My friend and former financial advisor, Joe Saul-Sehy, joins me to answer a multitude of questions on retirement savings and investing, so let’s dive in. Elyse has two questions: #1: Through her job, Elyse has a 401(a) hybrid. Right now, she contributes 0.5% as her employer will contribute 2.5% only when she contributes 4%. Should…
Time to talk about houses! I answer your questions about rental property investing in this week’s episode. Our first question comes from James, age 25. He lives in Florida, where he bought a $130,000, 3-bedroom, 2-bath condominium in the Class B range as his primary residence. He’d like to buy a second home and rent…
Today’s episode is the June 2018 First Friday Bonus Episode, in which I answer three questions from the Afford Anything community. Enjoy! Cameron accepted a job in the Middle East, where he earns 60 percent more than he could make at a comparable job in the U.S. He also gets free health care and 30…
Stacy and her boyfriend would like to downsize to one vehicle. But they’re collectively $14,500 underwater on their car loans. Stacy owes $11,000 on her car, but its trade-in value is $7,200. She’s paying a 12.74% interest rate and her payoff date is 2021. Her boyfriend is in worse shape. He owes $18,500 on his…
This week, I answer 4 questions about quitting a depressing job, learning how to ask probing questions, saving for a downpayment, and more. Edward asks: How can I learn from other people around me? I’m 28, and my wife and I have some money that we’d like to invest. We know people who’ve had both…
Early retirement? Yes please. This week, I answer questions from the audience around early retirement planning, health savings and debt pay-off. Question #1: How can I avoid early-withdrawal penalties? Our first caller is Christianna, who asks two questions: I’m interested in early retirement. How can I avoid early withdrawal penalties? How does early retirement impact the…
This week, my buddy Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer another round of listener-submitted questions. Our first question comes from Hillary: She’s a recent college graduate in an entry level job. She’s saved up an emergency fund, but keeps depleting it as things pop up. She’s also going to law school in a year and a…
It’s mayhem in this week’s episode, as Joe Saul-Sehy, a former financial advisor and host of the Stacking Benjamins podcast, joins me to answer your questions. Normally, I host an “Ask Paula” episode on the first Monday of every month, in which I tackle questions from the Afford Anything community. You all kicked off the…
Happy 2017! It’s the first Monday of the month (and the year!), and I’m kicking off 2017 with answers to your questions. Our first question comes from Ashley. She’s a single mom setting aside $150-$200 per month in a savings account for her two-year-old son. She realizes this money could grow faster elsewhere … but…
In this week’s episode, Paula takes your calls: Should you sell your stocks, given that we might be heading for a market downturn? What are the downsides of index funds? Should you invest in out-of-state rental properties, and if so, how can you figure out where to look? How should you manage money from an…