Written By Paula Pant
The stock market is hitting new highs. What should we make of this?
This week, the S&P 500 reached yet another record high — marking its fourth consecutive day reaching a new all-time high.
Last Friday (the first of these four consecutive trading days) marked the first time in two years that the S&P 500 […]
By Paula Pant
Kristen’s financial advisor charges a 1.3 percent fee on her investments. They also sold her term life, whole life, and long-term disability insurance. Do they have her best interests at heart?
Casey has $290,000 in student loan debt. He committed 10 years to one employer for a chance at public service loan forgiveness. But five years in, Casey questions what he’s missing out on.
Sara feels like it’s time to move to a more conservative asset allocation but she’s torn between buying bonds from Vanguard or Treasury Direct. What’s the difference anyway?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
P.S. Got a question? Leave it here.
Written By Paula Pant
Hey Afforders —
Three stories today:
One about Charlie Munger, one about Taylor Swift, and one about a NASA astronaut who also starred (no pun intended) on the Big Bang Theory.
Charlie Munger’s Deathbed Regret
A few weeks before he died, Charlie Munger was asked if he […]
By Paula Pant
A caller named “M” wonders if liquidating stocks for a larger down payment makes sense in a high-interest rate environment.
An anonymous caller wants to take a pay cut to pursue his passions. But 75 percent of his net worth is in real estate. Is this too risky?
Tiffanie hasn’t saved enough for early retirement, but she has a plan to use home equity to accelerate her goals. Is this going to work?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
Written By Paula Pant
This week’s Afford Anything blog post is a well-balanced diet:
Robert Kiyosaki predicts a massive crash — [philosophical] Sobering stats about the housing market — [analytical] Secret strategies to save on seasonal shopping — [practical]
The Robert Who Cried Wolf
Famed investor Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, recently caused an […]
By Paula Pant
The death of a sibling.
Being declared dead after a head-on collision with a drunk driver.
Suffering financially during the Great Recession.
CANCER.
Today’s guest, Hal Elrod, has battled all of these tough challenges.
His little sister passed away in his mother’s arms. Years later, Hal was hit by a drunk driver, broke 11 bones, declared dead, and once revived, learned that he might have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. (He eventually regained his ability to walk.) And after that, he was slammed hard in the wallet during the Great Recession.
But he’s a fighter. He needed to develop practices to build his resilience.
So Hal created “The Miracle Morning,” a morning routine practice that gained massive popularity when he released it in 2012.
The six-step Miracle Morning routine is coined S.A.V.E.R.S. — silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing (writing).
The routine became wildly popular, in part due to its flexibility; Hal explains that time-crunched people can start this as a six-minute routine; dedicating just ONE minute to each of these six steps. Over time, people can see the positive changes that this makes, and expand the time they allot for this.
The routine is now the subject of a documentary, also called the Miracle Morning, available on Prime Video. Midway through filming, Hal was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and given a 30 percent chance of survival. He let the cameras roll as he coped with his diagnosis in real time.
He joins us on this podcast to describe that experience, and to talk about the practices that he’s used to stay productive in the face of grief, severe injury and cancer.
He talks to us about:
— the powerful Five-Minute Rule that helped him recover from a nearly fatal car crash
— the six most popular personal development practices of the successful
— specific tactics you can harness to create YOUR most successful life.
As we move into the New Year, many of you are setting goals and resolutions.
Hal describes specific, actionable tactics that you can use to build scaffolding and support around your new goals.
By Paula Pant
Ever skipped that extra drink, pricey cheese, or a night out for the sake of your wallet?
If this feels familiar, then you’ll appreciate today’s episode with Jamila Souffrant.
Jamila is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, podcast host, and author, guiding us on making savvy choices to save while still having fun.
Jamila explores the power of understanding our “why not,” staying motivated on our financial paths, shaping a success-bound mindset, and posing THREE crucial self-assessment questions for goal alignment
By Paula Pant
Kayla is torn between paying off a loan early or catching up on missed retirement contributions.
Josh wants to retire early and meets the threshold for zero capital gains taxes. Should he put all his retirement savings into a brokerage account?
An anonymous caller wants to know how to merge financial lives with her husband from another country.
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
Bob split a $350,000 windfall between savings and paying down his mortgage. But now he’s wondering if he made a good choice. Can Paula and Joe do the math to justify his gut-driven decisions?
Julia wants to tap the equity from a second home to buy a third home in Texarkana, Texas. Is this a good plan?
Joey Jr. wants to retire early, put two kids through college and buy a vacation home within the next five years. How can he afford to do it all?
An anonymous caller wonders if $1 million is a good budget for a retirement pad.
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
Should Knoxville use a higher-interest Home Equity Loan (HELOC) to pay off a lower-interest 401k loan?
Joelle’s tenant is interested in a rent-to-own agreement. Is this a good idea from a landlord’s perspective?
A recent wildfire shifted Sharon’s house into a flood zone. Should she sell before FEMA redraws the map and it becomes official?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
