Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money

Latest Episodes:

Ask Paula | 10-Year-Old Asks: How Do I Save for My First Car? Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

#459: 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!

P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail

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The Reality Behind High Home Prices, with BiggerPockets CEO Scott Trench Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

#458: Today we chat with Scott Trench, the CEO and President of BiggerPockets, a real estate investing education company with more than 2 million members.

He joins us to share cutting-edge insights on today’s real estate market. We discuss economic trends, demographic shifts, and talk about how interest rates impact home buyers.

Whether you're a potential homebuyer, an investor, or simply curious about the housing market, this conversation will shield light on what’s REALLY happening in today’s confusing real estate market.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode458

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Ask Paula: I Sold All My Stocks Last Year. Now I'm Kicking Myself Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

#457: Angie sold all the stocks in her retirement account last year. And now the market’s climbing. What should she do with her $500,000 cash position?

Christina will be graduating with six figures of student debt. Should she refinance out of a federally protected loan to lower her interest rate?

An anonymous caller wonders how Paula and Joe handled their primary residences when they moved out of state.

Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.

Enjoy!

P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/podcast-questions

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode457

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The Science of Empathy, with Stanford Professor Jamil Zaki Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

#456: Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki shares his research and findings around the science of empathy – and how we can apply this to improving our relationships with colleagues, clients, customers, co-founders, and business and investing cohorts.

Zaki is the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, and the author of “The War For Kindness.”

We'll break down the science. We talk about why empathy matters in business, investments, and in career growth, and we’ll discuss its digital age dynamics. How does AI impact the way in which we relate to others?

If you want to learn the science of emotional intelligence, and how to apply this to your career and business interactions, you’ll learn a lot from today’s episode.

Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode456

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Ask Paula: I’m Recently Retired. Do I Pay Off My Rentals Or Buy More Real Estate? Aug 05, 2023

Show notes

#455: Yvette recently retired with the goal of reaching a $10,000 monthly income from her real estate investments. Should she put her money toward debt payoff or portfolio expansion?

Carly wants to buy a second home and convert her current home to a rental. What are the pros and cons of tapping into existing equity versus saving cash for a down payment?

An anonymous caller plans to move back to her touristy hometown in six to seven years. Is it smart to buy something now and take advantage of a thriving Airbnb market?

I tackle these three questions in today’s episode.

Enjoy!

P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode455

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Ask Paula: Financial Disaster? How to Get Help Before It’s Too Late Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

#454: 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!

P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode454

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The Importance of Having a Life Outside of Work, with Simone Stolzoff Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

#453: Today I chat with Simone Stolzoff, a consultant for organizations ranging from Google to the Surgeon General’s Office, and the author of "The Good Enough Job." He’s a graduate of Stanford and U. Penn.

Simone has spent a lot of time thinking about the role of work in our lives, and he's got some really interesting ideas about how we can see work as just one part of a happy and fulfilling life.

We'll be talking about what happens when work becomes more than just a job, how to challenge the idea that work has to be our calling or our dream, and how to build a more well-rounded life. If you’ve ever “over-identified” with your job, then you’ll find today’s conversation thought-provoking. Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode453

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Mind Games: How Confidence Shapes our Financial Markets, with Economist Peter Atwater Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

#452: Peter Atwater, an economics professor at The College of William and Mary and author of “The Confidence Map,” joins us to discuss how confidence shapes our financial markets.

He explains how The Hunger Games relates to the Lehman Brothers collapse. He describes why you should “Buy Adele and Sell Pharrell.”

From the Panic of 1857 to the patterns behind modern media consumption, Peter talks us through the intricate web of behavioral oddities that extend beyond finance.

He talks about the “K-shaped recovery” – how different segments of the population are experiencing different economic realities.

He touches upon economic, political, and social trends, and the hidden dynamics that shape market behavior and reveal the profound impact of consumer confidence.

Our conversation will leave you with a deeper understanding of how behavioral patterns shape the financial landscape – including your investments.

Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode452

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Ask Paula: The Hidden Costs of Leverage Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

#451: Rachel’s car is nearing its end of life and she’s short on cash. Should she sell before she’s hit with a major repair?

Cam wants to arbitrage a hefty low-interest loan with a three-year payback period. Is this the opportunity of a lifetime or a disaster waiting to happen?

Kris has tried all the budgeting apps but they’re cumbersome and time-consuming. Is there a better way to track his monthly expenses?

An anonymous caller feels stretched thin with a high mortgage on a single income. Should she sell off some stocks to lower her monthly payments?

Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these four questions in today’s episode.

Enjoy!

P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://affordanything.com/voicemail

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode451

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The Surreal Business of War: A Reporter's Account of the Russian Economy in Chaos Jul 07, 2023

Show notes

#450: On the First Friday of each month, we roll out a bonus episode that’s totally different from what we usually produce.

These bonus episodes are special, unique, and – we hope – round out a fuller, more multifaceted picture of what we think about.

Today, I’m introducing you to a business and economics correspondent from Moscow who I’m honored to call a close friend. Her name is Andrea Palasciano. She’s covered business stories from Paris, Marseilles, Rome and Moscow. She’s fluent in Italian, German, Spanish, French, English and Russian. She’s covered stories ranging from diamond mining in Siberia to sleep deprivation.

She’s close friends with Evan Gershkovich, the 31-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter who’s currently in a Russian prison. Today is his 100th day behind bars.

Andrea and I were both Knight-Bagehot Fellows and bonded during our year of immersing ourselves into deeply understanding how to tell better stories about business and economics. She joins me in this special episode to talk about the stories she’s covered, the sabbatical experience, and why it’s critical to understand how a bond works (!!).

Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode450

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