The Stacking Benjamins Show

'Tis the season for parties, gatherings, AND....awkward discussions with people you need for networking opportunities. Public speaking creates massive anxiety for many people, and even more so during the holiday season with endless parties and get-togethers. But guess what? Being an introvert, shy or anxious isn't a defining characteristic. Public speaking is a skill that you can build and actually excel at. Our guest today, John Bowe, saw this first-hand with a family member. His step-cousin went from an introvert whom no one understood to unbelievably finding a spouse. The big turning point was learning how to connect with people. John shares how we can all connect with others better and become better speakers.In our headline segment, we are talking about diversification. Many people get it wrong when it comes to diversification. We share why and how you can smooth out the bumpy ride in the stock market with diversification. We'll also answer Ricky's question about his mom's IRA allocation and Doug will share his trivia.Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/john-bowe-1286.Deeper 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

We dive deep today into the creation of a new podcast series from FastCompany about women and work FastCompany scoured the nation to find mother/daughter pairs to tell their own stories of the world of work. How they created the series is a testament to the power of working toward excellence, but the topic itself is also beyond compelling. 43% of women leave the workforce after having children, which is disturbingly often not always their preferred choice. Today we talk with Kate Davis, FastCompany Deputy Editor about the American Dream and women and what we all can do to improve our ability to earn more and to help others earn. While it's true that you can't change history, women often face challenges today in the workplace that should have been resolved years ago, so we discuss what we can do now. We'll also share clips from several of those women, and Kate offers additional research and solutions based on her work.Is Congress bringing some changes to retirement plans? It looks likely, though currently the government is sitting on the Secure 2.0 bill with a deadline just a few weeks away. We'll talk about the changes proposed in the bill and how to get your retirement savings on track whether or not this legislation passes. We'll also answer Timmy's question about brokered CDs and Doug will share his trivia.Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/kate-davis-1285.Deeper 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 is your tipping etiquette? Tipping at restaurants is more straightforward than tipping at a coffee shop or when you order takeout. Even more complicated is tipping for services like hair salons or your trash service provider. How do you determine how much to tip and when? Our roundtable today shares their thoughts. Barbara Sloan (Tipped Finance), Len Penzo (len penzo dot com), and OG join us to talk about their tipping habits. They also talk about tipping in unusual situations and what to do when someone swings the iPad around for you to add a tip. And, of course, Doug will continue his tipping-themed trivia for our annual competition.Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1284.Deeper 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

Do you ever look around your house and wonder how you accumulated so much stuff? It's the holiday season and you're about to bring in even more. There's stuff everywhere and we keep buying more. "Spring cleaning" is a great idea, but today's guest believes that decluttering your life begins with deciding what you actually bring INTO your home to begin with.Tracy McCubbin is our favorite organizational expert who's learned the hard way. Her father is a hoarder, and she's seen firsthand the mess it can create in people's lives. Tracy joins us today to talk about decluttering your house and your life and shares some of the most common clutter magnets.Crypto is back in the news and back in our headline segment. This time, we focus on crypto arbitrage. What is that and should you try it? Joe and OG will explain. Then we'll answer an anonymous (aka Janet) caller's question about simplifying the number of funds in her 401k account. And of course, Doug will share his trivia.Find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/tracy-mccubbin-1283.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today YOU are in the driver's seat with questions about annuities, opening accounts, the stock market, savings account options, unclaimed property, and more...but before that, we dive into a headline on real estate that could make you think twice before investing in it. We'll share details and what questions you should ask regarding these "deals." Plus we share a TikTok minute sure to make you think about your utility bills differently, AND Doug also asks a trivia question you just might get right.You can find the full show notes at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/listener-questions-1282.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tired of not knowing how to get into money topics with friends OR sick of boring holiday parties where someone picked out a lame game from Walmart? We'll solve BOTH problems today with our friends from the Australia-based YouTube channel Thinker Themer, Amy and Maggie! They're board game reviewers who walk us through two lists, one detailing great games introducing people to money or economic themes, and the other with party games that will be sure to entertain your friends and family over this holiday season. They're sure to bring some games you've never heard of that can provide hours of entertainment for a lot less money than a night at a bar or trip to the local cinema.You'll find show notes for this episode at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/amy-and-maggie-thinker-themer-1281.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201.Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever paid for some sweet new tech gadget and it didn't work as advertised? Sometimes a "deal" isn't really a great deal...which is why we love saving you some money on these big-ticket items. Tech gadgets are always towards the top of wish lists and we'll wade into the best and worst deals this week. Our guest today knows more than most of us about the latest tech. Bridget Carey from CNET joins us for our annual walk through all of the hottest tech deals AND also shares what to shy away from. Not all Black Friday deals are created equal and she shines a light on what you should pay attention to this year.But all of these deals could mess up your long-range planning if you aren't careful. That's why, in our headline segment, we're joined by financial therapist Dr. Erika Rasure from Beyond Finance. She joins us to detail how to make the most of this season, and how to recognize patterns of unhealthy spending. She also shares tips to keep your budget in check this holiday season. We'll also answer Austin's question about taking a fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgage. Which is better in this environment? And to top off our pre-Thanksgiving festivities, Doug will share yet another incredible trivia question.You'll find show notes for this episode at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/bridget-carey-1280.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201.Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready to save big money this holiday season? Before you hop on the internet or stand in line this week for the hottest deal, we've got some HUGE money-saving tips for you. Regina Conway from SlickDeals is back this year to share 2022's hottest Black Friday deals. Avoid shopping at the wrong store when the better deal is somewhere else. As she does every year on this special episode, Regina shares timely and specific advice for shopping with a plan this season. Make your list, do research, and find ways to stack coupons. Regina shares top deals in beauty, toys, home improvement, kitchen appliances, and more. She also shares how to find additional deals through the SlickDeals community.We're continuing the money-saving tips and tricks with our headline. Joe and OG dive into a piece about how to find the best deals this week AND the best strategies to save more money. They also talk about how to stay on budget and hide money from yourself. Then we'll answer Matt's question about what to think about before retirement and Doug will share his trivia.You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/regina-conway-1279.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201.Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mentors can be monumental to success. The right one can help propel your career and personal life by guiding you to your goals. We have three great contributors to our roundtable today who discuss the value of a mentor. Sharita Humphrey, Len Penzo, and Paulette Perhach join us to share lessons they've learned from their mentors and how to find the right one for you. They also talk about the importance of being coachable and that eagerness to continually learn.But we can't leave the show without Doug and his trivia. He'll share another piece of trivia as our contributors continue the chase to win our annual competition.You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/roundtable-1278.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201.Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to make more money? Communicate better. Period.So, what distinguishes money-making effective communicators from your buddy's last rotten email? One major difference is word choice. Carmine Gallo joins us today to make you a top-notch communicator. He studied Jeff Bezos' communication style at Amazon and shares the leader's transformation over the years. Years ago, Jeff was writing memos at a college level, but now he writes at an 8th grade level. And guess what? His writing and overall communication is lightyears better today at the 8th grade level than it was when he wrote at a college level. Carmine dives into why that works and shares tips for all of us to be better communicators.Are you house hunting? Did you about fall over when you saw that interest rates are hovering right around 7% currently? In our headline segment today we talk about why. Even if you aren't house hunting, you'll want to hear this. We dive into the Fed, how mortgage rates are set, and what you should be doing with your money during this time of high inflation and high interest rates. We'll also answer James' question about buying vs. building a new home. And of course, Doug will share his trivia.You'll find show notes for this episode at stackingbenjamins.com/carmine-gallo-1277.Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are on our newsletter, The 201, available at StackingBenjamins.com/201.Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices