Biggerpockets Money Podcast

Inflation can be a detriment to any early retirement plan. At first, you may think you only need a certain amount of money to retire, and maybe you’re adjusting for inflation when you do these calculations. But what happens when inflation runs more than triple the average or crosses into double-digit numbers. How does your investment strategy change? How does your “dream retirement” come true when it costs ten percent more than you originally accounted for? These are all questions that average Americans are asking themselves: when can I retire? Can I retire? How can I afford food or gas or pay my bills? Although we can’t solely blame high inflation on the Federal Reserve, we can see how their policies lead to the situation we’re in now. Someone who stood up against the policies of quantitative easing and massive stimulus packages, is former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Tom Hoenig.  Tom was in favor of quantitative easing back at the start of the great recession, but as this power to

Investing in real estate is a proven way to build wealth, produce more cash flow, and retire early. But, not everyone is cut out to do every type of real estate investing. Some strategies take dramatically more time and effort than others. House hacking may be perfect for investors or couples without kids, live in flips could work best for those with some rehab experience, and BRRRR investing is reserved for those with proven investing experience. While some of these strategies are as simple as buying a house and renting out a side, others require far more of a time commitment—time that many investors, like today’s guest Jeff, may not have. Jeff is already an established investor, currently living in a house hack that’s helping him offset his mortgage. But, he wants to expand into more return-focused real estate like live in flipping and BRRRRing. But, with a high-paying job and lots of money in the bank, Scott and Mindy ask the question, “is real estate investing even worth it for Jeff?” Should he be stick

Health insurance for early retirement? Is that even a thing? If it is, it doesn’t seem self-evident in the United States. For most early retirees within the USA, you have a couple of options for healthcare—make a low enough income to qualify for government-subsidized healthcare or pay an exorbitant amount of money to either buy healthcare upfront or pay out of pocket any time you get sick. But, that’s not a terribly safe way to live, especially when you’re working with a (relatively) fixed income. Throughout their world travels, Amy and Tim from GoWithLess have had to learn this the hard way. They were originally insured on a healthshare plan but found it far riskier than they would have liked. Now, as they travel throughout the United States, Mexico, and the world, they’re making sure they’ve covered all bases so a random surgery or two doesn’t force them back into the working world. Early retirement health insurance is one of the biggest reasons that financial independence-chasers stay at their jobs, so i

If you want to know how to save money, just look at your expenses. Odds are, if you’re like most people, you aren't budgeting or tracking your expenses to a tee. But there’s no need to be so hard on yourself, even our money mages themselves, Scott Trench and Mindy Jensen don’t always write down every cent spent. That being said, if you’re planning for a big trip, different expenses, or a sudden life change (like leaving your job), there is no better time than NOW to start tracking your expenses. Today’s guest, TJ, knows this all too well. TJ makes a phenomenal income and already has a multi-million dollar net worth. But, he still suffers from money anxiety and not knowing how much he’ll need to step away from full-time work. Not only that, TJ is planning to take his children on a two-year-long expedition around the globe, all while TJ and his wife aren’t bringing in their regular high incomes. But he isn’t just relying on his salary for monthly cash flow. TJ has also invested in rental properties as well as

“Hustle culture” has been a term for the past decade or so. It somehow became a badge of honor to prove that you’re working the hardest, longest, and most stressful job around. You can handle it, you’re making money, putting in the hours, but what do you have left at the end of the day? This constant grind is what Mindy likes to call the “death race to FI” due to its unnecessary harshness on your free time, relationships, and mental health. Pete McPherson foresaw this “hustle culture” taking over his life when he quit his sixty-hour week accounting job and decided to start his own business. This wasn’t the first, or second, or fiftieth time Pete had started a business, and he was driven to never set foot in an office again. He wasn’t making phenomenal money the first year, but he made enough to provide for his family, and that was enough for him. Mindy and guest host Sarah Putt from OT 4 Lyfe talk with Pete about the rarely discussed downsides of chasing early retirement and financial independence. Make no

Emergency funds, frugal experiments, free photons, and “thoughtful spending” were just a few things that came to light during Carl and Mindy Jensen’s January 2022 budget recap. If you didn’t know already, Mindy has been publicly tracking her expenses and budgeting for BiggerPockets Money listeners (and the world) to see. But of course, as soon as Mindy shared her public budget, things started to go awry. Nothing says “let’s start the month off right” like car repairs, furnace replacements, and sky-high gas prices. But, Mindy isn’t a quitter! Even with some big emergency expenses, she and Carl have managed to stay within budget for most of their costly categories in spite of life's fun financial curveballs.  Carl and Mindy discuss their January “frugal experiment” including hotels and air fryers, how “dry January” became “moist January”, and why this financial powerhouse has opted out of the traditional emergency fund. If you’re starting this year with a few budget busters like Carl and Mindy, don’t let it k

Lifestyle creep, budget hesitancy, and cash scarcity are problems you’d likely hear from someone just getting into the realm of financial independence/literacy. But, funnily enough, these wealth woes aren’t coming from newbies—they’re coming from two asset-stacking veterans, Mindy Jensen and David Pere from The Military Millionaire Podcast. While on the outside David and Mindy may look like squeaky clean financial figures, they’ve realized recently that they have to tighten up their systems to maximize wealth. Mindy has seen a slow and steady lifestyle creep, and although her income can support her, she still wants to have a strong sense of strategy when it comes to budgeting and expense tracking. David has tried time and time again to budget, but it’s never really gone to plan. He also is feeling a bit stressed at times due to his “cash poor, asset rich” lifestyle that has allowed him to build so much wealth. Our two hosts serve as financial therapists for one another other in this episode as they dive dee

Rental properties can be a phenomenal second source of income for the majority of us who work at regular jobs. One or two rental property purchases every year or so can slowly, but surely, build a strong foundation for financial independence, sometimes within only a few years. Today’s guest Connor has taken this approach to wealth building and now sits on six rental units, splitting some of the profits with his partners. Connor runs a lot of the operation for these rental properties. He has a background in construction management, making him an integral piece of any future BRRRR, flip, or rehab project he and his partners decide to take on. But, could these real estate partnerships be slowing down his personal wealth growth? And if so, how does he mitigate the risk of being an independent investor in a cash-intensive business? Aside from his real estate portfolio, Connor also wants to simplify his personal portfolio, plan for future baby expenses, maximize his retirement, and get a better handle on his fina

The poverty cycle is a hard one to break out of. For some people, it is near impossible to climb yourself out of the hole that society, family, or unfortunate circumstances have placed you in. But sometimes, through sheer willpower alone, those who break through can crush this cycle and bring their families up with them. Someone who’s done this (and much more), is Dr. David L. Rhoiney from surgiFI.  Dr. David is a renowned “robot surgeon”, operating on patients using the finest precision that modern technology has to offer. He holds two degrees, has two homes, and invests heavily. You’re probably assuming he was raised in a family that taught him the worth of hard work, education, and investing early. You wouldn’t be more wrong. Dr. David’s childhood consisted of a combination of living in cars, homeless shelters, sleeping on friend’s couches, and surviving completely on the edge. After being accepted into the US Naval Academy, he knew that he had to do everything he could to never return to that life. He h

Ahh, the age-old question: pay off your mortgage early or invest? It’s no wonder so many members of the financial independence community have strong feelings about one or the other. With a paid-off mortgage, you’re less in debt, with more free cash to invest or spend on things you love doing. But, there’s another side to that cash flow coin. If you’re paying off your mortgage early, you’ll have less money to invest, leaving you with less compound interest.  If you’ve been asking for someone to answer this question for you, be sure to thank today’s guest, Javier. He’s been doing a phenomenal job paying down his mortgage as quickly as he can, especially at such a young age. Javier has a respectable net worth and works not only at his W2 but also as a real estate agent on the side. Javier is struggling to find where to best put his extra $1,300/month once he pays off his primary residence. And while this is a BiggerPockets Podcast episode, Scott and Mindy do not immediately vouch for real estate investing. Ins

You Need a Budget is the expense tracker/budgeter that requires no introduction…but we’ll give it one anyways! In 2004, Jesse Mecham launched this ground-breaking software, allowing money masters and novices alike to easily track their money and plan for a financially stress-free future. Jesse may have been the perfect person to build a product like this—he started tracking his expenses at age sixteen for fun! As Jesse grew older, he continued to track his expenses regularly, allowing him to have a tight hold on his money and fight back the urge to go into debt. When his wife decided to take a backseat on working and have children, Jesse started to work harder at converting YNAB from a simple spreadsheet to a full-blown business. He was so conservative that three years into the business when he was making twice as much as his accountant salary, he continued to reinvest almost every cent of profit so he could have a strong financial foundation behind him. Now, some eighteen years after launching, Jesse still

Financial flexibility is one of the hidden stages along the path to financial independence. When you hit financial flexibility, you have far more choices than you did before. You can invest more, spend more, save more, and work less if you choose to do so. But, this type of lifestyle can only be achieved by being mindful and proactive about where your money is going, as today’s guest Kevin, knows very well. Kevin’s story was posted on the BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group, where he relived the horror of his credit card being declined at his girlfriend’s birthday dinner. This struck Kevin, since he made a decent salary and was relatively responsible with his money. He contributed to retirement accounts and kept a lean emergency fund, so where was all his money going? In today’s discovery, Scott and Mindy walk Kevin through which parts of his budget need a tune-up, and whether or not aggressive loan paydown is worth it for optimal financial flexibility. So where can you tweak your budget to maximize flexibil

Today’s guest, Jennifer Grimson, is a prime example that every problem has a solution.  Jennifer has always been a hard worker so she had no problem working through college as she aspired to be a foreign service officer, but her life took a turn when she fell in love and married her (now) ex-husband. Her dynamic with money completely changed as he spent money frivolously while she spent conservatively. When things ended poorly 8 years later he sued her 25 times, not including when he sued her mother and brother, and left her with $500,000 worth of attorney fees.  At this point, she was left with nothing and had two children to raise on her own. While most would be completely devastated, Jennifer focused on finding a way out. Jennifer had never been scared of a little hard work so she found a job with a steady paycheck and filed for bankruptcy to help with her attorney fees. She continued to file for bankruptcy and start  from scratch until she could build herself back up financially. She was then able to re

Expats and rental portfolios go together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s no surprise that a fair amount of retired globetrotters owe their freedom to real estate investing. While many real estate investors are looking to retire themselves and their families in the US, today’s guest Paul has other plans. Paul thoroughly enjoys his full-time job in Utah. He gets paid well, has access to some phenomenal benefits, and isn’t planning on quitting anytime soon. That being said, Paul has had the itch to live as an expatriate abroad, hopping from country to country, enjoying world travel. But, in order to do this, Paul has to create an income stream that can support him and his partner along their travels. Of course, as a smart investor, Paul has already been building this extra income in the background. Since starting his rental property investing journey only a year and a half ago, Paul is already at five doors, with a sixth closing soon. He needs to be at ten doors to have enough rental income to cover his exp

Student loan forgiveness was a hot topic during the 2020 election cycle. With so many outstanding student loan payments, will the government step in to wipe out the debt? While many theorize about this, Robert Farrington takes the opposite angle, urging those who have student loans to prepare for repayment, rather than cancellation. This way, even if your student loans get forgiven, you’re put in a financially advantageous spot. Robert runs The College Investor, a website dedicated to investing and personal finance for millennials. It comes as no surprise that the biggest thing on millennials’ minds are student loans, especially after two years of repayment moratoriums. So, how does someone strapped with student loans prepare for repayment, especially when so many variables are up in the air? Well, according to Robert, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure you’re paying on time and with as little stress as possible.  Episode note: This episode was recorded prior to the new student loan pause

Bad debt is more common than it seems. Many people you know have a car loan, personal loan, credit card loan, or some other form of high(er) interest debt. If you find yourself with bad debt, the first thing to do is formulate a plan to get rid of it, unless you want your savings and potential investments to suffer the consequences. Today’s guest, Stephanie is in a financially solid position, but she has some bad debt to take care of. She’s on her way to financial freedom by forty after already owning a home and having some retirement investments growing in the background. But, her $13,000 window loan at ten percent interest is causing leakage of investable cash flow.  Yet, Stephanie may be in a better position than she thinks. Since buying her house, she’s seen a big increase in her property value, which may enable her to secure some lower interest financing to pay off her window loan. Scott and Mindy also help Stephanie develop an expense tracking plan, debate whether or not whole life insurance is worth

Home insurance isn’t the sexiest topic, but in the world of financial independence, predictability is quite an attractive trait to have. That’s why money nerds across the world value insurance as a natural hedge against catastrophic wealth-ending disasters. Whether you’re a homeowner, a renter, or a landlord, home insurance could help you rebuild quicker after the unexpected happens. Recently, a large fire broke out around the Denver, Colorado area, affecting families in Mindy’s home city of Longmont. Thankfully, Mindy and her family are safe, but many didn’t share the same fate. Hundreds of households were left without homes, while they watched their old neighborhoods turn to ashes and embers. This prompted Mindy to invite her good friend and insurance expert, Steve Longenecker, onto the show to discuss how you can financially protect your family when disaster strikes. Are you underinsured thanks to rising home prices? How much will your insurance company pay you if your home is destroyed? How are renters

Death and finances can arguably be called the two things that people hate talking about most. Unfortunately, these are two topics that cannot be kept in the dark, as we all must deal with loss, both emotionally and financially over our lifetime. What can the average person do when they’ve just received the heartbreaking news that a loved one has died. Even worse, what if it’s their partner? This almost unimaginable shock came to Allison Nichol Longtin when her husband passed away six years into their marriage. Not only did Allison have to carry the emotional burden of losing her partner, but she also had to deal with the financial fallout of his death. She spent over a year carrying around a portfolio of papers, proving to numerous different entities that she indeed was the new owner of her husband’s accounts. Allison admittedly made some mistakes in not preparing for the unexpected, but she’s since then made a strong case that every couple should do what she overlooked. Today, Mindy and Allison go through

“Can I retire yet?” If you’re today’s guest Jenn, then the short answer is a resounding “yes”. And if you aren’t Jenn, you’ll probably want to be in her position upon retirement. Jenn has a lot of income options: a military pension from her spouse, a great full-time income, real estate syndication cash flow, and a LOT of assets. Jenn’s net worth has reached the height of around $4 million, with more than a million alone in retirement accounts. If Jenn is so set, why is she coming on the Money Podcast to talk with Scott and Mindy? Well, Jenn has a pretty large amount of expenses: somewhere in the ballpark of nine thousand dollars a month. She wants to know if she has enough passive income and investable assets to continue living life the way that she sees fit. Her family will also be moving to Europe for the next year or so, making it even more crucial that she has enough to enjoy traveling.  This show talks about some pretty high-level concepts specifically around real estate equity and syndications. Even i

Most people assume wealth is built from a singular source, but the most successful people have multiple streams of income. 2020 was the year of the side hustle. People started to find ways to monetize their hobbies, create services, and capitalize on their talents. While some people are just now catching on, today’s guest, Jannese Torres-Rodriguez, was ahead of the curve. It all began with a food blog she started for fun that has turned into passive income for her $320,000 salary composed solely from her various “side hustles”.    Before the start of her money journey, Jannese was on the traditional path to what most would consider the ideal type of success. She not only graduated from college but got her master's in pharmaceuticals and landed a job that led to her dream, a six-figure salary. Despite this, she was still unhappy and soon realized she was unaligned with the power of money. Over time, she made several lifestyle changes and started learning about financial independence. Using what she learned, Ja