Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors - The Best Interest

Today’s show features Doug Cunnington, one of the hosts of the financial independence podcast Mile High FI. Doug highlights how he took conservative risks along the way to FI, and walks us through his career journey to financial independence. We discuss misconceptions about the FIRE movement, how to prepare for financial emergencies, and why it’s never too late to start your own journey to financial goodness. This episode is a must listen!   Key Takeaways: What is risk, really? And how can you live with it? How to estimate risk in investing, and in yourself. The difference between volatility and risk. Why you need to do “financial fire drills.” How Doug set himself up for financial independence. What people get wrong about FI/RE. How to move on from a financial mess by looking forward. Stoicism and personal finance.   Mentions: 🌐 Website: https://bestinterest.blog/ 👉🏼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-cunnington-pmp-a850435/  🎙️ The Mile High FI Podcast: https://milehighfi.com/  📚  Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DougCunnington  📚 Career Change – Is It A Risk?: https://bestinterest.blog/career-change-risk/  📚 Investing “Fire Drills”:  https://bestinterest.blog/foxes/  📚 Mr. Money Mustache: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/  📚 Ryan Holiday: https://ryanholiday.net/ryan-holiday-books/ 📚 Smart Passive Income: https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/shows/spi/    More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Diania Merriam is the founder of the EconoMe Conference, an exclusive gathering for the FIRE community (financial independence, retire early). Inspired by FIRE, Diania hit an impressive 60% savings rate and retired at 33. Of course, in retirement, you’ve got to stay active; what’s the point of financial freedom if you’ve got nothing to do? Diania joins Jesse today to discuss CoastFI, SlowFI, and the need to enjoy the journey. If you’re saving for retirement, but aren’t sure what to do with that retirement, this episode is for you!   Key Takeaways: What inspired Diania to walk the Camino de Santiago. How to disconnect for your career with purpose. Why you need a vision for what your retirement will look like. Don’t wait for financial independence to change your life. What are SlowFI and CoastFI? How to be an efficient saver, not a deprived saver. Why FI is better with friends.   Mentions: 🌐 EconoMe Conference: https://economeconference.com/  🎙️ Optimal Finance Daily: https://oldpodcast.com/optimal-finance-daily-podcast/  🎙️ ChooseFI Podcast: https://www.choosefi.com/listen/choose-fi-podcast/  📚 Robert Kiyosaki’s Awful Takes:  https://bestinterest.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Kiyosaki_2-scaled.jpeg 📚 The Fioneers: https://thefioneers.com/  📚 Blowhards, Broken Clocks, and Confirmation Bias: https://bestinterest.blog/confirmation-bias/  📚 Rich Wolf, Poor Sheep: https://bestinterest.blog/rich-wolf-poor-sheep/     More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Jeremy is the voice behind Personal Finance Club, a community of champions of the individual investor dedicated to bringing accessible financial education to all. The Personal Finance Club believes financial education improves lives and it should be taught in school. You might have seen Jeremy and Personal Finance Club on Instagram where he posts eye catching financial graphics to almost 600, 000 followers.   In this episode Jesse and Jeremy discuss the 7 Sins of Investing. These simple lessons will give you valuable insight into some habits to avoid, skills to develop, and knowledge to gain for your financial well-being.   Key Takeaways: Your home is a lifestyle choice, but it’s not an investment - more of a hard to upkeep asset. Why you should “rent your fun”, treat money as a tool, and other useful ways to approach finances. How humans evolved to be impressionable and how this has been co-opted by consumerism. Live below your means, and invest early and often. Learn Jeremy’s 7 Sins of Investing. Why you should just stand there and wait. Jeremy’s Nectarine: Advice-Only Financial Advising.   Mentions: 📚 7 Money Mistakes: https://bestinterest.blog/money-mistakes/ 📚 Why’d I Buy a Home With a 6.5% Mortgage?!: https://bestinterest.blog/buy-a-home-high-interest-mortgage/ 🌐 Personal Finance Club: https://www.personalfinanceclub.com/  👉🏼 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/personalfinanceclub/   🌐 Nectarine: https://hellonectarine.com/    More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for education and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Sean Mullaney is the FI Tax Guy (FI = Financial Independence). He’s a financial planner and the president of Mullaney Financial and Tax Incorporated which offers fiduciary, fee-only, and advice-only financial planning. In this episode, Jesse dives deep on capital gains taxes, while Sean and Jesse dissect the Roth vs. Traditional debate, the efficacy of 529 Plans, and how to think about changes to the tax code coming in 2026.    Key Takeaways: What are capital gains? How to calculate capital gains, and the taxes on them. The NII tax explained.  10 ways to make the most of your capital gains. What is tax planning and how can you get started? How taking care of your financial future will also take care of your child’s. Which accounts might be “shiny objects” and which ones will serve you well.  What change is coming to the Internal Revenue Code in 2026, and how to prepare.   Mentions: 🌐 Website: https://fitaxguy.com/  👉🏼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanwmullaney/  🌐 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SeanMullaneyVideos  🌐 Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanmoneyandtax  📚 Capital Gains Taxes 101: https://bestinterest.blog/capital-gains-taxes-101/  📚 (Sean’s) Traditional versus Roth: https://fitaxguy.com/traditional-versus-roth-2023/  📚 (Jesse’s) Traditional versus Roth: https://bestinterest.blog/roth-is-better-than-traditional/ 📚 Time to Stop 401(k) Contributions?: https://fitaxguy.com/time-to-stop-401k-contributions/  📚 Traditional 401(k) are Fine for Most Americans (Really!): https://fitaxguy.com/traditional-401k-contributions-are-fine-for-most-americans-really/  📚 Year End Tax Planning: https://fitaxguy.com/2023-year-end-tax-planning/    More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The discussion is intended to be for general educational purposes and is not tax, legal, or investment advice for any individual. Jesse and The Best Interest Podcast do not endorse Sean Mullaney, Mullaney Financial & Tax, Inc. and their services. 

Rose Lounsbury is a keynote speaker, an Amazon bestselling author, simplicity coach and the still-sane mom of triplets. She helps overwhelmed people create open spaces in their homes, their workspaces, and more importantly in their minds by letting go of the excess stuff that gets in the way.   In today’s episode, Rose teaches us why towels are a great place to start when we’re looking to simplify our lives. What do we do about gifts? Hobbies? Or everything that occupies our space, energy, or time? These questions (and more) are answered in this conversation between Rose and Jesse.   Key Takeaways: What is bimodal spending? And how can you apply it? Don’t be afraid to spend on the things you really care about (and cut out what you don’t). How to decide what's useful to you and what’s beautiful. How to be a better gift giver and receiver.  How to pay attention to mental patterns that may be cluttering our minds. Start with decluttering the physical space, and then carry on to the mental space.   Mentions: 🌐 Website: https://roselounsbury.com/  👉🏼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-lounsbury-43554a141/  📚 How Many Towels Do You Need?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlA7qgySO0I  Bimodal Spending: https://bestinterest.blog/bimodal-spending/ The McDonald’s Test: https://bestinterest.blog/the-mcdonalds-test/   More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Today, Jesse shares some financial lessons from humble beginnings. There’s much to learn from his first entrepreneurial endeavor: a baseball concession stand. Then, Andrew Giancola joins the pod to share his “Hero’s Journey,” from a bottom point where he found himself unable to afford a fill-up of gasoline. Andrew has thoughts about peoples’ biggest problem with money, about opportunity costs we all face, and whether you should rent or buy your next home. Thanks for joining us today on The Best Interest.   Key Takeaways and Timestamps: (0:00:44) - Jesse shares a story from his early financial life about starting a concession stand business as a kid to earn money to buy a computer game. (0:09:31) - Jesse shares about his first job cleaning bathrooms and cabins at a state park for minimum wage. (0:13:30) - Brief ad break. (0:14:32) - Andrew Giancola, host of The Personal Finance Podcast, joins the show. (0:15:23) - Andrew shares his “Hero Story” of living paycheck to paycheck after college and having an "a-ha" moment when he couldn't afford to fill up his gas tank. (0:18:25) - Andrew reflects that changing his money mindset and psychology was the biggest factor in learning to manage his money properly.  (0:19:45) - Andrew discusses working one-on-one with clients, focusing on identifying their biggest problems and goals around money. (0:21:40) - Andrew shares a story about starting a side business selling Christmas trees and learning entrepreneurial lessons from it. (0:23:20) - Trying new ventures, seeing what works, and not being afraid to abandon things that aren't working. (0:24:43) - The importance of evaluating opportunity costs in building wealth. (0:28:14) - Tactics for evaluating non-monetary opportunity costs like time with family. (0:28:50) - Brief ad break. (0:29:04) -The first $100k is the hardest to accumulate because it relies more on savings rate versus investment returns. Once you hit $100k, compound interest accelerates wealth building. (0:33:08) - The importance of calculating total cost of homeownership before deciding whether to buy or rent. (0:35:05) - While homeownership can make sense, a house shouldn't be viewed primarily as an investment.   Mentions: The Millionaire Next Door:  https://amzn.to/3FKFfme   More of Andrew: 🌐 Website: https://mastermoney.co/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://mastermoney.co/podcast/   More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

In the day-to-day hustle of parenting, thinking long-term, especially regarding finances, is often challenging. With studies showing an estimated cost of over $300,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18 (excluding college expenses), addressing your monetary matters becomes utterly crucial before you embark on parenting. Today, Jesse sits down with Andy Hill to discuss combining finances with a spouse, preparing financially for a family, and setting your children up with the right money habits and mindset.   Key Takeaways: The cost of raising a child - childcare, medical, baby supplies, and other miscellaneous expenses The importance of pre-baby financial planning Financial Preparation - building an emergency fund and suggestive steps like paying off debts, focusing on retirement, and the necessity of considering life and health insurance Tax Benefit - child tax credit, dependent care credit, and tax-advantaged college saving accounts Saving tips - buying secondhand baby items through Facebook Marketplace, consignment sales, etc Estate Planning - an estate plan after having kids and considering special needs planning if applicable   Timestamps: (00:00:02) - Intro (00:00:49) - Review of the week (00:01:31) - 12 financial topics for new parents (00:01:54) - Children are expensive (00:03:56) - Life insurance matters  (00:05:12) - Property and auto insurance (00:05:17) - Childcare costs (00:06:57) - Education costs (00:08:59) - Estate planning (00:10:49) - Children and taxes (00:12:52) - Topics that change with kids (00:13:48) - Budgeting (00:15:34) - Debt management (00:17:59) - Roth IRAs for kids (00:20:13) - Generational wealth (00:20:29) - Kids are expensive but worth it (00:21:18) - Andy Hill background (00:22:27) - Money languages (00:28:12) - When to combine finances (00:30:54) - Autonomy with money (00:32:21) - Preventing financial fights   (00:37:18) - Tracking goals and expenses (00:39:20) - Focusing on the journey (00:42:33) - Planning for kid expenses   (00:46:10) - Teaching money lessons   (00:48:22) - Make My Kid a Millionaire course (00:50:29) - Where to find Andy (00:50:38) - Outro   More of Andy: 🌐 Website: https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/podcast-archive/   Mentions: Best Interest: New Parents: https://bestinterest.blog/12-financial-planning-topics-for-new-parents/ Best Interest: 529 Plans: https://bestinterest.blog/529-plans/ Make My Kid a Millionaire Course: https://makemykidamillionaire.com/sa/   More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Do you see yourself dying on top of a pile of gold like Scrooge McDuck? Today’s guest, Chris Hutchins, shares his story of how he balances hacking his life: credit cards, chores, out of the box thinking, you name it, with keeping his end goals in mind. But, first, Jesse recounts his travels. He may have learned a lesson or two from the busy street traffic in Vietnam vs the quaint pubs of Ireland.    Key Takeaways: Why creating success is more about buy-in than perfection Taking life a beat slower The difference between being cheap and out of the box hacking Hacking your biggest expenses like travel and a home purchase Finding the best credit card(s) for your needs A two credit card arrangement for the average 6-figure household Welcome bonuses vs credit card points The concept of dying with zero Time vs talent vs treasure Parenting hacks: childcare, toys, pre-school   More of Chris: Meet Chris Hutchins, the award-winning host of the podcast All the Hacks, where he shares his expertise as an avid life hacker and financial optimizer. With a passion for upgrading life without breaking the bank, Chris has amassed millions of points and miles and gained recognition in a documentary on Financial Independence titled Playing with Fire. His journey has been featured in prestigious publications like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNBC.   🌐 Website: https://chrishutchins.com/ 👉🏼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishutchins?challengeId=AQGITSbSG-9jCgAAAYsC9WYBIIM7Yp2UVgDuZlnrKV265AhZIoBxWyQSb3CFc4xqMbwpAGNJZQZwjEjW5rLreCYgG9Jx-9qrFQ&submissionId=6a0b0de6-e465-8b17-8f81-8eb0290e6367&challengeSource=AgEpy0oVHNovsgAAAYsC9ZiZtJg5cClI6pARtvBLtpJOvnAgaTdyMNtIBJvwJj8&challegeType=AgG_xNwgUb1fTgAAAYsC9ZibhUXUuXxzGk27e3-yJo17WDGW9WBDXOs&memberId=AgG-EcKxDFXLuwAAAYsC9ZieJ9xuhZ2BizsgyDGbd8gl8Ck&recognizeDevice=AgEldEYiD2CLIgAAAYsC9ZigBUVo8Or7oL4B25pE8FUEhB4TcMjr 🎙️ Podcast: https://www.allthehacks.com/    Mentions: All the Hacks Episode 91: https://www.allthehacks.com/die-with-zero-bill-perkins/ Credit Card Spreadsheet: https://landing.allthehacks.com/products/card-optimization-spreadsheet   More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

Nonillion… That’s a number so big, I hadn’t heard it before recording this episode. Should you budget and track every single dollar you spend? Should you put 10 percent of your income into your 401k? These are just two of the typical questions I get asked when it comes to money management. In fact, when you think about the hundreds of decisions the average person is faced with in their financial journey, you end up with a nonillion different possible outcomes.   This week I brought on Cody Garrett to make these decisions a little clearer. With dual degrees in music theory and contemporary piano performance, Cody shifted gears in 2018 to focus on his growing interest in finances. Having served as a music director for renowned Broadway shows to now, sharing actionable personal finance advice, Cody's journey is a testament to his drive and adaptability. Cody runs his firm that caters to DIY investors on the path of early retirement, and also educates over 1000 financial advisors, impacting the future of financial planning in a meaningful way.   Just because you’re a do-it-yourself investor doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. -Cody Garrett   Key Takeaways: Teaching is the best way to learn Understanding advice only financial planning The Transition Zone of financial planning: tax planning Traditional vs. Roth Contributions Marginal vs Effective Tax Rates The “Kiddie Tax” and 529 plans   Mentions: https://bestinterest.blog/financial-advisor-questions/   More of Cody: 🌐 Website: https://measuretwicefinancial.com/ 👉🏼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/codylgarrett/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/measure-twice-money/id1608034167   More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.  

How do you know when you are taking the right financial road? Should you prioritize saving money to be better off in the future? Or is it more beneficial to ensure you are using money as a resource for happiness in the present? Our guest today, Carl Jensen, has chosen the first option for the majority of his life, using money not as a resource for happiness, but one to defend against hardships. Recently, however, Carl has begun to take this road less traveled to optimize experiences while investing in his happiness. In this episode, we discuss how the household finances of our childhood can affect our spending habits as adults, and how to use exposure therapy to overcome the anxiety surrounding happiness based purchases.    Key Takeaways: How the household finances of our childhood can affect our long term financial habits Overcoming financial trauma How to spread good financial habits to those close to us Why taking the road less traveled isn’t always the better option How to use exposure therapy to start making purchases for happiness How to overcome anxiety around an experience-based purchase Stepping away from money-first thinking to focus on the experience   Mentions: Bigger Pockets Money Podcast Episode with Jesse: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-335 I Will Teach You To Be Rich Podcast Episode with Carl and Mindy: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/108-mindy-carl/ 1500 Days Blog Post “Why Ramit?”: https://www.1500days.com/why-ramit/  Die With Zero: https://www.amazon.com/Die-Zero-Getting-Your-Money/dp/0358099765   More of Carl: 🌐 Website: https://www.1500days.com  🎙️ Podcast: https://milehighfi.com   More of The Best Interest: Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog   The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.