Afford Anything

We chat with renowned financial advisor Michael Kitces at the Morningstar Investor Conference in Chicago.

Kitces answers a big question: Is the economy worse than we think? He explains that a few big companies like Nvidia, Meta, and Alphabet are holding up the S&P 500. But this doesn’t mean the economy is bad. It's common for a small group of companies to drive the market. Since it’s hard to predict which companies will do well, he stresses the need for diversification.

Kitces tells us to focus on long...

#524: Mark and his partner will soon inherit an IRA worth over a quarter million dollars. With today’s elevated interest rates, would throwing it all at a primary residence be the smartest play? 

An anonymous caller and his girlfriend are musicians who dream of building a home with a monetizable recording studio. How do they untangle personal wants from business needs?

Will feels stumped about the options in his defined benefit pension plan. When should he choose a guaranteed annuity over a lump sum payment? 

Fo...

#523: How much is an hour of your time worth?

Google's Executive Productivity Advisor , Laura Mae Martin, joins us to answer that question.

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#522: Emily Anne is worried about her obsessive tracking behavior. She’s in great financial shape but struggles to shake the constant compulsion to check her accounts. What should she do?

An anonymous caller and his partner plan to use geo-arbitrage to retire early before reaching their financial independence number. Can they have their cake and eat it too?

Kevin and his wife are having second thoughts about their Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) real estate investments. How do they back out without compromising their estate plan?

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If you're a longtime listener, you'll enjoy this candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about entrepreneurship and growth between Paula Pant and former financial advisor and Stacking Benjamins host Joe Saul-Sehy.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode521

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#520: Happy 248th birthday, USA!

In this 5th of July First Friday economic update, we cover five topics: the economic impact of elections in the UK; the S&P 500 topping 5500; the effect of the Supreme Court’s Chevron ruling on Social Security and retirement planning; the latest jobs report; and California’s new law allowing accessory dwelling units to get sold separately as condos.

For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode520

Resources Mentioned:

UK’s Office for National Statistics: May 2024 report

S...

#519: We sit down with Jim Kwik, a brain coach and expert in memory improvement, speed reading, and optimal learning.

As a child, Jim suffered a brain injury that made learning difficult. He was labeled "the boy with the broken brain," which deeply affected his confidence and performance in school.

Today, he’s an expert in memory, focus, learning, cognition and mental performance.

He’s here to remind us that our brains are our number one wealth-building tool.

He talks to u...

#518: If you want to learn about building wealth through entrepreneurship, you’ll enjoy this episode.

When Rachel Rodgers graduated from law school, she didn’t take the conventional path to working at a big law firm. Instead, she opened her own practice, specializing in intellectual property law. Many of her clients were entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Rachel quickly realized that many of her clients faced significant challenges in trying to grow their business. This ignited a new vision in her: to not just provide legal services but to help entrepreneurs achieve financial success.

Sh...

#517: Kimiko is dismayed that the asset allocation books she’s read led her down a path to an underperforming portfolio heavy in ex-US stock investments. Where should she go from here?

Julie and her husband dream of owning a vacation rental in the Denver area even though the math doesn’t add up. It seems like everyone around can make it work though. What’s missing? 

Casey is excited to build his real estate portfolio and purchase his third rental property. He’s also worried that his plan to fund the...

#516: Have you ever wondered how small, seemingly insignificant actions can have massive impacts on your financial life? 

In today's episode, we talk to Dr. Brian Klaas, a Professor at University College London and an affiliate researcher at the University of Oxford. 

He explains how our decisions can lead to unintended and unanticipated consequences. 

He describes why resilience is more important than efficiency when it comes to protecting your investments and career from unexpected shocks. You'll learn how to tell the difference between predictable problems and those that are full of uncertainty, giving you a ne...