Today we’re featuring a special episode recorded LIVE in front of an audience at Podcast Movement, an industry conference in Denver.
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle two questions in today’s episode. Our first question comes from a soon-to-be-single-mother on the precipice of divorce. How should she navigate this financially?
Our second question comes from the spouse of a Purple Heart veteran of the war in Afghanistan. She and her husband would like to take a one-year sabbatical from work when they turn 40, which is in five years. They’d also like to pivot into lower-paying but more enjoyable careers. How should they map out their money for this transition?
Joe and I dedicate this episode, recorded live on stage, to answering these two questions. Enjoy!
Tag: retirement savings
#440: Ask Paula: Am I Saving Enough For Retirement?
“Barbara,” an anonymous caller from Episode 422, is struggling with a scarcity mindset. How does she stop worrying about the future and build the confidence to enjoy life now?
Samantha and her partner have lived out of their truck for 20 years. They sorta-kinda feel ready to buy a house and settle down. But they’re hesitating. What if they hate it?
An anonymous caller wants to retire and travel in 20 to 30 years. How does she know if she’s saving enough?
Trace plans to take a mini-retirement next year. Where should she keep her savings until then?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
#436: Ask Paula: How Do I Pay for Grad School?
Jeremy wants to attend graduate school. Should he take student loans or cash out his investment portfolio?
Andy is wondering if the 4 percent rule stands up to high inflation. (There’s a shockingly simple answer!)
Did Rudolfo discover a hack to supercharge his 401k investing?
Nandini is overwhelmed by her investing choices. What accounts should she use? What funds should she pick?
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.
#433: Ask Paula: Should I Quit My Cushy Job?
Should “Walker,” an anonymous caller, give up a cushy job to take a year-long sabbatical in Europe?
Blue wants to rent out his East Coast home, take a sabbatical from work, travel to the West Coast with his family, and start a YouTube channel and other entrepreneurial projects. How should he manage his money to make this happen?
Melissa regrets buying a house two years ago in Ft. Lauderdale. She’s poured $30,000 into repairs, all of which she borrowed. Her home-related debts have mounted. She’s over-extended. Should she cut her losses?
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.
#432: The Risk of Not Fully Living, with Michael Lynch
Have you ever worried about running out of money after you retire?
Do you keep checking your net worth to make sure you have enough? Does this always feel a little … unsatisfying?
This episode discusses why.
Today’s guest, Michael Lynch, is a certified financial planner and author. His most recent book, “It’s All About The Income,” says that we’re obsessed with the wrong thing. Retirement planning is focused on growing assets. But your assets aren’t going to keep the lights on. Your INCOME, not your assets, is the centerpiece of your retirement.
He shares real-life examples of the biggest risks to your income — the risks that might halt you from enjoying your retirement years. He shares tips on how to make sure your income is smooth and secure, even when you’re not punching the clock anymore.
Enjoy!
#425: Ask Paula: My Dad Died, and My Mom Is CLUELESS About Finances
Ellen’s dad died unexpectedly. Her mom is clueless about finances. How does she help a 70-year-old unravel financial complexities?
Mike has an opportunity to buy into his friend’s growing business. What should be his legal, financial, and relationship considerations?
Pepp wants to know what’ll happen to her Restricted Stock Units when her company goes private.
An anonymous caller needs to build her nest egg. She’ll be a full-time student with no income. She has 20 years until retirement. Should she execute a Roth conversion?
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.
#422: Ask Paula: We’re Saving 72 Percent Of Our Income…and It SUCKS
Emily is saving aggressively for financial independence, but it’s hard to enjoy the present. Is it time to increase spending?
Monroe wants to stop working. Forever. Which is more important: debt payoff or investing?
Another anonymous caller and his spouse dream of building a homestead on an expensive piece of land. How much is too much to spend on housing?
Given the high costs of moving, Sarah wonders if buying a starter home is the best decision. Should she and her fiance jump straight to buying their forever home?
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.
#399: Ask Paula: The Stock Market Is Down – Can I Still Retire?
Bella is SO CLOSE to reaching F.I.R.E and is worried about her withdrawal rate if the stock market drops. If the stock market does drop, can she withdraw as much as she had originally planned?
Sam has been investing for several decades and thinks that he should stay invested in his portfolio, despite the recent drop in value…but he is still wondering if there’s a chance that he should sell.
Meisha is making more money at her new job but can’t contribute to her 401(k) for the first six months – what should she do with her extra money in this interim??
Kyria is a young investor with multiple goals: she’s wondering how to best save for a down payment without it being eroded by inflation and also whether her investment choices should take on more risk, since time is on her side.
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
#390: Ask Paula: Help! My Bills Are Too High
We start this episode with two anonymous callers who have opposite problems: one says her bills are too high, while the other is worried that she’s saving too much.
Anonymous (“Izzy”) saves A LOT. She wants to relax about her spending more, and start including more joy into her life. How should she approach the next 10 or 20 years, so that she can enjoy her financial security?
A different anonymous caller (“Starlight”) has the opposite problem: her expenses are mounting. Her bills make her uncomfortable. She wants to shake up her investments so that she can tap her assets in order to make her payments. Ideally, she’d also like to buy a house in Europe within the next 10 years. How should she do this?
John liked the episode with Bill Bengen, where we discussed the 4% rule. However, he questions whether that rule should really be applied to the FIRE community.
Steve is a landlord who needs his property to cash flow, but doesn’t like to raise rents. What should he do?
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!
#389: Invest Anywhere: Should I Bother Investing in Long-Distance Real Estate?
Welcome to Invest Anywhere, our monthly series on long-distance real estate investing.
Invest Anywhere airs on the First Friday of each month and is co-hosted by Paula Pant and Suni Rao.
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Today we tackle one of the most common questions we hear:
“Should I bother investing in real estate?”
“Is the hassle worth it?”
“What’s the upside? Is this worth my time and effort?”
“Do I really want to do this?”
“Maybe I should just stick to index funds …”
How can you methodically, systematically dig into answering this question?
In this episode, we’ll help you take a personal inventory of four factors: your time, capital, relationships, and mindset.
Time, capital and relationships are the resources at your disposal, and your mindset governs how well you’ll use those resources.
These four factors will have a major influence on your experience as a long-distance investor.
And there’s good news:
Plenty of successful investors start out with empty coffers in one or more of these arenas.
They’re strapped for cash. They’re pressed for time. They lack connections.
In this episode, we discuss how to inventory your time, cash and connections (you might have more than you think!), as well as what to do if you’re lagging in one or more of these arenas.
Enjoy!
