Crazy Money with Paul Ollinger

Investing for Good with Judith Rodin, Joan Salwen, and Pieter van der Gaag - Ep 126

This week I speak to three distinguished guests about how money can be used to make the world a better place and how investors large and small can influence corporations to be more responsible global and local citizens.  Up first is Dr. Judith Rodin, former President of both The Rockefeller Foundation and the University of Pennsylvania where she was the first woman to permanently lead an Ivy League Institution. Judith is the author ofThe Power of Impact Investingand Making Money Moral: How a ...

That Voice in Your Head (with Ethan Kross)

That voice in your head isn’t all bad. Sure, it sometimes tells you you’re not good enough or that Bob from Accounting is plotting to get you fired, but your inner dialog can be your friend if you take the time to get to know it.   Dr. Ethan Kross is the author of Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. A Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan and one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind, Ethan studies our internal...

That Voice in Your Head with Ethan Kross - Ep 125

That voice in your head isn’t all bad. Sure, it sometimes tells you you’re not good enough or that Bob from Accounting is plotting to get you fired, but your inner dialog can be your friend if you take the time to get to know it. Dr. Ethan Kross is the author of Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. A Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan and one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind, Ethan studies our internal chatte...

Preppy Handbook Author, Lisa Birnbach (Encore)

Lisa Birnbach is the author of over 20 books, includingThe Official Preppy Handbook, which became a cultural phenomenon in the early 1980’s. The book sold more than a million copies, has been cited as an inspiration to the founder of J. Crew and is thought to have boosted the growth of LL Bean.    InT.O.P.H., Birnbach celebrated, skewered, and democratized the concept of preppiness with writing the The New York Times described as “affectionate but acerbic.” Upon re-visiting the book, I fo...

Preppy Handbook Author, Lisa Birnbach - ENCORE EPISODE

Lisa Birnbach is the author of over 20 books, includingThe Official Preppy Handbook, which became a cultural phenomenon in the early 1980’s. The book sold more than a million copies, has been cited as an inspiration to the founder of J. Crew and is thought to have boosted the growth of LL Bean.  InT.O.P.H., Birnbach celebrated, skewered, and democratized the concept of preppiness with writing the The New York Times described as “affectionate but acerbic.” Upon re-visiting the book, I found he...

Buckhead v. Atlanta

What would happen if the richest neighborhood in your town declared itself its own municipality, taking with it the tax dollars of the richest 20% of citizens? That is what might happen here in Atlanta where a well-funded group is petitioning to carve the wealthy neighborhood of Buckhead (coincidentally, where I live) away from Atlanta, into its own city. This initiative has gained traction and has a very real chance of making it to the ballot in November of 2022.    Not that Buckhead...

Buckhead v. Atlanta - Ep 124

What would happen if the richest neighborhood in your town declared itself its own municipality, taking with it the tax dollars of the richest 20% of citizens? That is what might happen here in Atlanta where a well-funded group is petitioning to carve the wealthy neighborhood of Buckhead (coincidentally, where I live) away from Atlanta, into its own city. This initiative has gained traction and has a very real chance of making it to the ballot in November of 2022.  Not that Buckhead residents...

Your Brain on Money (with Daniel Crosby)

Educated at Brigham Young and Emory Universities, Dr. Daniel Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert who studies and writes about the intersection of financial markets and the human brain. A New York Times best-selling author, Daniel has published several books, including The Laws of Wealth and The Behavioral Investor, which we discuss in this episode.    His ideas have appeared in the Huffington Post and Risk Management Magazine, as well as his monthly columns for WealthM...

Your Brain on Money with Daniel Crosby - Ep 123

Educated at Brigham Young and Emory Universities, Dr. Daniel Crosby is a psychologist and behavioral finance expert who studies and writes about the intersection of financial markets and the human brain. A New York Times best-selling author, Daniel has published several books, including The Laws of Wealth and The Behavioral Investor, which we discuss in this episode.  His ideas have appeared in the Huffington Post and Risk Management Magazine, as well as his monthly columns for WealthManageme...

From Iraq to Dancing with the Stars (with J.R. Martinez)

J.R. Martinez joined the Army to give back to the country that accepted his immigrant, single mother and to earn money for college. As a 19-year-old, handsome Infantryman, he quickly deployed to Iraq. One bad day, his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, trapping J.R. inside where burning fuel literally melted the skin from his face and consumed one of his ears. J.R.’s buddies pulled him clear but not before he suffered third-degree burns over almost half body, broken ribs, damaged lungs and physical ...

From Iraq to Dancing with the Stars with J.R. Martinez - Ep 122

J.R. Martinez joined the Army to give back to the country that accepted his immigrant, single mother and to earn money for college. As a 19-year-old, handsome Infantryman, he quickly deployed to Iraq. One bad day, his Humvee hit a roadside bomb, trapping J.R. inside where burning fuel literally melted the skin from his face and consumed one of his ears. J.R.’s buddies pulled him clear but not before he suffered third-degree burns over almost half body, broken ribs, damaged lungs and physical ...

Stevie Van Zandt takes it all in

Stevie Van Zandt is best-known as guitarist and founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and for playing Silvio Dante on HBO's The Sopranos and Frank Tagliano on Netflix's Lilyhammer. But as he shares in his new memoir, Unrequited Infatuations, Stevie has done so much more with his time on this earth, even if it all didn’t go exactly as he might have hoped.  As a producer, songwriter, and arranger, Stevie has helped countless artists make beautiful music. His songs have been p...

Stevie Van Zandt takes it all in - Ep 121

Stevie Van Zandt is best-known as guitarist and founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, and for playing Silvio Dante on HBO's The Sopranos and Frank Tagliano on Netflix's Lilyhammer. But as he shares in his new memoir, Unrequited Infatuations, Stevie has done so much more with his time on this earth, even if it all didn’t go exactly as he might have hoped.  As a producer, songwriter, and arranger, Stevie has helped countless artists make beautiful music. His songs have been perf...

Net fulfillment v. Net worth (with Bill Perkins) ENCORE EPISODE

(originally posted Sept, 2020)   Would you consider yourself a success if you died with $1 million? How about $10 million? Well, what if you died with $0.00?    In his new book, Die With Zero: Getting All you Can from Your Money and Your Life, Bill Perkins challenges you to flout conventional wisdom and spend your money not just before you’re dead, but while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. That’s right, instead of maximizing your net worth at death, he wants you to die having ...

Net fulfillment v. Net worth with Bill Perkins - ENCORE EPISODE

(originally posted Sept, 2020) Would you consider yourself a success if you died with $1 million? How about $10 million? Well, what if you died with $0.00?  In his new book, Die With Zero: Getting All you Can from Your Money and Your Life, Bill Perkins challenges you to flout conventional wisdom and spend your money not just before you’re dead, but while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. That’s right, instead of maximizing your net worth at death, he wants you to die having lived a life ...

Gianni Le Nguyen: mom, entrepreneur, Vietnamese refugee (re-broadcast 6/2019)

Gianni Le Nguyen fled Vietnam at the age of 5. Late one night in the early 1980s, her father wrapped his two young daughters in a fishing net, then rowed a basket boat out to meet a more seaworthy vessel a quarter mile offshore. They spent five days battling storms, illness and pirates who took everything Gianni’s dad possessed, including his official papers. Thus began a beauracratic mess that left her family in refugee camps for over two years before they finally made their way to Beaverto...

Gianni Le Nguyen: mom, entrepreneur, Vietnamese refugee. ENCORE EPISODE

(Originally posted June, 2019)   Gianni Le Nguyen fled Vietnam at the age of 5. Late one night in the early 1980s, her father wrapped his two young daughters in a fishing net, then rowed a basket boat out to meet a more seaworthy vessel a quarter mile offshore. They spent five days battling storms, illness and pirates who took everything Gianni’s dad possessed, including his official papers. Thus began a beauracratic mess that left her family in refugee camps for over two years before th...

Gianni Le Nguyen: mom, entrepreneur, Vietnamese refugee. ENCORE EPISODE

(Originally posted June, 2019) Gianni Le Nguyen fled Vietnam at the age of 5. Late one night in the early 1980s, her father wrapped his two young daughters in a fishing net, then rowed a basket boat out to meet a more seaworthy vessel a quarter mile offshore. They spent five days battling storms, illness and pirates who took everything Gianni’s dad possessed, including his official papers. Thus began a beauracratic mess that left her family in refugee camps for over two years before they fina...

Luck v. Hard Work (w/Robert H. Frank)

Robert H. “Bob” Frank teaches economics at Cornell and is the author of a dozen books, including the one that caught my eye for this week’s topic: Luck and Success: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy.   Bob cares a great deal about recognizing luck’s role in our success because doing so, he argues, would make us all more grateful, happy, and generous. He also cares because without the “lucky” proximity of an ambulance one cold November morning, he wouldn’t have survived the heart a...

Luck v. Hard Work with Robert H. Frank- Ep 120

Robert H. “Bob” Frank teaches economics at Cornell and is the author of a dozen books, including the one that caught my eye for this week’s topic: Luck and Success: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy. Bob cares a great deal about recognizing luck’s role in our success because doing so, he argues, would make us all more grateful, happy, and generous. He also cares because without the “lucky” proximity of an ambulance one cold November morning, he wouldn’t have survived the heart attack t...

Are Smart People Less Happy? (with Raj Raghunathan)

Is there something about being successful that makes you less happy? Do smart people’s over-active brains fill their heads with negative thoughts? If so, how can you calm these voices?   These are topics we address today with Raj Raghunathan, the author of the book If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy? and the creator of the wildly successful Coursera course called A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment. Raj is also a professor of Marketing at the McCombs School of Business at The Unive...

Are Smart People Less Happy? with Raj Raghunathan- Ep 119

Is there something about being successful that makes you less happy? Do smart people’s over-active brains fill their heads with negative thoughts? If so, how can you calm these voices? These are topics we address today with Raj Raghunathan, the author of the book If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy? and the creator of the wildly successful Coursera course called A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment. Raj is also a professor of Marketing at the McCombs School of Business at The University o...

How to Restore Sanity to our Political System (with Charlie Wheelan)

Charlie Wheelan is a professor of economics and public policy at Dartmouth College and the author of several books, including Naked Money, Naked Economics, (no nudity in either), and The Centrist Manifesto, all of which we discuss in this episode. The Chicago Sun-Times describes Charlie as someone who “combines a razor-sharp mind with a boatload of charm and impressive expertise in economics and foreign policy,” which might be why his students regularly pick him as one of Dartmouth's 10 best...

How to Restore Sanity to our Political System with Charlie Wheelan - Ep 118

Charlie Wheelan is a professor of economics and public policy at Dartmouth College and the author of several books, including Naked Money, Naked Economics, (no nudity in either), and The Centrist Manifesto, all of which we discuss in this episode. The Chicago Sun-Times describes Charlie as someone who “combines a razor-sharp mind with a boatload of charm and impressive expertise in economics and foreign policy,” which might be why his students regularly pick him as one of Dartmouth's 10 best ...

Andrew Sullivan Holds Nothing Back

Andrew Sullivan’s new book,  Out on a Limb: Selected Writing 1989-2021 captures the best of his three decade quest to identify and share The Truth with his readers. Because his philosophy does not adhere to the predominant narrative of either the Left or the Right, Andrew has made many enemies over the years. He has been called a flaming liberal, a nazi, a misgoynist, a white supremacist, a homophobe, and the Anti-Christ, which is pretty ironic given that he is both gay and a devout Catho...

Andrew Sullivan Holds Nothing Back

Andrew Sullivan’s new book,  Out on a Limb: Selected Writing 1989-2021 captures the best of his three decade quest to identify and share The Truth with his readers. Because his philosophy does not adhere to the predominant narrative of either the Left or the Right, Andrew has made many enemies over the years. He has been called a flaming liberal, a nazi, a misgoynist, a white supremacist, a homophobe, and the Anti-Christ, which is pretty ironic given that he is both gay and a devout Catho...

Andrew Sullivan Holds Nothing Back - Ep 117

Andrew Sullivan’s new book,  Out on a Limb: Selected Writing 1989-2021 captures the best of his three decade quest to identify and share The Truth with his readers. Because his philosophy does not adhere to the predominant narrative of either the Left or the Right, Andrew has made many enemies over the years. He has been called a flaming liberal, a nazi, a misgoynist, a white supremacist, a homophobe, and the Anti-Christ, which is pretty ironic given that he is both gay and a devout Catholic....

How to Use Your 4,000 Weeks (with Oliver Burkeman)

Oliver Burkeman is the author of the new book, 4,000 Weeks: Time Managment for Mortals, which Adam Grant calls “The most important book ever written about time management.”    In it, Oliver argues that using your life (4,000 weeks = about 80 years) most meaningfully requires abandoning the illusion that we can—or should try to—get everything done. And that the attempt to do so just leaves us miserable and isolated. So indeed, one of the keys to productivity is deciding what to ignore.  ...

How to Use Your 4,000 Weeks (with Oliver Burkeman)

Oliver Burkeman is the author of the new book, 4,000 Weeks: Time Managment for Mortals, which Adam Grant calls “The most important book ever written about time management.”    In it, Oliver argues that using your life (4,000 weeks = about 80 years) most meaningfully requires abandoning the illusion that we can—or should try to—get everything done. And that the attempt to do so just leaves us miserable and isolated. So indeed, one of the keys to productivity is deciding what to ignore.  ...

How to Use Your 4,000 Weeks with Oliver Burkeman - Ep 116

Oliver Burkeman is the author of the new book, 4,000 Weeks: Time Managment for Mortals, which Adam Grant calls “The most important book ever written about time management.”  In it, Oliver argues that using your life (4,000 weeks = about 80 years) most meaningfully requires abandoning the illusion that we can—or should try to—get everything done. And that the attempt to do so just leaves us miserable and isolated. So indeed, one of the keys to productivity is deciding what to ignore.  Further,...

A conversation with my producer (with Mike Carano)

Hello! My name is Mike Carano, I edit Crazy Money. At my suggestion I interviewed Paul for this weeks episode, and unexpectedly didn't get to a single question that I painstakingly crafted. In this episode we talk about stand-up (I worked at The Improv comedy club for 30 years), the origin and mission of this podcast, and I attempt to imply his wife is a serial killer. If you're reading this, congratulations, you got to it before Paul could make changes. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conver...

A conversation with my producer Mike Carano- Ep 115

Hello! My name is Mike Carano, I edit Crazy Money. At my suggestion I interviewed Paul for this weeks episode, and unexpectedly didn't get to a single question that I painstakingly crafted. In this episode we talk about stand-up (I worked at The Improv comedy club for 30 years), the origin and mission of this podcast, and I attempt to imply his wife is a serial killer. If you're reading this, congratulations, you got to it before Paul could make changes. I sincerely hope you enjoy this conver...

God Wants You to be Rich (w/Rabbi Daniel Lapin) ENCORE EPISODE

(Originally posted May, 2020...but so worth another listen) Rabbi Daniel Lapin believes that money is the reward we get when we serve another one of God’s children. Therefore, doing business is doing God’s work. In his videos, courses, and books, Thou Shall Prosper and Business Secrets from the Bible, Rabbi Lapin leverages scripture to weave a passionate and refreshing defense of capitalism. In short: God wants man and woman to be together, to serve one another, and to prosper as a res...

God Wants You to be Rich (w/Rabbi Daniel Lapin)

Rabbi Daniel Lapin believes that money is the reward we get when we serve another one of God’s children. Therefore, doing business is doing God’s work. In his videos, courses, and books, Thou Shall Prosper and Business Secrets from the Bible, Rabbi Lapin leverages scripture to weave a passionate and refreshing defense of capitalism. In short: God wants man and woman to be together, to serve one another, and to prosper as a result.  In addition to capitalism, Rabbi Lapin and I discuss Eva...

God Wants You to be Rich with Rabbi Daniel Lapin - ENCORE EPISODE

(Originally posted May, 2020...but so worth another listen) Rabbi Daniel Lapin believes that money is the reward we get when we serve another one of God’s children. Therefore, doing business is doing God’s work. In his videos, courses, and books, Thou Shall Prosper and Business Secrets from the Bible, Rabbi Lapin leverages scripture to weave a passionate and refreshing defense of capitalism. In short: God wants man and woman to be together, to serve one another, and to prosper as a result.  I...

Overcoming Injury and Life After the NFL (w/ Mohamed Massaquoi)

Life has thrown a lot more than passes at former NFL wide receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi. Born in the United States to parents from Liberia, Mohamed grew up in Charlotte, NC, became a star receiver at the University of Georgia, and was a second round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, serious concussions cut his NFL career short, and a couple of years later, an ATV accident resulted in the amputation of his left hand.    As The Dude abides, so Mohamed perseveres. After footb...

Overcoming Injury and Life After the NFL with Mohamed Massaquoi - Ep 114

Life has thrown a lot more than passes at former NFL wide receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi. Born in the United States to parents from Liberia, Mohamed grew up in Charlotte, NC, became a star receiver at the University of Georgia, and was a second round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, serious concussions cut his NFL career short, and a couple of years later, an ATV accident resulted in the amputation of his left hand.  As The Dude abides, so Mohamed perseveres. After football and...

Why Commitment Matters (w/Pete Davis)

Pete Davis is the author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age Of Infinite Browsing. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, which served as the cornerstone of the book, has been viewed over 30 million times.    Pete wants you to commit to some thing, some place, and some one outside of yourself. He believes deeply that doing so will not only be good for your community but it will be GOOD FOR YOU. Because in our modern, connect world, it is just too darn easy spend our lives ...

Why Commitment Matters with Pete Davis - Ep 113

Pete Davis is the author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age Of Infinite Browsing. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, which served as the cornerstone of the book, has been viewed over 30 million times.  Pete wants you to commit to some thing, some place, and some one outside of yourself. He believes deeply that doing so will not only be good for your community but it will be GOOD FOR YOU. Because in our modern, connect world, it is just too darn easy spend our lives in Infi...

Does More $ = More Happy? (w/Sir Angus Deaton) ENCORE EPISODE

(Originally posted September, 2019...but so worth another listen)   Princeton economist and Nobel laureate, Sir Angus Deaton co-authored a famous study concluding that well-being peaks at $75k/year in income. But the results of this research are widely misconstrued and go much deeper than that headline. The first question we wrestle with is "what does it mean to be happy?” We also get into health, opioids, and trout-fishing. A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, Angus Deaton earned his BA, MA...

Does More $ = More Happy? (w/Sir Angus Deaton)

Princeton economist and Nobel laureate, Sir Angus Deaton co-authored a famous study concluding that well-being peaks at $75k/year in income. But the results of this research are widely misconstrued and go much deeper than that headline. The first question we wrestle with is "what does it mean to be happy?” We also get into health, opioids, and trout-fishing. A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, Angus Deaton earned his BA, MA, and PhD at Cambridge. Since 1983, he has been a member of the Economic...

Does More $ = More Happy? with Sir Angus Deaton - ENCORE EPISODE

(Originally posted September, 2019...but so worth another listen) Princeton economist and Nobel laureate, Sir Angus Deaton co-authored a famous study concluding that well-being peaks at $75k/year in income. But the results of this research are widely misconstrued and go much deeper than that headline. The first question we wrestle with is "what does it mean to be happy?” We also get into health, opioids, and trout-fishing. A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, Angus Deaton earned his BA, MA, and P...

How to Change (w/ Katy Milkman)

Katy Milkman is the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology, and the author of the best-seller, How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You are to Where You Want to Be   Over the course of her career, she has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to spur positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, 24 Ho...

How to Change with Katy Milkman - Ep 112

Katy Milkman is the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral economics podcast Choiceology, and the author of the best-seller, How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You are to Where You Want to Be Over the course of her career, she has worked with or advised dozens of organizations on how to spur positive change, including Google, the U.S. Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, 24 Hour Fitn...

Living Rich v. Dying Rich (w/ Joe Duran of Goldman Sachs)

Joe Duran grew up poor, in a one-room house in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during violent and tumultuous times. Today, Joe is Head of Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, which serves clients across 100 locations throughout the United States. A proven entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author, and sought-after industry speaker, Joe previously built Centurion Capital, which he sold to General Electric Financial (GE) in 2001 and United Capital, which Goldman acquired in 2019.   Havin...

Living Rich v. Dying Rich with Joe Duran of Goldman Sachs - Ep 111

Joe Duran grew up poor, in a one-room house in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during violent and tumultuous times. Today, Joe is Head of Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, which serves clients across 100 locations throughout the United States. A proven entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author, and sought-after industry speaker, Joe previously built Centurion Capital, which he sold to General Electric Financial (GE) in 2001 and United Capital, which Goldman acquired in 2019. Having came ...

Aging Well (w/Dr. Laura Carstensen)

Human life expectancy increased more in the 20th Century than it did in all prior years of human existence combined! This has meaningful impact on how we should think about our health, careers, families, and government programs.    Laura Carstensen is the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity and the author ofA Long, Bright Future: Happiness, Health, and Financial Security in an Age of Increased Longevity. She is also a Professor of Psychology and the Fairleigh S. Dickin...

Aging Well with Dr. Laura Carstensen - Ep 110

Human life expectancy increased more in the 20th Century than it did in all prior years of human existence combined! This has meaningful impact on how we should think about our health, careers, families, and government programs.  Laura Carstensen is the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity and the author ofA Long, Bright Future: Happiness, Health, and Financial Security in an Age of Increased Longevity. She is also a Professor of Psychology and the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. ...

Hey everyone, this is just a quick update from Paul to talk about how summer travel will affect the production schedule for Crazy Money.

Hey everyone, this is just a quick update from Paul to talk about how summer travel will affect the production schedule for Crazy Money.