How To Money

We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!   What can I do about rapidly rising rents at my apartment building? We want to house hack by finishing out a basement apartment- is this a good idea for us and should we finance the project? How do I pay off my debt while also not damaging my credit score for the upcoming purchase of a home? I’m getting paid to bike to work, but I have no idea what kind of bicycle I should purchase- help! Should I avoid investing in single stocks even if I get a really good discount through my employee stock purchase plan?   During this episode we enjoyed a White Thai by Westbrook Brewing! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share b

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: insulating your house to save the planet and save you money, #VanLife woes and the search for happiness, why a declining GDP doesn’t necessarily mean a recession is on the way, conniving credit bureaus, pet repossessions, cryptocurrency in your 401k, crypto mortgages, merchant processing fees on the rise, a new credit card bonus we’re excited about, & Rad Power Bikes are on sale!   And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever

When your home’s value increases by over $50,000 in 2021 alone- you take notice! The average homeowner has access to well over $150,000 in tappable home equity while still maintaining 20% equity in their homes. But just because you can cash out, does that mean you should? As you’ve witnessed your home equity continue to balloon, you might be tempted to do something with those newly discovered funds. You might start getting the itch to finally spend some of that ‘hard earned money’ on a boat or maybe even a lavish vacation. Or maybe you’re more of a money nerd and you just hate seeing that equity sitting there underutilized- doesn’t it just feel like a waste with those funds sitting around doing virtually nothing? Either way, you might be facing a money decision with five zeros after it, and we want to help you think about it well.   During this episode we enjoyed an Above the Threshold of Hell by Burial! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and fami

Our guest today is Scott Keyes- founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights, a travel platform with over two million members around the world. It’s been called “the travel world’s best-kept secret” by Thrillist and received praise in The New York Times among others. But before he became our favorite expert on ways to keep vacation costs down, Scott worked for years as a journalist, with bylines in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and plenty of other publications. And now, he’s published a book titled, “Take More Vacations”, which we’ll discuss today as well. With virtually everyone out there clamoring to take a vacation, we’re really excited to be talking about this timely topic. We discuss why we’re living in the golden age of cheap flights, how to get across the ocean for as little money as possible, change fees, and then we also discuss long travel and the changing culture of travel here in the US.   During this episode we enjoyed an Evolutions

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: we’re kicking off the HTM Newsletter with a book giveaway, why it makes sense to return to the office, desktop appraisals get the green light, HOAs barring hedge funds from buy up properties, guaranteed gargantuan returns, Instagrammable luxury fruits, egg prices on the rise, the credit card debt rebound, the rise and fall of Netflix, tax preparation software privacy issues, & skyrocketing airfares.   And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcas

Have you ever been to a Broadway show? It’s amazing- whether you’re drawn to the storyline, the music, the costumes- but of course the cast is pivotal. And for any major theatrical production, not only are there the performers you see on stage, but there are also countless understudies. The backup cast members who learn all the lines, and know exactly what to do in case one of the performers gets sick or can’t perform. They’re preparing for the worst. We think of prepping for a recession in a similar way. We don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen. In fact, we hope that we don’t experience one anytime soon! But when it does, you’re going to be able to weather that storm much better if you take the proper precautions ahead of time. And with more talk of a recession on the horizon, we figured now was a great time to discuss what you should be doing. We’re going to get granular on this one and give specific steps that you should take in order to be prepa

We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!   1 - What kind of impact will settling my debt have on my credit score? 2 - My employer matches retirement contributions but I really want to pay down my debt ASAP- what should I do? 3 - Where should I invest funds for an upcoming wedding? 4 - How should I go about investing money for my newborn daughter? 5 - Do I have to actually use my credit card in order to boost my credit score?   During this episode we enjoyed a Sour Strawberry Rhubarb by Edmund’s Oast! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or where

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: unavoidable inflation hitting 41 year highs, why gas prices are slow to recede, the best affordable unlimited wireless plan, whether it’s frugal or cheap to bring your own concessions, crypto psychopaths, college enrollment is down, why degrees might be for dummies, states offering free college, & the best new credit card perk for investors.   And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the

It’s time to celebrate the fact that we’ve now officially recorded and published 500 episodes of How to Money! And what better way to mark the occasion, than to hear some of the best money tips from all of our listeners. From making more money with real estate, to getting on the same page as your partner with money convos, to spending less on groceries and smarter ways to budget- we had more voice memos sent in to us than we had time to get to during this episode, but we’re excited to share a bunch of them with you today. And thanks to everyone for sending in their best money tip for us to share! We couldn’t do this show without the listener support and love that we receive every day- either as an email or simply by the fact that you listen to the show. So thank you for helping to make How to Money what it is today!   During this episode we enjoyed a Faithful Instruction by Monday Night Brewing! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to

Our guest today is Nick Maggiulli. Nick is the Chief Operating Officer for Ritholtz Wealth Management and regularly writes over on his site: Of Dollars And Data. But he wasn’t always steeped in the world of finance and investing- before that he was a successful litigation consultant. And even though Nick has always had a heart for personal finance, it’s only been in the past 5 years that he began to seriously write about money. And his new book, Just Keep Buying, actually comes out tomorrow! We were lucky enough to get an early copy and couldn’t recommend it enough. Nick weaves insightful stories with actionable advice that is going to help anyone who reads it. During this discussion we talk about timing the market, Nick’s definition of dollar cost averaging, spending less time on investments and more time on growing income, and much more!   During this episode we enjoyed a La Folie by New Belgium! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: the rise of 40 year mortgages, free audiobooks for life, the high cost of shipping, whether it makes sense to save for your future, the student loan freeze gets extended, more fuel efficient vehicles on the horizon, and affordable car alternatives.   And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money. Have an aw

Think about the last novel you read that included a dangerous quest. If it’s a fantasy like the Hobbit, there might be giant spiders, goblins, and dragons- but in the end, it’s worth it because of the unfathomable treasure and riches that await them. The thing is, when we’re talking about investing in single stocks, the chance that this perilous journey ends up with a happy ending is much less likely, but folks continue along in their quest. Why? Maybe it’s because of the sophisticated tools that we have at our fingertips, or because it’s more accessible than ever with apps like Robinhood where you can buy and sell for free, or maybe you just think you’re smarter than everyone else. And sure you’ve heard of individuals who have crushed it by investing with a company like Tesla, but we’re still not fans of this type of approach. So in this episode we tackle some of the most common arguments advocating for investing in single stocks, why we ultimately disagree, and how you should invest your money instead. Sing

We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!1 - I’ve recently retired and I’m looking for an affordable health care option- what are your thoughts on health sharing plans?2 - How do my fiance and I begin the process of house hacking after we’ve successfully run an Airbnb?3 - Student loans are keeping me from investing within a Roth IRA, but should I be investing at all?4 - Should I take a loan against my 401(k) or tap those funds early, if I need access to funds after getting laid off?5 - I have a Health Savings Account offered by my employer, but I’m not able to invest those funds- what should I do?During this episode we enjoyed a Sour Bikini by Evil Twin! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the sha

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: slashing housing expenses with ADUs, new construction, and multi-generational households. Also we discuss making more money as a contractor, radical sabbaticals, choosing more meaningful work with flexibility, fake free tax filing, results of couples combining their money, 24/7 stonk trading, and new legislation that’ll benefit investors!And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal fin

Your birthday comes around every year- and you never forget because it’s something that you look forward to! But we’d argue that there are certain financial tasks that we should also revisit at least once a year, but we’re less than enthusiastic about knocking them out. This neglect is compounded by the fact that our finances have gotten more complicated than ever. You likely have accounts everywhere: you might have multiple 401ks, savings accounts, credit cards- it might feel like there’s too much going on as you juggle more logins than you can keep up with. Now these are tasks that don’t need to become ongoing obligations, but we do think they will help you make your personal finances more manageable. Whether it’s something as straightforward and practical as making some tweaks to your budget or if it’s the beginning of a season of reevaluating your life goals, we have a number of tasks that will allow you to spring clean your finances.During this episode we enjoyed a classic: Saison Dupont by Brasserie Dup

Today we are joined by Naseema McElroy! Naseema is an RN with a master’s degree in healthcare administration, who also founded the website Financially Intentional and launched the podcast, Nurses on FIRE. Both of these resources exist to help nursing professionals achieve a sense of financial freedom in their lives. Given the demand for healthcare workers, there are a lot of career opportunities available so we’re excited to touch on that. Naseema also wrote the book, Smart Money, to give folks a step-by-step plan to crush their debt. But most impressively- Naseema has paid off over one million dollars of debt which doesn’t even seem possible- don’t worry, she explains her story! She details how she climbed out of massive debt as a single mother, the turning point in her journey towards financial independence, nursing as a cheat code to earning more, keeping lifestyle inflation in check, and much more.During this episode we enjoyed a Dosvidanya Rye Barrel by Destihl Brewery! And please help us to spread the w

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: please send us a voice memo of your best money tip to be featured on episode 500, medical debt officially dropping off credit reports, WTD with your $3,000 tax refund, buyers going on strike, annoying tipping trends, whether grocery delivery is good for your money, dumb ARM mortgages, buy now pay later at the pump, the right to know earnings for degree programs, transparent college pricing, & cell phone family plan pricing forever!And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple

You know you can’t believe everything that you read on the web, right?! There are all sorts of myths, half truths, and straight up lies that can not only make us look foolish were we to believe them, but they can also separate us from our hard earned money and cause us financial harm. And it turns out there are a number of myths that pervade how many think about their credit scores. Some of this confusion has to do with the fact that different lenders reference different scoring models, so it’s tough to know exactly what is going on underneath the hood. But in addition to that there is flat out wrong information floating around that has an impact on how we view these mysterious three digit numbers- our credit scores. Listen as we tackle some popular credit score myths head on, and explain what you actually need to do in order to maintain a healthy credit score.During this episode we enjoyed a Hello World by Spyglass Brewing- a big thanks to Gary over at The Fat and Broke podcast for donating this one! And ple

We’re kicking off the week by answering listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!1 - What should be my top financial priority when I know my job is only guaranteed for a year?2 - Should I make a larger down payment in order to keep my mortgage below 25% of my monthly budgeted expenses?3 - Am I being frugal or cheap if I’m willing to skip my friend’s bachelorette party?4 - I’m thinking about converting my primary residence into my first rental property to rent to a friend- what should I keep in mind?5 - How do I get my HOA to start investing the building’s reserve funds?During this episode we enjoyed an Aspect Ratio by Spyglass Brewing- a big thanks to Gary over at The Fat and Broke podcast for donating this one! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to

It's time for a Friday Flight! These episodes are all about the week’s financial news and the impact on your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we distill it down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to continue to make smart money moves. In this episode we cover some relevant and helpful stories like: send us your money tips, rate hike repercussions- what it means for mortgages and credit cards, commercials make a comeback on streaming, password sharing crackdowns, housing bidding wars, waiving contingencies, Tom Brady’s game winning football, NFTs getting hammered, thieves targeting your catalytic converter, going with electric vehicles to opt out of rising gas prices, fly now pay later, and medical debt potentially dropping off of your credit report.And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a q