Biggerpockets Money Podcast

Want to retire early in your 30s? Early retirement may be closer than you think. With smart money moves, intelligent investments, and the ability to save more than you spend, you could trade forty-hour work weeks for full days with your family. But, before you do, you’ll need to set yourself up with some killer cash flow, so your assets can pay for your lifestyle while you sit back and enjoy ultimate time freedom. This is exactly what Jenny Bayless did over the past ten years. After college, Jenny was able to score a well-paying job but realized only a few months in that the “work for forty years, retire at sixty-five” plan wasn’t worth the grind. So, shestarted aggressively saving, doing whatever she could to get into her first property. From there, she stumbled upon the BRRRR strategy of real estate investing, allowing her to recycle her cash to buy more properties in far less time than it took to save up for a down payment. In this episode, Jenny explains precisely how this method led her to financial free

For so long, early retirement has been THE goal of those chasing financial independence. Can you imagine waking up with unlimited time, not having to work, and reporting to no one but yourself? Now imagine that day in and day out. Before long, the luster of never working gets to you, and that's because if you've achieved financial independence, the regular type of "retirement" just won't work. But what if you could restart your career, do something you REALLY cared about, or build your dream business? Jill Schlesinger, author of The Great Money Reset: Change Your Work, Change Your Wealth, Change Your Life, has redefined what FIRE should mean. Instead of financial independence, retire early, she's opting for financial independence, new endeavor. Now, those skills you've been building for decades can be put to good use, working how much you want, for who you want, and doing what you want. But what if you're not at financial independence yet? What if you're stuck feeling miserable in a job, slogging your way to

Financial freedom allows you to do what you want, when you want, and with who you want. But it’s not just for lounging in hammocks or jet-setting around the world. When tragedy strikes, a sudden loss occurs, and you need time to spend with your family, friends, and loved ones, financial freedom becomes the bedrock of what helps you recover. This is why the option to retire early is so crucial for the everyday American; you never know when you’ll need to take some time for yourself. Jordan Klint, former guest on episode sixty-three, achieved financial freedom at a surprisingly young age, with five children to boot! His time freedom and ability to live on his terms was an added bonus the last time we talked to him, but now, we understand that it was necessary for Jordan to keep sane during the past year. Jordan’s family went through a significant tragedy, resulting in the loss of not one but multiple relatives all at once. This was an incredibly hard time for Jordan and his family but has allowed him to reflect

You want to retire early, but odds are, you think that you can’t. Whether it’s a high-stress job, a business that requires your full attention, or just the belief that you MUST be working, most Americans don’t think they can regain their time freedom. But most people don’t know about “lifestyle investing.” Instead of trying to be the wealthiest investor with the biggest house, fastest car, and most money in the bank, lifestyle investing asks, “what do you TRULY need to be financially free?” And there’s no one better to answer this question than Justin Donald, author of The Lifestyle Investor: The 10 Commandments of Cash Flow Investing for Passive Income and Financial Freedom. Justin redefined what it means to be rich by focusing on time, not money, as the most important metric. He went from working as a stressed-out business owner to having complete time and financial freedom simply by putting the lifestyle he wanted before everything else. And he has a lot to teach those of us that have yet to hit financial

Want to hit FIRE? You’ll need a smart side hustle. We’re talking about income-doubling, cash-printing, serious side businesses that will allow you to leave your job and grow a substantial income stream, so you can invest the rest andreach the early retirement you’ve dreamed of. And for today’s guest, Alex, this is exactly the goal. Alex left college and went straight into the corporate world, only to realize that her potential wasn’t being met and there were alternative income goldmines that she could be chasing. So, she got her real estate license as a side hustle, helping buyers and sellers get into and out of homes. Her commissions boosted her income to unforeseen amounts, and now, Alex is sitting on a stack of cash that could help launch her to financial independence. But, even now, with a better job and a serious side hustle, Alex wants to venture deeper into the entrepreneurial realm. The next big dream? Becoming a financial coach for those that want to be in her position. But, before she starts, Alex n

Retirement investing, bad debt, backdoor Roth IRAs, bonds, and starting a business. If you’re just beginning your personal finance journey, this can all seem a bit complicated. Where do you invest first? What should you do with extra cash? And how do you know a financial fiduciary is genuinely looking out for your best interest? Don’t worry; you don’t need all the answers. Just tune in, and listen to what financial expert Amanda Wolfe and Certified Financial Planner Kyle Mast have to say. It’s been a few months since we spoke to our go-to money experts. But we’ve been receiving a ton of finance FAQs in our Facebook group. So, we rounded up some of the best and got Amanda and Kyle’s take live on this episode. First, we’ll go over when to pay off bad debt when starting a business and what a “no money down” business really means. Then, Amanda and Kyle give their strong stances on if bond investing makes sense for the average FIRE-chaser. You’ll also hear the OPTIMAL way to set up your retirement investing, which

Both SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) and Signature Bank have crashed and burned dramatically over the past week. What once was a few large customers making withdrawals quickly turned into a bank run of epic proportions. Within just a few days, SVB went from one of the largest banks in the United States to one of the biggest bank failures in the nation’s history. But what led to such a fast-paced collapse, and are more banks on the chopping block? You don’t need to be an expert economist to understand what happened at SVB and Signature Bank this week. But you will want to hear Dave Meyer’s take on what could come next. With bailouts back on the table, many Americans fear we’re on the edge of a total financial collapse, mirroring what unfolded in 2008. With more and more Americans going on cash grabs, trying to keep their wealth safe from the “domino effect” of bank failures, what should everyday investors prepare for? More specifically, for our beloved real estate investors, how could SVB’s failure affect the housin

Kevin O’Leary (AKA Mr. Wonderful) might be the world’s favorite (and most outspoken) investor. You’ve probably seen him on Shark Tank, where he’s doing deals with startups, putting overconfident entrepreneurs in their place, and often making boring products into billion-dollar companies. Kevin has the Midas touch, or at least it seems that way on television. Still, he doesn’t shy away from mentioning failures and the enormous lessons he’s learned that eventually led him to make hundreds of millions of dollars. But before Kevin was Mr. Wonderful, he was just Kevin, the local ice cream scooper who learned a hard lesson about being an employee. After college, Kevin started a production business, which eventually led him to create The Learning Company, a $4.2 billion business that allowed Kevin to enter into a new stage of wealth. Since then, he’s been aggressively investing in (and building) private companies inside and out of Shark Tank. And after investing so heavily and working so hard, Kevin knows EXACTLY wh

Your small business could be the key to financial independence, early retirement, and more income than your W2 is paying you. But, most small business owners don’t understand the best way to grow their income stream. With a DIY mentality, you could be stuck doing the skilled work, answering the emails, picking up phone calls, bookkeeping, and spinning ten plates at the same time while your business fails to grow. Instead, you must step out of the “solopreneur” role and into the “business owner” mindset that can help you quickly make a six-figure income while working for yourself. Today’s guest Amy took a big risk, leaving her job to start her physical therapy practice. She’s been slowly building up her income to a stable monthly amount but wants to spend more time on money-making activities in her business and less on administrative work that she could easily hire out. With a few quick calculations, Scott and Mindy devise a scalable way for Amy to start bringing in six figures while outsourcing all the work s

Is whole life insurance a scam or a worthwhile investment? You may have heard us talk about whole life insurance before, but we’d bet we’re not the only ones mentioning it to you. Your financial advisor, business partner, parents, or fellow investors could have also let you in on the “amazing benefits” that only whole life insurance can provide. But how much of this is fact, and how much is fiction? And, if whole life insurance is such a bulletproof investment, why not buy a policy right now instead of investing for retirement? We brought on Dr. Jim Dahle, better known as, The White Coat Investor, to explain the truth behind the whole life insurance system and whether or not it really is a scam. Jim started his financial education during his medical school residency after realizing that almost every financial professional was trying to take advantage of him. Whether it was a real estate agent, financial advisor, or accountant, Jim felt like he couldn’t hold his own when in casual conversation with them. So, h

Doubling your net worth in only a year? Seems impossible, right? Is making such massive money moves during a down market even realistic? If you think it can’t be done, tune in, and you’ll hear exactly how repeat guest Yourri Dessureault did it. Yourri’s name may sound familiar; we talked to him back on BiggerPockets Money episode 236, where he spoke about trying to achieve a massive $7,000,000 retirement goal while making $120K per year. But, a lot has changed in seventeen-or-so months. Yourri has returned with a much bigger paycheck, a ten-unit real estate portfolio, and a net worth that dwarfs what he presented in 2021. So, how did he make such big moves, and what was the catalyst for him to get on the financial freedom fast track? Over the past year, Yourri has been extremely disciplined with his finances, looking at every dollar he had and asking whether or not it was doing the best it could. As a result, he’s decided to sell off some significant stock holdings, put his Bitcoin mining on pause, and go hea

Twitter’s massive layoffs affected the tech industry more than people think. For years, tech stocks ran with enormous valuations, with over-inflated workforces of employees getting paid six-figure salaries with even more impressive bonus packages. This wasn’t sustainable by any means, and as a new type of CEO steps in, tech companies are looking to get leaner, more operationally efficient, and return to their startup-like roots. But how does this reforming tech market affect the US economy? We brought on Aman Verjee, founder of Practical Venture Capital, to explain what’s happening in Silicon Valley and what it means for your finances. Aman has worked in the tech sector for almost as long as it’s been relevant. FromPayPal to eBay, Sonos, and more, Aman has been on the ground floor of some of the most promising tech companies, helping them operate with leaner teams while bringing in bigger revenues. And as an industry expert, Aman isn’t surprised or disappointed by the recent tech layoffs. He touches on why th

Most people assume that buying rental properties is only for those making six-figure salaries. How can the average American afford the sizeable down payment and high interest rates of today’s housing market? Let us introduce you to Tiffany, a twenty-three-year-old from Colorado who’s using her $41,000 salary to build wealth at an early age. Tiffany is doing this all while bringing in just a few thousand dollars a month without a four-year degree. She’s ready to buy her second property this year but wants to speed up her timeline. With a smaller salary, Tiffany has had to be smart with her expenses. She’s already house hacking, allowing her to wipe out a significant portion of her mortgage. She also has side hustles and keeps her costs low to save as much as she can every month. But, with years of experience in her social media management job, she could be leaving money on the table by not job hopping to greener pastures with bigger paychecks. This could make a HUGE difference on her bottom line every month. T

Look up any “how to retire early” guide online, and you’ll see some basic information: invest in your 401(k), take advantage of your employer match, buy real estate, and invest the rest in index funds. While this type of advice is by no means wrong, it’s geared almost entirely toward W2 workers with consistent income and a full stack of benefits. Those waiting tables, bartending, or doing any other service industry work don’t fall into the “predictable income” category, so they often get left behind when spreading the word about building wealth. We wanted to fill the informational gap and give service industry workers EVERYTHING they need to know to turn tips into early retirement. The perfect person to teach us all about it? Barbara Sloan! She’s the author of Tipped: The life changing guide to financial freedom for waitresses, bartenders, strippers, and all other service industry professionals. In it, she teaches those working for tips how to turn their inconsistent (and frequently non-taxed) income into a p

Your home equity could be the secret sauce to earlier retirement. With so many homeowners and rental property investors across the nation sitting on hundreds of thousands in home equity, one asks, “what if you used this trapped equity to build wealth?” And although most homeowners won’t want to sell their primary residences, refinance into higher mortgage rates, or risk taking out a high-priced HELOC, rental property owners are in the perfect position to use their massive equity positions to upgrade to bigger, better investments. We brought on Chris Lopez, Denver-based investor and agent, to explain. Chris has been able to build a sizable real estate portfolio quite quickly, but even he admits to starting a little later. After working most of his career as an internet marketer turned day trader, Chris gave it all up to go head-first into real estate as an investor-friendly agent and investor. And, as a Denver investor, he’s seen homes he bought just a few years ago EXPLODE in value, and many other investors f

Every entrepreneur wants to build a nine-figure business. Even a million dollars in revenue seems like a dream to the everyday American. So how did a Red Robin waiter, making five-dollar tips, leave college to start one of the fastest-growing real estate businesses in the country? Even better, how did he do it multiple times, creating not one, not two, but a group of entrepreneurial endeavors that casually bring in over nine figures each year? If you want to hear his system to success, you’ll have to stick around. James Dainard didn’t know much about real estate before college. After his roommate (and now business partner) started door knocking for local wholesalers, James decided to give it a try. He was miserable at it, barely getting a single deal done before leaving college. But, when offered a cushy six-figure salary, James declined, knowing that there were still riches to be made in real estate, but only if he worked smart. Fast-forward fifteen years and James owns a slew of real estate-related companie

Knowing how to build business credit could be the difference between starting your dream business or waiting on the sidelines. And while most people think that building business credit requires years of income, million-dollar revenue, or a personal connection with your local bank, Jack McColl is here to tell you otherwise. Jack has been able to unlock half a million dollars in business credit in record time through a simple system. He did this using means that EVERYONE has access to and is here today to teach you how to do the same. Jack is a credit master, knowing the ins and outs of every credit score rating, travel credit card, business credit card, line of credit, and everything in between. He teaches some basic techniques in today’s show about how you can get your personal credit score to 700+ quickly and then use that to grow your business credit profile, allowing you to access 0% interest credit cards that can jumpstart your business when you’re low on cash. And even if you aren’t planning onbuilding a

What if you won the HGTV Dream Home? If you’ve heard of the sweepstakes before, you know what it feels like to watch the walkthroughs, read about the top-tier renovations, and imagine yourself soaking in the bliss of winning a mansion, tucked away in some of America’s most serene areas. But this dream may never come to fruition because the reality of winning the HGTV Dream Home is much different than most people think. To explain, we brought on CPA and tax expert Amanda Han. Amanda admits that even though she threw her name in for the Dream Home drawing, she has some reservations about winning. While HGTV promises a multi-million dollar mansion in the mountains of Colorado, the reality is far from a turnkey option. With so many winners either choosing to sell the home or take the cash prize, one wonders, “what really happens when you win?” If you decide to keep the home, you better have mountains of cash available to pay for it because this prize is far from free. But even if you don’t, you aren't entirely ou

Knowing how to build wealth may come as a given for most investors. Buy assets, hold on to them, profit, and repeat. While this formula may seem simplistic at first glance, the emotional side behind investing is something rarely ever talked about. For those just starting to build wealth, wanting to become financially free, it can be anxiety-provoking tosacrifice most of your money for a single investment that could profit or end up failing. Rookie real estate investors constantly feel this fear before doing their first deal. But what about the fear of never moving forward? Tamar Hermes grew up without much money, and for most of her life, she never felt she deserved to have a financial surplus. For Tamar, money was something tied to guilt, but she knew to become a self-made millionaire, she’d need to change her mindset. Now, she’s helping other investors, many of whom relate to Tamar’s “starting from zero" story, get their start by building passive-income-producing empires. If you want to repeat Tamar’s path,

The 2023 tech layoffs have already begun to make the 2022 tech layoffs look like small-scale firings. What started as a few large companies firing unneeded hires quickly ramped up to an industry-wide cost-cutting exercise as hundreds of thousands of employees were forced to walk away from their stable salaries, free lunches, and healthcare. With tech companies being some of the most generous in terms of compensation, it makes sense that these would be the first businesses to force mass layoffs. But what about those of us who aren’t in tech? Or those that are in tech but still have a job? Tara Pramme joins us as a human resource expert, explaining exactly why layoffs are happening now, who will be most affected, what to do if you’re let go, and getting back into the job market. Tara knows how hard layoffs can be, especially for those with families to feed or work visas that only last as long as they’re employed. She knows precisely which document means what, what you should know before signing layoff contracts