The Stacking Benjamins Show Cumulus Podcast Network

Do you think, "I've made it once I reach financial independence?" Douglas Tsoi has been "retired" for over ten years and will tell you, "Not even close."
For all of us, a new journey begins once we reach financial independence. What does this look like? How can we prepare? Today, Douglas sits down with Joe Saul-Sehy to dive into the five stages we all experience after reaching what many think of as the finish line.
In short, we'll discuss:

The fallacy of "I'm done"

The reason why people are afraid to retire, even though they may say otherwise

The darkness phase of "is this all there is?" and how to fight it

The joy of finally realizing that, after the emotional journey, you can flip into a new, gratifying state.


In our headline, we'll share a story about two executives in court because their investment scheme was "built on lies." This company promised eight percent returns without volatility. What's wrong with that? We'll walk through:

How companies make money and why volatility is always EXPECTED with an eight percent return.

Historical returns for asset classes, including the much-maligned international and emerging markets asset classes. Will they ever outperform again?

We'll share several ways people try to even out returns to ATTEMPT, including what these alleged scammers said they could do (and couldn't).


But that's not all. Of course, we'll also share Doug's amazing Formula One trivia question and much, much more.
FULL SHOWNOTES: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/emotional-stages-after-financial-independence-douglas-tsoi
Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201
Enjoy!
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What are the biggest fifteen items on most budgets that can derail your spending plan? One blogger, our friend Allison Baggerly at InspiredBudgets.com, made a list.
Today we use that list as the basis of a game show episode! Paula Pant (AffordAnything), Doc G. (Earn & Invest) and our own OG go head-to-head in a match to figure out which items made Allison's list. The best part? Even when their guesses are wrong, they bring up MANY budget busters that can help all of us do a better job fixing the holes in our spending plan.
Topics we cover:

Gifts

Taxes

Auto maintenance

Pet care

Holiday spending

Medical deductibles/costs

...and much more. We also share MANY solutions to plug the holes in your budget.
AND if that weren't enough, we pause at the halfway point of our conversation for our normal trivia competition (a competition inside of a competition? Meta!)
FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/budget-gotchas-1534
Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201
Enjoy!
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Even if you only have $500 in your emergency fund, today we reveal why having this money in the right place can yield BIG dividends. If you have your $500 in an account paying the average rate, you'll make around $2.50 in interest per year. Yet, by moving these Benjamins to a well-structured emergency fund, you could earn around $22.50. Doesn't sound like much? Assuming this takes 30 minutes, we're talking about earning $40 an hour! That's a GREAT rate of return on your time invested.
Episode Overview
Why Your Emergency Fund Matters More Than Ever:

Ever wondered where to stash your emergency fund for the greatest benefit? With rising interest rates, it’s a discussion worth your time. We’ll cover:

How much should you keep in your emergency fund?

Avoiding common pitfalls.

Understanding the differences between money market accounts, high-yield savings accounts, and other options. And yes, we clarify all this mumbo-jumbo so you can actually understand it!

(What are YOUR thoughts on emergency funds? Share with us on Instagram or on Facebook!)
Segment Highlights:


TikTok Minute: What’s “guy math”? We’ll dive into this fun trend and how it compares to “girl math.” This guy applies girl math to his tool collection. What could go wrong?


New Segment Debut: Sometimes, online advice needs a second opinion. Hear OG’s take on some questionable financial tips. Today, we open with Sammie, who is asking for help with her 401k. As you can imagine, any time you ask for advice on the internet, it goes downhill quickly from there. If you see horrible advice in a financial forum, send it to us! (joe at stacking benjamins dot com)


Doug’s Trivia: Test your knowledge with Doug’s latest trivia question and much more! Today, he dives into Federal holiday trivia to celebrate Juneteenth.

Join the Community:
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Tax planning in June? Of course! Why would you wait until next year, when you can't make ANY financial moves that save you money, to start figuring out how to cut your tax bill? Right now, at nearly the halfway point of the year, we'll dive into how to understand your taxes and make cuts with our tax planning mentor, Hannah Cole. Hannah will walk us through tax savings ideas for everyone, and then we'll focus on those people who have either started a side hustle or who are entrepreneurs and share some great tips for business owners. Even if you're just dreaming about having a business or "working for the man," we've got you covered.
Plus, in our headline segment, two brothers woke up one day this spring and found themselves disinherited, losing out on approximately one million dollars! How did that happen? It could have all been avoided, and YOU can avoid this problem too. We'll walk you through HOW to make sure your beneficiaries receive the funds you've decided should go to them. We'll also explain how wills and trusts work, and get you started toward building a better "estate plan."
Of course, Doug brings his awesome trivia challenge AND we answer a question from a Stacker in need.
FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/tax-planning-year-round-1532
Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201
Enjoy!
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How are you preparing for retirement? Have you looked at all of the dimensions to ensure you have a successful, long runway of money always available? On today's special roundtable episode, we dive into a piece that claims there are seven things you need to do in order to be prepared for retirement. Joining us are: Don McDonald from the Talking Real Money podcast, Paula Pant from Afford Anything, and OG.
In the second half of the show, sponsored by DepositAccounts.com, we dive into risk mitigation, the importance of maintaining adequate cash reserves while in retirement, and keeping a historical context of current events.
Be sure to stick around for the yearlong trivia competition with Doug's baseball-themed trivia.
FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/moves-to-make-before-retirement-1531
Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.StackingBenjamins.com/201
Enjoy!
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There’s another lawsuit brewing in the world of retirement planning. This time, participants in a 401(k) plan in California are raising concerns about how Qualcomm is handling the money forfeited when employees don’t complete their vesting schedules.
Vesting schedule? What’s that all about?
Today, we'll break down everything you need to know about vesting schedules, so you can navigate your job benefits with confidence. Whether you’re dealing with a vesting cliff or a staggered vesting schedule, we’ve got you covered. We’ll explain how they work, the taxes involved, how to plan around them, and how to think about any money that isn’t fully yours yet. Plus, for business owners, we'll discuss how to balance keeping talent with implementing vesting schedules. Get ready for a fun and informative session on one of the trickier aspects of financial planning!
In our TikTok minute, we’re sharing a clip from Fox News where a contributor predicts what will happen to the stock market if Trump is convicted after his recent trial. Spoiler: He was convicted. Let’s see if his prediction came true and how it might impact your money.
We also have a note from a fellow Stacker who thought, "I better call Saul...Sehy & OG." He’s worried about contributing to a Roth IRA because his income is too high. We’ll discuss strategies like backdoor Roth contributions, Roth 401(k) plans, and some of the tricky rules around Roth IRA conversions that can trip people up.
And of course, we’ll share a fun trivia question from Doug, sit on the back porch, and so much more!
FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/all-about-vesting-1530
For deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions, check out our newsletter, The 201, at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201
Enjoy!
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