Episodes

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    #364: Ask Paula: No Spouse, No Family, And Thinking About Getting Old – How Do I Prepare?

    ByPaula Pant

    Hypothetical from the Hampton Inn is curious about whether he should keep his 30 year term life insurance policy or let it lapse with 12 years left on the policy.

    Ramon asks us about the details behind infinite banking.

    Anonymous Emily is wondering which financial products would work best to cover care and expenses as she ages.

    Max is thinking through real estate and stock market returns as they relate to future population trends.

    Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we’ll answer them in a future episode.

    Enjoy!

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    #363: Two Types of Intelligence, with Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks

    ByPaula Pant

    In our 20’s and 30’s, we have high levels of fluid intelligence, or raw intellectual horsepower. We can ace tests, impress people with our memory and recall, and analyze facts, documents and data.

    But in our 40’s and 50’s, we have higher levels of crystallized intelligence, which allows us to draw together novel insights from across domains.

    Fluid intelligence allows us to analyze, or break apart.

    Crystallized intelligence allows us to synthesize, or put together.

    Each type of intelligence invites us to express different skills, to pivot our role at work – or perhaps even to change careers or industries altogether.

    In today’s episode, Harvard professor Arthur Brooks discusses these two types of intelligence, and outlines how we can gracefully move from one strength to the next.

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    #362: Ask Paula: Okay Seriously, Why Hasn’t Anyone Solved the Budgeting Issue?

    ByPaula Pant

    David is questioning how to better manage his spending. He’d like a stronger framework to think through budgeting challenges.

    Elisa and her husband bought a home, and now they’re saving extra income every month. She has a pension and her husband is an entrepreneur. How much should they be saving for retirement and how should they invest their extra money?

    Geoff invested primarily in taxable brokerage accounts for the last twenty years. He’s built a $6 million portfolio and reached financial independence. He wonders about the smartest strategy for withdrawing from those taxable brokerage accounts to efficiently manage capital gains?

    Jenna and her husband are planning on buying their next home in a few years. She wants to know if I-bonds are a good way to save for the down payment and closing costs.

    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.

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    #361: The GameStop Revolution, One Year Later – with Spencer Jakab

    ByPaula Pant
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    Wall Street Journal columnist Spencer Jakab marks the one-year anniversary of that weird time when the subReddit Wall St Bets pumped shares of meme stocks like GameStop and AMC Theaters, triggering a short squeeze that forced several hedge funds to lose billions. 

    What did we learn from that experience? And how do we actually take down Wall Street?  How do we launch a truly effective financial revolution?

     We share those insights in today’s episode. 

    Enjoy!

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    #360: Ask Paula: I’m Worried My Parents Are Getting Ripped Off By Their Financial Advisor … Help!

    ByPaula Pant
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    I’m worried my parents are getting ripped off by their financial advisor. What should I do?

    My wife is trying to qualify for student loan forgiveness … but we might lose a bunch of tax benefits in the process. Is it worth the risk?                       

    I’m enrolling in grad school, and I want to optimize how to pay for rent and groceries. Should I use money from a 529 plan?

    Three callers. Three questions.

    In today’s episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these tough Q’s.

    Enjoy!

    Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we’ll answer them in a future episode. 

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    #359: The Four Quadrants of A Successful Life, with Andrew Hallam

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA359.mp3" title="The Four Quadrants of A Successful Life, with Andrew Hallam " 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" ]

    Money, relationships, health and purpose: life is running smoothly when all four of these elements are working together in tandem, like wheels on a car.

    But how can we make spending and investing choices that facilitate stronger relationships, better health and a deeper sense of purpose?

    Andrew Hallam, who became a millionaire on a teacher’s salary, shares researched-backed, evidence-based insights into how to find balance, drawing from the worlds of behavioral finance and stock market history.

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    #358: Ask Paula: Should I Invest in Index Funds More Actively?

    ByPaula Pant
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    Where is the balance between the risks and potential returns of actively and passively investing in index funds?

    Where do you place your savings after you max out your retirement and HSA accounts?

    How do you finance building a rental unit when there’s already a home on the lot?

    Is it more beneficial to buy back pension time with post tax deductions or a 457b plan? Or should I not buy back pension time at all?

    In today’s episode, former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I discuss the purpose and practice of mindful money.

    Do you have a question on business, money, trade-offs, financial independence strategies, travel, or investing? Leave it here and we’ll answer them in a future episode.

    Enjoy!

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    #357: Practical Investing and the Efficient Frontier, with Joe Saul-Sehy

    ByPaula Pant
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     Discussing advanced investing topics with me is former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy.

    You may recognize him from the Ask Paula episodes, but we discuss financial topics shared in his new book “STACKED: Your Super-Serious Guide to Modern Money Management” – co-authored with Emily Guy Birken.

    Enjoy!

  • #347: The Radical Invention of the Index Fund, with Robin Wigglesworth

    ByPaula Pant

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    .
    In today’s episode, we learn about the revolutionary ideas that paved the path to passive investing.

    We learn about the radical invention of the index fund.

    We discover the drama, the tenacity, the betrayal and redemption behind it.

    And we discover the lessons that the history of the index fund holds.

    Enjoy!

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    #353: The Secret to Perfect Timing, with Daniel Pink

    ByPaula Pant
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    Daniel Pink joins us to discuss an unusual theory:

    (1) that our energy rises, falls, and then rises again;

    (2) that this pattern plays out across our days (morning energy, afternoon slump, nighttime second wind);

    (3) this also plays out across our lives, with serious implications for how we spend those “muddled middle” years of our 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

    Enjoy!