Afford Anything
560 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3.3K ratingsYou can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
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Episodes
Harvard Business Professor Explains Investing in NFT's
April 10, 2024 22:11 - 1 hourFinancial literacy includes understanding NFT's, DeFi, and cryptocurrency. But it's hard to separate education from hype. Harvard Business School's Scott Duke Kominers, a professor in Harvard's Entrepreneurial Management Unit, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Harvard Department of Economics and the Harvard Center of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, joins us alongside Web3 expert Steve Kacizinsky to explain the financial, technological and social significance of NFT's. NFT's, or Non-Fun...
Tribute to Dr. Daniel Kahneman, Who Won a Nobel in Economics Even Though He Never Took an Econ Class
April 06, 2024 01:37 - 36 minutesPrinceton Professor Daniel Kahneman never took an economics class. But he won the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics, thanks to his advancements in understanding the psychology of money. In today’s episode, we pay homage to the late Dr. Kahneman, who passed away on March 27 at age 90. We also discuss the jobs report, inflation data, the booming stock market, the next Bitcoin halving, Capital One’s acquisition of Discover, and the National Association of Realtors settlement. Enjoy! For more inform...
The Pay Cut Price of Freedom
April 03, 2024 05:00 - 1 hourHow much of a pay cut would you take for a lighter workload? Today we hear from Paul, 35, who’s grappling with that question. Paul’s boss offered him the chance to cut his hours and salary by 25 percent. He’d love to work fewer hours. He has a decent net worth, plenty of savings, and no debt. Should he grab the opportunity? Or stick with his long-term financial independence and early retirement plans? An anonymous caller and her husband want to retire at 55. They also want a bigger home,...
Dr. Cal Newport: Achieve More by Doing Less
March 28, 2024 12:42 - 1 hour#495: Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. She's famous for her work in radioactivity. Lin-Manual Miranda is a songwriter, producer and director who won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2016, as well as several Tony awards. What do they have in common? They lived a century apart. They innovated in disparate fields. But they shared a similar productivity practice. Both achieved greatness by embracing the practice of slow productivity, says ...
My Husband Makes Double My Income, But Saves Nothing! Should I Be Worried?
March 20, 2024 17:30 - 49 minutes#494: Tatyana is about to pay off her house at age 39! What’s next? Her husband, who earns twice as much (and whom she met after she bought the home), has no savings. They want a boat. Should she focus there? Matthew recently ended a relationship that resulted in a real estate buyout with an 8.1 percent interest rate. With rates expected to decline, how long should he wait to refinance the loan? Rachel’s friends know her as the finance gal, but she’s stumped about closed-end funds. What shoul...
Wall Street Secrets, with Your Rich BFF Vivian Tu
March 13, 2024 08:00 - 59 minutes#493: Do you ever wonder what happens behind closed doors on Wall Street? Vivian Tu, also known as Your Rich BFF, is here to spill the tea. Vivian grew up in a modest immigrant family. After college, she found herself working insane hours on Wall Street after college. While working on Wall Street, Vivian saw some weird things. Once, a coworker stumbled hungover into the office after a trip to Atlantic City, carrying a duffel bag with thousands of dollars in cash inside. Vivian realized that t...
I’m Earning Extra from my Side Hustle. But Does This Cramp My Chances at Investing?
March 07, 2024 12:51 - 56 minutes#492: Christine’s business is struggling. She needs more income. If she adds a full-time remote job to her plate, how will her retirement and finances change? Rob enjoyed a banner year in 2023. He made over $1 million. But the sting of income tax has him making moves that violate his investment strategy. Is his tax tail wagging the dog? Gena is excited to make the most of business deductions. Can she contribute 100 percent of her wages to a 401k and have the company match that? Christina is t...
Why Bitcoin is Back in the News | First Friday
March 01, 2024 22:38 - 22 minutes#491: Welcome, Emma Chamberlain’s fans!! Thanks for joining the Afford Anything community. You can find out how to escape the 9-to-5 grind at affordanything.com/escape Once a month, on the First Friday of the month, we explore the hot economic and money stories that are dominating the headlines. These days, Bitcoin is back in the news. As of Friday morning, March 1st, its price ranged around $62,000, which is pretty darn close to its previous all-time high of $68,700. But why? Crypto was hot ...
Inside the Mind of a Supercommunicator, with Charles Duhigg
February 28, 2024 21:47 - 1 hour#490: Great communication will get you a raise. It'll get you promoted. You'll land the corner office. You'll make friends and be the life of the party. You'll land business deals and form lucrative partnerships. Supercommunication is a superpower. But how do we build it? Sometimes, you might walk away from a conversation with the joy of having made a cool new friend. Or you snagged a critical piece of information that you realllllly needed. Or you successfully negotiated an extra $5,000 off...
Ask Paula: What to Do with a Six-Figure Windfall?
February 21, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour#489: Cara made $100,000 in commissions this year, her biggest bonus ever. What should she do with the money if she wants to retire early? An anonymous caller is upset that the 401k plan he sold his boss on is charging him an Assets Under Management (AUM) fee. Should he keep the 401k at all? Remy and her husband need to come up with $30,000 for IVF treatments. How do they build their family without breaking the family finances in the process? Another anonymous caller and his partner have live...
Gut Instincts and Big Decisions, with Morgan Housel
February 14, 2024 23:18 - 1 hour#488: Ever made a flippant, seemingly minor decision that radically changed the course of your life? Morgan Housel has experienced this. At age 17, he made a quick decision that ended up saving his life. Sadly, two of his friends were less fortunate. He shares that story in today's podcast episode, and sheds light on the lessons he's learned from it. Housel says that his lifesaving choice -- and many of our other important decisions -- are snap verdicts, ones that we don’t spend much time thi...
Ask Paula: "Should I Put My Dreams on Hold … and Buy a House Instead?"
February 07, 2024 16:41 - 1 hour#487: Luis’s wife is killing it at her side hustle. The unexpected income has led Luis to YouTube for hacks to capitalize on their surplus. Can a 529 plan double as long-term care savings? Elizabeth is frustrated with the housing market. She’s been saving for years but isn’t anywhere near her goal. Should she give up and spend it on a dream pottery course instead? Steve has a dilemma. He doesn’t borrow money on principle. And his wife doesn’t want to sell their current house until they’ve clo...
Stocks are Hot. Jobs are Hotter. What’s Next?
February 02, 2024 16:23 - 53 minutes#486: By every definition of the word, we’re in a bull market. The S&P 500 hit record highs for five consecutive days last week, and remained strong throughout this week. The Dow is above 38,000 for the first time in history. Unemployment has stayed below 4 percent for 24 months, marking the strongest employment in half a century. And consumer sentiment, which reflects more pessimism than the data warrants, is showing signs of improvement. The Fed met this week and decided to hold rates stead...
How to Start a Business in One Weekend, with Noah Kagan
January 31, 2024 22:01 - 1 hour#485: If you’ve ever thought: "I’d love a business BUT …” I don’t have TIME I don’t have MONEY I don’t have IDEAS I have TOO MANY ideas and I don't know where to start I'm not technical I'm not creative or artistic I'm not good at sales You're not alone. Countless people don't start businesses or side hustles for these reasons. And they're losing thousands -- perhaps millions -- in opportunity cost. How much could you make if you started a side hustle that eventually scaled into a bus...
Ask Paula: The Hidden Cost of Student Loan Forgiveness
January 24, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour#484: Kristen’s financial advisor charges a 1.3 percent fee on her investments. They also sold her term life, whole life, and long-term disability insurance. Do they have her best interests at heart? Casey has $290,000 in student loan debt. He committed 10 years to one employer for a chance at public service loan forgiveness. But five years in, Casey questions what he’s missing out on. Sara feels like it’s time to move to a more conservative asset allocation but she’s torn between buying bond...
Thriving in a High-Pressure World, with Jennifer Breheny Wallace
January 18, 2024 03:55 - 48 minutes#483: Competitive. Results oriented. Driven to be the very best. These are a few ways to describe achievement culture. Achievement culture can also be described as stressful, high pressure and unhealthy. Yet, there is consistently the pressure – internally and externally – to make more money, be a better parent, spouse, friend, or employee. These burdens comes at a heavy cost to our well-being. Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of the New York Times Best Seller “Never Enough: When Achievement ...
Ask Paula: Should We Drain Our Brokerage to Make a HUGE Down Payment?
January 10, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour#482: A caller named “M” wonders if liquidating stocks for a larger down payment makes sense in a high-interest rate environment. An anonymous caller wants to take a pay cut to pursue his passions. But 75 percent of his net worth is in real estate. Is this too risky? Tiffanie hasn’t saved enough for early retirement, but she has a plan to use home equity to accelerate her goals. Is this going to work? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode...
What’s In Store for 2024? Bitcoin, Home Buying, and Kiyosaki’s $1.2 billion in debt
January 05, 2024 21:36 - 34 minutes#481: Predicting the stock market is a terrible idea. But we can look at economic indicators and upcoming events to get a big-picture, 30,000-foot view of where our economy might be heading in 2024. In today’s episode, we explore what’s in store for 2024. We talk about the recent surge in Bitcoin prices, and the expected SEC approval of a Bitcoin ETF. We discuss when the Fed will lower interest rates, and the impact this might have on home buying. We talk about Robert Kiyosaki’s recent admiss...
Your Blueprint for Life's Toughest Challenges, with Hal Elrod
January 04, 2024 10:32 - 1 hour#480: The death of a sibling. Being declared dead after a head-on collision with a drunk driver. Suffering financially during the Great Recession. CANCER. Today’s guest, Hal Elrod, has battled all of these tough challenges. His little sister passed away in his mother's arms. Years later, Hal was hit by a drunk driver, broke 11 bones, declared dead, and once revived, learned that he might have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. (He eventually regained his ability to walk.) And aft...
Ask Paula: Is Mom Getting Ripped Off by Her Investment Advisor?!
December 27, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour#479: Nicole’s 78-year-old mom is paying huge fees for low returns. How can Nicole help her mom make better investments? Paul is a single dad, worried about paying his daughter’s college costs. He’s trying to figure out how to report lower income on the FAFSA, so that his daughter can get better financial aid. Nick is in his 40’s. His long-term care insurance rate is nearly doubling. Should he stop spending on this type of insurance? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these t...
Buy the Damn Guac, with Jamila Souffrant
December 20, 2023 21:55 - 58 minutes#478: Ever skipped that extra drink, pricey cheese, or a night out for the sake of your wallet? If this feels familiar, then you’ll appreciate today’s episode with Jamila Souffrant. Jamila is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, podcast host, and author, guiding us on making savvy choices to save while still having fun. Jamila explores the power of understanding our ""why not,"" staying motivated on our financial paths, shaping a success-bound mindset, and posing THREE crucial self-ass...
Ask Paula: Investing for the Future vs. Paying Down the Past
December 13, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour#477: Kayla is torn between paying off a loan early or catching up on missed retirement contributions. Josh wants to retire early and meets the threshold for zero capital gains taxes. Should he put all his retirement savings into a brokerage account? An anonymous caller wants to know how to merge financial lives with her husband from another country. Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it at https://a...
Astronaut's Guide to Taking YOUR Moonshot, with Mike Massimino from NASA and Big Bang Theory
December 06, 2023 22:21 - 1 hour#476: Mike Massimino stared in disbelief at his TV. The date was July 16, 1969, and he marveled as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. At that moment, he knew he wanted to become an astronaut. He was six years old. But as Mike grew older, he developed more “realistic” dreams. After all, every kid wants to become an astronaut. The chances of making it are incredibly slim. He went to a local college, studied engineering, and took a job at IBM. But he couldn’t shake the tiny voice...
Tribute to Charlie Munger, The Man Who Taught Warren Buffett How to Invest
December 01, 2023 06:00 - 23 minutes#475: Born in 1924, Charlie Munger was raised during the Great Depression. At the time of his death on Tuesday, his net worth was estimated at $2.6 billion. But Munger’s greatest achievement wasn’t merely the scorecard of his net worth. His wit and wisdom, which Munger shared with the world through his book, Poor Charlie’s Almanack, which made him one of the most respected investors of the last century. Munger is the man who taught Warren Buffet how to invest. He’s lauded as the moral compass...
Surviving a $35,000 Credit Card Scam, Job Loss and Foreclosure, with Tiffany Aliche, The Budgetnista
November 29, 2023 21:51 - 1 hour#474: When Tiffany Aliche was in her 20’s, she fell victim to a credit card scam. A crafty swindler convinced her to take out a cash advance against her credit card for $35,000. He said that he’d invest the money and produce Bernie Madoff-style returns. She was an inexperienced investor. She believed him. She never saw that money again. Aliche worked at a preschool. She didn’t make much money to begin with. But matters worsened when the school shut down, and she lost her job. She fell behind ...
Ask Paula: How to Pay Off a $8,000 Medical Bill Without Going Broke
November 24, 2023 21:22 - 55 minutes#473: Sarah has cash to pay a $8,000 medical bill but she’s reluctant to drain her savings. Should she sign up for the hospital’s interest-free payment plan? Jennie is an independent consultant but gets paid as a W-2 employee. Without access to a SEP IRA or a 401k plan, is there another option to save for retirement? An anonymous caller is wondering how to run a cost-benefit analysis on pursuing a graduate degree. Brian is getting inundated with spam calls as a real estate investor. Is there ...
Happiness Habits, with Harvard Professor Arthur Brooks
November 15, 2023 22:24 - 1 hour#472: Imagine this: You’re a teenage musical prodigy, a world-class classical French horn player. You drop out of college at age 19 and spend your twenties touring the globe as a musician (including, once, tripping and falling off the stage at Carnegie Hall). At age 31, you retire from your musical career, get a Ph.D., and become a professor – first at Syracuse and then at Harvard, where you teach both at Harvard Business School and at the Harvard Kennedy School. You publish 13 books and writ...
Ask Paula: I Came Into A Lot of Money. What Should I Do With It?
November 08, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour#471: Bob split a $350,000 windfall between savings and paying down his mortgage. But now he’s wondering if he made a good choice. Can Paula and Joe do the math to justify his gut-driven decisions? Julia wants to tap the equity from a second home to buy a third home in Texarkana, Texas. Is this a good plan? Joey Jr. wants to retire early, put two kids through college and buy a vacation home within the next five years. How can he afford to do it all? An anonymous caller wonders if $1 million i...
The GDP Grew 4.9 Percent, Unemployment is at a Near-Record Low … and Everybody’s Stressed About Layoffs
November 03, 2023 17:28 - 35 minutes#470: The economy is booming. GDP grew 4.9 percent last quarter, the fastest rate of growth since 2021. Consumer spending jumped 4 percent. Unemployment is holding steady at 3.8 percent, historically low. The U.S. added net new jobs for the 34th consecutive month. And yet – people are worried. Online discussion around layoffs at its highest point since July 2020. High-profile headlines about major staffing cuts – most recently from Schwab, which is dismissing 2,000 employees – fuel these fe...
Ask Paula: Feeling FOMO About Your Home Equity? Here's What to Do
November 01, 2023 09:00 - 49 minutes#469: Lindy feels like her $300,000 of accumulated equity could be put to better use. But she doesn’t want to buy more real estate right now. What’re her options? Katie wants to become a landlord in her home state but she’s concerned about the effects of redlining. Should she look into Section 8? Claudia lives in Germany and wants to buy an apartment in Manhattan. But she knows nothing about US real estate. Where does she start? I tackle these questions in today’s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a ...
How MICE Impacts Your Money, with Bryan Kuderna
October 26, 2023 17:29 - 1 hourMoney management is all about setting priorities. Maybe you have the twin goals of sending your kids to college while also saving enough for retirement. And maybe you’re struggling to figure out how to balance the two. Today, Bryan Kuderna, a certified financial planner, shares a framework for helping us set priorities. We talk about the importance of economic literacy, in addition to financial literacy. We discuss how retirement has changed throughout history. And we apply those broader less...
Ask Paula: Use One Debt to Pay Off Another?
October 18, 2023 22:41 - 41 minutes#467: Should Knoxville use a higher-interest Home Equity Loan (HELOC) to pay off a lower-interest 401k loan? Joelle’s tenant is interested in a rent-to-own agreement. Is this a good idea from a landlord’s perspective? A recent wildfire shifted Sharon’s house into a flood zone. Should she sell before FEMA redraws the map and it becomes official? Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these three questions in today’s episode. Enjoy! P.S. Got a question? Leave it here. For more info...
How to Handle Medical Bills, with Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington
October 12, 2023 21:03 - 57 minutes#466: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in 2022 that medical debt is the most common reason to get a debt collector call. A Census Bureau study in 2021 found nearly 1 in 5 households (19%) couldn’t pay for medical care when it was needed. These statistics underscore the fact that the potential for unforeseen medical expenses to negatively impact our lives is ENORMOUS. Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington, a medical billing expert and author of “What Your Doctor Wants You to Know to Cru...
Good News for the Economy; Bad News for the Markets
October 06, 2023 19:24 - 34 minutes#465: The Fed is holding interest rates steady for now. The jobs report is better than expected. Stocks and bonds are both going down. What's going on right now in both the economy and in the markets and where should you put your money and your time and attention? That’s what we’re going to cover in this episode. Links mentioned: https://affordanything.com/inflation https://affordanything.com/365 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Science of Friendship (and How It Improves Your Net Worth), with Dr. Marisa Franco
October 04, 2023 21:45 - 48 minutes#464: More than ever, most people's lives are packed to the brim with activity. We are trying to fit in demanding jobs and families, commuting and a neverending list of chores. Social lives often suffer. It’s no wonder that in 2021, 12% of U.S. adults said they did not have any close friends, up from 3% in 1990. This has enormous consequences on our health, productivity, and our ability to grow our net worth, make money, and enjoy life. Dr. Mariso Franco, a renowned psychologist and best sell...
Ask Paula: Student Loan Deferment HACK – How Christina Saved $60,000 in Interest
September 27, 2023 05:00 - 59 minutes#463: Mary is struggling to compare two job offers: one from a large corporation and another from a tiny business. How should she decide? An anonymous caller wants to buy a different home, and convert his current home into a rental. How should he finance this move? Christina recently slayed her debt and put herself on track for financial success. But now she’s bored. How can auto-investing be more exciting? Speaking of debt, Christina shares a creative HACK to SAVE $60,000 in student loan int...
Cracking the Code of the Rich, with Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
September 21, 2023 17:04 - 47 minutes#462: As a society, we’re fascinated by stories of the rich. We hear news, see social media posts, and read books about how others become wealthy, how to maintain that status, and what their lifestyles look like. But what if the media we’re consuming is misleading us? Dr. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz’s research shows that the stories about the rich that dominate the popular press are misleading. Stephens-Davidowitz holds a PhD in economics from Harvard University. He’s a data scientist and a New ...
Ask Paula: A Year Off Work, a Career Change, and a Divorce: How to Make It Work
September 13, 2023 21:40 - 51 minutes#461: A special LIVE recording 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 th...
The Mental Toughness and Confidence Blueprint, with Dr. Nate Zinsser
September 06, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour#460: Mental toughness is the bedrock of starting a business, growing a multimillion-dollar portfolio, investing in real estate, crushing your debt, retiring early. Today’s guest, Dr. Nate Zinsser, mentors elite athletes, soldiers and executives in confidence and mental toughness. He is the sports psychology mentor for two-time Superbowl MVP Eli Manning and the Director of the Performance Psychology Program at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He’s mentored the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyer...
Ask Paula | 10-Year-Old Asks: How Do I Save for My First Car?
August 30, 2023 19:25 - 1 hour#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 ba...
The Reality Behind High Home Prices, with BiggerPockets CEO Scott Trench
August 25, 2023 05:19 - 1 hour#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...
Ask Paula: I Sold All My Stocks Last Year. Now I'm Kicking Myself
August 16, 2023 15:37 - 1 hour#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 episod...
The Science of Empathy, with Stanford Professor Jamil Zaki
August 09, 2023 17:39 - 55 minutes#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 digi...
Ask Paula: I’m Recently Retired. Do I Pay Off My Rentals Or Buy More Real Estate?
August 05, 2023 03:22 - 52 minutes#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...
Ask Paula: Financial Disaster? How to Get Help Before It’s Too Late
August 02, 2023 17:59 - 1 hour#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. F...
The Importance of Having a Life Outside of Work, with Simone Stolzoff
July 27, 2023 15:11 - 43 minutes#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 th...
Mind Games: How Confidence Shapes our Financial Markets, with Economist Peter Atwater
July 20, 2023 16:56 - 1 hour#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 “...
Ask Paula: The Hidden Costs of Leverage
July 12, 2023 14:15 - 1 hour#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. Sh...
The Surreal Business of War: A Reporter's Account of the Russian Economy in Chaos
July 07, 2023 21:17 - 1 hour#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 Itali...
Ask Paula: Should You Buy Real Estate in Today’s Economy?
July 06, 2023 16:58 - 1 hour#449: 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 n...