Latest Episode • June 24, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 78: How to Talk to Your Parents About Money with Cameron Huddleston

Parents are supposed to know everything, and talking about money is impolite. So how do you make sure your parents are taken care of and that their wishes are followed throughout their golden years? Today Scott and Mindy sit down with Cameron Huddleston, author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations With Your Parents About Their Finances, who shares her story of the journey through her mother’s finances pre- and post-Alzheimer’s. Cameron also shares the documents your parents need to have—the documents YOU need to have—to be able to help them navigate their finances as they advance in age. She offers encouragement for continuing the conversation after parents initially say, “That’s none of your business.” She explains everything from the perspective of someone who has been through the more difficult times of parental financial navigation. BiggerPockets Money guests have typically focused on their own journey to financial freedom. But this episode provides guidance for starting challenging conversations with your parents. Use Cameron’s advice to sit down with them and make sure their wishes are followed. ... show more

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One of the most frequently asked questions in the BiggerPockets forums is "How can I start investing in real estate with no money and bad credit?" The answer? You can't (Well, to be more accurate, you probably shouldn't). You need to fix your "No money and bad credit" situation and invest from a position of financial strength. Co-hosted by BiggerPockets' Scott Trench and Mindy Jensen, this podcast provides the education you didn't get in school. You'll get tips for getting your financial house in order and actionable advice from guests who have been in your shoes - and found their way out.

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Previous Episodes

June 17, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 77: Entrepreneuring Your Way To Financial Freedom with Pete Mockaitis

Pete Mockaitis grew up in the cheapest place to live, Danville, IL. He watched his mother work her way up the local credit union ladder from teller to CEO, simply by doing more than necessary, repeatedly. His mother strongly discouraged debt, having seen so many of the credit union’s customers declare bankruptcy and have their entire bank accounts wiped out. As a kid, he saw firsthand that hustle pays off. He helped his brother with his paper route for a quarter, only to learn his brother was making $1.80. After high school, he got into college on a full ride scholarship, and graduated into his dream job with Bain & Company. He saved money by skipping the little things like taking a cab when he could walk, having roommates instead of living alone, and drinking water instead of ordering drinks when he was out. Pete’s true calling was entrepreneurship. To prepare for the jump to self employment, he figured out his burn rate - and discovered it was a lot lower than he originally thought. By figuring out how much he was spending, and computing the value of his pre and post tax time, Pete optimized his path to Financial Freedom, and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. ... show more

June 10, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 76: How to Talk to Your Partner About Money With the Debt Free Guys

John and David didn’t have "the money talk" right away. They both worked in the financial industry, and each thought the other would be great with money. About a year and a half in, they discovered they were both AWFUL with money. Both had lots of debt with no real plans to pay it off. Enter the spreadsheet. David is a self-professed numbers nerd. He entered every expense from the last 12 months into a spreadsheet and discovered some shocking spending habits in several categories. These were places they could easily cut their spending so they could start paying down their debt. And like everyone else who finally figures out money, they hit it hard—planning menus, making grocery lists, and clipping coupons. (They didn’t buy anything they didn’t have a coupon for!) Rather than the debt snowball or debt avalanche methods, they approached their debt paydown with a new method: the debt lasso. They gathered up all their debt—mostly credit card—transferred it to 0% interest cards, and hit the payments hard. In the process, David and John discovered that no one is talking about money in the LGBTQ community. So they set out to change that, opening up the topic to help their community stop being fearful of money and start aligning their spending with their values. ... show more

June 3, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 75: The Most Efficient Path to Financial Freedom With Justin From Saving Sherpa

Justin grew up without a lot of money in a small town. His parents divorced when he was eight, and his mother eventually quit her job to attend school. Necessity is the mother of invention, and a yearof no income led to some very creative ways to squeeze more value out of every dollar. This "invention" stayed with Justin for his entire life, and he applies it to every facet of his finances. From his very low rent (in a high rent area) to his ridiculously low grocery bills to collecting travel rewards points, Justin gamifies every cent he spends. Today we hear how Justin actually made money from his college scholarships and military stipends, how he negotiated a smoking deal on his rent, and how his five tenets of grocery shopping pay off. Justin calls this "the lazy path to financial independence," but really he’s just being incredibly efficient with his resources. If you’re looking to cut expenses, listen to this show with a notepad handy. ... show more

May 27, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 74: Making Money From a Legitimate Side Hustle With Mark Wills

Side hustle is a big topic on BiggerPockets. But finding the right one—and one that isn’t a scam—can be difficult. Today’s episode focuses on not only a legitimate side hustle, but also one that involves real estate AND can be as much or as little as you want it to be. Best of all, the most popular time to use this side hustle is at night and on the weekends. Signing agents work when their clients don’t—meaning they’re busiest at night and on the weekends—perfect for an actual side hustle. Startup costs are extremely low. They hover around $1,000. Working four to six jobs will pay off your initial investment! Mark Wills shares what you need to get started and how to find jobs once you’re all ready to go. If you’re looking to generate extra income, this episode is right up your alley. ... show more

May 20, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 73: Ramit Sethi Will Teach You to Be Rich!

Ten years ago, Ramit Sethi released his groundbreaking book I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Now he’s back, with an all-new, updated version, delivered with the same authority and enthusiasm as the original. But wait, there’s more—MUCH more! Ramit has completely revamped this book. There’s over 100 brand new pages of content! Mindy and Scott talk to Ramit about his take on the FIRE movement, what “rich” means to him, and his opinion of real estate as an investment. When you’re looking for excuses to not get started repairing your finances and living your best life, you’ll find them everywhere. But when you’re ready to get your financial life in order and grow your wealth, Ramit’s book will not only help you define the term “rich,” but will also give you the tools to get there—without the guilt, without the B.S. It’s just a six-week program that works. ... show more

May 13, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 72: Increasing Your Income Through Commissions With Dawn Brenengen

Dawn Brenengen’s money story begins a bit differently than most. Dawn’s parents shared their finances with her. She knew what things cost, she knew her parents worked hard to pay off their mortgage, and she saw her mother writing checks to pay bills every month.She went to college and graduated with relatively little debt—around $21,000 in student loans and credit cards combined. After graduation, she stayed at her low-paying college job until her father suggested she get a real estate license. Dawn completed the work for the license and got a job making almost the same money, working for a builder and selling their new homes. But she was the assistant to the agents who were making the BIG BUCKS, and she knew that’s what she really wanted to be doing.At the time, real estate agents were eligible to take the test to open up their own brokerage simultaneously with the licensing test, so she did that. While working as an assistant, she laid the groundwork to strike out on her own, eventually ramping up her income to multiple six-figures—with virtually limitless potential.Here Dawn share her story of how hard work and determination paid off tenfold—and all in just four short years! ... show more

May 6, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 71: 5 Years to Financial Freedom Through Real Estate Investing With Sarah P.

Like so many of our guests, Sarah P. did not grow up understanding how money works. She wasn’t bad with money, she just wasn’t very good with it. She learned about financial independence through Mr. Money Mustache and completely revamped her finances, incorporating frugality and minimalism with investing to completely fund her lifestyle. Her goal was security, and financial freedom made a lot of sense.Real estate was intriguing, and Google kept directing her to BiggerPockets. She started buying real estate, eventually accumulating 14 units in three states over the course of four years.Sarah cemented her success by having a large cash cushion to shield her from the surprises that real estate throws at you—a trait most successful real estate investors have.Making smart, money-conscious decisions allowed her to retire at the age of 30 from traditional work, so she can now spend time doing what she loves without regard to how much it pays. Sarah and her husband are truly living their best lives because passive real estate investments fund everything they do. ... show more

April 29, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 70: 7 Tips for Successfully Investing in ANY Market Condition With J Scott

J Scott is a successful real estate investor (to say the least). But he’s also a student of the markets—and his studies have shown him that we are teetering near the top of this current real estate cycle.In this week’s episode, J shares three reasons why he believes we’re at or near the peak based on past market cycles, and he details seven things investors should be doing to prepare for a softening market. His number one piece of advice? Educate yourself!J brings his A-game in this episode, just like he does with every other podcast he's featured on. And make sure to stick around until the very end of the show for a special BiggerPockets announcement you'll definitely want to hear! ... show more

April 22, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 69: From Near Death To Debt Free With Liz from Chief Mom Officer

Liz has always been a frugal gal and self-proclaimed personal finance nerd. Discovering The Wealthy Barber as a teen cemented her course down the financial independence path, even if there wasn’t a formal name for it at that time. And it’s a good thing for her family that she was so frugal - a botched surgery for her husband turned a routine procedure into a nightmare that involved a coma, a month in the hospital and years of recovery. Without her financial savvy, her family could have been financially ruined! Now, 7 years later, she has paid off her house and replenished her emergency fund using a Tiered Emergency fund that allows her maximum liquidity while also maximizing her earnings on those funds. Her unique plan combines online savings with CD ladders, savings bonds and money market funds. Liz explains just how important it is to her family to have the peace of mind a paid-off mortgage can provide, and how planning for unforeseen events is truly the best course of action. ... show more

April 15, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 68: Hacking Your Military Benefits to Become Financially Free With J Grayson

J Grayson grew up poor. But with food on the table every night, he didn’t realize it. Then his sister tragically passed away from brain cancer, financially ruining the family. J fell into a pattern: skipping school, drinking, and doing drugs. A few years of this and he realized he needed to make a change. J joined the military when he turned 18 and went to boot camp before his high school graduation ceremony. The military is where his poor money habits really took shape. Living on base means housing and food is covered, so he spent his income on anything he wanted—at one point having FIVE CARS despite only being able to drive one at a time. He stayed in the military for five years and knew enough to go to college when he got out. What the military didn’t cover, the Yellow Ribbon Program did, so he left college debt-free (at least in terms of student loans). However, J did manage to rack up $30,000 in random debt by the end of college. J eventually settled into a government job. By year two, he had discovered the concept of financial freedom. This week’s episode focuses on hacking—house hacking, GI bill hacking, per diem hacking—taking these benefits and using them in ways that are advantageous. If you’re a member of the military, a government employee, or even just an employee who travels regularly, this episode is for you! And if you know someone who fits that bill, share this episode with them. ... show more

April 8, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 67: How Living An Intentional Life Led to Financial Freedom With Steven Donovan

Steven Donovan graduated from high school and went to college—because that’s what you do. He graduated from college but got cold feet when it came time to get a “real job.” So, he bounced around random jobs with no plan and no focus. Despite his degree in finance and about $60,000 in student loan and credit card debt, he returned to the golf course that he’d been working at throughout high school and college. He also regularly played poker at a local casino, all while deferring and avoiding making any payments on his debt.Eventually he got his first "big boy job" at a bank; however, he still wasn't making much headway on his debt. In fact, he just kept adding to it. He ended up buying a Mercedes, quitting his job, and moving to Florida to be near his long-distance girlfriend.But Florida didn’t work out, so he moved back home. He went back to the golf course until he found another job at a bank, moved into the city, and sold the Mercedes—at a loss, of course. Once he got married, he began to tackle his debt. Slowly at first, bringing lunch one day a week, then two, and eliminating takeout coffee. He started "frugaling" his way out of debt, adopting a rock bottom budget in order to finally rid himself of the burden.Steven paid off his debt in five years, in fact, while house hacking a Chicago triplex and renting his wife’s house in Florida. They’re now debt-free, and they achieved it in a completely repeatable way, which is what makes this episode so great! ... show more

April 1, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 66: Investing, Freelance, & Morning Routines With Paula Pant

Paula Pant has seen it all and learned a thing or two... thousand. Today, we sit down and chat with her about, well, everything. Paula shares her habits, her take on journaling, and her morning routine. We delve into her fascinating backstory with money and her foresight to start investing in herself right out of college—when she was only making $21,000/year!Paula hasn't stopped since, and her choices have allowed her to lead a pretty spectacular life. For one thing, she discovered freelancing, and learned that it's possible to generate income outside a W-2 position. Freelancing led to entrepreneurship in the form of a marketing agency, which led to a six-figure income. But true happiness came when she stepped back from the agency to focus full time on her passion, her website, which she dubbed AffordAnything.com.No topic is off limits in this candid chat with Paula. We even talk about her now-famous podcast episode where her guest, personal finance guru Suze Orman, had a lot of (not so great) things to say about the FIRE movement. ... show more

March 25, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 65: Getting Your Family on Board with Financial Freedom with Jacqueline Burch

Jacqueline Burch got married and did what all newlyweds do, spent time with her husband. They continued down the road of "things you’re supposed to do"—had dinners out with friends, purchased a home, and had a baby!After her first son was born, she returned to work and he went to daycare. She knew she needed to invest for her future, but wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Aimlessly investing didn’t yield the results she wanted (shocker!) and upon realizing she was pregnant again, Jacqueline decided to get her finances in order. She and her husband cut all extraneous spending, paid off their outstanding debt, and even found a way to reduce childcare from $77/day for one child to $65/day for two.Jacqueline became an expert is optimizing her family’s finances —and a master at turning “we can’t afford that” into creative ways to accomplish anything. Her ingenuity includes teaching ski lessons as a way to afford skiing for her family of six, rehabbing a short sale house to live in, and continuing to live in a 932-square-foot house even after her fourth child was born.Jacqueline absolutely embodies the mantra "when you have the desire, you find a way, and when you don’t, you find an excuse.” This woman makes no excuses and always finds a way.If you are looking for a repeatable path to financial freedom, this is a can’t-miss episode. ... show more

March 18, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 64: Scholarships and Other Ways to Pay for College with Zach Gautier

Zach Gautier oversees academic and college counseling at a Denver-area high school. He reached out to us, and proposed a show to share creative ways to fund college tuition—and blew us away with the depth of his knowledge!This episode is for anyone who has children who have not yet graduated from college. And if you know someone else who can benefit from this information, please share it with them, too!This show includes tips that apply to kids of every age, from elementary school to middle school to high school students. We cover multiple ways to reduce higher education costs, such as transfer credits, AP courses, and CLEP tests, along with early college programs and dual credit options. We also discuss work-based scholarships and military options, as well as preparation for high school that starts in grade school. Zach shares his advice on taking the ACTs or SATs and also ways to decide which one to take (and whether to retake if you get a low score).This episode can help shave tens of thousands of dollars off your child’s college expenses! ... show more

March 11, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 63: Financial Freedom With 5 Kids IS Possible with Jordan Klint

One of the most common misconceptions of financial independence is that you can’t do it with kids. But Jordan Klint doesn’t listen to what other people say. He became financially independent with kids—and not just one or two of them. He did so with five children. Oh, and did I mention he’s only 33 years old?Jordan and his wife started flipping houses soon after they began dating and haven’t stopped. They’re now teaching their five children the value of investing, as well as how to be landlords and make repairs. They do this all while home-schooling them and continuing to find and purchase new properties.Jordan also shares how he was prepared to quit his job outright but his employer begged him to stay for special projects, allowing him to continue to work as an engineer. It's something he loves but is now doing on his own terms.Jordan’s story is 100 percent repeatable! In this episode, he lays it out in such a way that you can both be inspired and apply his strategies to your own life. ... show more

March 4, 2019

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 62: Taking Advantage of ALL Opportunities Life Throws at You with Anna Li

Anna Li moved to America from Uzbekistan when she was 22. On today’s episode, she shares the opportunities she’s been presented with—and taken advantage of—from an opportunity to learn at the first non-government university in Uzbekistan that partnered with an American College (essentially allowing her to earn the equivalent of an American degree) to picking up and moving to a new country to start a new life. Though she was a financial analyst in Uzbekistan, the language barrier prevented her from getting a job in her field in her new country. Newly married, she took a job at a shoe store while her husband delivered pizzas. Finally, she was able to secure a position in finance with Vanguard. It took five years to work her way up from analyst to team lead. She switched firms and is now a director for an international pharmaceutical company. After every opportunity, she thought, “I’ve made it.” But instead of sitting there comfortably, she continued to pursue more—a better job, a promotion, a transfer. When her husband’s last company closed, instead of finding a new job, they took this as an opportunity to begin investing in real estate. Her job offered a transfer to Switzerland—a three-year stint that came with a hefty raise and almost all expenses paid by the company, allowing them to ramp up their savings to pay for more houses. Plus, her husband flips long distance with her dad, another source of revenue. Anna also shares a few unique tips for paying for child care and college—and you’re going to want to stick around for those! This episode is packed with information, and Anna’s journey will inspire you. ... show more

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BiggerPockets Money Podcast 78: How to Talk to Your Parents About Money with Cameron Huddleston

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Previous Episodes

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 77: Entrepreneuring Your Way To Financial Freedom with Pete Mockaitis

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 76: How to Talk to Your Partner About Money With the Debt Free Guys

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 75: The Most Efficient Path to Financial Freedom With Justin From Saving Sherpa

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 74: Making Money From a Legitimate Side Hustle With Mark Wills

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 73: Ramit Sethi Will Teach You to Be Rich!

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 72: Increasing Your Income Through Commissions With Dawn Brenengen

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 71: 5 Years to Financial Freedom Through Real Estate Investing With Sarah P.

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 70: 7 Tips for Successfully Investing in ANY Market Condition With J Scott

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 69: From Near Death To Debt Free With Liz from Chief Mom Officer

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 68: Hacking Your Military Benefits to Become Financially Free With J Grayson

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 67: How Living An Intentional Life Led to Financial Freedom With Steven Donovan

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 66: Investing, Freelance, & Morning Routines With Paula Pant

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 65: Getting Your Family on Board with Financial Freedom with Jacqueline Burch

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 64: Scholarships and Other Ways to Pay for College with Zach Gautier

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 63: Financial Freedom With 5 Kids IS Possible with Jordan Klint

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 62: Taking Advantage of ALL Opportunities Life Throws at You with Anna Li

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BiggerPockets Money

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