ask paula

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    #290: Ask Paula – Is Upgrading Our Lifestyle Worth Mortgaging a More Expensive House?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA290.mp3" title="Ask Paula: Is Upgrading Our Lifestyle Worth Mortgaging a More Expensive House?" 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" ]

    Sharon owns two condos that are worth $1.4M and has a cash cushion of $120,000 plus a $50,000 emergency fund. She’d like to move into a small house while keeping her cash cushion intact. Should she take out a home equity loan on her mortgage to essentially pay for her house in cash, or get a traditional mortgage and use her savings towards the downpayment? 

    Jury and her partner are torn between two options: buying a condo, which would allow them to live off of one salary and invest the other, or buy a more expensive house – a much more attractive lifestyle option. Which should they purchase? 

    Daine’s IRA balance is a result of 401k rollovers. He’s concerned that his lack of monthly contributions cause him to miss out on compound interest. What can he do to grow his retirement funds?

    Molly and her husband want to reach financial independence (FI) in 15 years, at age 50. They’re unsure of whether their rental property income will sustain their FI lifestyle. How can they plan for this?

    I answer these questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!

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    #285: Ask Paula – How Can I Pay for Grad School?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA285.mp3" title="Ask Paula: How Can I Pay for Grad School?" 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" ]

    Sam wants to use the funds in her Vanguard S&P 500 index funds for a downpayment on a house. She isn’t sure if she should keep her savings in the market. Should she move her money, and where?

    Hailey purchased a duplex in March and is already looking to sell due to a hostile tenant during the purchase process. How can she shift her focus from her initial return on investment to a long-term outlook?

    Zoe dreams of attending grad school, but her savings are locked away in retirement accounts. How can she save for grad school in the next two to three years?

    Mohamed wants to monetize a new podcast with affiliate relationships, but the service providers he wants to promote don’t offer affiliate programs. Can he still make this work, and how?

    I answer these listener questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!

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    #283: Ask Paula & Joe – Could the Stock Market Be Too Much of a Gamble?

    ByErin @ Team Afford Anything
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA283.mp3" title="Ask Paula & Joe - Could the Stock Market Be Too Much of a Gamble?" 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" ]

    Andrea’s parents have a seemingly salesly financial advisor. He tried to get them to purchase a second life insurance policy, among other potentially pushy moves. Are her parents better off without his advice?

    Teresa can’t shake the feeling that the stock market is more of a gamble than an investment. Is there any advantage to holding funds for the long-run if the market drops and you lose your gains?

    June is curious about the best college planning strategies for families who are working toward, or close to, financial independence. How can you help your children while securing your financial future?

    Big Sister’s little sister rents a mobile home in an area she loves. The owner wants to sell, but her little sister might not obtain financing. Should Big Sister buy the property and sell it to her via seller financing?

    Managing for Mom in Massachusetts has an investment strategy that he wants to run by us. Does it make sense to shift a 50/50 stocks and bonds portfolio to 100 percent stocks, and shift back to a 50/50 split after the market returns to pre-pandemic numbers?

    My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions. Enjoy!

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    #272: Ask Paula – I’m Three Years from Retirement. How Should I Invest?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA272.mp3" title="Ask Paula - I’m Three Years from Retirement. How Should I Invest?" 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" ]

    Kelsey doesn’t feel comfortable investing in total stock market index funds and would rather invest in ESG funds. How can she tell if she has the necessary $2,000 invested in a company to submit a proposal to participate in a proxy voting? Also, Vanguard has a poor history of supporting shareholder resolutions. What can we do about this?

    An anonymous listener, nicknamed “Jack from Belgrave,” wants to buy and househack one duplex every year to achieve financial independence and leave his office job within the next three to four years. Is his plan realistic?

    Dylan and his wife rolled her 401k into a rollover IRA with pre-tax contributions. They’ve continued contributing to this IRA with post-tax contributions. Should they separate the accounts, or can they worry about this when they’re ready to retire?

    “Alyssa from Belgrave” (another anonymous listener) and her partner earn $150,000 per year after taxes. They’re currently saving 80 percent by living with family. What should they do with their savings?

    Leigh and her husband are three years away from retirement. They have an extra $50,000 in income this year and plenty of options for where to invest this money. Which one is the best?

    Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these questions on today’s episode. Enjoy!

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    #270: Ask Paula – Buy a Home, Buy Investments, or Pay Off Debt? How Do I Decide?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA270.mp3" title="Ask Paula - Buy a Home, Buy Investments, or Pay Off Debt? How Do I Decide?" 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" ]

    Briana and her husband want to buy a home, but they don’t have enough saved for a downpayment. They also have student loan debt and a car loan. Which should they prioritize?

    Javier is sick of being in debt. What can he do to put himself in a better situation?

    Tracie wants to buy her first rental property, but she has student loans and a car loan to pay off. If she receives $20,000 from a cash-out refi, how should she use this money?

    Vanitha wants to start a non-profit organization in memory of her uncle. She wants to know: what does this process look like?

    Margie went under contract on a primary residence listed as a six-bedroom property. She found out that, legally, it’s a four-bedroom home. Should she re-negotiate the price, or ask for credits at closing?

    I answer these questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!

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    #266: Ask Paula – Your Real Estate Questions, Answered

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA266.mp3" title="Ask Paula - Your Real Estate Questions, Answered" 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" ]

    Ali is a travel nurse and wants to get into real estate investing. Should she buy a duplex that needs fixing up or a cheaper apartment that’s rent-ready?

    Max is torn between investing in a rental property or taking advantage of a mega backdoor Roth 401k through his company. Which is the better option?

    Paul’s parents own a property worth $100,000, and they owe $80,000 on the mortgage. If he wants to buy this property from them, how should he do it?

    Kate and her husband own a townhome that has appreciated substantially, but they need a bigger house. They’re wondering: is it wise to keep it, rent it out, and use a cash-out refinance as a downpayment on their next property?

    I answer these questions on today’s episode. Enjoy!

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    #262: Ask Paula – I’m Taking a Mini-Retirement in a Pandemic. What Should I Do?

    ByPaula Pant
    [smart_track_player url="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/paulaandjaymoney/AA262.mp3" title="Ask Paula - I'm Taking a Mini-Retirement in a Pandemic. What Should I Do?" 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" ]

    Tyson is taking a year off of work and plans to devote some of his time to domestic travel, volunteer work, and bolstering his rental property portfolio. He originally planned to travel internationally, but won’t due to the pandemic. How does this plan sound?

    Jace is wondering whether she should take advantage of the low stock market prices or keep a larger emergency fund due to the pandemic. Which is the better option, given her goal of financial independence?

    Jace also wants to know: where do you park your money after maxing out a 401k and Roth IRA?

    Venkat had to relocate after living in a condo for one year. He rents out the condo, but he’s in the red. Should he sell this condo? If so, when? 

    TW has $250,000 in cash that he can use to either pay off his rental property or purchase two more properties. Which is the better option? 

    I answer these questions in today’s episode. Enjoy!