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: roth IRA
#459: Ask Paula | 10-Year-Old Asks: How Do I Save for My First Car?
Andrey is a savvy 10-year-old wondering what’s the best way to save up for his first car.
Ingrid wants to know if her parents’ preference for Retiring on Dividends is a better approach compared to the 4 Percent Rule.
Erica’s part-time work schedule will place her in an unusually low tax bracket this year. Should she take this rare chance to execute a Roth conversion? Or is it better to prioritize debt payoff?
Chloe is worried about the end of student loan forbearance. Should she pull back from making retirement contributions to focus on debt payoff?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
#454: Ask Paula: Financial Disaster? How to Get Help Before It’s Too Late
Amy says she hit “rock bottom” with her finances. She says she struggled to ask for help before her situation became an emergency. How can others ask for help sooner?
Rebecca is a mother of four, which means she’s juggling four distinct college timelines and 529 plans. How does she make a withdrawal plan when there are so many unknowns?
Anne Marie switched jobs. What should she do with her old retirement accounts?
And Dylan wonders if the IRS Rule of 55 applies to Roth 401k accounts.
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
#449: Ask Paula: Should You Buy Real Estate in Today’s Economy?
Jackie is a 42-year-old paralegal with two rental properties. She wants to buy three more. She asks for Paula’s thoughts about today’s economy. Should she buy under these economic conditions?
Jen’s husband will retire with a pension that pays twice their living expenses. Does she still need her own retirement account?
Rachael just bought a duplex, which she wants to househack. But she’s having second thoughts. Did she bite off more than she can chew?
“Minouche” is a return caller with new information: she believes that borrowing from Dad is her only path to home ownership. Does this change Paula and Joe’s advice to her? (And is it even true?) And Molly, a concerned mom, shares some thoughts about this situation.
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.
#435: Ask Paula: How To Prepare for A Layoff
Lee is 30 and facing a tech layoff. She can live for a year on her savings. She’s thinking about taking the rest of the year off. How should she prepare her investments?
Stacy wants to buy an Airbnb but she’s scared she’ll regret selling her company stock to do it.
An anonymous caller is tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck as a freelance artist. How can she stabilize an inconsistent income?
Danelle is a DIY investor. She can’t find a financial advisor who gives advice without insisting on managing her investments. Is she looking in the wrong places?
Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.
Enjoy!
#414: Ask Paula: I Think I Can Retire Early. Am I Delusional?!
Natasha thinks she and her husband have saved enough to retire early, but they’re scared. Are they ready or are they delusional?
Should Krista tap into the equity from one of her rentals to rebalance a portfolio that is weighted heavily in real estate?
Anonymous is a savvy investor who wants to retire early. She wonders if she should hire a financial advisor, or if she can manage her investments herself.
Amanda is worried that her recently diagnosed health condition might force her to stop working. How should she financially prepare her family?
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.
#409: Ask Paula: Should I Sell My Rentals to Buy More Stocks?
Liz and her husband are planning to retire in 5 to 10 years. They have rental income properties, but Liz is bored of managing these, and she’s intrigued by the idea of buying stocks at a discount when the market is low. Should she sell her rental properties and use the money to buy stocks instead?
Rebecca is a high income earner and thinking about investing in a Roth 401k … but she’s scared of how much she’ll have to pay in taxes. Should she do it anyway?
Anonymous made big changes last year: she got a new career AND sold a house! Now she needs help figuring out capital gains and lowering how much she’ll have to pay in taxes … and she won’t have access to her company’s 401K for most of the year.
Kyle and his wife are moving into their dream home! What should they do with their current place?
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.
#407: Ask Paula: The 5 Types of Accountants (and Who To Avoid!)
Ionnie wants to vet her tax professional as diligently as she assesses her financial advisor – how should she go about doing that?
Anonymous needs a career change, and she needs help figuring out how to approach the decision making process when choosing and preparing for her next field of employment
MM prefers the simple path to wealth and investing in real estate but is looking for more information on a more intentional and selective approach to investing.
Ingrid calls in to ask whether she should include her rental income when trying to figure out how much she can contribute to her Roth IRA.
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!
