in his IRA with CDs.Add to that Doug's frosty-themed trivia!FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/Millennials-Gen-Z-Credit-Clinic-with-Christina-Roman-1383Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you ready to supercharge your productivity and unlock your full potential? Today, we're diving deep into the world of productivity and sharing some of the best practices to help you find your stride. Get ready for a spirited roundtable debate featuring our esteemed roundtable contributors: Doc G from Earn & Invest, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and our very own OG.In the first part of our discussion, we'll review a compilation of 50 top productivity hacks. Prepare for a rigorous debate as we weigh in on the effectiveness of these hacks. From time management techniques to prioritization strategies, we'll explore it all.But that's not all! In the second part of the discussion, our roundtable contributors will reveal their personal go-to productivity hacks. Learn from the experts themselves as they share their secrets for staying focused and getting things done.And be sure to keep up with our ongoing weekly trivia duel! This week, Doug brings a French twist to the party. Which panelist will emerge victorious, and will they all keep their heads? Jouir! (Enjoy!)FULL SHOW NOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/productivity-hacks-friday-roundtable-1382Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices