By Paula Pant
In light of recent federal mandates to return to the office, Pedro is having a hard time giving up on his fully remote lifestyle. Is there a creative solution to his dilemma?
An anonymous caller is excited to move abroad permanently. How should she structure her investments to support her international lifestyle while maintaining a home base in the US?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
Kimmy is worried that her mom’s retirement portfolio is invested too conservatively. Is she right to advise her to take on more risk?
Peyton has heard the financial advice about staying away from Whole Life Insurance as an investment, but what about as a savings account for children? Is there good a use case for this?
Jeff and his wife are in a great financial position, but they fear that their retirement savings are too heavily apportioned in traditional IRAs. Will they run into tax problems in the future?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
Think about how you spend an average day. Would the 10-year-old version of yourself be impressed? What about the 90-year-old version?
These two powerful questions frame our conversation with Sahil Bloom, founder and managing partner of an early-stage venture fund with investments in over 60 startups and author of The Curiosity Chronicle, a newsletter that reaches more than a million readers worldwide.
Sahil shares the story of his own wake-up call. While living in California and earning massive money as a venture inventor, he had a drink with an old friend who asked how often he saw his parents. When Sahil answered “about once a year,” his friend asked how old they were. Learning they were in their mid-60s, his friend calculated: “So you’re going to see your parents 15 more times before they die,” assuming they’d live to about 80.
That gut-punch realization led to massive change. Within 45 days, Sahil had left his job, sold his house, and moved across the country to be closer to family.
This shift represents the core of Sahil’s philosophy about the five types of wealth:
1. Time wealth: Control over your calendar and priorities
2. Social wealth: Deep, meaningful connections with others
3. Mental wealth: Curiosity, purpose, and personal growth
4. Physical wealth: Health and vitality
5. Financial wealth: Traditional money and assets
Most of us focus exclusively on financial wealth because it’s easily measurable. But Sahil argues that true wealth encompasses all five domains, and we should intentionally invest in each one.
Sahil shares practical exercises for building each type of wealth:
– For time wealth, create an “energy calendar” by tracking which activities energize versus drain you
– For social wealth, map your relationships based on how healthy and frequent they are
– For purpose, ask yourself what your world (family, community, etc.) needs from you
– For physical wealth, focus on movement, nutrition, and recovery through simple practices
– For financial wealth, clearly define what “enough” looks like for you
These five domains aren’t meant to be balanced perfectly every day. Instead, Sahil suggests thinking in seasons — some periods might emphasize financial growth while others prioritize family time.
Sahil also discusses powerful concepts like goals versus anti-goals (what you’re unwilling to sacrifice to reach your goals) and “Memento Mori” — the ancient Roman practice of remembering one’s mortality to inspire present action.
The conversation ends with a reminder that “your life has seasons” just like the weather — you don’t expect to experience all four seasons in a single day, so don’t expect perfect balance in every area of life simultaneously.
For more from Sahil Bloom, find him on major social platforms or visit fivetypesofwealth.com.
By Paula Pant
At age 7, Dr. Jordan Grumet lost his father. This early loss shaped his career path — he became a physician, following in his dad’s footsteps. But by 2010, feeling burned out from internal medicine, he took an unexpected turn: he became a hospice doctor.
In this episode, Dr. Grumet joins us to discuss what he’s learned from thousands of conversations with people in their final days.
These discussions have revealed a pattern: people don’t typically regret their bank balance on their deathbed. Instead, they regret not pursuing the activities and dreams that truly lit them up.
Dr. Grumet explains the difference between what he calls “Big P Purpose” versus “little p purpose.” Big P Purpose involves major life goals like becoming president or curing cancer. Little p purpose, by contrast, focuses on the process — finding activities you enjoy regardless of the outcome.
He shares the story of a young professional who loved competitive cycling. While working a demanding nonprofit job, this person started fixing bikes at races on weekends. This side project combined his skills and passion, eventually creating enough income for him to reduce his full-time hours.
Dr. Grumet introduces three key concepts for building more purpose into your life:
– Joy of Addition: Add activities that excite you, even if just for 15 minutes daily
– Art of Subtraction: Remove activities that drain you
– Substitution: When you can’t add or subtract, swap one activity for another
He emphasizes that money isn’t the only tool for creating change. Youth, energy, relationships, skills and community can be equally valuable resources. A 22-year-old might lack funds but has the advantage of time and stamina that a 51-year-old doesn’t possess.
Dr. Grumet references the Harvard Adult Developmental Health Study, which found that strong relationships — not achievements or money — most strongly correlate with happiness. He suggests that pursuing activities you enjoy naturally leads to building these vital connections.
The episode closes with a powerful story about his grandfather, who loved math and became an accountant in the 1950s.
This passion influenced Dr. Grumet’s mother to become a CPA, which in turn helped young Jordan develop confidence in math, despite his reading challenges. Years later, this mathematical thinking helped him diagnose a rabbi’s rare condition — proving how small actions can create ripple effects across generations.
By Paula Pant
An anonymous caller’s crypto investments have recently skyrocketed to 17 percent of her investment portfolio. Given the volatility of this asset, should she rebalance it or go all in?
Jocelyn wants to buy a house in three years but she’s reluctant to keep her sizable down payment in cash. What if she splits the difference and invests half the money instead?
Allison feels antsy holding $1 million in cash with falling interest rates on the horizon. How does she optimize this money while keeping it liquid enough to buy a house on an uncertain timeline?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
How much is an hour of your time worth?
Google’s Executive Productivity Advisor, Laura Mae Martin, joins us to answer that question.
By Paula Pant
Sara is five years from retirement with a paid-off house. But she’s worried that her money will run out before she turns 80. What does she need to do now to protect her future self?
Lauren is a personal finance nerd who gets it. But one question perplexes her: When should she choose an ETF […]
By Paula Pant
Feeling stuck in a job you hate, dreaming of exotic adventures? This episode is your escape hatch.
Brad Barrett, host of the ChooseFI Podcast, takes the interviewer role in this special episode, recorded LIVE at a comedy club in Brooklyn.
Brad interviews me (!!) about how I quit my reporter gig and traveled the world for over 2 YEARS! This episode spills the tea on my transformation from newspaper reporter to world wanderer, and talks about how this podcast (now over 500 episodes!) got started. Feeling inspired? This episode is your travel hack manual for designing your dream life on a budget.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
How much of a pay cut would you take for a lighter workload?
Paul, 35, is grappling with that question. Like many of us, Paul says he loves his job, but the hours are demanding. He would love to work less. But he didn’t think the opportunity would come so soon.
You see, Paul is a dedicated saver. He’s spent years trying to build financial independence. He’s amassed a net worth of $910,000, with no debt.
His ideal early retirement, which would be filled with travel and hobbies, requires more money. Besides, he enjoys his career.
That’s why Paul thought he’d work full-time for several more years. He felt happy with that plan.
But an interesting opportunity recently arose.
Paul’s workplace has offered him the chance to drop his hours – and his salary – by 25 percent. He’d love to work less. But the salary cut is earlier than he’d planned.
Should he take it?
Today, we kick off the podcast episode with this question.
After that, we turn our attention to an anonymous caller. She and her husband want to retire at 55. They also want a bigger home, a better car, and to start growing their family. Can they afford it all?
Meanwhile, Tim spent his 20’s in medical school. He missed out on retirement savings during those years. He’s eager to catch up. What’s the shortest path to get there?
Finally, Matthew and his family dream of leaving Florida for the Pacific Northwest. Will they regret selling everything to start over?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
By Paula Pant
Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. She’s famous for her work in radioactivity.
Lin-Manual Miranda is a songwriter, producer and director who won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2016, as well as several Tony awards.
What do they have in common?
They lived a century apart. They innovated in disparate fields. But they shared a similar productivity practice.
Both achieved greatness by embracing the practice of slow productivity, says Georgetown computer science professor Cal Newport.
Slow productivity is a three-part practice, Newport explains: (1) do fewer things; (2) work at a natural pace; (3) obsess over quality.
We’re used to thinking of productivity as doing more in a short amount of time. This flips that idea on its head, focusing on doing less, but excelling.
Slow productivity is the practice of doing fewer tasks better.
In this episode, Newport explains how the practice of slow productivity diverges from the normal ways that people in modern society tend to work.
If you’ve ever been challenged by the increasing demands of a fast-paced world,
Life can be stressful. Your to-do list might feel never-ending. This episode can help you focus on the few things that matter most.
It can help you feel less stressed, less busy, and yet — paradoxically — more productive, at the same time.
Enjoy!
