Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money

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**Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money**

45 million downloads. One question: what does it actually take to build wealth?

Each week, Paula Pant brings in economists, investors, business leaders, authors, and researchers to dig into the five pillars of financial freedom — financial psychology, increasing income, investing, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Deep insights rooted in economics and behavioral finance. First-principles thinking. No surface-level tips.

Follow or Subscribe to hear new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Get smarter with money. Build wealth.

Latest Episodes:

Are We Due For Another Housing Market Crash? Apr 03, 2021

Show notes

#309: Are we in a housing bubble?

Are we going to see a repeat of 2006 all over again?

Are there any good investment deals to be found right now?

These are the questions playing on many people's minds, and we seek to explore the answers in today's First Friday bonus episode.

We start by exploring some of the forces that are at play in today's real estate market. What separates the market of 2006 from the market of today?

In the second half of the episode, Paula explains how and why she chose to buy a duplex in Indianapolis, despite it being a seller's market. There are deals to be had if you know where to look and what to look for. Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode309

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Ask Paula: I Want to Travel After I Retire; How Much Should I Save? Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

#308: Ziggy purchased an $890,000 property in San Mateo, CA in 2016. After living there for a year, he had to move, so he rented it out. Unfortunately, it’s cash flow negative. Is this property worth holding onto, or should he sell?

Vivek has a paid-off primary residence that he’s interested in renting out for a few years, before selling. He’s worried about capital gains tax – does turning the home into a rental impact the amount he’ll pay?

Anonymous in Virginia wants to travel after retiring, which will increase her expenses for the first seven or so years of her retirement. How can she plan for a higher withdrawal rate at the beginning of retirement, and a lower withdrawal rate in the middle of her retirement?

Given the talk around student loan forgiveness, Jess wants to know: should she pay the minimum on her student loan debt and save the payments she would otherwise make? Or should she keep throwing extra at her higher interest loans?

My friend and former financial planner, Joe Saul-Sehy, joins me to answer these questions on today’s show. Let’s dive in!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode308

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The Tax Risks That Could Blow Up Your Retirement Plan, with Ed Slott Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

#307: “Taxes are the single biggest factor that separates people from their retirement dreams.”

That’s a quote from today’s guest, Ed Slott, a nationally recognized IRA distribution expert, practicing CPA, and bestselling author. He argues that there’s a high likelihood that tax rates could rise in the future, and as a result, we need to shovel more money into tax-exempt accounts like Roth IRA and Roth 401k’s.

Ed says taxes are one of the biggest threats to our retirement plans, and draws attention to tax events that catch seniors by surprise, such as the so-called “widow/widower” tax. If you’re wondering how taxes could derail your retirement -- and what you should do about it -- you’ll learn an enormous amount from this episode.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode307

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Ask Paula: How to Shift From Financial Independence to a Mini-Retirement? Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

#306: Jake and his wife want to retire in five years, at which point they’ll have 14 years before they can access their 401k funds. To help bridge that gap, Jake wants to know: what should their asset allocation look like for their taxable brokerage account?

This year, Kim’s employer enrolled all employees into a “fully funded indemnity program combined with a nationwide direct primary care membership.” What the heck is this program, and how might it impact Kim’s finances?

Burnt Out in Boston is switching their focus from financial independence to taking a mini-retirement. How can they financially and mentally prepare for this leap?

Matthew is torn: should he and his wife -- both 26 -- max out their Roth IRAs and then save up for a rental property, or simply save cash for the rental and worry about their Roth later?

Finally, Deva and her husband are fed up with their messy tenants. They’re kind and responsible, but they’ve left the yard a mess. They have a clause in the lease that addresses this, so beyond that, what can they do?

My friend and former financial planner, Joe Saul-Sehy, joins me to answer these questions on today’s show.

Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode306

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The 7 Steps to Financial Independence + 7 Rules of Investing, with JD Roth Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

#305: Financial independence is a continuum, a spectrum. How do you know where you stand?

In this episode, financial writer JD Roth discusses the seven stages of financial independence, the seven rules of investing, the formula for calculating your lifetime wealth ratio, and the importance of managing your career as though it’s an asset.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode305

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Ask Paula: Help! I Can Only Save $200 a Month Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

#304: Paige and her fiancé have two autumn 2021 goals: save for a wedding and an emergency fund. There’s one problem: they only have around $200 per month to save. How can they grow the gap when they’ve run out of things to cut and ways to earn more?

Kat’s investor friend connected her with a wholesaler who only deals in cash. How can she find $130,000 to buy her subject property?

Anonymous “Countryside Living” is renting their grandparent’s property, which they plan to make their forever home. It’s on the older side and needs renovations, but the repairs don’t need to happen immediately. How can they fund these repairs while also avoiding a mortgage payment in their 60s?

Annalis wants to know whose approach to business I prefer: Gary V’s, or Cal Newport’s? She also asks: how do you become a good speaker?

Anonymous “My Job Pays for My Housing” is planning for financial independence. Given that their employer covers their housing, when should they start looking for a house? Now, or in the last year of their job?

My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer these five questions today. Enjoy!

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode304

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A World Without Email, with Cal Newport Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

#303: Can you imagine living in a world without email? Most of us can’t - how would we get work done? - but this is what Cal Newport advocates for in his newest book, A World Without Email. Cal cites a study that found the average knowledge worker checks various communication tools once every six minutes. At that rate, it’s a wonder we get any work done at all.

Cal argues that modifying our habits (like checking email at designated times) isn’t enough. We need to look for solutions outside the inbox and seek to reduce back-and-forth communication at all costs. If you’re drained by your inbox, we chat about strategies, processes, and systems that can help streamline your work and communication flow.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode303

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The Financial Benefits of Optimism, with Michelle Gielan Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

#302: Did you know that optimists worry about their finances 145 fewer days than pessimists? They’re also more likely to save money, and are 7x as likely to experience better financial health.

Michelle Gielan, bestselling author of Broadcasting Happiness, defines optimism “as the expectation of good things to happen and the belief that our behavior matters.”

She shares specific tactics and mindset shifts we can make right now to become more optimistic and resilient, and, in the process, develop a better relationship with stress.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode302

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Ask Paula: How Can I Reach FIRE in 11 Years? Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

#301: Amelia is worried that she and her husband are under-insured. Should her husband get a short-term disability policy, even though it’s expensive and they’re unlikely to need it?

Sarah wants to refinance her owner-occupied triplex, but she’s torn between a 15-year and a 30-year option. Which is better in her situation?

Steven just discovered the financial independence (FI) movement in July 2020, and he wants to reach FI in 11 years. He has $30,000 in cash and $26,000 of student loan debt. How should he use his cash given his FI goal?

The South American Anthropologist wants to make a career change. His baby daughter has inspired him to become an example of living life on your own terms. Will his financial independence plan sustain him and his family for years to come?

Annalis and Mike are hunting for their first rental property, but they haven’t found anything nice that meets the one percent rule. Should they purchase a mansion and rent the rooms on Airbnb?

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode301

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The Two-Fund Investment Portfolio, with Paul Merriman Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

#300: Here’s the deal: Target Date Retirement Funds are simple, automated, easy. The problem? What’s simple might not be optimal. Investment expert Paul Merriman joins us to discuss the two-fund portfolio, a mix of one target date fund and one small cap value fund.

He describes why this could be the ultimate portfolio for buy-and-hold investors who want to boost their returns, without excessive complexity or risk. If you’re wondering what to do with your 401k, tune in.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode300

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