The Investing for Beginners Podcast - Your Path to Financial Freedom

The latest company earnings reveal intriguing insights into the economy. Walmart's growth hints at shifting consumer spending patterns, while Netflix's ad-driven revenue surge showcases its streaming dominance. McDonald's is adjusting to a slowdown by reviving value menus, and Uber's explosive growth highlights the gig economy's resilience. JPMorgan's credit data provides a snapshot of financial health, while UnitedHealth faces revenue pressures amid ACA uncertainties. The hosts synthesize these signals, painting a picture of a mixed economic landscape.

David Stein, co-founder of AssetCamp and host of Money for the Rest of Us, joins the discussion to unravel the world of bonds. He explains the difference between investment-grade and high-yield bonds, shedding light on how spreads can indicate economic sentiments. The conversation dives into practical bond ownership methods like ETFs and TIPS, emphasizing bonds' growing appeal amid rising yields. Stein also shares strategies on using bonds for short-term goals versus long-term retirement planning.

You can download Evan’s free monthly budgeting spreadsheet here:https://einvestingforbeginners.com/budget/ In this episode of At Any Rate, Evan Raidt and Andrew Sather dig into how to make smart spending decisions without living like a hermit or constantly feeling guilty every time you buy something. They push back on the extreme “never spend money” advice that goes viral online, talk about how both of them have swung between over‑frugality and overspending, and explain why the real goal is a sustainable middle ground you can actually live with. You’ll hear how to make sure a purchase truly fits your budget, why automation and separate accounts (or “vaults”) make life easier, and how to avoid lifestyle creep and sneaky “buy now, pay later” or monthly‑payment traps. Topics Covered: Why extreme “never spend money” advice backfires How guilt and anxiety can wreck your spending decisions What it actually means for a purchase to fit your budget Using automation and separate accounts/vaults to simplify money Planning for annual/irregular expenses (holidays, birthdays, clothes Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and “have you ever bought anything?” 01:00 Extreme frugality trends and why they’re not sustainable 04:30 Swinging from super‑frugal to overspending (and back) 11:30 What it means for a purchase to truly fit your budget 15:00 Automation, separate accounts, and “vaults” for big goals 19:00 Lifestyle creep, furniture financing, and Amazon payment plans 28:30 Making sure you can still afford your needs after a purchase 36:00 Planning for holidays, birthdays, and other irregular costs 40:00 Willpower vs. systems, and final takeaways Resources Mentioned: Free monthly budgeting spreadsheet:⁠https://einvestingforbeginners.com/budget/⁠ Have questions or want to share how you handle big purchases? Email Evan at evan@einvestingforbeginners.com or comment below—your stories and questions help shape future episodes. Remember, financial freedom is built one smart move at a time. Keep it simple, keep it steady, and at any rate, we’ll see you next time. Timestamps are generated by artificial intelligence, and are not 100% accurate depending on the platform used for listening. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Today’s show is sponsored by: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SHOPIFY.COM/beginners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start selling with Shopify today. Download the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Plynk app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today to start building your investing confidence. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have questions? Send them to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter@einvestingforbeginners.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tunein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners can learn how to build confidence in analyzing stocks, using simple filters like price-to-earnings ratios to enhance decision-making. The hosts suggest narrowing choices to reduce indecision and emphasize the importance of investing checklists to minimize blind spots. They also discuss the benefits and risks of broad ETFs like the S&P 500, while exploring thematic ETFs, like quantum-focused funds, as speculative options. Finally, caution is advised on leveraging investment portfolios for loans, often better suited for high-net-worth individuals.

Explore how long-term assets shape the financial health of companies. Discover Martin Marietta's capital-intensive model with substantial machinery investments versus NVIDIA's capital-light approach, illustrating high margins thanks to outsourcing. Dive into the significance of goodwill as Dave and Andrew break down investments by Alphabet and Amazon in startups like Rivian and Anthropic. Learn the importance of operating lease assets and how they impact cash flow, all while uncovering the strategic choices behind these financial decisions.

In this session, Dave Ahern, a former bank manager with a wealth of hands-on banking experience, joins to unpack the intricacies of credit cards. They share jaw-dropping horror stories of credit mishaps and discuss how the lure of perks and rewards can lead to overspending. Learn practical tips on using credit cards wisely—like paying balances before due dates, consolidating debt, and even helping kids start their credit journey. Ahern reveals why credit offers better fraud protection compared to debit, making this a must-listen for anyone navigating personal finance.

Hosts explore a stock-buying checklist inspired by Mohnish Pabrai, drafting key principles like a fantasy team. They emphasize the importance of understanding a company’s revenue model and recognizing potential risks early. The discussion includes metrics like ROIC for assessing business efficiency, the significance of capital allocation, and how to evaluate a company's moat. They also dive into valuation methods and the factors driving earnings growth, all aimed at helping individual investors make smarter decisions.

Recent stock market turmoil is dissected, highlighting Fiserv's alarming 40% drop and the risks of 'empire building.' Chipotle's disappointing earnings reveal shifting consumer spending, particularly among younger demographics. The hosts debate whether Duolingo's selloff was due to AI fears or a misunderstanding of its strong metrics. They emphasize the importance of understanding core business strengths while keeping a cool head during market volatility. Lessons on evaluating young, high-growth companies are also explored.

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Sather, a real estate expert and mortgage enthusiast, shares valuable insights on home-buying strategies. He explains how to secure favorable mortgage rates, including Evan's impressive 4% rate. The duo explores the benefits of new builds versus resale homes, the impact of private equity on housing affordability, and the importance of a knowledgeable realtor. They also debunk outdated home-buying myths and stress the utility of calculators for making informed decisions. Perfect for anyone navigating today’s real estate market!

In this discussion, Brad Freeman, the founder of Stock Market Nerd, shares his journey in investing, focusing on fundamental analysis and sector insights. He emphasizes the importance of understanding financial statements and discusses his methodical research process. Brad highlights the critical role of strong leadership in companies, his cautious stance on AI and bubble markets, and his criteria for selecting stocks. He also explains his valuation techniques and market preferences, offering a unique perspective for aspiring investors.