How to Money

Big money mistakes usually come from doing the “smart” thing too soon. We break down listener decisions that look simple on the surface, but could cost you thousands if you get the timing wrong… from where to park a home-sale windfall, to whether a refi is actually worth it, to why stock-picking advice from family can be a trap, and more! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!
If you’re sitting on cash you’ll need soon, debating whether to become a landlord, or wondering if your mortgage rate is low enough to justify another refinance, we give you the clearest path forward. We also tackle the hidden risk in chasing returns with individual stocks and ETFs, and explain why boring, liquid, diversified choices usually win when the clock is ticking.
You’ll discover:
1 - Home purchase: Why a high-yield savings account or money market fund is usually the right move for short-term home-buying cash.
2 - Refi: How to think about refinancing through payback period instead of obsessing over the interest-rate drop.
3 - Investing tips: The difference between broad index funds and narrow ETFs, and why that matters for risk
4 - Helping others: Paying it forward for others to achieve financial freedom
5 - Financial safety net: When a HELOC can be a backup and why a reverse mortgage is a very different beast.
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.
During this episode we enjoyed a Bear Hug IPA by Market Brewing… thank you David S for sending this one our way! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
Best friends out!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:
Grocery slowdown
Cashback for groceries
Premium credit card trap
FUNFLATION
Are you willing to take the bus?
Money morons
More credit card debt than investments
Dwindling Social Security
Changing homeowner expectations
Ripoff mortgages
DIY upgrades for home insurance discounts
Skipping the security deposit
The price of water

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.
And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot packed into your 20s. You’re getting an education — formal or otherwise. You’re figuring out what you believe about work, money, relationships, success, and who you want to become. Sure, that process doesn’t stop at 30, but your 20s are especially formative. And there’s no shortage of advice aimed at young adults. Commencement speeches. Career gurus. Personal finance influencers. But a lot of it misses the deeper question of what actually matters. And in a world full of noise, it’s getting harder to separate wisdom from status signaling. Today we’re joined by Jack Raines. He’s a young guy who made some pretty countercultural choices — walking away from prestigious jobs, big paychecks, and conventional definitions of success to build a life on his own terms. His new book, Young Money, is part memoir, part guidebook for the generation coming behind him and today we discuss:
Embracing risk in your 20s
Balancing financial responsibility and enjoyment
Avoiding mindless toil
Recognizing meaningful work
FIRE as a mental illness
Different goals for different life stages
Why Jack believes “Am I having fun” is the most important question
And much more!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join our first ever video podcast as we explore the latest in personal finance, technology, and lifestyle, sharing insights and practical tips to improve your financial well-being and enjoy life to the max! Today we get into:
Our summer travel highlights and money-saving tips
Apple's new devices and price hikes explained
The rising cost of healthcare and how to manage it
Entertainment on a budget: movies, ice cream, and more
The industry of sports betting and its financial impact
Listener questions and summer sabbatical reflections
The future of technology and personal finance
Practical tips for family finances and investments
And a lot more ridiculousness!

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
YouTube: You thought you’d never see it… the How To Money channel over on YouTube - SUBSCRIBE!
Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Searing your steak as a way to ‘lock in the juices’ is something we’ve heard folks recommend for years! Get that grill hot as blazes, toss on your steak, and reap the juicy medium-rare rewards. But even though there might be a kernel of truth here, culinary scientists tell us that it’s not actually the best method. It turns out that the reverse sear is the better way to do it! Similarly, there are phrases and ideas in the personal finance space that get preached as though they’re the gospel truth. And there are a number of reasons why certain bits of advice stick with us- maybe it intuitively makes sense or perhaps it’s packaged well and is just flat-out catchy. We’re all looking for guidance and shortcuts but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these sayings are sage advice. So today we call out some of the biggest culprits on the show and share how you should be thinking about your money.

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

During this episode we enjoyed an Uplifted Scottish Ale by Talisman Brewing- thanks Andy for donating this one to the pod! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

Best friends out!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.