You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life. How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles? On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing. But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think. In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models. Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
704 episodes transcribed#378: Anonymous is 25. She has a job offer that comes with a substantial raise. Hooray! Buuut … there’s a problem. If she accepts this job offer, her...
#377: Today’s episode is sheer retirement nerd bliss. We talk to the creator of the 4 percent retirement safe withdrawal rule, Bill Bengen. If you’re...
#376: Meghan’s mom is 64 years old and suffering under a toxic boss. It’s tough to switch jobs at her age. How should she think through the next steps...
#375: Here’s the deal: The majority of people who write about personal finance repeat the same tired aphorisms and cliches. “Millennials aren’t invest...
#374: Andy in Palm Springs wants to create an income stream through a taxable brokerage account. What strategy should he use to minimize the tax impac...
#373: How do people make money in real estate? Many focus on rental income, but this is only one of five ways that properties create wealth. We expl...
#372: Eve has been investing in her brokerage account and the tax liabilities are starting to add up. She wants to retire in 12 years and is wondering...
#371: Psychology professor Bill von Hippel explains the evolutionary science behind how we’re hardwired as humans. We’re wired to be social, to connec...
#370: Kristen is 32, and she and her husband want to retire in less than 20 years. They make too much to contribute to a Roth IRA. Should they use bac...
#369: To answer these questions, we need a deep, tree-trunk understanding – a core, fundamental understanding – of how the stock market operates. What...
#368: Grace wants to buy a manufactured home for rental income. Should she calculate her returns differently for a manufactured home? Alex is curious...
#367: Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, many commentators have remarked that we’re living in an “epidemic of anxiety.” More than 40 million Am...
#366: Micheal’s parents just sold their home to pay off debt and fund their retirement. How should he invest the profits? Ryker would like to understa...
#365: Nearly every financial news story for the past several months has centered around inflation – but what, exactly, is inflation? What are its caus...
#364: Our first caller is curious about whether he should keep his 30 year term life insurance policy or let it lapse with 12 years left on the policy...
#363: In our 20’s and 30’s, we have high levels of fluid intelligence, or raw intellectual horsepower. We can ace tests, impress people with our memor...
#362: David is questioning how to better manage his spending. He’d like a stronger framework to think through budgeting challenges. Elisa and her husb...
#361: Wall Street Journal columnist Spencer Jakab marks the one-year anniversary of that weird time when the subReddit Wall St Bets pumped shares of m...
#360: I’m worried my parents are getting ripped off by their financial advisor. What should I do? My wife is trying to qualify for student loan forgiv...
#359: Money, relationships, health and purpose: life is running smoothly when all four of these elements are working together in tandem, like wheels o...
