Afford Anything

#415: The average American donates 2.1 percent of their income to charity, according to data from the Giving Institute.But an ordinary couple living in Nashville, Bob and Linda Lotich, refuse to be average.When they were both 31, they decided to “give their age” – they pledged to donate 31 percent of their income to worthwhile causes.They’ve increased their charitable giving every year since, to match their age. The couple is now 41 years old, and they give away 41 percent of their income.When they began this project, the Lotich’s were earning a combined household income in the high five-figures. They were making just under $100,000 combined, living in St. Louis. They carried a mortgage on their home. They worried that their commitment to giving might impact their ability to pay the bills.Over the last decade, their income has fluctuated – up some years, down in others. They moved to Nashville and had three children. These higher living costs have drastically impacted the family budget.But their commitment to giving persists.In today’s episode, Bob Lotich joins us to talk about why and how he committed to the “give your age” philosophy – and shares his advice for anyone who wants practical tips for increasing their capacity to donate to meaningful causes.Enjoy!Timing of discussion points as of November 2022:04:46: Adjusting mental and budget space to allow for more charitable donations13:12: The decision give to individuals vs. charitable organizations14:57: Does giving to an individual impact the relationship?16:56: Recommendations for platforms with giving opportunities25:01: Managing the giving budget after starting a family25:56: Guilt and shame around generosity27:41: Giving from a place of gratitude and a place of pain28:47: The concept of giving dreams30:19: Building for a continuous impact vs. a large impact31:48: Getting the children involved37:48: How to increase your charitable givingFor more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode415 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#414: Amanda is worried that her recently diagnosed health condition might force her to stop working. How should she financially prepare her family?Anonymous is a savvy DIY investor who wants to retire early and is wondering if she should hire a financial advisor.Should Krista tap into the equity from one of her rentals to rebalance a portfolio that is weighted heavily in real estate?Natasha thinks she and her husband have saved enough to retire early but it feels scary. Is she truly ready or is she nuts? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.Enjoy!P.S. Got a question? Leave it here.For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode414 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#413: If an idea dominates the headlines, we notice it.But maybe we shouldn’t.Today’s guest, psychologist and behavioral finance expert Dr. Daniel Crosby, says there’s a difference between a prediction that gets repeated, and one that’s likely to unfold. What’s salient isn’t accurate, he says. And vice versa. He also talks about how money problems have morphed over time. He chats about how our evolutionary wiring is at odds with our goals. And he even discusses how we’re wired to be ‘lazy’ – and how to work with that tendency instead of fighting an uphill battle against it.Dr. Crosby researches the intersection of mind and markets. His latest work, The Behavioral Investor, is an in-depth look at how sociology, psychology and neurology impact our investment choices. Timing of discussion points as of December 2022:03:10: The overlap between psychology and investing + new ideas04:41: Counterintuitive behavioral finance discoveries 07:27: Money as a “hygiene factor”08:39: The “new class” of money problems for the more affluent13:44: Factors that impact our financial decisions15:22: The influence of evolutionary wiring 17:02: Cognitive and physical wiring leading to laziness and group think27:45: The benefit of community for investors28:52: The four types of behavioral risk: ego, conservatism, attention, and emotion36:21: The three E’s of behavior change: education, environment, encouragement42:30:  Confusing things that are loud with things that are likely45:21: The risk of managing emotionFor more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode413 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#412: Taylor recently graduated. She wants to reach financial independence as soon as possible. What should she do first: invest or repay low-interest debt?Carter doesn’t want to pay too much for his investments. He’s worried about the tax drag. He wants to know how to improve cost efficiency in his portfolio. How should he manage decisions about basis points, dividends and capital gains?Our first anonymous caller has been working and investing for a decade. Today her portfolio is large enough that she and her husband can finally take a mini-retirement.They’d like to rebalance their portfolio. They want it to reflect the fact that they won’t be working for a while. They’d also like to calculate how much money they need to travel with their children. How should they handle this?Our second anonymous caller is worried that their portfolio is out-of-whack. Their money is in a target date retirement fund. They’d like to move some of it to a three-fund portfolio. But this is a scary time to sell. Stocks are low. What should they do?Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.Enjoy!P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#411: In the final installment of this two-part mini-series, we walk you through becoming a subject matter expert in your investment city of choice.We discuss who you should talk to, where you can find them and what you should talk to them about.Timing of discussion points as of November 2022:06:11: Who you should talk to 10:09: Why conversations with non- real estate professionals are important11:49: Where to meet other real estate investors13:19: Expanding your network, character due diligence and making friends13:59: Thinking through others cognitive biases15:56: Potential implications of neighborhoods with “good cash flow”20:57: An example of objective feedback29:40: Dumpsters, sewers, permits and problems: Other specifics to discussFor more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode411 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#410: You face plenty of problems.But you have a scarcity of good solutions.Stanford Professor Jeremy Utley can help.He says that solving complex problems requires creativity. And creativity comes from deliberate practice.It’s not an innate talent. It’s a skill. And it’s useful in any occupation, from accounting to zookeeping.Jeremy speaks and writes on the history of invention, discovery, creativity, and innovation. He also leads Stanford d.school's work with professionals.Today he talks to us about how some of the greatest innovators produce new ideas. He tells us about their creative process.He describes how researchers and authors improve their skills.And he shares pointers to help you understand how to do the same.Timing of discussion points as per November 2022:3:00: How to focus while staying open to creativity6:23: Definition of creativity14:02: Different cognitive biases faced17:35: The idea quota19:28: Where ideas come from: the Lego analogy 21:32: How Ben Franklin honed his creativity28:36: Capturing inspiration46:04: The importance of reviewing the problems in your life50:24: The roles of creative collaboration and distributed reasoning54:49: The argument for quantity over quality 56:07: The value of bad ideasFor more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode410 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#409: Liz and her husband are planning to retire in 5 to 10 years. They have rental income properties, but Liz is bored of managing these, and she’s intrigued by the idea of buying stocks at a discount when the market is low. Should she sell her rental properties and use the money to buy stocks instead?Rebecca is a high income earner and thinking about investing in a Roth 401k … but she’s scared of how much she’ll have to pay in taxes. Should she do it anyway?Anonymous made big changes last year: she got a new career AND sold a house! Now she needs help figuring out capital gains and lowering how much she’ll have to pay in taxes … and she won’t have access to her company’s 401K for most of the year.Kyle and his wife are moving into their dream home! What should they do with their current place?Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.Enjoy!P.S. Got a question? Leave it here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#408: When Kiersten and Julian Saunders began dating in 2012, they fell in love quickly, and their relationship felt strong – until they started talking about money.They broke up as a result of their first money conversation.Luckily, they got back together, figured out how to have tough conversations, and paid off $200,000 in debt over the next five years.Then they started thinking about how to hack their careers. They came up with a plan for a 15-year career.Today, they join us on the podcast to talk about the 15-year career framework and how to approach your career - and your finances - in 5 year stints.Timing of discussion points as per October 2022:00:25: Introduction to Kiersten and Julien Saunders02:05: The money conversation that changed everything11:25: Examples of interaction patterns around money discussions12:08: Tactics to continue difficult money conversations16:18: Starting a 15-year career17:48: The focus of the first five years: your financial foundation18:17: Transitioning to the second five years and defining your super power at work18:50: Building your exit plan in the last five years22:57: Thinking about side hustles and the factors of urgency and upside24:29: How does a person know how to make money29:28: Maintaining momentum towards your goals over the 15 year time span31:37: Is it possible to accelerate the 15 year timeline?35:12: Thinking about risk after your career Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#407: Ionnie wants to vet her tax professional as diligently as she assesses her financial advisor – how should she go about doing that?Anonymous needs a career change, and she needs help figuring out how to approach the decision making process when choosing and preparing for her next field of employmentMM prefers the simple path to wealth and investing in real estate but is looking for more information on a more intentional and selective approach to investing.Ingrid calls in to ask whether she should include her rental income when trying to figure out how much she can contribute to her Roth IRA.Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.Enjoy!P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#406: In this two-part episode, we first tackle the data points needed to assess various investment locations within your city of choice.We will cover seven specific neighborhood characteristics to review before diving into deal finding, and three things to look at once you've found a specific deal to evaluate.Then, we interview Kristen Lazure, the producer behind the Netflix movie "Get Smart With Money". The movie follows 4 financial coaches — Tiffany Aliche, Peter Adeney, Ross Mac and myself — as we help four people who are struggling with some aspect of their financial lives.Tune in for behind-the-scenes movie insights and enjoy today's episode!Timing of discussion points as per October 2022:01: 49: Topic introduction04:03: Tip on visualizing the data06:00: Current and future locations of employers11:55: Impact of the local business landscape and housing prices13:22: Investments from municipalities15:02: The importance of school districts16:28: Adjusting location evaluations based on strategy18:57: Understanding the crime landscape, flood plains and walk scores29:28: Introduction to Kristin Lazure and Get Smart With Money discussion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices