Money Talks News: The Podcast

There are almost 22 million people with a net worth of at least $1 million in the United States. That's a lot of millionaires!

Many of these millionaires aren't flashy. They got rich over long periods of time by owning …

According to the latest report from Vanguard, looking at the average amount of money saved for retirement, there's a good chance you might not be on …

If you're on a steady salary, creating a spending plan is straightforward, because you know both what's coming in and what's going out every month. ****

But what if you don't have a stable salary? What if you're one of …

So let me ask you: Got debt? If so, you're not alone. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 28% of consumers have an account in …

About 30% of people have experienced financial infidelity: things like:

• Keeping purchases secret: 31.4%.
• Hiding debts or accounts: 28.7%.
• Lying …

Are you familiar with it the SECURE Act, and its update, SECURE 2.0? If you're not, maybe you should be. It was recently signed into law, and while …

According to at least one survey, as many as 80% of Americans prepare a budget.

Even if you don't believe that statistic, it's probably safe to say that 80% of Americans have at least thought about having a budget. So, …

Last year was terrible for stocks, with the Dow, S&P and tech-heavy Nasdaq all posting double-digit losses. And that showed up in retirement accounts.

According to Fidelity, In the third quarter of 2022, 401(k) …

We've all heard the dismal statistics. Most people who set New Year's resolutions abandon them by February. What gives? Why is it so hard to follow …

Side hustles are increasingly a part of life, even if you're just trying to survive.

In 2022, 45% of Americans said they had a side hustle, with an average monthly income of $483. While that might not seem like much, …

Well, here we are: a brand new year!

Chances are, you're one of the 81% of Americans with a financial new year's resolution. The most common …

Episode 175 webpage.

It's been a wild year. Crypto has fallen 70%. The stock market has been horrible. Bonds have had the worst year since 1700s! And we've watched inflation hit levels not seen since Reagan was in the …

Episode 174 webpage with links.

Here we go again: A brand new year is right around the corner. And even if you're not among the 68% of people that …

Episode 173 webpage with all the links.

Death and taxes. They say they are the only certain things in life. Certain or not, though, taxes are …

Episode 172 Webpage and Links.

This week we're talking about alternative investments.

If you're like us, stocks, bonds and savings accounts make up the foundation of your investments. And that's a good thing: all three …

Episode 171 Webpage and Links

Stacy's been offering money guidance for 41 years: 10 as a financial advisor and 31 as a personal finance reporter. Miranda's been writing and podcasting about money since 2005. But they …

Episode 170 webpage with links.

Note: Episode 170 was recorded November 25th, 2020. Some details (such as pricing) may have changed since its …

Episode 169 Website and Links.

We've been talking about the chances of a recession for months now. Thanks to rising rates choking company profits, some Wall Street firms currently have the odds of a recession sometime …

Episode 168 webpage and links.

This episode we’re talking Turbocharging your retirement.

So let’s start with a question: Do you have enough in your retirement account? According to a recent report from Vanguard, the …

Episode 167 webpage with show links.

The Federal Reserve's been raising rates all year, and they've signaled they're not done yet.

Rising rates act as a break on the economy, slowing it down in order to tame rising …

Episode 166 - Click here for webpage with links.

You may also love episode 160: How to Get Student Loan Forgiveness

Over the last 20 years, public …

Episode 165 webpage and links.

What if you could live in your home while someone else pays the mortgage? That's the idea behind house hacking.

House …

Episode webpage with links.

Kids are expensive! It costs $310,000 to raise a child from birth to age 17. At some point, the goal is for them to become financially independent and stop needing you for money.

And that's …

Episode 163 Webpage and Show Links

This episode we’re talking about ... happiness

So here’s the question: Can you put a price on happiness?

In 2010, Princeton research suggested that people’s day-to-day happiness tops …

Episode 162 Show Webpage and Show Links

Don't you wish you could go back in time and be one of the first investors in the Internet? You'd make a …

Podcast webpage with show links 

The stock market is falling — and could even end up in a free fall. With rising inflation and worries about the …

There is almost $1.75 trillion — that's TRILLION with a T — in outstanding student loan debt in the United States. People of all ages and walks of life are impacted by student loan debt. In fact, you might be surprised …

This show's webpage with all the links.
Today's special guest is Chris Hutchins, founder of the podcast All the Hacks.

Other episodes you may love:
Ep 158: How to Make Better Financial Decisions Guest: J.D. Roth
Ep 153: 10 …

MoneyTalksNews: The Podcast 158 Episode Page: https://www.moneytalksnews.com/how-to-make-better-financial-decisions/ 

Should you buy or lease your …

Podcast Links and Show Downloads

If you appreciate what we do, do something for us: share this show with your friends and family on your favorite social platforms and subscribe to this podcast! It’ll take you 2 seconds, …

Podcast Links and Show Downloads

According to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, 25.6 million people borrowed from friends and family this …

Social Security is important. It provides the majority of income to most retirees. According to The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, it …

Inflation is as high as it's been for 40 years -- more than 9% -- and it's crushing budgets all over the world.

The stock market, one of the best ways to beat inflation over time, is struggling. So, what's a saver to do?

The Federal Reserve Bank has a target for rising prices: They consider 2% per year to be the right amount. Ooops. The latest figure reflects an annual rate of more than 9%. That's the highest it's been in more than 40 …

You've probably heard that you should buy a used car instead of a new one. But used car prices surged 27% from early 2021 to early 2022. Does that …

According to one recent survey, only 4% of Americans have $1 million or more in retirement savings, which means 96% of us don't.

Of course, depending …

Even with talk of a cooling housing market, prices are still high, and inventory is still low. If you're looking for a good deal, what are you …

When the stock market declines by 20% from its highs, it's called a bear market. And boy, are we in one. In fact, this is the worst first half of the year stocks have suffered in 52 years. Nixon was in the White House …

We get lots of questions from our podcast listeners and newsletter readers, so we thought it might be fun to answer as many as we can in this special edition of our podcast.

Today Stacy Johnson, financial journalist …

With prices for flights, hotels and other travel expenses going through the roof, there's never been a better time to learn about travel hacking with credit card points. But how does it work? Can the average person get …

Owning a home is still the American Dream for many. But few can make it happen without borrowing, since not many of us have hundreds of thousands of …

There's an old investing joke that goes like this: How do you make a million dollars on Wall Street? Start with two million.

And lately, that's no …

Every year, people spend nearly $200 billion on video games: that's more than sports and movies combined.

Clearly, we're into having fun and playing games. But here's a question: What if we take games out of the fantasy …

We hear a lot about how your portfolio should have both stocks and bonds — because they typically move opposite to each other. The theory is that …

In many markets, home prices are through the roof.

In 2020, just two years ago, the average price of an American home was about 375,000. Today? $500,000. And with rates rising, affordability is becoming a real issue. So …

Too often, we think about money as an end. We know we need more of it, but we're unsure why. We don't even consider how it could make our lives …

You’ve probably heard about the gender pay gap. But women aren’t just dealing with the effects of getting paid less. Women also face what’s known as the ambition penalty. Research shows that ambitious women face …

Cryptocurrencies are still a hot financial topic, despite the fact that, as I write this, Bitcoin is down more than $25,000 from its 2021 high of $67,000.

Even after all this time, some experts are still insisting these …

With inflation on the rise and consumers on the ropes, everyone's talking about the big, scary R-word — recession. Are we staring down another recession? And what can you do about it if we are?

In today's episode of the

For many people, international travel is a bucket list item. The idea of traveling the world can be alluring, but isn’t it expensive? Well, it doesn’t have to break your budget. Today, we’re going to talk about how you …

My parents are both gone now, but about 10 years before my dad died, when I was there for a visit, he introduced me to his "Death Book."

Yep. That's what he called it. It was a three-ring binder with info on everything …

You work for years to pay off your debt. You've scrimped. You've saved. You've put your extra dollars toward debt freedom. But what do you do with …

It's not an exaggeration to say this is a historic time for stocks, interest rates, commodities, bonds and virtually every other financial asset.

News about the war in Ukraine and financial upheaval is everywhere these …

For the vast majority of my 40-year career offering financial advice, my advice on paying for a financial advisor was simple: don't do it.

My logic: Managing your money isn't rocket science. What you don't already know …

Have you gassed up lately? Then you've noticed prices are rocketing higher. And it's not just gas prices. In every area of your budget, from groceries to rent, you've experienced inflation eating away at your buying …

Think tax time is tough? Take it from me: It used to be a lot tougher.

When I became a CPA 40 years ago, you did taxes with a pencil, not a computer. To uncover deductions, you waded through wads of paper rather than …

Managing finances is never easy, and the more uncertain the outlook, the harder it gets.

But this is getting ridiculous.

First, we had a pandemic, …

There's nothing that better fits the definition of "double-edged sword" than rising interest rates.

If you're a saver, you love the idea of rising rates. It's been years since we've had bank accounts and other safe …

If you made a New Year's resolution to put more money away this year, join the club.

In a recent Fidelity survey, nearly half of those creating …

This will probably come as no surprise, but according to surveys, fights about money are second only to infidelity as a cause of divorce.

What's the …

When I was asked to write my first personal finance book more than 20 years ago, choosing the topic was easy. It's in the title: Life or Debt.

At the time, I'd been a nationally syndicated money reporter for about 10 …

One of the hardest things you'll ever do is alter your habits. Whether it's losing weight, quitting cigarettes, saving more or paying down debt, making big changes, especially over long periods of time, is exceedingly …

On October 19th, 1987, I was a 32-year old stockbroker working for EF Hutton. On that day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 22 percent …

Remember your first car?

Mine was a 1969 Camaro. What I remember most about it wasn't just that it was a cool car. (It was.) What I remember was how …

Reflecting on stock market performance over the last few years reminds me of an expression from the old days when I was a stockbroker.

"Bulls make …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

If you're young, say, 40 or under, retirement is likely more of a hazy concept than something to actually plan for. For now, it's no big deal. There …

Recorded: November 11, 2021

When I wrote my first book, Life or Debt, more than 20 years ago, I had a simple solution for investing your long-term …

We've had a wild couple of years.

I've been investing for a long time, and I can't remember anything like it. The pandemic shaved 20% off the market in what seemed like minutes, then snapped back and took off just as …

If you were retiring tomorrow, which monthly income would you rather receive: $1,543 or $3,895?

The $1,543 figure is the average monthly Social …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

I spent about 30 years as a syndicated TV news reporter, and for about 15 of those years, I had an annual ritual.

Every December, I'd hit the streets …

While there's been lots of headlines and hand-wringing on inflation lately, thus far interest rates, which tend to surge along with inflation, have remained tame. Rates on everything from savings accounts to mortgages …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

Everybody wants to do the right thing for our planet. We want to reduce pollution, keep the world from warming up and fight for clean air and water. …

The average American should expect to live about 79 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you're lucky, you're going …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

If I asked you, "What are the most common ways people waste money?," how would you respond?

You might say, "paying for unused memberships and …

Social Security recently announced the biggest increase to monthly payments in about 40 years, with a rise of nearly 6%.

That's got to be great news …

My wife Sara and I look at things a bit differently. She sees cool things and buys them. I watch her to determine what's cool, then buy the stock of …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

Ever hear phrases like "common knowledge" or "conventional wisdom"?

Typically, the reason knowledge is common and wisdom is conventional is because …

Hi guys, and welcome to the Money podcast!

When I was born back in 1955, the median house price was around $11,000. Today, it's about $330,000.

When I got my learner's license in 1970, the median price of a new car was …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

President Biden said no one making under $400,000 will see their federal taxes go up. That's a lie... In fact, under his plan, an average family who earns over $50,000 will see a tax increase.

That was a quote from …

When it comes to investing, this apple fell far from the family tree.

I became a Wall Street investment adviser, otherwise known as a stockbroker, in 1981 and have been an avid stock investor ever since.

My parents, on …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

For many aging Americans, Social Security is critical.

Social Security makes up at least 50% of the income for half of couples 65+ and is the sole …

While nothing in life is certain -- well, except death and taxes -- as you enter your retirement years, you'll face more uncertainty than ever before.

While retirement's a time to relax, before you get there you'll be …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

When I worked as a Wall Street investment adviser back in the 80s, there was basically only one way we got paid: commissions.

When I bought or sold …

When my parents retired, they had no issues when it came to retirement income.

In addition to Social Security, they both had retirement plans that offered a guaranteed monthly income for life. They also had investments, …

Imagine the internet coming to life. Instead of words on a screen, it's a 3 dimensional world. You don't read it or watch it. You step into it. You become an avatar -- a three dimensional graphical representation of …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

When I was 17, the day after I graduated from high school I left my home in Atlanta and along with my friend Andy, hitchhiked across the United …

It was February 27, 2014. I was doing a TV news story on something relatively new in the investment world: Bitcoin.

After briefly explaining digital currencies, I wanted to show exactly how one goes about investing in …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …

I've been investing for more than 40 years and have learned lots of lessons over the decades, many by making mistakes. One of the most important lessons I've learned is also one of the most simple. As I wrote years ago …

My wife gave me a T-shirt that elicits responses wherever I go. It says, "I (heart) naps."

Turns out that some people, including yours truly, have a …

Nearly every day, there's news that affects you and your money. From politics and taxes to markets and interest rates, things are happening that …