Author: Paula Pant

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    #163: Ask Paula – The Future of Index Fund Investing

    ByPaula Pant
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    Does my employer match count against my 401k contribution limits? Should I invest in a Traditional or Roth TSP? Should I invest more aggressively in stocks right now, or should I hold cash and bonds until the next downturn? Should I get a mortgage or keep renting until I can buy a home in cash? Do you think index investing will dramatically change in the coming decades?

    Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I answer these five questions in today’s episode.

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    #162: AI and The Future of Jobs – with author Darrell West

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.cast.plus/57b04b389655d0cb71d77f6c/traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA162.mp3" title="AI and The Future of Jobs - with author Darrell West" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    How will artificial intelligence, AI, impact jobs?

    Former Harvard president and leading economist Larry Summers predicts that one-third of men will be out of work by 2050. Finance guru Suze Orman says not to be surprised if we see 25 percent unemployment by 2030. And major research institutions predict anywhere from 14 percent to 50 percent unemployment.

    Even if we take the most optimistic prediction, that’s huge. Fourteen percent job loss would have massive ramifications on the economy, the stock market, the housing market, and every facet of our lives. Heck, even half of the most optimistic prediction would be an enormous game-changer.

  • 17 Lessons to Improve Your Money & Life

    ByPaula Pant

    I’ve learned a ton during the past decade, thanks to reading, interviewing, and massive trial-and-error. I’ve distilled many of these lessons into today’s blog post.

    Here are 17 lessons that can improve your money and life.

    #1: Money Can’t Make You Happy, But Lack of Money Can Make You Unhappy
    They say, “money can’t make you happy.” But that’s false.

    Researchers have examined the link between money and happiness — and guess what? Money can make you happy, to an extent. Multiple studies found a significant correlation between money and happiness among people in low-to-middle income brackets.

  • “We are literally the millionaires next door”- says me, to the Washington Post

    ByPaula Pant

    Guess what? The Washington Post published an interview with me about the Financial Independence, Retire Early movement (the FIRE movement).

    They asked if it’s possible to save half of your income. They asked about the accuracy of Suze Orman’s statement that you’ll need $5 million to retire early. (Spoiler alert: No. You don’t.) And they asked if everyone who reaches financial independence then spends their time blogging about said topic, because if that’s true, then what’s the point?

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    #161: Ask Paula – How Can I Get My Friends Interested in FIRE?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.cast.plus/57b04b389655d0cb71d77f6c/traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA161.mp3" title="How Can I Get My Friends Interested in FIRE?" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    In today’s episode, I answer two questions about financial independence and the FIRE movement, followed by four questions about rental property investing.

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    #160: The Paradox of FI — with Jonathan Mendonsa and Brad Barrett of Choose FI

    ByPaula Pant
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    When Jonathan Mendonsa was 18, he researched which college degrees lead to the highest income.

    Pharmacy was near the top of the list of high-paying degrees, so Jonathan decided to become a pharmacist. He wasn’t motivated by passion or calling. His decision was purely tactical. He wanted to make money.

    He spent four years in college, followed by another four years of graduate school. By age 28, he held a Doctorate in Pharmacy and an astounding $168,000 in debt.

    This debt burden might have been bearable if Jonathan loved his chosen profession. For people who love their fields, tuition is the price of being able to enjoy a lifetime of work they love.

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    #159: Ask Paula – I Have Three Kids and I’m Hoping for Financial Independence

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.cast.plus/57b04b389655d0cb71d77f6c/traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA159_BONUS_Ask_Paula_and_Joe.mp3" title="Ask Paula - I Have Three Kids and I'm Hoping for Financial Independence" artist="Paula Pant and Joe Saul-Sehy" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ]

    Should a 36-year-old father of three invest primarily in Traditional or Roth retirement accounts? Should Rose, a grandmother of four, open a Vanguard account for each of her grandchildren?

    Should Nancy, who lives overseas and is the sole breadwinner in her family, invest in a Traditional or Roth TSP?

    Should Scott’s wife rollover her 403(b) from her former employer into an IRA?

    Should Patrick, age 35, cancel his life insurance plan?

    Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I answer these five questions in today’s episode.

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    #158: What I Love About the FIRE Movement – with Clark Howard

    ByPaula Pant

    Clark Howard loves the FIRE movement. That’s because he’s one of us. Clark began investing in real estate at age 22, started a travel agency at age 25, and retired at age 31. He sold his travel agency, moved to the beach and relaxed for four years; then he started a second career as the…

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    #157: Ask Paula – Can You Force a Rental Property to Cash Flow?

    ByPaula Pant

    We’re back with another Ask Paula – Real Estate Edition of the show! In this episode, we cover down payments, cash flow, investing in condo hotels, building a rental on the side of your own house, selling your properties, and whether it’s better to buy actual properties or REITs. Erin asks: Would you ever put…

  • Why the FIRE movement is misunderstood

    ByPaula Pant

    The FIRE movement is misunderstood. The drama of the last two weeks proves it. The question is, how can we fix this?

    Ohhh we have a new supporter!!

    Last week, Suze Orman called FIRE “dumb and stupid.”

    “When I was 30 I was dumb and stupid as well, okay?,” she said in an interview with Yahoo! Finance, adding that she’s “pissed off” at people pursuing early retirement.

    But since then, she’s taken more time to learn about the movement — and she’s in support.

    In a Facebook post titled “What I Hate — and Love — about FIRE,” Suze writes…