Every single aspect of personal finance is influenced politics, religion, and philosophy. Every law and every decision has a moral and ethical component to it.

In modern conversation, we're unaccustomed to talking about philosophy and ethics. We steer away from discussing politics and religion because we're uncomfortable with how we can have a positive relationship with another person even when we disagree.

Or, we might feel unequipped to battle in the world of philosophical or religious ideas.

The problem is that our lives are continuously influenced by others who are battling in the world of politics, religion, and philosophy. And, we're subject to the same moral/ethical code as everyone else is regardless if we want to admit it or not!

Worse still, we don't have the choice of non-participation. Every dollar of tax we pay, every item we buy, every hour we work affects the larger system in some way. By our actions we are supporting or tearing down various systems and causes.

We are either moving the systems that surround us in a certain direction or we are being moved by them.

The final horrific reality is that most of us are untrained in the fine art of sniffing out propaganda and influence. So, we are subject to it. Most of us would be content to simply sit by and live our lives quietly; it's not possible. Because you are in important pawn in others' plans for you.

Today's show is a unique experiment for me in a teaching style. Essentially, I'm trying to accomplish a few objectives in an interesting and challenging way.

1. I want you to understand the impact that your worldview has on all of your decisions.
2. I want to demonstrate how one specific worldview (in this case formal secular humanism) impacts the broader culture with its stated objectives.
3. I want to demonstrate how all of the broader agendas within a governmental system tie back to worldview. Politics are driven by worldview.
4. I want to demonstrate how propoganda and media are used to promote an idea in the general culture and how incredibly effective that can be.
5. I want you to see an example of a propaganda effort that has achieved massive cultural change over your lifetime so that you can learn the skills to sniff out other agendas--specifically other agendas that are closely related to finance.
6. I want you to see and understand that it's completely impossible to disconnect the social aspects of life and their associated moral questions from the daily, practical & financial aspects of life. You've got to be a consistent human being with a clear and consistent framework.
7. I want you to see and understand how theories change and adjust over time and how society changes throughout history.

I hope you enjoy the show. It's an unusual discussion but it's an important one.

I will be building on the content of this show in future episodes as we sort our way through the swamps of financial movements, theories, and conspiracies in the future.

Let the critical thinking skills commence!

Joshua

p.s., I've tagged this show with the [EXPLICIT] label because of the content and some of the words used. This show is most appropriate for adult audiences, not for children.

Links:

• Tax Freedom Day http://taxfoundation.org/article/tax-freedom-day-2015-april-24th
• Humanist Manifesto II: http://americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_II
• Humanist Manifesto III: http://americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_III
• The Overhauling of Straight America http://library.gayhomeland.org/0018/EN/EN_Overhauling_Straight.htm
• Pedophilia: A Disorder, Not a Crime: http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/10/06/pedophilia-not-a-crime-rutgers-margo-kaplan/#Aoo1WrpEBhxWmZHb.01
• Detailed outline of "After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s" http://www.parentsofgaychildren.org/uploads/After_the_Ball_-_outline_by_Richard_Cohen.pdf

Today, I share with you the framework knowledge of how life insurnace policies actually work. Once you understand these basic concepts you'll be able to look at any type of insurance policy and more easily understand its use.

Topics include:

• Assessment life insurance
• Yearly renewable term life insuance
• Level premium life insurance
• The factors that affect life insurance policy pricing
• The five types of life insurance policies

Enjoy!

Joshua

• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

I'm not able to record and release a new show for you today due to the rather pressing deadline of the April 15 tax filing date.

I'm finishing up my return today so I'm releasing an interview I gave on the Anarcho-Yakitalism Podcast with Nick Hazelton.

Nick is a young man who raises yaks and pigs on his farm in the Pacific Northwest. He is 16 years old.

I shared a bit of my story with him and gave him a bit of life coaching on how I think about financial planning and life planning for young people.

This show was originally released on February 24, 2015 on Nick's website.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Nick's website: http://an-yak.com/
• Original post on Nick's site: http://an-yak.com/ep-21-financial-advice-with-joshua-sheats-anarcho-yakitalist-podcast/
• Support Radical Personal Finance! http://www.radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

This morning, I put out a note on the Patreon page for questions from the patrons and I received four:

• 02:38 I'm currently in the "Financial Stability" stage of building wealth. Where do you recommend keeping an emergency fund &/or savings for large purchases?
• 17:36 My only major financial goal is to buy a small condo in Hollywood in about 6-7 years. I am 33 years old, single and don't plan on starting a family. I have about $170K in investments/retirement and am on track to have an additional 80-90K saved for the condo in about six years. I want to make a 50% down payment on a $200K condo (so basically a 100K down payment).   My dream is to have a super low monthly mortgage payment (around $500 - 600 per month). That would be very freeing for me! I want the flexibility in life + career that low monthly expenses would give me. Am I crazy to make such a big down payment? I know its almost half of my net worth, but it feels right for my lifestyle choices.   I'm tired of being stuck in the super-high trendy-city apartment renting hamster wheel ;) 
• 30:19 I have a 529 for my oldest son. I am planning on transferring that to my wife as she will be going back to school in August of 2016. She is a teacher, once she graduates with a specialist degree she will receive an automatic $5,000 annual pay raise. We estimate the program will cost $15,000 and can be completed in 18 months-24 months. The 529 plan is currently invested very aggressively (based on our oldest son's age of 6). I am planning on immediately changing the investment to the guaranteed option (1-1.25%). Am I missing any other investment options? We use Georgia's 529 plan which is TIAA-CREF based. It seems an easy choice to me. What else am I missing? Any other thoughts? The current value is $12,700 and we contribute $600 per year. If we are short during the last semester or two, we plan on paying with excess cash flow we hope to save up by then. 
• 40:34 If you were at a "Financial Stability" stage 3.5 in the US (debt is eliminated and about 50% of basic items are addressed) and were planning on moving overseas for 2 years (in 2 years), what steps would you take to secure your financial future?

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

• New Charter University http://new.edu/info/tuition/
• Become a Patron of the show! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

Today's show gives you the tools you need to sit down and calculate an appropriate amount of life insurance coverage for you to own.

On Episode 173, I discussed the three primary ways of calculating an appropriate amount of insurance:

1. Human Life Value approach
2. Needs Analysis approach (the best)
3. Rule of Thumb approach

This show teaches you how to calculate a Needs Analysis.

The process is simple:

What You Want - What You've Got = What You Need

In order to figure out what you want, simply make a list of everything you want for your family in case of your death.

Divide that list into:

1. Lump Sum needs (immediate cash)
2. Income needs (ongoing cash)

For the income needs, decide:

1. How much?
2. For how long?
3. Liquidating approach or a non-liquidating approach?

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Links: 

• Episode 173: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/173-economic-basis-of-life-insurance-and-individualfamily-uses-of-life-insurance/
• Episode 101: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/how-to-calculate-how-much-you-need-to-save-for-your-kids-college-rpf0101/
• Support Radical Personal Finance! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

By popular request, I've invited Meb Faber on the show for an interview. Meb is well known in the investment world for his contributions on tactical asset allocation and trend-following.

In the interview we cover:

• Meb's background and accidental path into the investment world
• The philosophy of business behind Cambria Funds
• How to construct an investment process for individuals
• True historical rates of return for various asset classes
• The impact of asset allocation over the long-term
• How to protect yourself from your behavioral biases

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

p.s., listen to the show for an opportunity to get Meb's most recent book for free!

Links:

• Meb's website: http://mebfaber.com/
• Cambria Funds: http://www.cambriafunds.com/
• Support Radical Personal Finance! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

Today I want to share a very simple concept with you regarding practical asset allocation.

If you plot your goals on a simple matrix and plot all of your investments on the same matrix, you'll more easily be able to select an appropriate investment to fund each goal.

Here's the matrix: 

home-run dollars

aggressive dollars

safer dollars

-------------------> short-term -----> mid-term -----> long-term

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Support the show as a patron: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

Friday Q&A shows are fun and today is no exception. Today I answer five questions:

1. Is there any academic support for the value of financial advisors?
2. What is the best way to prepare to pass the CFP exam?
3. What is the fastest way to become a 1%er?
4. How do you learn to trust insurance people?
5. What is the role of an IPO within a broader investment portfolio?

Enjoy my answers!

Joshua

Links:

• Research on investors' actual returns with DFA funds.
• Vanguard's paper on the value that an advisor brings.
• Morningstar's paper on the value of an advisor.
• "Route to an $8 Million Portfolio Started with Frugal Living"
• "How Much Money Does it Take to Be in the Top 1% of Wealth and Net Worth in the United States?"
• "How Much Money Does It Take to Be In the Top 1% by State?"
• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

You can’t go from broke to rich in a single step. There’s no magic fairy who will suddenly transform your financial life for you. You have to do it yourself.

But you can work your way through a path that leads to financial independence and complete abundance. That path has stages and you should celebrate your progress at every stage!

In today's show, I share with you my ideas regarding the stages of financial independence. I believe this is a useful roadmap to help you navigate from where you are to total Financial Abundance.

Stage 0: Financial Dependence

Stage 1: Financial Solvency

Stage 2: Financial Stability

Stage 3: Debt Freedom

Stage 4: Financial Security

Stage 5: Financial Independence

Stage 6: Financial Freedom

Stage 7: Financial Abundance

My challenge to you is to take these stages, understand where you are, and lay out the numbers of your own situation. How much do you need to be financially stable? What's your number for financial independence? Financial freedom?

Write it down clearly for yourself and then keep working on it!

Enjoy the show,

Joshua

Links:

• Here is the new page on the website: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/finance-topics/stages-of-financial-independence/
• Become a Patron of Radical Personal Finance! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

At long last, we enter into the oft-requested topic of life insurance! Today's show is an introduction to the economic basis and justification for life insurance and it's also an outline of some of the uses of life insurance for individuals and families. (We'll cover business uses another day.)

You also get the joy of a bit of a sales pitch on why I love life insurance planning so much. It's truly an incredible financial product.

Life insurance is founded on the economic value that each of us provide to others and on our moral obligation to provide for our dependents.

Because each of us has an economic value that can be estimated, we can come up with some formulas to understand how much life insurance is appropriate.

The three major approaches to determining an appropriate amount of life insurance are:

1. Human life value approach
2. Needs analysis approach
3. Rule of thumb approach (most popular is the multiple of income approach)

The best of these methods is the needs analysis approach. It balances the need for precision and the need for simplicity quite effectively.

Life insurance can have many uses for individuals and families:

• Immediate funds:
  • Cash to meet daily living needs
  • Cash to pay expenses associated with death
  • Cash for emergencies, repairs, or replacements
• Ongoing income:
  • Spouse
  • Children
  • Parents
  • Nondependents
• Funds to pay debts
• Funds for death taxes
• Funds for dependents' education
• Funds for trusts
• Funds for charities
• Funds for gifts
• Funds to supplement retirement income
• Funds for home health care or nursing home care
• Funds to transfer assets to a younger generation
• Funds to discreetly provide for confidential needs

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

• Support Radical Personal Finance! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

Retirement planning is at the core of the financial planning profession. But, it's a very complex subject and it's tough to wrap your head around the process.

I've invited Roger Whitney, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®, AIF®, financial advisor and host of the Retirement Answer Man Podcast on the show today to chat about retirement from his perspective.

Roger specializes in working with retirees and prospective retirees in a formal financial planning capacity. I think you'll be intrigued by some of his perspectives.

Show topics include:

• Roger's path through the financial planning profession
• How to create a retirement plan
• How to plan for retirement when you don't have enough money
• What to do if you can't retire...or simply don't want to
• The impact of podcasting on Roger's financial planning practice

Enjoy!

Joshua

• Roger's "Retirement Answer Man" podcast: http://www.rogerwhitney.com/
• Support Radical Personal Finance! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

One of the challenges of personal finance math is the relevance of a particular scale. Sometimes you can get a massive benefit by switching to a different scale.

One famous example is the daily latte. $4 for a latte sounds about right in today's world. But if you do it every day, it adds up. To fully appreciate the impact of the seemingly small expenditure you can change the scale from daily to annual.

$4/day x 5 days per week x 52 weeks per year is $1,040/year spent on coffee. That's a lot of money!

If you're scared that I'm trying to take away your latte, don't be. I'm not! But I do want you to use and apply that tactic to the actual numbers from your financial life.

In today's show:

• Updates from my canceling the show last week so I could launch the new website! It still needs plenty of work (especially for me to go back through and properly categorize all of the past episodes) but it's functional! 
• Why we need to convert to a different scale to appreciate the meaning of a number.
• Why we have problems understanding very large numbers.
• Why we have problems understanding compound interest.
• Converting from annual/monthly numbers into daily numbers.
• Converting from daily/weekly/monthly numbers into annual numbers.
• How to create factors to quickly convert numbers to a 10-year number for both one-time epenses and ongoing expenses.
• Stretching to a 40-year time period and a lifetime time period.
• Using the financial independence math based upon the 4% rule. (Multiply monthly numbers by 300 and annual numbers by 25 to know how much you need to have saved.)
• How I apply this concept to my income as well.

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Links:

• Support the show financially! http://.radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

I've got a double problem this week that is keeping me from releasing shows:

1. No internet at my house.
2. Launching the new site.

So, I'm releasing a couple of interviews that have been recorded with me in the past.

This one is very good. Rob is a great interviewer and he was able to get very in-depth.

This show has an in-depth discussion of the benefits and problems of financial advisors. 

Rob was also able to pull some pretty personal stuff out of me from my past!

Joshua

Links: 

• The original post on Rob's site: http://www.doughroller.net/personal-finance/interview-of-joshua-sheats-cfp-of-radical-personal-finance/
• Subscribe to Rob's show: http://www.doughroller.net/thepodcast/
• Support RPF on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

I'm not able to record a normal show today, so I'm releasing a copy of an interview I conducted with Nick Loper from Side Hustle Nation.

This interview was released on February 19, 2015 on Nick's show, just in time for tax-time!

This show is a good overview of some general tax tips:

• When and why you should incorporate your business, and why most beginning side hustlers should NOT.
• How to set up a business name even as a sole proprietor.
• The types of expenses you can deduct as a side hustler.
• 3 overlooked tax savings opportunities that will get your gears turning.
• How to audit-proof your side hustle.
• A free business idea for people who get a kick out of helping people save money.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• The original post on Nick's site: http://www.sidehustlenation.com/tax-saving-tips-for-side-hustlers/
• Subscribe to Nick's show is you're interested in more ideas on making money on the side: http://www.sidehustlenation.com/itunes
• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

My guest today is a veteran of financial reporting. Fred Gabriel has spent the last 17 years reporting on the financial advice industry. He began his career as a mutual fund reporter and progressed to be named the editor of Investment News in 2012.

I spoke with Fred at the Technology Tools for Today Conference and we focused our conversation on the changing landscape of financial advice. Due to the nature of his job, Fred has a front-row seat on all of the changes happening in the industry.

The interview focuses primarily on the investment advice industry but does have ideas and content which can be applied to other industries. Topics include:

• History of the investment industry and the changing appearance of financial advisory firms.
• The changing role of marketing for financial services businesses. 
• The transition from large investment firm marketing to individual financial advisor marketing.
• How large firms can appeal to millenial advisors.
• How trusted are financial advisors?
• How advisors can build more trust with the general public.
• The marketing of commission-based financial advice, fee-based financial advice, and fee-only financial advice.
• The increasing transparency of the marketplace.

Enjoy the interview!

Joshua

Links:

• Fred's recent articles on Investment News: http://www.investmentnews.com/staff/fgabriel
• Support Radical Personal Finance: http://www.radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

On Monday, I released the show on new cars vs used cars. It became clear to me while doing that show that I really needed to do an in-depth discussion of the concept of Opportunity Cost.

If you understand Opportunity Cost you can easily help people to make better decisions.

All of us make decisions based on what we value. Every transaction is based on each party involved preferring what the other has more than what he/she has.

Good decision making is largely based on simply understanding all of the options that each of us has, considering the various scenarios, and then choosing which scenario is most ideal for our circumstances.

In today's show I add some serious meat to this idea with a bunch of pertinent examples:

• Car-buying options
• College options
• Housing options
• Eating and moving options
• Options on where we live
• Family options
• And more!

At the end of the day, you control your own life. Consider your decisions carefully and simply make the decision that is best for you.

Joshua

Links:

• Support the show on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• Russ Robert's article on Opportunity Cost: http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2007/Robertsopportunitycost.html
• 100 Countries or an SUV: http://chrisguillebeau.com/100-countries-or-an-suv/

I've brought you some shows on the concept of advancing your career by attending industry conferences.

But what about getting a double bonus by organizing the conference yourself? That way you get all the benefits you would get from attending but you get the added bonus of becoming an industry leader.

Plus, perhaps you can make some money on the event!

My guest today is Philip "PT" Taylor, founder of http://ptmoney.com/ and http://finconexpo.com/. PT started working as a CPA, transitioned to full-time financial blogger, and ultimately created one of the most well-loved financial conferences: FinCon.

The interview is a complete discussion of:

• PT's personal finance story and his journey out of debt.
• How he transitioned from working as a CPA to working as a full-time blogger.
• Where the idea for the Financial Blogger's Conference (FinCon) came from.
• How he financed the initial transition.
• How much money he made in the early years and the most recent year.

Enjoy the discussion!

Joshua

Links:

• PT's website: http://ptmoney.com/ 
• Details for a ticket to FinCon: http://finconexpo.com/
• Details of PT's first year of self-employment: http://ptmoney.com/self-employment-a-year-later/
• Support Radical Personal Finance: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

Ahhh, the great debate over cars! Should I buy new or should I buy used?

In reality, the answer is simple:

• What are the needs and wants you're trying to satisfy?
• Which option meets those needs for the lowest total, lifetime cost?

Choose the option that fits best.

But, of course, there are as many ways to answer those questions as there are people in the world.

Regardless of the decision you make, here are some ideas for you to consider to lower the total cost and enhance your results:

• The thought process for choosing a used car vs. a new car is no different than the decision applied to any other item that you own. We should consider new vs. used for every item that we buy. Cars are a bit unique though because of their relatively high purchase price and also because we have such an easily accessed and abundant used car market.
• We have an incredible used car market in the USA because:
  • Tons of people regularly buy new cars while their old cars have lots of useful life left. If the supply weren't so plentiful, the recommendation to "buy used" would be more difficult to implement.
  • Vehicles are built to a high quality with a long potential life span.
  • Most vehicles are lightly used. Long highway miles on paved roads don't take a huge toll on a vehicle. If you were in a different situation, it would be different.
• For most people, the highest cost of car ownership is depreciation.
• Depreciation is calculated like this: Initial Purchase Price - Residual Value When Sold = Depreciation (your actual cost)
• To make an intelligent buying decision, carefully consider your actual needs and wants and consider the options that will fit those needs and wants.
• Think carefully about your opportunity cost. If you can save $10,000 of total cost over the lifespan of ownership, what could you spend that money on? For example, would you rather have a cheaper car and a motorcycle or just a more expensive car? Would you rather have a cheaper car and an extra $500,000 in 40 years or just have a more expensive car? The decision is up to you.
• Consider all of the costs of ownership:
  • Depreciation expense
  • Fuel/energy costs
  • Downtime expenses (in case of repair)
  • Financing costs
  • Maintenance/repair costs
  • Insurance costs
  • Other expenses (parking spots, garage space, car wash expense, etc.)
• There are ways to mitigate each of these categories of expenses. The best situation is to find an optimized approach in each category.
• Since the biggest consideration between used and new is depreciation, here are some ideas to minimize depreciation:
  • Buy a less costly vehicle. (20% depreciation on a $40,000 vehicle is a loss of $8,000 in one year. 20% depreciation on a $20,000 vehicle is a loss of $4,000 in one year.)
  • Get an up-front deal. (Buy the same vehicle but buy it at a more opportune time for less. Be out of sync with the general marketplace.)
  • Buy a vehicle that depreciates at a slower rate. (Look for a unique segment where you can use a vehicle that maintains its value more than the general market.)
  • Take better care of your specific vehicle so that it depreciates more slowly. 
  • Keep your vehicle for longer. (No matter whether you buy used or new, just keep your vehicle for longer so that the impact of depreciation is lessened.)
• If you want to give a shot at havine a one-car household isntead of a two-car household, consider supplementing for your transportation needs with Uber or Lyft.

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

• Support the show! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

I'd like to share with you a look behind-the-scenes of the business of Radical Personal Finance. I want you to know why I host a daily (or at least almost-daily) podcast and why I've stuck with that, even with many people suggesting less frequency.

To be clear: I don't think you should copy what I'm doing. But perhaps if you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing you may be able to apply it to your own endeavors.

I'm creating this show for a few reasons:

• Some listeners are concerned about my pace and my ability to sustain it.
• It will be helpful for you no matter what business you're in as you can understand my thinking process as I create a new business.
• It will be especially helpful for you if you're a podcaster. I think a lot of the advice that's being given in the podcast world is bad...people say "do this" without illustrating the principles behind it. I will share with you what I'm doing and also why I'm doing it.

This show is going to sound very me-focused. It's intended to be helpful for you but I'm sharing all of my personal, selfish motivations to demonstrate my way of thinking. 

My reasons:

• Fundamentally, I host my show daily because I believe the format is best for my audience. That's it. I want to be a source of daily encouragement, inspiration, and education in your life. I remember how important having a source of daily encouragement was to me in the past when I was working my way out of debt in college.
• I'm scratching my own itch. I'm creating the show I wish were there for me when I was 15 years old. I have nothing else to go on. I want one show that has unique content that makes me think. I don't want to wander around downloading from 11 different podcast feeds to scratch my itch. It's more convenient to have one but for that one to have varied content.
• I needed and still need to build the skills of a broadcaster. By doing a daily show instead of a weekly show, I have 400% more experience than I would have otherwise. That experience compounds over time. I believe it's wise to learn and then really learn by doing. I have a tremendous competitive advantage because of how hard I work at it and I have learned and improved tremendously. I have the long-term view: I'm focused on 2015 but I'm even more heavily focused on 2017. Or 2018 when the potential audience size increases massively. I need to be ready for that.
• I'm doing what I believe I'm best at. I don't feel that I'm the most creative writer. But I'm a good speaker. So, I'm focusing on my strengths. Producing lots of verbal content actually comes more easily to me than to many people.
  • I have years of pent-up frustration to express.
  • I have years of financial ideas that have never been publicized.
  • I'm a verbal learner so the best way for me to learn is to teach.
• There is more competition in the podcast space than ever. I want to push my competitors aside in terms of audience focus. I want people to find my show, fall in love with it, and stop searching for new content. Their other feeds will run out of content. Mine won't.
• I'm modeling the success of radio and TV. Most well-known radio programs are 5 days per week. Why? Because of the normal flow and routine of our work week. Many people listen to things while they work and the 5-day work-week is common. People are used to the regular flow of content streaming in on their radio, their TV, etc. Now, there's a transition to on-demand. When you find something you like...you zero in and consume the archives.
• But, I pay careful attention to the differences between podcasting and radio. Radio is not cumulative. Radio is a "dip your toe in the water" kind of format. You'll notice that radio is always either current events or Q&A. That's great for tuning in and tuning out. Podcasts are different. I'm focusing on taking the good from radio and adjusting it for a podcast-listening audience. Some listeners listen every day almost as soon as the show comes out. Many listeners go back and listen to the archives. I try very hard not to repeat topics. There is some overlap but I'm focused on consistently fresh, new ideas.
• Format is not the answer to a problem. Content is. You should fit your format to your content and goal. There are many popular weekly programs. But I don't really enjoy many of them because I'm not interested in the content. I simply believe that the format that I've chosen is the best way for me to help my listening audience.
• I essentially have four different shows and I can't choose between them:
  1. A short-format Q&A show.
  2. An interview show.
  3. A technical financial planning show.
  4. A unique personal finance show.
• Different types of shows appeal to different audience members. My technical shows are the least popular. But some listeners only listen to them. By having a varied format I can appeal to a broader audience. My vision is to keep the content so varied that you're always interested in what tomorrow's show topic will be!
• I'm focusing on the strengths that I have: I didn't have an audience when I started. I didn't have a platform. I didn't have experience as a broadcaster. I didn't have any other content to promote. So, I can whine about it or I can focus on what I do have. What I do have is a tremendously broad interest in various topics and a tremendous depth in financial planning topics. So, I'm focused on highlighting my strengths and playing to them rather than worrying about my weaknesses.
• I'm focused on my core fans and completely focused on serving them with massive value. You always have to look at who is giving you comments and feedback. I read online feedback often about my show: Joshua's show has too many episodes. I factor it in. But just because someone in an online forum doesn't like the format...they're not paying me any money. Just expressing their opinion doesn't mean I should change because of it. I pay attention to the names of the people that send me money. I listen carefully to them. And many of them listen to every show and many of them like the daily format. In fact, many of them only send me money because of how consistently I deliver content.
• I'm focusing on bringing in new audiences. Diverse topics are good for daily listening--that's the most important thing. But they're also good for helping new listeners find me. People search google. People search itunes. Shows get linked. The more content I create on specific topics, the more findable and useful I am. Interviews are also helpful. Every time I do an interview, I have the potential to reach a new audience and attract some additional listeners. I get bored by a lot of interview-only shows. But, I think some interviews are valuable to my audience. If I did a once-a week show, I wouldn't have any interviews. Two per week feels like a good fit to me.
• I'm focusing on financial productivity of the show.
  • Patreon probably shouldn't work based on the percentage of many audiences who support various creators. If you run the numbers of some of the largest Patreon campaigns, the "conversion ratio" is tiny. It averages about .03% of a listening audience who is actually supporting a creator. The percentage of the audience who is sending money to me volunatarily for my show is about 5%. I'm convinced that's because of the much closer bond I have with a daily show.
  • Advertising that is based on a Cost Per Thousand (CPM) model is also based on the number of shows I produce. If I use John Lee Dumas's numbers of $43 per thousand listners per show and I calculate based on 3,000 listeners, my income potential is dramatically different based on the frequency of my show. Four shows per month, 3,000 listeners, $43 per thousand listeners and two advertisers per show comes out to to $1,032 of monthly income. 4 x 3 x $43 x 2 = $1,032/mo. But, 20 shows per month is very different: 20 x 3 x $43 x 2 = $5,160/mo. That's compelling.
  • Affiliate commissions: if I'm here every day reminding you about something that I'm selling, there's a much bigger reach than if I'm talking to you once per week.
  • If I'm selling my own products, it's exactly the same.
• I'm creating the job I want to have and testing it on my own time before I go and try to find it. If the podcast fails, I might go and try to compete in the financial talk radio space. I think that would be fun to do. But that format would probably be daily. I wanted to see what it would be like to follow that schedule.

I'm not committed forever to this format. I'm still experimenting. But for now, the benefits are so great in comparison to the drawbacks that I'm continuing forward.

The competitive landscape is changing. I may change in the future.

But for now, my barometer for success is the heartfelt emails I receive from committed listeners who really value my content. I'm having a connection and an impact on the community. I believe what I'm doing is working and I won't change it until I find something I believe will serve more effectively.

At this stage, I'm creating a body of content and building an audience. I might shift my focus in the future. But not yet. I understand where I am in the phase of my business and this is one piece of my plan.

Take these things and apply them to your business and life endeavors.

• What are you trying to do?
• What skills do you have?
• What is your unique selling proposition?
• How can you stand out from the competition?
• Who are your customers?
• How can you serve them?
• How can you learn from others and study them but not necessarily copy them? Model, don't copy.
• How can you focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses?
• How can you choose yourself and choose your career?

Focus on what you can do, not on what I can do. There are many, many other things that I would love to do more than I'm doing now. I don't have the capacity yet to do them. But I can focus on what I can do. And that's working.

My format is not my pledge or my brand. My content is. If I don't have something worth saying and if I'm not prepared to deliver a show, I'm not going to waste your time.

My commitment is to the audience. To bring you an idea worth hearing that is well prepared and well presented and that is useful to you. That's my brand. Not doing a show every day.

I also don't care if a show is 3 hours long or 3 minutes long. It should be exactly as long as it needs to be to convey the point and to be effective. Sometimes that's short. Sometimes it's long. Sometimes it's being split into two or three parts.

But format does not equal content. 

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Support the show on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

This week I'm focused single-mindedly on the new version of the Radical Personal Finance website. So, I'm releasing some alternative content to you for your listening pleasure.

This is Part 2 of an interview I gave on the Family Adventure Podcast with Erik Hemingway. It was released in November 2014.

The interview is an introduction to a bunch of concepts on how to focus your budget so that you can afford long-term adventure travel.

It's super fun. Erik has a great podcast that my wife and I enjoy listening to together. 

Enjoy!

Joshua

• The original post on Erik's site: http://www.familyadventurepodcast.com/budget2/
• Subscribe to Erik's show if you're interested in more super fun interviews on family adventure! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/family-adventure-podcast-erik/id806349037?mt=2
• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

This week I'm focused single-mindedly on the new version of the Radical Personal Finance website. So, I'm releasing some alternative content to you for your listening pleasure.

This is Part 1 of an interview I gave on the Family Adventure Podcast with Erik Hemingway. It was released in October 2014.

The interview is an introduction to a bunch of concepts on how to focus your budget so that you can afford long-term adventure travel.

It's super fun. Erik has a great podcast that my wife and I enjoy listening to together. 

Enjoy!

Joshua

• The original post on Erik's site: http://www.familyadventurepodcast.com/radicalfinance/
• Subscribe to Erik's show if you're interested in more super fun interviews on family adventure! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/family-adventure-podcast-erik/id806349037?mt=2
• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

This week I'm focused single-mindedly on the new version of the Radical Personal Finance website. So, I'm releasing some alternative content to you for your listening pleasure.

This is an interview I gave that was released on September 4, 2014 on the Create My Independence Podcast with Kraig Mathias. It was the first podcast interview I ever gave after starting my show!

It has a good bit of my story as well as some various bits of advice on finance. 

Enjoy!

Joshua

• The original post on Kraig's site: http://www.createmyindependence.com/2014/09/04/cmi-26-interview-joshua-sheats-radical-personal-finance/
• Subscribe to Kraig's show if you're interested in more of his content: http://www.createmyindependence.com/itunes
• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

It's Friday and on Fridays, I answer your questions. If you'd like me to answer your questions, please email them to me or call them in on the website.

Question #1:

Joshua,

My father, who is 60 years of age, has become a victim of numerous scams over the last year or two. Generally, they involve him receiving calls that he won some prize and needs to wire some money (usually in $500 increments) to the West Indies, Jamaica, etc. His decision making with his finances is not good, to say the least. He continues to fall for these scams despite being told by numerous family and friends, law enforcement, and bank reps that it is a scam and he is never going to receive any "prize."

His financial situation is as follows... he receives Social Security (Disability) for around $1,400 per month. His expenses are only about $700 per month. He owns a very modest house that is paid off. Also, he has a bank IRA worth about $50,000 (earning a whopping 1.3% fixed) which is a rollover from a 401k he had when he was employed.

In my efforts to help him with his finances I got him to give me Power of Attorney and I was added as a signer on his checking account. I am able to monitor his checking account through online banking. However, I live too far away to proactively keep dad from wiring in money for these scams. All I can do is call Dad after I see he has made a large cash withdrawal from his checking account and ask what it was for. I can tell by his evasive answers that it is usually for another scam.

My question is, how can I prevent Dad from wiping out his IRA and spending all his future social security earnings on the dream of the big foreign lottery prize? Does the Power of Attorney allow me to move the IRA to another financial institution (perhaps an online broker, or something out of state). As it stands, Dad can go down to the local bank an withdraw from the IRA with ease. The account could be wiped out before I had the chance to try to talk some sense into him. Also, is there some way for me to become a custodian of the Social Security payment where I could ensure Dad's needs were met, and had the rest of the funds could go into a savings account in his name? I would welcome any other suggestions you have on this matter.

Your response would be appreciated very much!

Take care,

Jason

--

Question #2: @21:11

Joshua,

How much can one roll into a roth IRA from a traditional IRA?

Is it true that interest earned in the traditional IRA is treated as principles once rolled into the roth and can be withdrawn without the penalty after 5 years?

I really like the variety of your show. keep it up.

Best wishes,

Brad from Utah

--

Question #3: @27:11

Joshua,

A friend (22 y.o. male new grad. just starting his first engineering job) asked me if I had any good resources on investing.

Prior to his question...I sent him your "Become a millionaire working at Walmart" episode as I felt that portrayed a lot of key concepts very well.  I want to recommend another episode that really embodies your take on investing which I think is very helpful....as my friend seems to think investing just means putting money in the stock market.

What would you share with him?

Dustin 

--

Question #4: @38:17

Joshua,

I think I have a unique and "radical" financial situation. I figured with your unique outlook on things and the interesting nature of your show this might an interesting question for you to consider.

I want to be frozen after my legal death and reanimated later. I also want to preserve my wealth so that if/when I am brought back I will gain the benefit of at least many decades of compound interest.

My question is:

How should I fund my being frozen and how should I preserve my wealth in perpetuity after my death till my reanimation?

Details:

I currently have a 20 year term $150,000 life insurance policy. The cryonics organization is set the be the beneficiary. Upon my death they will take my body and fly it to their facility where it will be retained.

The cryonics plan that I have signed up for costs $80,000. I have added the additional $70,000 for any chartered flights that might be needed to be flown or any legal battles that might need to be fought in order to get my body.

I know that the 20 year term will expire and as I am presently 23, I (hopefully) will still be around. I was wondering what I should do long term?

I was considering just using the company's standard trust model and just pumping money into it over the 20 year period.

My insurance rep thinks I should move to a whole life policy.

What are your thoughts?

My second question is in regards to preserving my personal wealth upon death. As I will no longer be a legal person upon death, what is the best way preserve and grow my wealth over the years in such a way that I can claim it upon being reanimated? Ideally I would like to have a revival incentive in order to encourage people to revive me, something along the lines of 20% of the wealth accumulated.

What do you think the best financial instrument would be? A trust? It's a bit tricky as I will not be a legal person after death.

It's an odd question and I appreciate your help,

Thanks,

Caitlin

--

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Links:

• Support the show: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• Wikipedia: Rule Against Perpetuities

Years ago I heard of the concept of a hackerspace/makerspace. In essence, a hackerspace is a community-operated physical place where people can meet and work on their projects.

But, the work that can come out of those spaces is far more impressive than that description makes it sound like.

I've wanted to bring you the concept but since I'm not an expert, I needed to do it in the context of an interview. I was thrilled when a listener of the show recommended that I interview Jessica Fong, president of the South Side Hackerspace in Chicago.

In the show, Jessica shares details on:

• What hackerspaces are and some of the great things that have emerged from them.
• How their organization was started.
• Advice for others interested in founding such a venture.

Enjoy the interview!

Joshua

Links:

• South Side Hackerspace, Chicago
• Hackerspaces.org

I spent years consuming personal finance literature and the idea of saving 10 to 20% of my income was hammered into my head. That is the standard percentage that is recommended to be saved by prudent, diligent people.

I took that number with me into my foray into the financial planning world without ever questioning it. But, somewhere around 2011 I had my world rocked by reading Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker. 

The most useful concept I took from that book was the huge connection between savings rates and years to financial independence.

For some reason, I never really connected the percentage of my income I was saving to the actual amount of money I had and what I could do with it. Maybe for you it's intuitive, but it wasn't for me.

Consider this. Have you thought about the fact that:

• If you save 5% if your income, you can take 1 year off every time you work 19 years.
• If you save 10% of your income, you can take 1 year off every time you work 9 years.
• If you save 20% of your income, you can take 1 year off every time you work 4 years.
• If you save 30% of your income, you can take 1 year off every time you work 2 years and 4 months.
• If you save 40% of your income, you can take 1 year off every time you work 1 years and 6 months.
• If you save 50% of your income, you can take 1 year off every time you work 1 year.
• If you save 60% of your income, you can take 1 year and 6 months off every time you work 1 year.
• If you save 70% of your income, you can take 2 years and 4 months off every time you work 1 year.
• If you save 80% of your income, you can take 4 years off every time you work 1 year.
• If you save 90% of your income, you can take 9 years off every time you work 1 year. 

I never did until I read the Early Retirement Extreme (ERE) book. And it hit me like a lightning bolt.

In the ERE book, Jacob lays out a chart demonstrating the impact of savings rates on the years to retirement and it completely changed my perspective. 

A year or so later the popular finance blogger Mr. Money Mustached published a post called "The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement" in which he laid out in chart form the connection between the percentage of income saved and the years to work until retirement.

That chart is powerful.

Since reading that chart I have shared it with dozens of people to empasize the value of controling the major thing they can control, which is their level of expenses.

In today's show I share with you the details of this approach.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:  

• The Early Retirement Extreme book, my book review on Episode 3 and my interview with Jacob Lund Fisker
• The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement
• Become a Patron of RPF: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

Traditionally, the knowledge and skills of financial planning were learned by financial advisors on the job. Most financial advisors started as either stockbrokers or insurance salespeople and then moved into financial planning simply as an extension of their career. A common educational path was to simply take the state-required insurance licensing courses and the state-required securities licensing courses and then to take further courses (such as CLU, ChFC, CFP, etc.) only after getting started in the career.

That approach is changing. Today, there are dozens of colleges and universities around the country offering formal financial planning educational programs.

Of course, there are pros and cons to either approach. Today, we dig into some of those factors with an in-depth discussion of the academic side to financial planning with Dr. Nathan Harness.

Dr. Harness is an assistant professor of finance at Texas A&M University - Commerce. He received his Bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Central Arkansas, Master’s degree in finance from Texas Tech University, and Ph.D. in personal financial planning from Texas Tech University.

His research interests include personal financial ratio analysis, household heuristics and wealth accumulation, and individual stock selection.

He has published in Applied Economic Letters, Financial Services Review, International Journal of Business and Finance Research, Journal of Financial Services Professionals, Financial Counseling and Planning, and the Journal of Personal Finance.

Dr. Harness has taught at the University of Georgia – Athens prior to joining TAMU-Commerce and currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of investments and financial management.

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Links:

• Support the show on Patreon! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• Dr. Harness's contact info: http://faculty.tamuc.edu/nharness/

I was very saddened to hear on Sunday night that Dr. Tom Stanley, author of the famous book "The Millionaire Next Door" and many others, died in a car accident near his home in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon.

As I reflected on the impact that he and his work had on my life, I came to realize that he probably had a greater impact on my way of thinking than any other personal finance author I can think of.

Not only did he impact my way of thinking, he impacted me personally.

I reached out to him in July of 2009 when I was trying to find resources for how to market my services as a financial advisor to the affluent.

His response was gracious and professional:

--

07/19/09

Joshua,

Can't thank you enough for your kind comments on my blog.  Words like yours sustain me.  Two of the best rated speeches that I have ever given were to The Top of the Table and later at the Court of the Table (as you know part of the Million Dollar Roundtable Association).  Both of those speeches were recorded (audio) and, as I understand it, were distributed by The Million Dollar Roundtable.  I would also suggest that you read the chapter on Beverly Bishop in my book, Millionaire Women Next Door.  And also Selling to the Affluent should be very valuable to you in your work.  I'll know better about my speaking programs in September.  Please continue to check my website for updates.  Regards and much continued success.

Tom Stanley

--

More importantly, he saved me from a very expensive mistake by suggesting a specific car for me to purchase. (Details are in the show.)

--

08/19/10

Mr. Stanley,

One very brief question:  What do you think would be the best kind of car for a financial advisor to drive?

I don't believe in "status" cars.  But I live and work as a financial advisor in West Palm Beach/Palm Beach/surrounding area!  And here, everyone--even/especially the broke people--have status cars.

What should I do?  :)  

Joshua

--

08/26/10

Dear Mr. Sheats:

If I were in your position, I would buy a previously owned Chevrolet Tahoe or the GMC version in white, leather interior with tinted windows!  These cars fit in each and every category of the wealthy.  They are among the most popular cars within the "glittering" rich (very affluent) segments.

Regards,

Tom Stanley

--

His communication was professional, courteous, and emminently helpful. Now that I find myself in the position of a somewhat public figure, I'm striving to emulate him.

I was disappointed not to be able to get him on the show. I had reached out to him for an interview but his schedule didn't allow it at the time. I had hoped to bring him on in the future but alas, 'tis not to be.

In my tribute to him, I have prepared this episode with ten important lessons I learned from him.

1. I learned who the actual millionaires are.
2. I learned the difference between wealth and income.
3. I learned that it's OK to simply be on the way to wealth and that age matters.
4. I learned to be proud of being frugal.
5. I learned to choose my spouse very carefully.
6. I learned not to go with the crowd.
7. I learned to choose my housing very carefully.
8. I learned that you aren't necessarily what you drive. Millionaires drive Fords.
9. I learned how to prepare my children to avoid Economic Outpatient Care.
10. I learned principles, not rules.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Today on the show, I answer these two questions:

Joshua,

The reason why I am writing has nothing to do with finances, but career advice.  Did you (or do you) provide career counseling?  If not, can you at least recommend someone you trust?  I thought I heard you mention on a previous show that you were involved in that line of work, unless I am mistaken and it was a guest. 

Brief intro: I am 32 years old, a recent MBA graduate, and have a really unique professional background that makes career transitions exceptionally difficult. 

Suppose I were a client of yours who is considering a career change at a radical 50% pay cut.  There are huge financial and emotional considerations at stake.  Would such a career change be consistent with my financial goals?  

I have been working in a specific industry since I started fresh out of college.  I have recently undergone an ideological conversion to a different system of thinking, and now face some cognitive dissonance over what I do for a living and who I do it for.  I want out.  

In fact, this is the reason I went back to school for my MBA a couple years ago.  I thought the MBA might help me push the reset button on my career, but the job market hasn’t been kind to me.  I have applied to all kinds of jobs that I’ve thought were similar enough to the work I currently do.  Unfortunately, I find myself caught between a rock and a hard place: I am too old to be considered for lower-tiered, entry-level positions.  I am also too inexperienced to be considered for more senior or mid-level positions.  I am seen as a liability: recruiters think I won’t last very long if they bring me in at a lower level.  Recruiters think I won’t last very long if I am brought into a new environment or industry.  I am stuck, and I am hoping to speak to someone who can help me do two things:  1) better understand what marketable skills I have in the private sector, and 2) better understand what jobs exist that are the best match for my skills.

And it gets a little crazier: due to Non-Disclosure Agreements I have signed I cannot fully disclose the exact nature of my skills! This is perhaps the real pickle.. which makes this ordeal much harder than it would normally be for other career changers.

What are your thoughts?

-Bill

AND at 51:24

Hey Joshua,

Thanks so much for the show. It has really helped me and my fiance get our finances in order and start us thinking about how we could become financially independent. Even as a Canadian I've gotten a ton out of the show and have tried to hook as many people as I can.

I was wondering if you might be able to touch on tips and tricks for someone who doesn't earn a consistent or regular income. I do video work and while it's consistent right now, I have spent most of my working career either working every day in a month or not working at all for weeks at a time. I was just curious if there might be any wisdom you can impart on those kinds of situations.

Luckily my fiance has a very stable job and makes good money so it gives us the ability to plan at least a bit.

Thanks again for the show, I look forward to it whenever I walk the dog and on the way to work.

-Brendon

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Links:

• SUPPORT THE SHOW ON PATREON http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller. Also, see his website for more products: http://48days.com/
• Succeeding by John T. Reed
• Get a Job, Build a Real Career, Defy a Bewildering Economy by Charles Hugh Smith
• Choose Yourself by James Altucher

The financial planning industry faces many challenges. One of the major challenges has been how to effectively serve younger generations of clients.

My guest today has some ideas on how things can be done better. He set out originally to develop a different model of financial planning practice for himself and wound up creating a company dedicated to bringing the model to the world.

Alan Moore, MS, CFP, is from Bozeman, Montana. He runs a financial planning firm called Serenity Financial Consulting and is Co-Founder of the XY Planning Network.

Enjoy this discussion of:

• The challenges and benefits of working with younger clients.
• New ways to structure a financial planning business.
• How to build a lifestyle financial planning practice.

Enjoy!

Joshua

• Support the show! http://www.radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• Alan's firm: http://www.serenityfc.com/
• XY Planning Network: http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/

Today, we dive into the details of Pre-Paid Tuition Programs. I'm generally not a fan of these programs and you get to hear why! (I do acknowledge that they have their uses). 

This opinion (my non-fan-ness) has always been a bit challenging since I do financial planning the state of Florida...and Florida has the most popular pre-paid tution program in the country!

But, I still believe I'm right and today, I defend that belief.

Listen to the show to hear:

• Why pre-paid tuition programs are in tough financial straits.
• Why you get a negative nominal rate of return on Florida's program.
• Why college tuition prices are falling so much even if the official statistics don't reflect the reality.

Enjoy!

Joshua

• Support Radical Personal Finance on Patreon: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• Part 1 of this 529 Plan Series: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/138-masterclass-on-529-plans-a-k-a-qualified-tuition-programs-part-1/
• Part 2 of this 529 Plan Series: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/154-masterclass-on-529-plans-a-k-a-qualified-tuition-programs-part-2-savings-plans/

I'm fascinated by long-term travel stories. After all, some people have to wait until they're retired to travel but some people are able to do it long before?

How? Why? What can we learn from them?

My guest today is fascinating. Greg Denning and his wife, Rachel, are living a long-term travel lifestyle. Currently, they're driving from Alaska to Argentina via Europe. Impressively, they're doing it together with their six kids!

Why are they doing it? How are they paying for it?

Tune in to the show to find out!

Joshua

Links:

• Greg and Rachel's website: www.discovershareinspire.com

Most of us have heard the example of the magic penny that doubles every day in value for a month. But, have you sat down and looked at that example to really understand what lessons you can apply to your own life?

Today, I share with you 5 lessons I've learned from that example:

1. Rate of return matters

2. Time matters

3. In the beginning, it's easy to spend. That's what most people do.

4. In the beginning, the amount you save matters more than the interest rate.

5. In the end, the interest rate matters more than the amount you save.

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

Links:

• Support RPF: www.radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

https://www.patreon.com/radicalpersonalfinance

I don't think it's unfair to say that the financial planning industry is known for being a bit stuffy at times. If you ask an average person what they think of when they think of a financial planner, it's more likely to be an old, white guy in a suit and tie sitting in a mahogany-lined conference room than a young, vibrant lady with a theater and women's studies  double-major. But, perhaps that's changing!

My guest today is Sophia Bera, CFP® and she's shaking up the financial planning industry! Her tagline is "I'm not your father's financial planner." And, she's certainly not. Instead of going after the retiree market, she has chosen to focus exclusively on serving Gen Y clients.

Sophia is part of a new generation of financial planner who is working to bring a different style of financial planning services to a new market.

And, she's doing it on her own terms.

In this interview, we discuss:

• Sophia's story and how a non-financial person wound up becoming a financial planner.
• How financial planning fits into Sophia's ideas for the ideal design for her own lifestyle.
• Why entrepreneurship is the new job security for millenials.
• How the financial planning industry is dealing with its reputation of being filled with old, white men.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Sophia's website: http://genyplanning.com

http://Patreon.com/RadicalPersonalFinance

We continue our Masterclass on 529 plans today. If you haven't heard part 1, Go back and listen to episode 138 first. http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/138-masterclass-on-529-plans-a-k-a-qualified-tuition-programs-part-1/ You'll need it for context on today's show.

Today we dig into more of the how-to regarding savings plans. I also spend a good bit of time explaining the state income tax benefits for you. Depending on your situation, these may or may not be important for you.

Topics:

• Which states give a tax deduction for 529 contributions and how much?
• Which states offer tax parity?
• How to take advantage of the 529 State Income Tax Loophole.
• How to figure out if you should take advantage of a plan with lower fees or a plan with a better deduction.
• Who should own the plan--parents, grandparents, or child?
• How do 529 plan distributions get reported?
• What are the best 529 plans to choose for each state?
• How can you get free money for college?

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

• Part 1 of this 529 Plan series: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/138-masterclass-on-529-plans-a-k-a-qualified-tuition-programs-part-1/
• Which states offer a 529 Plan deduction? http://www.finaid.org/savings/state529deductions.phtml
• Free money for college: http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/free-money-for-college-savings
• Information on Individual Development Accounts: http://cfed.org/programs/idas/ida_basics/
• If this information has been useful to you, please support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/radicalpersonalfinance

http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

I had the opportunity to sit down with Michael Kitces while I was in Dallas last week for the Technology Tools for Today conference for financial advisors.

Michael is, in many ways, a conference king. He speaks at 60 to 70 conferences per year. He also writes the most influential blog focused on financial advisors.

What fascinates me is the development of his career. Michael's career developed from very humble origins. He found an area of interest and then applied years of diligent effort. Years later, he has succeeded in raising his personal income by a factor of 10 through the consistent application of some basic principles.

Enjoy this peak into the development of a career and consider how you can apply the same principles to your own endeavors.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Michael's first appearance on Radical Personal Finance: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/the-business-of-financial-advice-opening-the-curtain-on-the-history-present-state-and-future-of-financial-advice-with-michael-kitces-rpf0092/
• How to increase your income by 1000% over the next decade: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/rpf-0010-you-are-100-percent-responsible-for-your-income/
• Please become a Patron of the show! http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/patron

You've probably heard that your income is your biggest and most important tool in your wealth-building toolbox. 

It is. But it's hard to see and feel that when you simply sit down and look at your net worth statement.

Today, I want to share with you a technique that has been useful for me. It's primarily a framing technique: it allows you to actually see the value of your income as compared to your current financial condition.

It's been incredibly useful to me and I hope it's incredibly useful to you!

Notes:

• Calculate the lifetime value of your income.
• Then, think about what you can do to increase that number.
• There are three primary levers to push:
  1. The higher your starting income, the better.
     • Focus on starting from a position of strength (higher wages).
     • Look for high-skill or high-education industries.
     • Focus on a difficult industry. Hard work pays!
  2. The higher the annual increase, the better.
     • Build and apply knowledge, skill, and ability.
     • Be in an industry which will reward your increases.
     • Look for big-jump increases by constantly job hunting.
     • Establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
     • Look for industries where competition is low and you can gain a competitive advantage.
     • Look for exponential growth and leverage opportunities.
  3. The more years of income, the better.
     • Start earlier. Can you simply get started now without waiting for formal credentials?
     • If it's too late for you to start earlier, can you help someone young start earlier?
     • Work longer. But consider if you'll be able to persist.
     • Look for work that you can do for longer. (Be careful of laboring jobs or mandatory retirement programs.)
     • Look for work that you'll want to do for longer. (Does it integrate with your lifestyle? Do you gain satisfaction and enjoyment from the work itself?)
     • Look for work where your age and wisdom will be an advantage. (Plan ahead for ageism and be prepared to overcome it.)
     • Look for work where your lifetime knowledge and experience will be an asset, not a liability.
• Your homework:
  • Calculate the expected value of your life's income.
  • Is it enough? Play with the variables and see what kind of alternatives you can create.

 Links:

• Patreon Page for Radical Personal Finance
• Instructional video for how to make an income spreadsheet
• Bonus episode for Irregulars with details about my Dallas trip

Hey amigos,

I've decided last minute to fly out to Dallas, TX tomorrow morning to attend the "Technology Tools for Today" conference for financial advisors.

There may not be a show for the next couple of days. I will do my best to release some shows while I'm there but no promises!

If you're interested in what's happening at the conference, please feel free to connect with me on Twitter https://twitter.com/JoshuaSheats or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/joshuasheats. 

If any of you listners who are in Dallas would like to meet up while I'm out there, please either email me or reach out on social media.

Thanks!

Joshua

Today's show is a fabulous interview about career creation. My guest is Scott Ginsberg. Scott is most well-known for his love of name tags. He's worn a name tag every hour of every day for 5,241 consecutive days!

This decision was, in many ways, the foundation of his empire. It formed the story for his first book. Since then, he's written a total of 27 books on a variety of topics.

I'm utterly fascinated by Scott's career. You'll hear that in the interview today.

We discuss:

• Scott's utter lack of planning for his career?
• The power of a positive family environment
• The value of being remarkable
• Input vs. output vs. throughput
• The importance of excellence vs. prolificacy

Enjoy the interview! It's super fun!

Joshua

p.s., thank you to each of you who have supported the show so far on our crowdfunding Patreon campaign! We're off to a great start with 15 patrons and $280 per month! Go sign up with at least a $1/mo. pledge and you'll receive access to my brand-new 20-minute video: "A Framework for Wealth."

Links:

• Scott's website: http://www.hellomynameisscott.com/
• Also, http://nametagscott.com/

http://RadicalPersonalFinance.com/patreon

Today, we launch our brand-new crowdfunding campaign! I've closed the old Irregulars membership program and am replacing it with this new campaign.

Tune in to the show to hear:

• What worked well in the Irregulars version 1.0.
• What didn't work at all.
• Why I've felt guilty every time I've recorded a show for the last few months.
• Why I'm launching the new crowdfunding campaign.

Also, we're launching our brand new app! Go get it from the app store and let me know what you think!

Joshua

Links:

• Check out the Patreon Page!

Have you ever thought about the money you could save if you didn't have to pay taxes on the profits of your business? Might be nice, eh?

Well, have you ever considered establishing a not-for-profit corporation instead of a for-profit company?

Perhaps it might have some advantages for you!

My guest is James O'Neil. James is a former police officer and now is involved in a company called Training For Safety.

Having run both types of companies, James is a great guest to introduce the topic.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Pros and Cons of a Not-for-Profit Entity

Pros

• No Corporate Income tax, often no State or Local Income Tax
• Eligible for Public and Private grants
• Donations – Cash and Non cash (e.g., batteries)
• Corporate structure / Liability protection
• Cost savings – Insurance, business license, business discounts
• People view nonprofits differently
• IRS (kinder and gentler IRS)
• Lots of free or low cost assistance
• You are a “real” business
• Volunteers

Cons

• Must have a nonprofit goal (charitable, educational, religious, literary, or scientific purpose)
• Expense to setup (about $1,000)
• Lots of time to setup (IRS and State forms & waiting for approval)
• Paperwork (but applying recently got easier)
• Lack of privacy (tax returns are on Internet)
• Shared control (Board of Directors, corporate officers)

Book Recommendation:

• “How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation” by Anthony Mancuso (Nolo Press)

My guest for today's show is Dr. Alice Boyes, former clinical psychologist from New Zealand. She is an expert on overcoming anxiety (her new book "The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points" comes out next month). She also happens to be quite tuned in to the financial independence and early retirement lifestyle! She's here today to give us some practical ideas and tools for how we can overcome anxiety about investing.

The conversation includes:

• The impact that a fluid mindset vs a fixed mindset can make
• How to gain investment confidence in simple, small baby steps
• Tricks for how to get yourself to do what you know you should do.

Enjoy the interview!

Joshua

Links:

• Order "The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points" on Amazon.
• TheAnxietyToolkit.com
• Dr. Alice Boyes' blog posts on Psychology Today
• AliceBoyes.com

Good data is incredibly important to making good financial decisions. If you don't know where you are or where you've been, it's hard to know if you're on track and making measurable progress towards your goals.

Today I've invited Ryan Marquez CPA, MSAT on the show to give an introductory overview. Ryan is an instructor in the Masters of Taxation program at Boise State University. He also runs a bookkeeping and tax business.

Enjoy this introduction to business bookkeeping systems!

Joshua

Show Outline:

• Overall Theme
  • Change Your Mind Set on Bookkeeping and Accounting
    • Accounting is the Language of Business
    • Don’t need an accounting degree or CPA designation
      • However, should try to understand basic concepts.
    • Bookkeeping = getting accounting information organized so that you can start to make better decisions about your business.
      • Some information you can get out of good bookkeeping is:
        • Which areas of my business make the most money?
        • Getting a high level picture of expenses so you can analyze and see where costs can be cut.
  • Accounting Needs to Be Simple
    • If you follow one rule… accounting needs to be SIMPLE.
    • Two Reasons:
      • Complicated provides little value.
        • Large spreadsheet hard to process and takes time.
      • Complicated has less likelihood of getting done.
        • Entrepreneurs want to be out running their business, not sitting around doing bookkeeping and analyzing reports.
        • Simple system = less time doing and analyzing numbers.
• Source of Funds
  • Open Business Checking Account & Credit Card
    • Only run business expenses through this account AND run ALL business expenses through this account.
      • Put business in this account and personal in another account.
      • DO NOT mix the two.
    • The reason you want to do this…
      • Everything is in one place and electronic.
        • Less likely to lose deductions.
        • Everything will be on statements. One can go down and categorize.
      • Avoids having a box of receipts that you have to sort through, figure out what is business vs. what is not, try to make sure nothing is double counted, etc…
    • How to get a business account
      • Go to a bank and open a business checking account and credit card (debit cards are fine… the point is an electronic payment method that will show up on a statement)
      • Will likely need two things:
        • EIN from IRS. Can do online. Will get letter by paper / electronic.
        • SOS documentation. In Idaho, just fill out a one page form. The SOS will stamp and mail back.
  • Avoid Cash
    • I know a lot of people like to use cash. However, I like to recommend not using it for business purposes.
    • The reason I recommend not using cash is.
      • Easy to lose track of.
        • Receipt could get lost, accidentally thrown away.
        • Pay with wrong source of “funds” or “cash”.
        • Main reason is the transaction is never recorded at all.
          • Want an accurate picture of your business.
          • Lose tax deductions.
      • Gets more important if you have multiple businesses.
        • Take what I just mentioned, and multiply it by 2 or 3 times and that’s how complicated it can be.
        • Tough to remember which business it was for.
      • Cash adds complexity to the accounting system.
        • Doesn’t sound too complex, but it’s just one more thing you have to do / remember.
        • When you’re trying to rack your brain to figure out what was paid for… it can get complex, but most importantly it can become frustrating.
      • You’re most likely not going to find cash on a bank statement, which makes it harder.
• Recording the Transaction
  • Use Accounting Software Such As QuickBooks / FreshBooks
    • You want to do this because…
      • Saves you time.
        • Mainstream accounting software is made for non-accountants to be able to follow and use the software.
  • Use App or Other 'On the Go' Software
    • Easy because you can pull up your phone and categorize transactions on the go.
      • I’ve found people that do this almost feel like they’re not
  • Keep A Balance Sheet
    • The balance sheet is important because in business you're always going to have people that owe you money or people that you owe money to. In addition, you could have sales tax, payroll tax, deposits on hand, etc… that is money you have in your bank account but you'll have to pay to someone else at a later date.
    • A simple excel spreadsheet or even something like Mint that tracks your income and expenses from your bank account won't be able to track this for you
    • For example, if you're thinking about taking money out of the business or getting ready to make a large investment in a piece of equipment or something, you want to make sure that the money is available and that you don't need it to pay sales tax next month or something like that.
    • Some things a balance sheet is helpful for:
      • Record Deposits Correctly
        • Don’t want to record income that isn’t income.
      • Track Accounts Receivable / Payable
        • Want to keep track of who owes you money and who you owe money to.
      • Inventory / Payroll Liabilities / Sales Tax
        • Inventory not an expense when purchased.
        • Payroll liabilities are usually withheld from employee paychecks and need to be remitted to the government at a later date.
        • Sales tax is collected when product is sold and needs to be remitted to the government at a later date.
• Documentation / Retention
  • Write on Receipts / Invoices Immediately
    • Helps to document the business purpose of the expense and can capture some valuable information that's easily forgotten later.
    • Why is this beneficial?
      • Quickly recall the purpose and payment method for each receipt that you have.
      • Most questions from an auditor or bookkeeper / accountant can be answered by looking at the receipt.
      • Helpful for locating a receipt from a specific transaction in your accounting software.
    • How do I do this?
      • Start to get in the habit of writing on all of your receipts and invoices. You don't need a dissertation for each receipt, just a brief description. An example of a meal receipt could be, "Amanda / Todd / Michelle… discussed the marketing campaign for the XYZ product launch".
• Create A Filing System
  • Scan All Receipts
    • Electronic system can cut down clutter and could potentially be easier to find something you're looking for.
    • Can be backed up in the cloud or external hard drive in case something happens to the paper file.
    • I see a lot of people wanting to do a bunch of folders to keep their receipts in. Either by year, month, vendor, or what have you.
      • I'm a fan of less folders because for each folder you have, that's one more folder I have to click into to see what's in there if I can't find something.
      • I usually name the PDF by the date (year, month, day) and then the vendor and category.
    • Some apps / software allow you to take a picture of your receipt and link it to the expense.
• Getting It Done
  • Set Specific Time to do Books
    • Either weekly or monthly. Anything over that it starts to not get done.

My guest today is Nick O'Kelly. Nick is the co-author of Live On The Margin, a book about taking a different approach to regaining control of your time. (We previously interviewed Pat Schulte, his co-author, in Episode 50: "From an $8/hr Job After College to Financial Independence at Age 30 to 10+ Years of Global Travel With Family! Interview With Pat Schulte From Bumfuzzle.com")

Nick is a meteorologist, a pilot, a captain, and an adventurer. He's also a writer, producer, and voiceover artist.

Enjoy this in-depth interview in which we discuss:

• Nick's seemingly brilliant timing
• The advantages and drawbacks of travel
• How to learn to trade stocks
• And more!

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Live on the Margin: Learn to Love Risk, Profit From Fear, and Retire Tomorrow
• Get Her On Board: Secrets to Sharing the Cruising Dream
• Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder
• The Options Playbook
• Option Volatility and Pricing

Today, I bring to you three very fun but straightforward questions. Here they are:

Question #1: @01:56

Dear Joshua, 

My wife and I are well read in the areas of index fund investing, frugal living, early retirement, and financial independence (including your podcasts).  We have been on the path to early retirement for many years and we think we are there.  We both have high stress jobs and want to quit to raise a child and do whatever interests us whether it brings additional income or not.  We want to have a significant financial cushion, but also don’t want to be so conservative that we work years longer than necessary.  We are worriers and are very conservative in our estimates.

Although we are fairly confident in our calculations for early retirement timing, we hired a fee only financial planner for an outside opinion, and the experience was positive, but we believe the timing recommended was extremely conservative (4 years from now without a child; 5-6 years from now with a child).  We have a very good handle on our spending as we have been tracking it closely for several years.

The financial planner did not seem to understand our frugal lifestyle and rather than reducing our current spending by the “cost of working” that we clearly communicated, he added $15,000 per year to our current spending, which significantly changes the projections for retirement.  The explanation given was to account for “unexpected expenses”, but that amounts to >$20,000 per year in excess of our retirement spending estimate below.  We would be very grateful for your opinion of our plan to retire NOW, given the following data, which we have abbreviated to the most important points.

Ages: Him-45, Her-37

Debts: None (own a house and 2 cars free and clear)

Assets ($1,300,646)
$714,200 – His/Her TSP (Federal 401k)
$347,554 – Taxable Account (Vanguard Index Funds)
$216,165 – Cash/I-Bonds
$22,727 – His/Her Roth IRA
$31,000 – His Pension (starting at age 60)
$6,000 – Her Pension (starting at age 62)
(Minimum of $100,000 net after moving and downsizing our house – not included in assets total above) 

Asset Allocation:
40% Total US Stock Market (Vanguard/TSP Index Funds)
12% Total International Stock Market (Vanguard/TSP Index Funds)
33% Bonds (TSP G Fund)
15% Cash (CDs)

Spending:

Current Spending: $45,000
Retirement spending estimate $37,000
*This is after removing the easily calculated “costs of working” ($10,000 in property tax!; $3,000 in gas!) and adding estimated cost of health insurance ($5000?)
Note: We will be moving from a very high cost area (suburban Chicago) to a very low cost area (rural Florida)

Question #2 @26:20

Joshua,

Came across your podcast and dig the advice/honesty.

I've read numerous articles encouraging the use of fee-based financial advisors but haven't had a lot of luck finding the right person.. discouragement set in after numerous canned responses/what seemed like aggressive sales tactics.

I made somewhat of a half ass attempt in my early 20s with regularly maxing out a roth/always contributing enough to various company 401k to get the contribution match.

I've not paid a lot of attention and recently realized I'm holding roughly 50% of my total assets in a standard savings account yielding only 1%.

Without pulling the actual figures that'd be ~90k in retirement accounts Roth/Traditional rollover and ~90k in straight up cash... terrible I know.

My question is how do i fix/prevent it? I currently have one investment property with a mortgage that's less than what it's leasing for.

I see a couple fix it options:

Buy another house 

Pay down existing mortgage

Invest outside of a retirement account

I believe adjusting my 401k contribution may be a start to preventing it but what about after I max it out?

I don't mind paying for advice but what I really want is someone that's hands on/up to date.. helping me get the most out of my money.

Question #3: @46:37

Joshua

My name is Joe and I’m 24 years old.  I’ve been listening to your show for a while now and really enjoy it, keep up the good work.

My question has to do with whether or not a Roth 401k is the right move for me.  Currently my gross income is $58,616.  This year, I’ve contributed 6% of my AGI into a regular 401k and my employer matches .80 cents on the dollar up to the first 5% of my pay. ($3,517+$2,344 = $5,861)  I also contribute to my Roth IRA and will max it out at $5,500.

My employer just recently began offering a Roth 401k option and my question is whether or not it is the best move for me to make to begin contributing to the Roth vs the regular 401k?  I understand the tax benefits on the front end at my young age and do believe taxes will rise in the future and also that I will hopefully be in a higher tax bracket in retirement than I am now.  In my mind, the advantage of the Roth is the higher contribution limit (18k vs 5,500) but the advantage of the Roth IRA is I have it at Schwab and have lower fees and more investment options than inside my 401k.  I would like to keep my net take home pay the same and am having trouble running the math to figure out which would be the better option.  In addition, I have the option to do a Roth 401k conversion on the $12k that’s in my Regular 401k.  Your advice would be much appreciated.  

About me:

Assets: $27k in Roth IRA, $12K in 401k, $3k in taxable investment acct, $6K in savings acct, $2k in checking acct

Debts: $41,200 Federal Parent PLUS @ 7.65% and $16,500 @ 5.25%. I currently am on the standard repayment plan (10 yrs) and make an extra $100 payment each month on top of that. No credit card debt or any other type of loan, own a 2005 Camry that is paid off.

***

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

I've been looking for an expert on self-directed IRAs to bring on the show and I was thrilled to meet Kirk Chisholm at FinCon last year.

Kirk is an expert in both the self-directed IRA niche and the alternative investments world. His firm, Innovative Advisory Group, helps serve clients in this space with advice.

Self-directed IRAs can be a powerful tool in your arsenal. Just think of the magic of Mitt Romney's $100,000,000 IRA!

When you combine an IRA with alternative investments, you might really be able to work some magic.

What is an Alternative Investment?

Well, right from Kirk's site: "The term “alternative investment” has become a trendy term in the financial services industry to describe new approaches to investing. It is frequently used to describe different asset classes or investment types such as: hedge funds, structured products, managed futures, or even Timber REITs. If you describe traditional assets as stocks, bonds and mutual funds, then by contrast everything else is an alternative investment.

"We look at the term “alternative investments” differently. We take a step beyond the current industry definition and use it to describe assets or investments such as physical real estate, tax liens, physical gold and silver, structured settlements, horses, livestock, farmland, timberland, and more. We would characterize alternative investments as an asset or investment which is: not publicly traded, has a low-correlate to most traditional investments, is too small for institutional investors, is illiquid, is not easily able to be securitized, or is not reliant on the publicly traded markets to be profitable.

"The characterization of what is a suitable asset for diversification purposes is a fluid concept. Some asset classes, which have traditionally provided a low or negative correlation to other assets, have become much more highly correlated since early 2000. Asset classes such as managed futures, timberland, farmland, and certain types of hedge funds in the past did provide a low correlation to the traditional markets, however, due to a higher level of institutional interest in these areas, as well as changing market conditions, they have become more highly correlated to traditional markets. This minimizes the effects of diversification as a risk management tool."

This interview is super fun and super deep.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Kirk's firm: Innovative Wealth
• GAO report on multi-million dollar IRAs

I designed a potential financial planning practice structure a year or so ago. It has been my backup plan if Radical Personal Finance were unable to be financially productive. (It's probably still a backup of a backup.)

In light of the Episode 139: "My Advice for People Interested In Getting Into Financial Planning," I decided to follow up with some specific ideas for a practice I considered creating.

Here are my ideas. 

The show includes a discussion of:

• The problem of providing planning for middle-income households
• The idea of a planning model for a monthly fee
• How to align advisor and client incentives
• The benefits of a virtual financial planning meeting
• The importance of having a clear marketing plan for your practice
• Ideas for building trust
• The importance of demonstrating expertise
• The importance of a niche market focus
• Limitations on income with this model

Enjoy the show!

Links:

• XY Planning Network

The most popular episode--by a long shot--of the Radical Personal Finance podcast is Episode 40: "Making $80k on 1/3 Acre With an Urban Farm Without Owning Land? Yes, Please! Interview With Curtis Stone."

Today, Curtis is back for another appearance.

We set out to record a show with a basic overview of how to get into urban farming with some practical steps lined out.

The first step is to get your mindset right. Although our interview got stuck on step one, it wound up being a fascinating discussion of business principles.

We discuss:

• Setting intelligent goals for urban farming
• Focusing on a triple bottom line: 1) economic 2) social 3) environmental
• The value of education and especially specific, focused education

I hope you enjoy!

Joshua

NOTE: Curtis is on the road over the coming weeks with seminars in Florida, California, Washington, British Columbia and Mexico. Details are here: http://www.greencityacres.com/events/

Links:

• Curtis's farm: Green City Acres
• Curtis's new (future) course: Profitable Urban Farming
• SoilMate.com: Local Farmers, Local Food
• Out Of Our Own Backyards: Ooooby app 
• Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives

On Fridays, I answer your questions! And, even though this is going out on Monday, I still answer your questions! :)

Today, I handle these four questions:

1. What practical steps can a couple take when planning for one spouse to stay at home?
2. Is it wise to borrow money on a paid-off house to fund a real estate investment?
3. How should I factor a defined-benefit pension plan into my asset allocation plan?
4. How should I set my personal financial goals and pull my life back together after a divorce?

Enjoy!

Joshua

At this point, I'm honored to get about an email a week from someone asking about how to get into the financial planning business. Sometimes, I get multiple emails in a day!

Here are four examples that I mention on the show today:

• Hi Joshua, I consider personal finance and financial planning a hobby and I dole out my amateur advice to friends, colleagues and family. A little bit of background -- I'm 25 years old and currently working as an auditor in big 4 in my third year and I've just been early promoted to Senior Associate.  The thing is I don't see myself auditing forever and I really want to get into financial planning.  My plan is to start taking the courses for the CFP in May/June 2015 after my busy season is over.  I feel secure in my job but I just don't love it.  Do you have any advice for a 20 something wanting to transition to a career in financial planning with zero experience?
• Hi Joshua, I’m writing because I’d love to get your insight in a career as a financial advisor.  A little background on myself, I’m a 28 year old CPA who has worked as an auditor at a large CPA firm for the past 4 years.  I’ve been thinking about making a career change, and given my interests I’ve begun looking into possibly starting a career as a financial advisor.  I really enjoy the technical side of financial planning, including the tax side of planning, but am also enjoying learning about the investing side as well. In talking with a few other people, I have heard that being a financial advisor is basically a sales job where you are asked utilize your own contacts to push financial products on.  What I have heard is basically the only way to make money is to have rich friends or family to get established.  I really like the fact that I could be helping people, but the cold calling/pushing financial products on people does not sound appealing.   Also, I don’t believe I have the wealthy contacts needed to get established. I would love to get your insight on this matter, and to hear if the stories I hear about careers as a financial advisor are correct.  Additionally, I would love to hear any recommendations you would have for somebody looking to get into a career as a financial advisor.
• Hi Joshua, In 2013 I became completely obsessed with all things finance. I first picked up books about "stock picking" because I thought that was the way to go, but within a month or two I was recommended The Intelligent Investor, and I've been going with the "boglehead" strategy since then. I have been very lucky in getting a job straight out of college that pays quite well (software industry) and since I started in July 2013 I've saved 70-80% of my take-home income. I figure within 2015 I will become "FI" at age 25. I've been listening to your podcast daily since I discovered it last month, and needless to say it has quickly become my favorite podcast. Keep up the awesome work, I listen to every new episode! I am interested in becoming a fee-only financial planner. Every time I get the opportunity to talk with someone who is also interested in finance (believe me, this is super rare!) I get very excited. Nothing makes me happier, basically. I have a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering right now. I am wondering, what is the shortest path that I could take to get to the place where I can "hang out a shingle" and start advising people for a small fee? I am not interested in charging for "assets under management"; I simply want to share knowledge with people so they can make their own investments and financial decisions. I want to do the opposite of most advisors basically! I'd be okay charging very little money for just a consultation, because I will be FI. You mentioned in one episode that you got a master's degree in financial planning, and I know you need the CFP certification. With just my bachelor's degree, could I get this CFP and start taking clients? Or would I need other certifications as well?
• Hi, Joshua, I have realized over time that I am a poor candidate for the traditional early retirement, and instead, would like to focus my next 15-17 years (roughly age 52-67) on doing something that I like--be it an administrator in a medical business that I believe in, being a health coach for middle age guys trying to get back into shape, or opening a gelato shop in my neighborhood. Actually, my dream job would probably be selling tickets in a booth at a ski resort! Maybe later... I have also thought about becoming a personal finance coach or advisor for docs. I see them make stupid mistakes all the time. I could probably do a series of podcasts on stupid things my partners have done. 

It's a great question and there are a bunch of ways to answer it. I decided for today to focus on the big picture answer which is primarily about having a good fit between your skills, your firm, your firm's abilities, and your prospective clients.

I might do another show on the actual steps needed to set up a firm if you want to do it independently.

In this show I go through:

• Historical practice models for financial planning
• Current practice models
• The importance of sales and sales skills
• Why you need to know what you bring to the table as a planner
• The importance of a great marketing plan
• The importance of a solid transition plan
• The importance of gaining clarity on what you want to do, who you want to work with, and how you want to work with them

Enjoy!

Joshua

We're continuing our college series with an in-depth discussion of 529 plans.

529 plans are incredibly popular in all their permutations. (Many people who are currently participating in a 529 plan don't actually realize it because they refer to it as a pre-paid tuition program.)

They're also under attack. President Obama's most recent budget proposal targeted them for change. (It also targeted Coverdell ESAs.)

Personally, I think 529 plans are often misused and mis-applied. The majority of the mass affluent who participate are simply not getting a huge benefit in exchange for giving up the freedom and flexibility of the money.

But, there are a number of things that can be done with these accounts that are really unique.

Enjoy part 1 of our class today and learn:

• What the differences are between various types of 529 plans.
• Who they're a great fit for.
• How to use them to pay for travel and real estate tax-free.
• The history of the legislation affecting these accounts.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• A Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Education Account a.k.a. the Coverdell Educational Savings Account
• IRS Publication 970: Tax Benefits for Education

As we rattle around and around the iron triangle of wealth (income, expenses, and intelligent use of the difference), we come today to the topic of income. Specifically, how can you create some extra income?

The world is changing and there are more opportunities to earn some money from a side project than ever before. No longer are you limited to throwing papers early in the morning or delivering pizzas in the evening; now, you can work in all kinds of interesting ways with people from all over the world.

Listen to today's show and enjoy some of the ideas. But, if none of the ideas appeal to you, use them as a jumping off point and create your own idea.

Enjoy!

Joshua

Links:

• Nick's list of 86+ different side hustle opportunities.
• Nick's website and podcast

We need to get into some economics today and I'm going to do some prognosticating. This is a very rare event on the show, so here goes!

Prediction: there will be a global recession in the future. And gas will go up to $20/gallon.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about what we can do to get ready for it! After all, that's the only thing that likely matters to you or me.

One of the keys to being financially successfully over the long term is to avoid the big mistakes. One big mistake (of many) might be getting laid flat by the coming recession and increase in gas prices.

Today I share with you some thoughts on some of the things you can do today to prepare for this eventuality.

I hope these ideas are useful to you!

Joshua

Links:

• "Consumer Prices in U.S. Drop Most in Six Years as Fuel Falls" 
• "If the Price of Gas Matters to Your Family Budget, You Are Doing it Wrong"

Today's show is a bit of a pep talk--for you but also for me! 

We are taught by society to compare ourselves with other people. Even though we're all supposed to be "unique and different, we're really not. After all, we're measured on our weight as a baby (compared to all other babies), our grades as a student (compared with our class ranking), and the amount of money we make and have (thus defining us as successful)!

Well, let's challenge that a bit. Sometimes we need a reminder to forget about what everyone else is doing and focus on what we're doing and why we're doing it.

Join me today for a bit of a pep talk. I hope you find it encouraging. I was encouraged as I created the show.

Joshua

Here are the influences on today's show:

1. Farnoosh Toorabi's new podcast.
2. This chapter in Richard Feynman's book: "The Chief Research Chemist of the Metaplast Corporation.
3. Gary North's publication today of his free new book "The Covenantal Structure of Christian Economics."

Q&A continues with two very interesting questions today:

• 2:30 "Should I incorporate my business in California or in Wyoming? Also, for my son, should I establish a corporation for my 16-year-old son?"
• 33:26 "I live in Sri Lanka and have some money saved. How should I decide my asset allocation strategy?"

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

We're continuing our Q&A series this week and today I handle these two questions:

• 00:01 Melissa heard about an idea of using a HELOC to pay off your primary mortgage as a method of paying off the loan faster and saving interest costs. This was referenced in the book "Master Your Debt" and the website TruthInEquity.com.
• 38:13 Robert asks about the safety of the deferred comp plan that he and his wife participate in at her Fortune 500 Public Utitlity company.

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

When I started recording the show, I planned to answer six questions. But, after finishing the first question and realizing how in-depth the show would be if I covered all six in one show, I decided to break it out into multiple shows.

Today, I cover these two questions:

• 8:41-I'm thinking about buying life insurance on my two kids' lives. What do I need to know?
• 47:53-Will it work for me to use the 72(t) rules to retire at 50 and then change the payment terms at 59.5?

Notes-Life insurance for kids:

• This is one of the most controversial areas in finanancial planning so I'll try to fairly represent the various points of view.
• It's tough to have a low-key discussion here because it's such an emotionally intense subject.
• There are three major philosophies that I've discovered:
  1. Buy lots of life insurance to protect your investment in your kids.
     • Few people in the US will go for this one; much of the world will understand it though.
     • The reality is more and more of us will in fact be depending on our kids as we age due to many factors including the amount of savings most retirees have and financial challenges facing social security and medicare.
  2. Buy just the minimum amount of insurance to cover burial costs.
     • The problem here is that the rich and middle class don't really need it and the poor often don't think of it and can hardly afford it.
     • It's also simply not very high as a priority due to the relatively low risk. Consider this model: http://radicalpersonalfinance.com/do-i-need-insurance-a-mental-model-to-analyze-methods-of-dealing-with-risk-rpf0091/
  3. Buy some insurance for now and as a hedge for the future.
     • Hedge for the future with an Additional Purchase Benefit.
• How to actually buy the policy?
  • The advice is conflicting.
  • People say to buy term policies for kids. But I've never been able to find a company that will sell a stand alone term product on a minor's life. (Let me know if you know of one, please.)
  • If you're buying a big policy (#1 above) and your child is over 18, it's easy. Buy an Annual Renewable Term policy for them.
  • If you're buying a big policy (#1 above) and your child is under 18, it's harder. If you want to get closer to term coverage, consider a stripped-out universal life policy. If you have the cash flow, go with a traditional whole life insurance contract. Make sure it's a contract that your kid will be happy owning forever. Shop carefully.
  • If you're buying a simple burial policy (#2), do it as a term rider on another policy. You can get these at work, bundled with a banking or property and casualty insurance product, or as a rider on your own term policy.
  • If you're hedging now and later (#3), buy a small whole life policy with an Additional Purchase Benefit. That way as health, hobbies, and occupations change, your child will be able to buy more insurance if necessary. Shop carefully.

Notes-72(t) Calculations

• Use this calculator to get an indication of the numbers: http://www.dinkytown.net/java/Retire72T.html
• IRS info: http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Retirement-Plans-FAQs-regarding-Substantially-Equal-Periodic-Payments

I read a lot of financial advice from many different perspectices. I also frequently am asked about financial advice. "Is this a good idea?" "What do you think about this investment idea?"

Over the years, I have noticed that I have developed a filter that many people don't have: I view all financial advice through a filtering lens of scale.

When I hear advice, I don't immediately accept is a blanket statement; rather, I think, "what type of household profile would this be appropriate for?"

When I talk to someone who's asking for financial advice, I try to ascertain where they are in their financial journey so I can give them the most appropriate advice.

Having this filter helps me to give advice that matters. It also helps me to coach myself more effectively by identifying where I am in my own journey so that I can focus on the things that are most appropriate for me.

In today's show I share with you many examples, including:

• Buying large commercial real estate can be a great investment. But is it right for you? Should you be buying low-dollar mobile homes instead?
• Investing in low-dollar real estate can be great. But is it right for you? Should you be buying larger commercial projects instead?
• Investing in stocks of publicly traded companies can be a great plan. But is it right for you? Should you be investing in the tools of your trade or business so that you can be more effective at work?
• Investing in the tools of your trade or business can be a great idea. But is it right for you? Has it reached the point of diminishing returns and now you'd be better served by investing in the stocks of publicly traded companies to get you closer to your financial goals?
• Etc.

Enjoy the show!

Joshua

I like the change of the calendar year. It's a convenient time to sit down and take an inventory of where things are and assess the plans for where things are going.

2014 was an awesome year. It was certainly one of the more challenging times of my life and was filled with change of all types. But it was awesome.

2015 will be transformative. This year, I'll be heavily focused on stepping up my game and making everything I do to be world class.

I have plenty of goals. But for me, the end result of achieving a goal is less important than who I become on the way.

Also, since there's no way for me to achieve a lofty goal without developing as a person, I tend to focus less on the goal or outcome and more on the plan of what I need to learn and who I need to become.

In today's show I share with you some of my areas of focus for 2015 and some of the plans I have for my personal development.

Here are three of my areas of focus for the coming year coupled with some of my action plans for development as an example with resources:

1. I am a world-class business owner.
   • In order to be a world-class business owner, I need to sharpen and hone my personal productivity skills.
     • Nozbe
       
       • Action: Complete their 10-part skills course and program training videos.
     • Evernote
       
       • Action: Work through Brett Kelly's Evernote Essentials Book again
     • Gleeo Time Tracker and Alarm Every 15 Minutes
       • Action: Add a careful review of my time usage to my weekly review. Look for items to delegate.
     • Rescue Time
       
       • Action: Check to see if it has been improved and if it will serve my needs.
   • In order to be a world-class business owner, I need to strenthen my habits in these areas:
     • Work from a list of prioritized importance.
     • Plan each day's work in advance.
     • Complete my weekly reviews, without exception.
     • Complete my comprehensive monthly reviews, without exception.
   • In order to be a world-class business owner, I need to establish new skills and a new comfort level with outsourcing and team building. I also need to focus on automation and systematization.
     • Chris Ducker
       
       • Read Virtual Freedom and implement/test ideas
       • Read his blog archives and implement/test ideas
       • Listen to his podcast archives and implement/test ideas
     • Sam Carpenter
       
       • Read Work the System again and implement/test ideas
       • Read his blog archives and implement/test ideas
     • Ari Meisel
       
       • Read Less Doing and implement/test ideas
       • Read his blog archives and implement/test ideas
       • Listen to his podcast archives and implement/test ideas
     • Tim Ferris
       
       • Read Four Hour Workweek, Four Hour Body, and Four Hour Chef again and implement/test ideas
       • Read his blog archives and implement/test ideas
       • Listen to his podcast archives and implement/test ideas
   • In order to be world-class business owner, I need to build new skills with Wordpress on my site and other aspects of internet business.
     • Wordpress
       • Look for Wordpress training and complete
     • Membership software
       • Look for membership software training and complete
     • Aweber
       • Look for Aweber training and complete
       • Look for email marketing training and complete
     • Screencasts and video production
       • Look for screencast solution and create presentations
2. I am a world-class podcast host.
3. Radical Personal Finance is a world-class financial education resource. 
4. etc... (listen to the show!) 

Enjoy!

Joshua

As we begin a new year, I think it's fitting to start with a discussion of financial independence!

My desire for all of you is that you may experience financial independence as you define it and that you may establish a workable plan this year toward its achievement.

Tim Stobbs is right in the middle of his financial independence plan. After stumbling across the idea of early retirement/financial independence, he was awakened to the possibility that an ordinary person could achieve it. 

He set out a plan and started following it. He's now ahead of schedule!

Along the way, he wrote a book to teach others how to accomplish the same goal.

Topics include:

• Tim's personal plan
• Details on how to use Canadian retirement accounts to maximum effect
• Flexible work schedules and alternative working arrangements
• How financial independence (even partial) can lead to the easier achievement of other goals
• How having savings impacts the ability to get better jobs

Enjoy the interview!

Joshua

Links:

• Tim's site: Canadian Dream: Free at 45
• Tim's book: Free at 45