In this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete debate what financial advice is overrated and what financial advice is underrated.

In this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete talk about having better money conversations with your significant other.

In this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete debate the best amount of money to set aside as a starter emergency fund.

In this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete express their frustrations with the lack of due diligence surrounding hiring a financial advisor.

On this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete talk about their visions for their first day of retirement.

In this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete talk about what habits they're leaving behind, and what habits they're employing anew in 2024.

On this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete review their 2023 stock picks, and make their selections for 2024.Stock and market predictions are for entertainment purposes only.

In this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete review the year that was the PTP Show. We also hand-out our listener of the year award(s)!

In this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete answer three different emails. The highlight of this episode is when the crew shares their book recommendations.

On this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete discuss scenarios in which it makes no sense to max-out your retirement plan contributions.Also, stolen valor.

In this week's episode, Dame and Pete chat through the various questions you should be asking about your money, but aren't.

In this week's episode, Stacy, Dame, and Pete discuss high retirement plan fees.

In this week's episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete discuss the ends and out of paying off your partner's debt. And as you might guess, the email which stoked the conversation, has some strange twists.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss whether or not they’d purchase an All-in-one mortgage or universal life insurance.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss whether or not they’d purchase an All-in-one mortgage or universal life insurance. Click the... Read More The post Ep. 517: Considering unorthodox financial products appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss what Dame learned at a recent economic conference.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss what Dame learned at a recent economic conference. Click the PLAY button below for... Read More The post Ep. 516: Dame’s 2024 economic outlook appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss how much the cost of living has increased relative to wage growth. Even though we knew it would illustrate a crazy challenge for young people, the results were actually worse than we thought.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss how much the cost of living has increased relative to wage growth. Even though... Read More The post Ep. 515: Okay fine. Life is tremendously more expensive than it was in 1967 and 1995. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Pete and special guest co-host Ellie discuss all things Gen Z finance.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Pete and special guest co-host Ellie discuss all things Gen Z finance. Click the PLAY button below for the... Read More The post Ep. 514: The Gen Z episode appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Dame, Kristen, Pete discuss Pete’s most recent newspaper column. In it, he suggests people hurt themselves when they try to juggle various financial advisors.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Kristen, Pete discuss Pete’s most recent newspaper column. In it, he suggests people hurt themselves when they try... Read More The post Ep. 513: Is it dishonest to have two financial advisors? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Dame, Kristen, Pete, and special guest L.A.-based comedian Danny Dunn (actually related), discuss various financial topics.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Kristen, Pete, and special guest L.A.-based comedian Danny Dunn (actually related), discuss various financial topics. Click the PLAY... Read More The post Ep. 512: The refilling of the emergency fund is the key to success appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Dame and Pete consider whether or not the dreaded 401k loan is justified by emailer Aaron’s latest case use.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete consider whether or not the dreaded 401k loan is justified by emailer Aaron’s latest case use.... Read More The post Ep. 511: Did Aaron just come-up with a compelling reason for a 401k loan? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, Ben, and Pete put together personal finance fantasy teams. We draft strategies in 9 different areas of personal finance, and then we vote to see who drafted the best financial life. We’ll validate what you already know — it’s not Pete.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, Ben, and Pete put together personal finance fantasy teams. We draft strategies in 9 different areas of... Read More The post Ep. 510: The personal finance fantasy draft appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete discuss what types of loans they’d actually sign-up for.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete discuss what types of loans they’d actually sign-up for. Click the PLAY button below for the... Read More The post Ep. 509: Kristen, what debts would you take on? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

WE WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY. EMAIL US AND YOU MAY HEAR YOURS ON THE AIR: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIn this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss how they know their financial stability is starting to suffer, and what they do about it.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss how they know their financial stability is starting to suffer, and what they do... Read More The post Ep. 508: Signs your financial stability is starting to crumble appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss the harsh reality many people are facing — skyrocketing insurance rates. Is there a... Read More The post Ep. 507: Why homeowners insurance and auto insurance premiums are climbing appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete “debate” each other, as Dame watches-on with glee. Click the PLAY button below for the rest... Read More The post Ep. 506: Kristen and Pete’s battle royale over hot button issues appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete answer an email question which wonders what to do with an extra $250,000. Yeah, we know... Read More The post Ep. 505: When sitting on a giant chunk of money is the right answer appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete discuss Pete’s financial conundrum. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!... Read More The post Ep. 504: Pete actually has a personal finance issue appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Kristen, and Pete discuss why you should convince your financial advisor to be harder on you. Click the... Read More The post Ep. 503: It’s time to ask your advisor what you’re doing wrong appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete did their best to update live stream viewers in real time about the US Supreme Court’s... Read More The post Ep. 502: The Supreme Court live stream reporting episode appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Pete, and Kristen spend an entire episode on one very long email. The email eventually asks about “winning... Read More The post Ep. 501: What does it mean to financially “win the game”? And is it realistic? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Pete, and Kristen celebrate their 500th episode. There are special guests, special moments, and of course technical difficulties.... Read More The post Ep. 500: It’s kinda episode 850, but whatever appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss whether or not a 401k is ever justified. Click the PLAY button below for the... Read More The post Ep. 499: Do 401k loans ever make sense? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete discuss why 66% of renters have given-up on the idea of home ownership. Do their reasons... Read More The post Ep. 498: Why renters are giving up on homeownership appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete debate financial metrics. Which ones are helpful and insightful? And which ones can you lead... Read More The post Ep. 497: These are the financial metrics we dislike appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete take a look at the popular expense categories which just don’t make any sense to... Read More The post Ep. 496: The popular expenses we just don’t get appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete take a look at home income, downpayment, and other factors impact your ability to buy a... Read More The post Ep. 495: Evaluating homeownership standards appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame and Pete discuss what makes a good benefits package. And yes, we talk about hybrid work. Click... Read More The post Ep. 494: Is your benefits package any good? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame and Pete discuss whether or not Apple’s foray into banking will be a success or not. Click... Read More The post Ep. 493: Wait, Apple’s a bank now? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame and Pete discuss the dynamics of having two working incomes versus one, in a two person household.... Read More The post Ep. 492: The dynamics of 1 and 2 income households appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss whether or not a secured credit card makes sense for a college student. Click the... Read More The post Ep. 491: Do secured credit cards make sense for young people? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss the proper way to give support to your aging parents. Click the PLAY button below... Read More The post Ep. 490: How to help your parents with their finances appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss whether or not the bank meltdown will directly impact most people. Click the PLAY button... Read More The post Ep. 489: Is the banking system really melting down? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.comIn this week's episode, Dame and Pete discuss whether or not the 529 rollover rule is helpful or not.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss whether or not the 529 rollover rule is helpful or not. Click the PLAY button... Read More The post Ep. 488: Is the new 529 rollover rule helpful? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.comIn this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss each major threat to financial stability, for ever generation. Yes, it gets cranky.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss each major threat to financial stability, for ever generation. Yes, it gets cranky. Click... Read More The post Ep. 487: What’s the biggest threat to your financial stability? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss whether or not you should bail on your company’s 401k if they don’t match.... Read More The post Ep. 486: What if my employer doesn’t match? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss what financial regulations they change, if they were somehow mystically able to make financial... Read More The post Ep. 485: The financial regulations we would change appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss what they do with their emergency funds. Then later in the show, they explore... Read More The post Ep. 484: Where does financial confidence come from? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.comIn this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss whether or not you should hire a friend to run your finances.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete discuss whether or not you should hire a friend to run your finances. Click the... Read More The post Ep. 483: Should you hire a friend as your financial advisor? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.comIn this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete each reveal the personal finance hills they're willing to die on. Everything was going just fine, and then Pete got serious. #AwkwardClick the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete each reveal the personal finance hills they’re willing to die on. Everything was going just... Read More The post Ep. 482: Hills we’re willing to die on — boy that escalated quickly appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete read the world’s longest email, and answer whether or not a guy should sell this... Read More The post Ep. 481: Should you pay cash for a house by liquidating investments? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.comIn this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete make their 2023 stock picks. ****This is not investment advice. Picks are for entertainment purposes only.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete make their 2023 stock picks. ****This is not investment advice. Picks are for entertainment purposes... Read More The post Ep. 480: 2023 stock market predictions appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete put a bow on 2022 and look forward to 2023. Special appearance by Ted Dunn.... Read More The post Ep. 479: End of 2022 extravaganza appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete debate what demographics of people will be the most severely impacted by the Fed’s fiscal... Read More The post Ep. 478: Who will be the most impacted by the fed’s actions? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.comIn this week's episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete talk about the various expenses retirees end-up regretting.Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen, Dame, and Pete talk about the various expenses retirees end-up regretting. Click the PLAY button below for the... Read More The post Ep. 477: Expenses retirees regret appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete explore popular pieces of money advice. And we ask the question of whether or not they’re... Read More The post Ep. 476: Are these popular money tips actually just myths? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete explore popular pieces of money advice. And we ask the question of whether or not they’re true or not. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 476: Are these popular money tips actually just myths? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we talk the four dominant money behaviors. You can determine your dominant behaviors right here. Click the PLAY button... Read More The post Ep. 475: What is your dominant money behavior? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we talk the four dominant money behaviors. You can determine your dominant behaviors right here. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 475: What is your dominant money behavior? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we play everyone’s favorite game — Would you rather. It’s an illuminating conversation which touches on the complexities of... Read More The post Ep. 474: Would you rather — the financial addition appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we play everyone’s favorite game — Would you rather. It’s an illuminating conversation which touches on the complexities of high-stakes decisions. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 474: Would you rather — the financial addition appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we discuss everyone’s least favorite topic — insurance. We know this topic isn’t fun, but we did our best... Read More The post Ep. 473: Common insurance mistakes to avoid appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we discuss everyone’s least favorite topic — insurance. We know this topic isn’t fun, but we did our best to ensure we covered all the things you need to know in a fun way. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 473: Common insurance mistakes to avoid appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we discuss various ways to use behavior modification tools to make good financial ideas stick. Click the PLAY button... Read More The post Ep. 472: How to use behavior modification tactics to better your finances appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we discuss various ways to use behavior modification tools to make good financial ideas stick. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 472: How to use behavior modification tactics to better your finances appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete talk money. Then Dame shows up late to tell us how he barely escaped the hurricane.... Read More The post Ep. 471: Dame flees the hurricane appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen and Pete talk money. Then Dame shows up late to tell us how he barely escaped the hurricane. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 471: Dame flees the hurricane appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Pete, and Kristen debate whether a young person can actually afford to buy a house in 2022. Click... Read More The post Ep. 470: Can a single income under the age of 30 really afford a house? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame, Pete, and Kristen debate whether a young person can actually afford to buy a house in 2022. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 470: Can a single income under the age of 30 really afford a house? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss how fickle we can be when it comes to urgency, and how our inaction is... Read More The post Ep. 469: The relationship between urgency and regret appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete discuss how fickle we can be when it comes to urgency, and how our inaction is what drives regret. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 469: The relationship between urgency and regret appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete review their 2022 stock picks. Who’s losing, and why is it Pete? Click the PLAY button... Read More The post Ep. 468: September Stock Market Checkin appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Dame and Pete review their 2022 stock picks. Who’s losing, and why is it Pete? Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 468: September Stock Market Checkin appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we tackle on awesome question from a listener in regards to helping her mom retire. Does it ever make... Read More The post Ep. 467: How much effort should you put into retiring your parents? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we tackle on awesome question from a listener in regards to helping her mom retire. Does it ever make sense to put your parents’ financial life in front of your own? Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 467: How much effort should you put into retiring your parents? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we talk about the biggest personal finance news story in years — Student Loan Forgiveness. What’s good about it,... Read More The post Ep. 466: The day student loans were forgiven appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we talk about the biggest personal finance news story in years — Student Loan Forgiveness. What’s good about it, what’s bad about it, and what are the long-term implications of this policy. It certainly addresses one problem, but did it make the other problem worse? Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 466: The day student loans were forgiven appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we explore whether or not asking your family about your inheritance makes sense. Click the PLAY button below for... Read More The post Ep. 465: Should you ask for details of your inheritance now? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we explore whether or not asking your family about your inheritance makes sense. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 465: Should you ask for details of your inheritance now? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we explore how long we think the recession will last. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of... Read More The post Ep. 464: How long will the recession last? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode we explore how long we think the recession will last. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 464: How long will the recession last? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen introduced us to a game of “I would never.” It became the whole show. Click the PLAY button... Read More The post Ep. 463: I would never… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, Kristen introduced us to a game of “I would never.” It became the whole show. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 463: I would never… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we talked about the whether or not a financial situation should escalate a relationship. Click the PLAY button below... Read More The post Ep. 462: Should moving-in with a partner be the solution to your financial problems? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we talked about the whether or not a financial situation should escalate a relationship. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 462: Should moving-in with a partner be the solution to your financial problems? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we talked about the unfortunate timing of this down-turn as it relates to the college fall semester. Plus, Kristen... Read More The post Ep. 461: Why withdrawing money for college this fall will sting appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we talked about the unfortunate timing of this down-turn as it relates to the college fall semester. Plus, Kristen talks about why it’s so hard to get yourself to budget. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 461: Why withdrawing money for college this fall will sting appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we all brought a topic to the table. In other words, it was Potluck Radio. Dame talked emergency funds.... Read More The post Ep. 460: Is a credit line a reasonable emergency fund? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we all brought a topic to the table. In other words, it was Potluck Radio. Dame talked emergency funds. Pete talked about a report of increased planned layoffs. And Kristen talked about college savings beyond 529 plans. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 460: Is a credit line a reasonable emergency fund? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we explore whether income share agreements can replace student loans. Purdue University made a big bet on this type... Read More The post Ep. 459: Are income share agreements going to replace student loans? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we explore whether income share agreements can replace student loans. Purdue University made a big bet on this type of college funding, but now they’ve suspended the program. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 459: Are income share agreements going to replace student loans? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we explore what we’ve learned about the stock market so far this year. We also look at iBonds and... Read More The post Ep. 458: iBonds, gas tax holidays, and a chaotic stock market appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we explore what we’ve learned about the stock market so far this year. We also look at iBonds and the proposed federal gas tax holiday. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 458: iBonds, gas tax holidays, and a chaotic stock market appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we explore whether or not all the economic stimulus helped us or hurt us. Is it possible for it... Read More The post Ep. 457: Was the American Rescue Plan a mistake? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we explore whether or not all the economic stimulus helped us or hurt us. Is it possible for it to have been both appropriate and incredibly damaging? Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 457: Was the American Rescue Plan a mistake? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, I did something I hadn’t done in nearly 10 years. I took random live calls. I loved it. Enjoy.... Read More The post Ep. 456: The return of live calls! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, I did something I hadn’t done in nearly 10 years. I took random live calls. I loved it. Enjoy. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 456: The return of live calls! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing whether or not the housing market is finally going to cool down. With rising interest rates and... Read More The post Ep. 455: The housing market is about to cool down, right? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing whether or not the housing market is finally going to cool down. With rising interest rates and a recession on the horizon, buying a home right now feels like a risk. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 455: The housing market is about to cool down, right? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing whether you should be concerned that the market is swinging 1,000 points at a time. Click the... Read More The post Ep. 454: 1,000 point market swings are the latest rage appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing whether you should be concerned that the market is swinging 1,000 points at a time. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 454: 1,000 point market swings are the latest rage appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing whether or not a recession is on the horizon. It kinda feels that way, doesn’t it? Click... Read More The post Ep. 453: Is a recession coming? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing whether or not a recession is on the horizon. It kinda feels that way, doesn’t it? Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 453: Is a recession coming? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re talking to the Director of Education at Your Money Line, Kristen Ahlenius, about how shame impacts our finances.... Read More The post Ep. 452: What role should shame play in our financial lives? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re talking to the Director of Education at Your Money Line, Kristen Ahlenius, about how shame impacts our finances. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 452: What role should shame play in our financial lives? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re talking to friend of the show Joshua Becker. Joshua’s new book Things That Matter is available for purchase... Read More The post Ep. 451: Thing That Matter with Joshua Becker appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re talking to friend of the show Joshua Becker. Joshua’s new book Things That Matter is available for purchase April 19th. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 451: Thing That Matter with Joshua Becker appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at how much of your financial life should be automated. The reality is, sometimes automation... Read More The post Ep. 450: What parts of your financial life should be automated? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at how much of your financial life should be automated. The reality is, sometimes automation burns you. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 450: What parts of your financial life should be automated? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at advisor fees. We’ll discuss what’s normal, what’s high, and why you should care. Click... Read More The post Ep. 449: Should you be concerned if your advisor is charging you 2.5 percent? Probably appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at advisor fees. We’ll discuss what’s normal, what’s high, and why you should care. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 449: Should you be concerned if your advisor is charging you 2.5 percent? Probably appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at how gas prices are directly impact your wallet. Yes, there’s indirect impact, primarily pass... Read More The post Ep. 448: How much are gas prices really impacting your wallet? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re taking a look at how gas prices are directly impact your wallet. Yes, there’s indirect impact, primarily pass through by businesses. But is the direct impact really that bad? Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 448: How much are gas prices really impacting your wallet? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re talking investing! We discuss a few finer point, which often get overlooked. Click the PLAY button below for... Read More The post Ep. 447: The difference between risk tolerance and risk capacity appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re talking investing! We discuss a few finer point, which often get overlooked. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 447: The difference between risk tolerance and risk capacity appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing the impact Ukraine has on the world right now. Please understand, our primary concern is with the... Read More The post Ep. 446: The impact of Ukraine on the world economy appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com In this week’s episode, we’re discussing the impact Ukraine has on the world right now. Please understand, our primary concern is with the Ukrainian people and their safety and security. We do explore other ways in which this crisis impacts other parts of the world. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 446: The impact of Ukraine on the world economy appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring why we think the housing market is about to get hammered, and who’s... Read More The post Ep. 445: The housing market is a giant bubble, right? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring why we think the housing market is about to get hammered, and who’s going to suffer for it. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 445: The housing market is a giant bubble, right? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: Are 401k vesting schedules ethical? Should my wife’s organ transplant... Read More The post Ep. 444: Are 401k vesting schedules ethical? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: Are 401k vesting schedules ethical? Should my wife’s organ transplant affect our retirement spending strategy? Why doesn’t the market spike on Fridays, due to everyone getting paid and making 401k deposits? Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: Emailer worried his employer’s 401 matching contributions could be pulled-back, if he leaves his job Whether you know it or not, when your employer contributes to your 401k, their deposits aren’t completely yours until after a pre-determined period of time. Of course there’s a term for this; it’s called vesting. Vesting exists for a few different reasons, but the primary reason is to encourage you to stay at your job longer. There are some strange ramifications to vesting, for both the employer and the employee. In this segment, we discuss whether vesting makes sense, and what you need to know to ensure you don’t miss-out on your employer’s contributions. An emailer’s wife got two organ transplants; should that affect their planning? The great challenge of financial planning is that a plan must be practical and realistic both 5 minutes from now and 30 years from now. Health realities only add to the complexity of financial planning. In this segment, the emailer must make decisions around pension survivor benefits. Why doesn’t the market spike on payday, as millions make deposits into their 401k’s? On the surface, this hypothesis makes a lot of sense. Why doesn’t the market spike on Fridays, or other popular paydays? It’s complicated, but 401k deposits aren’t as immediate as you think.   Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 444: Are 401k vesting schedules ethical? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: How often should you look at your investments? Could changing... Read More The post Ep. 443: Could consumer habits solve the inflation problem? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: How often should you look at your investments? Could changing consumer habits toward experiences, make goods less expensive? How is a person who is very behind on retirement savings supposed to retire? Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: Looking at your investment account balances too often can cause undue financial anxiety Dame admits to looking at his investments too often, in good times and in bad. And Pete admits to checking the price of certain investments during bad times, but can’t bring himself to look at the balance. The fact is, if you’re a long-term investor and the market is trending down, looking at your account is pointless. More harm than good can come from that increased awareness. A new report suggests consumers are buying more experiences and fewer goods When the pandemic started, all you could buy were goods, as experiences were more or less closed. With the return to normalcy at the front of everyone’s mind, consumers have started to buy less stuff and buy more experiences (like travel). Theoretically, along with the supply chain getting caught-up, could result in inflation finding itself under control. If you’re 50 years old and just starting to save, is there hope at retirement? Yes, but it depends on how much money you make and how much you spend. But not the way you think. The less your household income is, the more likely Social Security retirement can replace a great deal of that income once you reach full-retirement age. Your job then become to supplement that income by systematically investing during your remaining work years. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 443: Could consumer habits solve the inflation problem? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: How does the taxation of ETFs differ from the taxation... Read More The post Ep. 442: Stress is an amazing financial motivator…at first appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: How does the taxation of ETFs differ from the taxation of actively managed mutual funds? Does you level of stability impact your primary financial motivation? Pete says absolutely yes. The economy is gonna get weird in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2022, according to Pete’s bold prediction of the week. Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: Diana wants to know if ETFs are a tax nightmare When you are holding passive investment vehicles, your tax burden can often be significantly less than when you’re holding active vehicles. Dame explains. Pete has a new theory about stress, reality, and opportunity Pete’s hypothesis is that people who aren’t struggling, but also not stable, run the risk of chasing opportunity, as opposed to acting on the reality of the situation. Will student loan repayments starting up again in May impact the economy? Pete and Dame say yes, that is unless repayment obligations are delayed again. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 442: Stress is an amazing financial motivator…at first appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: Is cash about to become popular again?  Why did Netflix... Read More The post Ep. 441: How common is insider trading, and are you at risk? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: Is cash about to become popular again?  Why did Netflix and Peloton have the worst week ever? How common is insider trading, and are you at risk? Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: More stores are giving cash discounts Is society’s move to cashless, short-lived? A recent trend in cash discounts suggests that cash is making a comeback. Dame and Pete explore whether or not that’s practical. Pete and Dame discuss why Netflix and Peloton’s stocks crashed Turns-out, people want to go outside when the pandemic is over. Netflix has hit a subscriber ceiling, possibly. You always hear about insider trading, but how common is it Unless you are an executive at a publicly traded company or you’re in the investment business, insider trading is pretty rare. That is unless you’re a congressperson, allegedly. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 441: How common is insider trading, and are you at risk? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: Can an emailer retire, whether or not you should be... Read More The post Ep. 440: Should you care if your financial advisor is an avid gambler? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re exploring three main topics: Can an emailer retire, whether or not you should be bothered by your advisor’s sports gambling, and how you can avoid the impending tax refund delay. Oh, and Pete may have been over-caffeinated. Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: Emailer asks questions, saves words for himself Hi. We’re 55. 4.6m net worth, 1m of which is in our home. 2 private colleges funded 0 debt. 120k a year all in spending and we can easily cut back Estimate 5k a month SS in 12 years or more waiting to 70.5. Can we retire? P.S. 60/40 portfolio. 6% rebalancing bands. Pete and Dame debate the relevance of a financial advisor’s sports gambling As it turns out, it bothers both Pete and Dame. But they admit they’re likely way over-sensitive to this topic. Gambling and investing are not the same, but sometimes people approach investing like they approach gambling, which is where things start to go horribly wrong. The IRS is incredibly understaffed, which means tax refunds could be severely delayed this year In the first 6 months of 2021, 15,000 IRS employees tried to handle 240 million calls. Yeah, that didn’t work. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     SIDE NOTE: — Give your personal finances a facelift. Explore our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 440: Should you care if your financial advisor is an avid gambler? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re still saying Happy New Year! 🥳 🎉 Here’s a preview of what happened and when:... Read More The post Ep. 439: Market Review for 2021 PLUS Our Picks for 2022 appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, we’re still saying Happy New Year!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, a bonanza of Dunns! Damian is back, Pete’s here, and they bring on the most... Read More The post Ep. 438: Three Smart Money Moves to End 2021 & Start 2022 appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, a bonanza of Dunns! Damian is back, Pete’s here, and they bring on the most special guest co-host, Pete’s very own son: Theo “Ted” Dunn! No time to listen to the LAST SHOW OF 2021?  Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: SPECIAL NEWS ALERT: FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS PAUSE EXTENSION: [5:55] On December 12, 2021, President Biden extended the pause on federal student loans until May 1, 2022. Payments had been set to restart on February 1, 2022. Approximately 41 million individuals had their loans put into administrative forbearance as part of the CARES Act nearly 2 years ago effectively removing the requirement that they make monthly payments to the government. The deadline has been extended by both Presidents Trump and Biden. Borrowers will continue to have the option of not making any student loan payments due on their federal student loans, though they can resume making payments at any time. Any payments made during this pause will be applied against the principal of the loan as interest has been paused during this time, as well. PETE: I am surprised, but not shocked. DAMIAN: People are appreciative, but upset about this news. The conversation was previously about forgiving (some) of the Student Loan debt. PETE: The perfect time to restart this, politics aside, is actually now. DAMIAN: There may be a tax return coming in around that time, to possibly help ease the transition back into payments.   THREE SMART MONEY MOVES: [22:30] Let’s begin with Employee Benefits. Instead of waiting until open enrollment, get into your portal and ask yourself the critical question: “Am I okay with this current path?” DAMIAN: Maybe it’s looking at any new changes to the benefits from over the year(s). Minor changes to health plans, or retirement accounts, are all to be considered. PETE: Ah, the annual rebalance. This is a good time of year to take a look at what’s happening across the entire financial landscape of your life. DAMIAN: Look to see if there is an automatic rebalance option. Second money move: Conduct a household financial meeting DAMIAN: Use this time (even 30 minutes) to do a household finance S.W.O.T analysis and set some financial goals for the new year Third money move: Look at your checking account more critically. How could you improve the flow of your money? What patterns do you see? DAMIAN: We’re not talking about huge changes, but remember that small changes can lead to big differences over time.   We only show a few previews here, but don’t stop you from enjoying the whole show. Click the PLAY button below for the rest of the show!     FINAL SIDE NOTE OF 2021: — Before you go, give your personal finances a facelift. Peep our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 438: Three Smart Money Moves to End 2021 & Start 2022 appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete brings a friend and special guest co-host, Joe Saul-Sehy from the podcast Stacking Benjamins!... Read More The post Ep. 437: Talking Modern Money with Special Guest: Joe Saul-Sehy appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete brings a friend and special guest co-host, Joe Saul-Sehy from the podcast Stacking Benjamins! No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: Looking for the TL;DR summary? This conversation is too fun not to check it our for yourself. From cryptocurrency to Joe’s latest book, “STACKED: Your Super‑Serious Guide to Modern Money,” you can tell they both have had long histories of being on-air.   Play the rest of the show for more!  —  click PLAY below.   SIDE NOTE: — Before you go, give your personal finances a facelift. Peep our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 437: Talking Modern Money with Special Guest: Joe Saul-Sehy appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete pushed his limits tooooo far with a giant 2PM cold brew coffee. 🥴  …Bad... Read More The post Ep. 436: HELP! My Employer Doesn’t Have A Good 401(k) Plan appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete pushed his limits tooooo far with a giant 2PM cold brew coffee.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete abandoned the show opening tune and got scolded by Damian! Whew! No time to... Read More The post Ep. 435: Discretionary Spending + Financial News Rundown appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete abandoned the show opening tune and got scolded by Damian! Whew! No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: MAILBAG QUESTION #1: [5:05] “Dear Pete, I heard colleagues talking about discretionary spending this week. It got me thinking about how much money I allow myself to spend in any given month. I typically give myself some cushion for dinning out and a random purchase here or there. Beyond that, I tend to keep a pretty low balance in my checking account because I tend to spend more responsibly if I limit the amount of money I have access to. How do you think about discretionary spending? DAMIAN: Discretionary spending is actually planned, you just don’t know what you’re spending it on yet. DAMIAN: It’s quite variable, so don’t compare yourself to other families in this category PETE: You’re giving yourself an allowance; what you spend it on is what’s discretionary. It took an ugly turn when online banking came out. The debit card makes spending all too easy. PETE: You have to find a way that works for you. You don’t need to keep boatloads of money in your checking account.   The Dunns cover so much more in the full show! Don’t let this little teaser stop you from enjoying the whole thing.   Play the rest of the show for more!  —  click PLAY below.   SIDE NOTE: — Before you go, give your personal finances a facelift. Peep our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 435: Discretionary Spending + Financial News Rundown appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian get into the show in record time! No time to listen?  Here’s... Read More The post Ep. 434: Let’s Play, ‘Will You Need That Much?’ appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian get into the show in record time! No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: MAILBAG QUESTION #1: [2:07] “Hey Pete, honest question: given recent content around inflation and changing conventional knowledge about drawdown rates… My wife and I generally set aside $50,000 – $60,000 annually for retirement, including employer matches. We have 25-30 years until retirement and our savings is about $430,000. We max out one 401(k), we’re also funding two 529s and making weekly contributions into brokerage accounts. We have a very aggressive risk tolerance, but assume conservative returns for long-term planning. Despite all of this, most retirement calculators have us coming up short because they assume we’ll need 75%-80% of our current income in retirement. Our income is slightly variable based on annual bonus potential and whatnot. But shouldn’t we reduce the amount of annual retirement income we’ll need by what we’re currently saving? At the point of retirement, we’ll be drawing down our balance rather than actively contributing so it seems that it should be reflected in the assumed need… PETE: I major beef with retirement calculators. Do they assume people won’t reduce their expenses at all? DAMIAN: Most people don’t want to live on less in retirement. Hopefully your health will be in good condition, and you may end up spending more with the extra time on your hands. PETE: Most people accumulate priorities without shedding priorities DAMIAN: That can be an absolute retirement plan killer.   WILL YOU NEED THAT MUCH?:  [13:50] Let’s look at the Ideal Budget and play a game. Do you think you will need more or less of the following expenses in retirement?: HOUSING (25%) of your income: Damian – Less. Pete – Less TRANSPORTATION (15%): Damian – Maybe a push. Pete – Less FOOD (12%): Damian – Less. Pete – Maybe about the same. Review the rest of the Ideal Budget with the Dunns in when you listen to the full show!   Play the rest of the show for more!  —  click PLAY below.   SIDE NOTE: — Before you go, give your personal finances a facelift. Peep our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 434: Let’s Play, ‘Will You Need That Much?’ appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian revisit a #FAIL of their own: the intro music to the show.... Read More The post Ep. 433: Retirement – Digging Deep Into the 4% Rule… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian revisit a #FAIL of their own: the intro music to the show. No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened and when: Show Notes: DIGGING DEEP INTO THE 4% RULE: [6:33] One of the weird things about saving money into a retirement plan for 45 years is your find yourself perpetually in the accumulation phase. You don’t really think about the distribution phase. It can be hard to stay focused and remember why you’re doing it. The industry rallied around this idea that you should calculate how much your nest egg will generate by multiplying your nest egg by 4% and that will tell you how much you can safely withdraw annually without the fear of running out of money.  This past week, a paper was published suggesting the new number should be 3.3%. PETE: This means a $500,000 nest egg at retirement would then drop from $20K to $16,500 per year without the fear of running out of money. DAMIAN: $500,000 sounds cool, but that’s a pretty small number when you break it down with maths. PETE: If more people calculated a proper withdrawal rate at the midpoint in their career, I think it would make people get on their horse a bit more when thinking about retirement.   IRS  CONTRIBUTION LIMITS HAVE CHANGED AGAIN!:  [19:45] Every year, the IRS puts together the increases in contribution limits people can put into retirement vehicles and other things. Their changes are always shockingly predictable. Special note: there has been a lot of criticism lately as this relates to the income gap and how retirement plans unfairly reward those with money, which in turn, leaves people with no money behind. In 2021, if you were to max out a 401(k) or 403(b), you could put in $19,500. It used to be $18,000 some years ago. PETE: One of the ways people can prepare for the retirement crisis is by putting away the right amount of money. By not moving the limits up, in some respects could dissuade people from properly planning for retirement. DAMIAN: In the year 2000, it was $10,500. In 2005: $14,000. In 2010: $16,500. In 2015: $18,000. In 2022: it’s $20,500….if you’re 49 years old or younger. Find out why we think this is problematic in the full show!   Play the rest of the show for more!  Check it out in the full show!  — click PLAY below.   SIDE NOTE: — Before you go, give your personal finances a facelift. Peep our personal guidance platform: Hey Money. —   The post Ep. 433: Retirement – Digging Deep Into the 4% Rule… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian discuss what could be the biggest business FAIL of all time! No... Read More The post Ep. 432: Does Being ‘Dependable’ Make You Financially Stable? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian discuss what could be the biggest business FAIL of all time! No... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian is back! And …there goes the show. 😅 No time to listen?  Here’s a... Read More The post Ep. 431: Do You Need Credit to Get Student Loans? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian is back! And …there goes the show.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Dam- wait… no; Kristen! Pete and Kristen connect to throw down the gauntlet... Read More The post Ep. 430: Colleges Running Up the Tab on Parent PLUS Loans appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Dam- wait… no; Kristen! Pete and Kristen connect to throw down the gauntlet... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian are back in the chairs with the most hilarious banter of all... Read More The post Ep. 429: Why Raising the Federal Debt Ceiling Matters appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian are back in the chairs with the most hilarious banter of all... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, IT’S SPOOKY SEASON! Don’t skip past this show intro! No time to listen?  Here’s a... Read More The post Ep. 428: Handling the Unexpected Expenses Parents See! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, IT’S SPOOKY SEASON! Don’t skip past this show intro! No time to listen?  Here’s a... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete admitted he talked too much last week! No time to listen?  Here’s a preview... Read More The post Ep. 427: Questioning Our Confidence in Retirement! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete admitted he talked too much last week! No time to listen?  Here’s a preview... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian drop in with a new intro! You’ve got to hear this. No... Read More The post Ep. 426: Parent PLUS Loans Are the Bane of Our Existence?! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian drop in with a new intro! You’ve got to hear this. No... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian ease back into things from a holiday off-week!  No time to listen? ... Read More The post Ep. 425: Open Enrollment: The Biggest (Financial) Missed Opportunity? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian ease back into things from a holiday off-week!  No time to listen? ... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete goes full-on Soccer Assistant Coach!  No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened... Read More The post Ep. 424: Is Your Alma Mater Going Under? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete goes full-on Soccer Assistant Coach!  No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian continue their Dunniest unrelated Dunn banter!  No time to listen?  Here’s a... Read More The post Ep. 423: Pandemic Fallout: We React to the News! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian continue their Dunniest unrelated Dunn banter!  No time to listen?  Here’s a... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian becomes a radio star!  No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened and... Read More The post Ep. 422: When I Retire, What Really Happens to My Money? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian becomes a radio star!  No time to listen?  Here’s a preview of what happened and... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian change it up with YouTube and Facebook Live with the killer ‘wide... Read More The post Ep. 421: The Jobs Report Is Here & I Was Wrong (Again!) appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian change it up with YouTube and Facebook Live with the killer ‘wide... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete is back from vacation and Dame’s AquaDunns are expected to do quite well in... Read More The post Ep. 420: “Pete, Am I Investing Too Aggressively?” appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete is back from vacation and Dame’s AquaDunns are expected to do quite well in... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian discuss what happens next week when Pete goes on vacation! What do... Read More The post Ep. 419: Dissecting the New Inflation & Social Security Rates appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian discuss what happens next week when Pete goes on vacation! What do... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete hits the beep AGAIN and wonders if he’s a radio master by now after... Read More The post Ep. 418: What Do We Do If We Might Over-Fund Our 529? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete hits the beep AGAIN and wonders if he’s a radio master by now after... Read More

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete hits the beep AGAIN, also Damian chooses the order for the show. WHAAAAT?! 🤯😱... Read More The post Ep. 417: Should I Roll Over My Older 401(k)s? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete hits the beep AGAIN, also Damian chooses the order for the show. WHAAAAT?!

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete hits the beep! 🎉🥳 Remember: In the first six months of 2021, we’re going... Read More The post Ep. 416: Is This the Greatest Time Ever for Hustlers?! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian adjust the levels and the recording day to recognize the new Federal Holiday:... Read More The post Ep. 415: So, We Need Long-Term Care Insurance Now, Too? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian are rested, recharged and energized from vacation and getting back in their... Read More The post Ep. 414: My 2021 Prediction was WRONG! 😫 appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian decide if they’re shirts on or shirts off kind of guys at... Read More The post Ep. 412: How Much Exposure Do You Have to Inflation? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian is exposed to be a martial arts expert?! Remember: In the first six months... Read More The post Ep. 411: How Do You Know When You’re A Worse Investor Than You Thought? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian get right down to business! Remember: In the first six months of... Read More The post Ep. 410: Why Hire A Financial Advisor And Not Listen? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete confesses he doesn’t want to get the test to find if he and Damian... Read More The post Ep. 409: Why Does A Company Care About Its Stock Price? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete reveals how he still goes to bed, even during a live-streamed DJ party! Remember:... Read More The post Ep. 408: Should We Move Our Money To A Self-Directed IRA? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete is back home in the office studio after a year of pandemic evasion! Remember:... Read More The post Ep. 407: Longest Question Ever Asked on This Show?! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian push the podcast recording speed limits, talk news, and give answers to... Read More The post Ep. 406: Where Are All The New Jobs? – Recovery Update appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian meet their technical problems face to face! Oh, and they also respond to... Read More The post Ep. 405: Buy Quality vs Buy Cheap – What Would We Do? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian are digging back into the mailbag to respond to real questions from real... Read More The post Ep. 404: Should We Eliminate Our Mortgage or Keep Saving? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian haven’t the foggiest about what’s going to happen! Hey, it happens to... Read More The post Ep. 403: U.S. Net Worth Averages & Medians By Age appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian do a lightning round review of industries to see how they might fare... Read More The post Ep. 402: What’s Missing from Monte Carlo Simulations? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us and you may hear yours on the air: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian do a lightning round review of industries to see how they might fare... Read More The post Ep. 401: Win, Lose, or Fail: Economic Recovery by Industry appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, THIS IS OUR 400TH EPISODE!!! 🎊🎉 “Mama we made it!” Remember: In the first six months of 2021, we’re going to make over five families’... Read More The post Ep. 400: How Do You Plan (Now) On Funding Your Future? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete is not a cat, but he and Damian crrrrritique comments from Dave Ramsey! Remember: In the first six months of 2021, we’re going... Read More The post Ep. 399: How Our Financial Views Have Evolved Decade x Decade! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian gets a “listener” question! Remember: In the first six months of 2021, we’re going to make over five families’ financial lives, LIVE on the... Read More The post Ep. 398: Does Mass Student Loan Forgiveness Make Sense? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We want to answer your questions about money. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian talk about the GameStop (GME) CHAOS that blew up the stock market. Remember: In the first six months of 2021, we’re... Read More The post Ep. 397: So, What Happened with GameStop & Robinhood? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Get expert answers to your questions about money. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Damian gets to choose where the show begins! NOTE: In the first six months of 2021, we’re going to make over five families’ financial... Read More The post Ep. 396: Should Your Adult Kids Know About Your Money? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Get expert answers to your questions about money. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete celebrates Betty White’s 99th birthday because of another Betty White?! ….Let’s get into the show. NOTE: In the first six months of 2021, we’re... Read More The post Ep. 395: President-Elect Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Proposal appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Get expert answers to your questions about money. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete would like to note that his voice is back! Oh, and if you’re interested in a money makeover, check out the note... Read More The post Ep. 394: Who Knows the Financial Details of Your Life? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Get expert answers to your questions about money. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, 2020 wraps up and Pete and Damian introduce 2021 with bold predictions about what could happen this year? If that’s even possible…... Read More The post Ep. 393: Bold Predictions for 2021…Yeah, We Know. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Get expert answers to your questions about money. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete admits that Damian was right! Whether you know if that’s common or not, check out the show to find out why. NOTE:... Read More The post Ep. 392: Let’s Break Down This New Stimulus Bill… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Get expert answers to your questions about money. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian use a new computer that can shut down the show at any moment! In the first six months of 2021,... Read More The post Ep. 391: 2020 Holiday Variety Pack appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY? GET EXPERT ANSWERS. EMAIL US AT: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMThis week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian have an amazing surprise for our show listeners! You will now be getting the full, raw, unedited podcast to hear even more Dunn-isms each week!Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:My wife and I are both 52 and have a done a mediocre job at saving for retirement. Based on every online calculator I’ve used, we’re falling short of our retirement goals and the goals are modest. Between our mortgage, car payments and kids’ college educations, we don’t have much left each month. What do you tell people who are scraping by now and headed toward a not-so-great retirement?”Damian: You may have to shift your idea of what retirement looks like. The things you may have envisioned are likely going to have to change a bit.Pete: When people look at retirement shortfalls, they come to the conclusion “I don’t have a lot of money.” Change that lens; instead of focusing on not having a lot, focus on eliminating the obligations which make retirement seem impossible. Pete’s StoryTime:“When the pandemic and recession hit, we volunteered our services to the city of Indianapolis to be able to help people who had been suffering. This guy and his wife were about 50 years old. She was staying at home, not working. He was in the hospitality industry. Last year was his best year ever, bringing in $130,000. This year, he will have made $65,000. They’re only going in the hole to the tune of $750 per month. They’re renters and want to buy a home, while staying in their good school district. They’ve saved a bit of a downpayment, and want to buy a $225,000 home. …. They had saved $100K as a downpayment and have $50K in an emergency fund. They don’t feel great about what they have saved for retirement …but they have about $250K saved for retirement. They want to stop renting, but they can’t afford a new house in their neighborhood, even with that downpayment. It’s a remarkable problem, their perspective. Is this not one of the most unusual crises you’ve ever heard of?“Damian: They must have been pretty disciplined prior to this year. They’ve got decisions to make, with younger kids still in school. “How much are they going to want to contribute to their kids’ education?” Some of that savings could need to be redistributed to other areas on their life.Pete: It’s fascinating; they’ve got four goals, but only three of them are possible. I hate to say this, but ‘college’ is at the complete end of the list here.  NO MORE SEGMENTS! There’s so much more in the full show!

Questions about money? Get expert answers. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian have an amazing surprise for our show listeners! You will now be getting the full, raw, unedited podcast to hear even more... Read More The post Ep. 390: A New Format & Our Weirdest Metaphor Ever! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY? GET EXPERT ANSWERS. EMAIL US AT: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMThis week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian welcome a special co-host: Pete’s daughter, Ollie!No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Stock Market Year-End Review (a month early):Back on March 23rd, Pete and Damian talked about the performance of the market. Neither predicted that things would recover and rally like it has.Guessing Game: How has this stock done this year – is it: up, really up, or down, or really down?Carnival Cruise Lines: (Olivia) Down; (Damian) Very down. – Actual: Very down.Peloton: (Olivia) Up to really up; (Damian) Astronomically up. – Actual: Really up..Delta Airlines: (Olivia) Down; (Damian) Down. – Actual: Really down.ZOOM: (Olivia) Really up; (Damian) Really up. – Actual: Really down.S&P 500: (Olivia) Really up; – Actual: up. Mailbag Question:“I like to think I’m very responsible with money. Other than mortgage ($308K), I have no debt. I make $216K salary + a bonus of about $75K per year. Cashflow is good and I max out my 401(k) with company match. I’ve got 3 kids, 17, 15, and 12 years old respectively. I have some college funds set up for them. Is it stupid to join a country club?“Damian: I’m not unbiased. I grew up on a golf course. The one word that concerns us is “some.” IF the kids know what their future college expense responsible going to be, sure, join the club. Make memories!Pete: Me too. I’m leaning yes on this. His cash flow is significant. They could basically cashflow college. 

Questions about money? Get expert answers. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian welcome a special co-host: Pete’s daughter, Ollie! REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances. No time to... Read More The post Ep. 389: A Unique Stock Market Year-End Review! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS. EMAIL US AT: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMThis week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian get two of the shortest questions of 2020 …and then they get the longest email question in the history of the show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us at: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian get two of the shortest questions of 2020 …and then they get the longest email question in the history of... Read More The post Ep. 388: Our Philosophies on Money, Explained! Sort Of. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian remind everyone that the upcoming holidays are not cancelled; we just need to look at them differently, with safety being a priority. FEATURED CONVO: Will Student Loan Forgiveness plans continue with the new federal administration?REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“I’m in Indiana. What is a reasonable fee for a fee-only advisor? What services should I expect? I’ve seen $600 for a retirement readiness assessment, and I’ve seen $1200/year fees. What’s reasonable?”Damian: Let’s compare this to the percentage of the assets managed. I’ve seen all the way up to 2%. This flat-fee idea is gaining traction. What to expect? It depends. A bigger portfolio or on-going relationship is likely going to cost more. Ask yourself ‘what do you need?’ The advisor should essentially keep you from doing something foolish in the long term.Pete: There could be some real confusion here. $125 – $300 per hour sounds reasonable to talk through your financial strategies. Also, use Hey Money, for everything else once you’ve got your investments figured out. (Hint: Use the offer code “RADIO”) Mailbag Question 2:“My wife and I are plotting out our financial goals for 2021, but hit a snag on deciding our theme for the year. Our incomes are north of $350K, or about $17K per month. We both contribute more than 10% to our 401(k)s. We don’t have kids and live in a modest house. We have a savings account with $80K in it we kick into every month; it’s higher than normal. Our debt is our mortgage and med school loans. Should we use the excess cash and pay down our mortgage or invest into the S&P500?“Damian: I think they should wait and keep doing what you’re doing. Watch the incoming administration. Especially with regard to student loans. Does your wife qualify for PSLF (Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness)?Pete: I agree. They need more time. Maybe consider stopping saving so aggressively?  There’s a full, entertaining conversation in here! Get the full answers to this more — click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian remind everyone that the upcoming holidays are not cancelled; we just need to look at them differently, with safety being a... Read More The post Ep. 387: “Hold Tight. See How Things Play Out…” appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian tackle some serious relationship problems. REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“I’m feeling I’ve been abused by my husband. He thinks a stay-at-home mom is a servant and I don’t need an allowance, and is constantly saying rude things to me about our financial problems.”Pete: This hurts. So little is said, with words, but it says so much. The idea of an adult with an allowance still rubs me the wrong way.Damian: Financial abuse often comes along with emotional of physical abuse and manipulation. These stories aren’t to be brushed under the rug. Peoples’ value and worth is not their income. She might need to find an advocate to help create an opening to work through this. Mailbag Question 2:“I believe you have a better chance of success when you know how to define success, which is to set a goal. How do you recommend people set goals when they’re doing it with someone else?“Damian: Communication has to happen. Maybe even over multiple meetings. Start talking about where you’re at and what you want to accomplish. Give yourself a specific number to reach and within a specific time limit.Pete: I’ll add “what it is you’re trying to accomplish.” It’s not enough to say, “I’d like less debt this year.” You need something like, “I’d like $350 less debt on my Best Buy card by December 6th of this year.” You’ve got to be able to measure it. Also, trust and vulnerability have to be there.We built Hey Money so someone can guide you through this process to set financial goals together. (Hint: Use the offer code “RADIO”) There’s a full, entertaining conversation in here! Get the full answers to this more — click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian tackle some serious relationship problems.  REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances. No time to listen?... Read More The post Ep. 386: Maturity Plays A Big Role In This… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian welcome a special guest: Phil Schuman, Executive Director of Financial Wellness & Education at Indiana University!REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Catching Up:“What does the local economy of Bloomington, look like?“Phil: I’m glad people hare respecting the mask mandates and following the rules for managing COVID-19, but it’s different; it’s a very different vibe. We’ve seen lots of locals support restaurants. “From a financial perspective… what’s the vibe of students?“Phil: Weirdly, it’s fairly similar. Also, I’m hearing more conversations about about 401(k)s and resources they can use. We’re asking “what can we do to help them overcome financial issues that keep students from their degree?” “Have you seen a trend with parents taking out more or less student loan debt during this pandemic?Damian: The trends are still parented trying to figure out how they’re going to pay for it, especially if there’s been an income disruption in the household…There’s a full, entertaining conversation in here!z! Get the full answers to this more — click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian welcome a special guest: Phil Schuman, Executive Director of Financial Wellness & Education at Indiana University! REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new... Read More The post Ep. 385: The Effects of the Pandemic (and Recession) on Higher Ed appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian welcome a special guest: Phil Schuman, Executive Director of Financial Wellness & Education at Indiana University! REMINDER: Try HEY MONEY, your new... Read More

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMIt’s time for a semi-annual review! On this episode of the Pete the Planner® Show, Peter and Damian discuss their current views on the concerns they had from March 1, 2020! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:On the Pandemic:“On the pandemic, how concerned are you on a scale of 1-10?“Damian: (NOW) – 6/7. We’re navigating our daily lives, but there’s still something sitting out there… (MARCH) – 1, for my family’s safety.Pete: (NOW) – About an 8, trending towards 9. (MARCH) – I was a 6.On the Market:“On the market, 1 = no concern, 10 = freaking out?“Damian: (NOW) – 2. We’ve been through lots of traumatic stuff over the last 100 years, but things keep steamrolling on. (MARCH) – 1.Pete: (NOW) – 1 on a long-term view, 2 on short-term view. (MARCH) – 1.On the Economy:“On the economy, where are you on the US economy?“Damian: (NOW) – About a 7. We’ve talked about a number of challenges coming (election, evictions, virus ramping back up) so sI’m a little afraid of getting into an open-close cycle in the next 3-12 months… (MARCH) – 3-5, with the information we had.Pete: (NOW) – About an 8 or 9. For the same reasons, maybe a hair stronger though. (MARCH) – I was more concerned about the economy than the pandemic, back then. This is only the highlight reel! Get the full answers to this more — click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com It’s time for a semi-annual review! On this episode of the Pete the Planner® Show, Peter and Damian discuss their current views on the concerns they had from March 1, 2020!  Don’t... Read More The post Ep. 384: How We Feel About What We Said 238 Days Ago! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com It’s time for a semi-annual review! On this episode of the Pete the Planner® Show, Peter and Damian discuss their current views on the concerns they had from March 1, 2020!  Don’t... Read More

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Damian is gone forever! Well….forever was a stretch. For this awesome episode, Pete is handling hosting duties and welcomes our very own, OZ for an important chat!Reminder: HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:  Women and Investing:“I’m 24, and a woman. I have never invested in the stock market and I’ve always wanted to. Thinking long term, is it wise for me to invest? Studies show, fewer women invest in the stock market than men. Is there a better mechanism for the risk-averse to grow their money? How do women know when and how to jump into the market?“Pete: There’s been a lot of research around this topic. One shows that when women do invest, they tend to be better investors than men. Here’s the theory on why: in situations where women don’t know what to do, they investigate and to find the answers first. Men tend to plow through the lack of information anyway. That likely leads men into more binds than women.Nevertheless, it’s a predominantly male industry. You should find a female investment advisor. Here’s one!”Equity and The Industry:“The gender equity gap is expected to only grow wider in this country. We are all better off with equitable workplaces.This is only the highlight reel! Dive into this critical conversation! — click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Damian is gone forever! Well….forever was a stretch. For this awesome episode, Pete is handling hosting duties and welcomes our very own, OZ... Read More The post Ep. 383: Managing Money Is Not A “Men’s Only” Club appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Damian is gone forever! Well….forever was a stretch. For this awesome episode, Pete is handling hosting duties and welcomes our very own, OZ... Read More

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian ask, “Should a person buy a home right now?” And they answer it!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“As my means has grown, so has my budget. My wife and I used to make $25K, now we are both at about $85-90K. Over the years, we’ve purchased a home and pay for daycare now. We both contribute over 15% to our retirements accounts, and we have no debt other than our mortgage. At what point is a growing budget lifestyle creep and what are key indicators to watch out for?“Damian: Find a way to measure yourself year-over-year. Make sure your goals are covered up front, and appropriate for your situation.Pete: Their income has increased significantly. Their metrics are indicative of people who can responsibly increase their lifestyle. Ask, “what can you remove if times get tough?”Mailbag Question 2:“Is now a good time to refinance my house? … If I am a renter right now, who has a down payment and an emergency fund, is now a good time to buy a house?“Damian: …No.This is only the highlight reel! Get the full answers to this more — click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian ask, “Should a person buy a home right now?” And they answer it! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret... Read More The post Ep. 382: Let’s Talk About Lifestyle Creep! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian ask, “Should a person buy a home right now?” And they answer it! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret... Read More

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian tell personal stories about their households!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“My grandmother passed away and left me $15,000. I could use a new car. What should I do with it?“Damian: I don’t think there’s any way you told them to use that on the car. How are we feeling about their employment? Is it solid?Pete: They also are considering a $12,000 home repair. There are responsible options here. Small-ish inheritances don’t seem to get the same respect as larger amounts.Mailbag Question 2:“You often talk about budgeting. Where I struggle in budgeting is to know what is actually left. We no longer live in a cash society. With debit and credit cards as our spending method, how do you actually know when you’re out of money?”For the answers to this and this episode’s featured question, click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian tell personal stories about their households! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.... Read More The post Ep. 381: Help! My Parents Haven’t Filed Taxes in 5 Years! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian tell personal stories about their households! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.... Read More

HAVE A MONEY QUESTION? GET EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian remember they don’t speak Spanish!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Main Question:“How much should I have saved based on how old I am in relation to my retirement portfolio?“Damian: This is a very common question; especially the younger a person is. They’re more focused on a benchmark or guideline to see where they are on “track.”Based on an article by Michael Batnik responding to a Fidelity infographic, at Age 30, Fidelity says you should have the equivalent of 1 year’s income in your retirement plan.At Age 40: you should have 3x your current income set aside in retirement funds.At Age 50: you should have 6x your current income set aside in retirement funds to know that you are on track.At Age 60: you should have 8x your current income set aside in retirement funds.At Age 67: you should have 10x your current income set aside in retirement funds.Follow Up:“Michael Batnik didn’t believe this was realistic until looking at the data. He found that this is actually realistic if you start in your early 20s. Also, this falls apart if you have huge pay jumps through the years, largely due to lifestyle creep.Tune in for the featured segment. The segments in this episode are INTERESTING. It’s pretty different from many of our educations. Click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian remember they don’t speak Spanish! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances. No... Read More The post Ep. 380: How Much You Should Have Saved for Retirement appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a money question? Get expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian remember they don’t speak Spanish! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances. No... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET SOME EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian realize that the show is so good, we’ve got return visitors! There are actually people who have emailed us back!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Question 1:“I was previously featured on episode 291. I bought a home in New Jersey for $148,000 with $1110 monthly payment on the $114K mortgage at 2.75%. My other expenses come to $400 per month. I’m making $47,000 per year, hoping to increase my income in the future. My Roth IRA is up to $34K now, and my student loans are down to $11K at 3%. A 1-year emergency fund is about $20K to me, so what do I do with that money?“Pete: She lives well within her means and is incredibly stable. What should she do? With relief options available, wiping out student loan debt wouldn’t be the highest item on my list.Damian: She’s got some opportunities as this point. with nearly two years of savings sitting there waiting. She could get rid of student loans entirely. She could max out funding retirement accounts. And she’s not in a rush, not even being 30 years old yet.Question 2:“Bryan here again…my girlfriend and I, both 26, currently lease an 700 sq. ft. apartment in Westchester, NY for $2600 per month. For our next place, I’ll be working from home more due to COVID-19. We want more space now, so I see our options as rent a 2 BR apartment for $3K per month, but hearing of a possibly disastrous rental market coming. Or purchase a townhome, running at least $750K with 15% down, and 3% interest, for a monthly fee of about $4K per month. I’m hesitant to commit due to other homeownership costs and our short-term interest in a house. What do you two think?“Damian: I would not want to be tied into an interest-only mortgage with all that’s coming. Renting is the only answer here.Pete: I hate interest-only mortgages with a passion. Ask the landlord for a month-to-month agreement for added flexibility.Tune in for the featured segment. The light-hearted conversation about the serious topic of finances never stops! Click PLAY below for the full show.

Have a question? Get some expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian realize that the show is so good, we’ve got return visitors! There are actually people who have emailed us back!... Read More The post Ep. 379: The Economic Chaos Coming This Holiday Season appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get some expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and Damian realize that the show is so good, we’ve got return visitors! There are actually people who have emailed us back!... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET SOME EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian, use 3/4 of the show to tell and answer ONE question and cover the greatest segment in the history of this show.Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Question 1:“I’ve got an unusual conundrum. On a previous show, you said that a landscape artist shouldn’t aggressively pay off his mortgage during a pandemic. What if you already had the cash to do so? My wife and I bought our home 11 years ago with <10% down, 30-year mortgage, for more than half our take-home pay. We purchased a home we loved, in a location we loved, for a payment we could (barely) afford. Since, we’ve refinanced to a 3.15%, 15-year mortgage, which consumes about 30% of our net income. The balance is about $179K with a home value of $600K. During the last 10 years, we’ve saved and put about $650K into retirement vehicles, $55K in HSA, $60K into our kids’ 529 plans, and over $200K in savings and taxable brokerage accounts, and $25K emergency fund. We make about $180K/year and have no other debt. I’ve lost short, midterm faith in the markets – expecting a significant correction coming in the next 3-5 years. If we paid off our mortgage, we could boost our monthly brokerage account investment from $1K to $2800. I’ve thought this through. Should we liquidate some of our savings? What to do?“Damian: There’s a compelling argument to sell off some securities and pay it off. There would also be some tax/capital gains consequences. Considering that, with the new free money each month, that could do so many things.Pate: What, to the dollar, would be the tax bill for liquidating $179K from the $200K available? By freeing up that roughly 30% of their income each month, would they avoid lifestyle creep? What is the riskier move: pay it off and “outsmart the market” or ride out the 3.15% mortgage?There’s so, so much more more on this deep conversation. Check out the full show to walk through it all with our hosts!The Greatest Segment in the History of Our Show!You’ve got to hear this to believe it. Seriously. Click PLAY below for the full show! 

Have a question? Get some expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian, use 3/4 of the show to tell and answer ONE question and cover the greatest segment in the history of... Read More The post Ep. 378: The Greatest Segment in the History of Our Show?! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get some expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Pete and Damian, use 3/4 of the show to tell and answer ONE question and cover the greatest segment in the history of... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET SOME EXPERT ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMOn this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and VP of Advice, Damian, answer a question, Pete gets personal, and the economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic are not over as the CDC makes an unprecedented move on housing.Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Question 1:I switched jobs and I have a retirement account from my last job with a financial company. My new job also uses the same company. I got a call from them asking me to rollover my old account into an IRA with them, but it makes more sense to me to take my old account and put it into my new 401(k) account. Does it really matter?“Pete: I’m upset. Institutional fees are generally lower than individual fees. This is likely a money grab. Go with the new 401(k).Damian: “Maybe.” Let’s look at the fees of the transaction and all of the investment options.For more on this and tips to look out for from Pete, check out the full show!Story Time!“My Grandpa Dunn, as a child of the Great Depression, learned to make do with what they had and nothing more. He was a very sensible, prudent person. He went on to fight in WWII, was stranded on a beach overnight, had to find their way to a ship, etc. He taught me about money, saving his coins in a Pringles can. His generation would laugh at a “Never Satisfied” bumper sticker. I think there’s a sensibility reckoning as it relates to materialism and consumerism. Our financial habits have gotten worse year after year. I’m not sure we can come back from our addition to a comfortable lifestyle and regain that prudence his generation once had. What do you think, Damian?“Damian: I hope you’re right, thinking we will change. Most of us have very comfortable lifestyles we’re raising kids in. My kids are going to have an expected lifestyle where they graduate from college. The chances are probably lower than they should be that they’re not going to have a period of struggle where they worry about putting food on the table. We try to solve our kids’ problems. I don’t let my kids struggle enough…Pete: I think we have to press reset on our financial sensibilities. Click PLAY below for the full show! 

Have a question? Get some expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and VP of Advice, Damian, answer a question, Pete gets personal, and the economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic are not over as... Read More The post Ep. 377: Pressing Reset on Our Financial Sensibilities appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get some expert answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com On this episode of the Pete the Planner Show, Peter and VP of Advice, Damian, answer a question, Pete gets personal, and the economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic are not over as... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMPeople are feeling the pain all over. Peter and Damian discuss stories of the current reality onset by the strange mix of the economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic.Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Story Time!Article: “Survey: Many in United States Shoring Up Finances Amid Downturn.”It’s the paradox of a pandemic that has crushed the U.S. economy: 12.9 million lost jobs and a dangerous rash of businesses closing, yet the personal finances of many Americans have remained strong—and in some ways have even improved. A new poll…finds that 45% of Americans say they’re setting aside more money than usual. 26% are paying down debt faster than they were before the coronavirus pandemic. In total, about half of Americans say they’ve either saved more or paid down debt since the outbreak began. Kent Sullivan, a landscape painter from Orlando, Florida, has been making extra mortgage payments.“Pete: There is a right way and a wrong way to do it. You don’t get flexibility by making extra mortgage payments during a pandemic. Paying off your mortgage quickly doesn’t always make sense.Damian: “What’s this guy’s emergency fund look like?” He’s an older gentleman, if he’s got the cash flow, maybe there’s a reason to do this going into retirement, IF the emergency fund is there.Student Loan Refinancing:“Both my wife and I lost our jobs when the pandemic hit. We previously had a household income of $165k. I’ve been able to get a job for $15 per hour while I look for jobs more consistent with my skills and experience. My wife is coordinating our kids’ virtual learning so it’s difficult for her to find work. I’m also going to look into a second job on nights or weekends. We might have to dip into our retirement savings or we won’t be able to make our mortgage payments. Are we crazy for doing that? I want to make sure I’m thinking clearly.“Pete: I’m sorry, John, that you’re going through this. Don’t feel the pressure to let this moment in history to define your character. But the fact that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to care for his family demonstrates his character. The CARES Act makes this a much less risky move.Damian: We’ve made it almost taboo to withdraw from retirement accounts for any reason other than retirement. In this case, you’re forced to look at the resources that you’ve got. Click PLAY below for the full show! And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out Hey Money!

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com People are feeling the pain all over. Peter and Damian discuss stories of the current reality onset by the strange mix of the economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic. Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your... Read More The post Ep. 376: Shoring Up Finances In The Economic Downturn appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com People are feeling the pain all over. Peter and Damian discuss stories of the current reality onset by the strange mix of the economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic. Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMToday is alllllll about Student Loans. Peter and Damian throw words back and forth to hand out critical information on the sad realities of student loans!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“We came o the USA as refugees in 2004, and my son was 19 years old. We had no money, no friends, no computer, and no knowledge of English. We sent our son to study and believed that he would be provided with work so we wouldn’t be afraid to take out student loans. There was no interpreter, and no one explained to us how interest works, but actively informed that we should not start paying before graduation. As a result, our debt is $260,000 plus huge interest. Five other Limited English Proficiency families are in disastrous situations as well. We get bills of almost $4,000, my son did not find a job from 2011-2014 as promoted, banks do not offer a relief plan, lawyers are not willing to help us. What’s our way out?“Damian: This is an experience that you don’t have to be a refugee to experience, sadly. It’s horrible. Let’s find out if these are private, federal or Parent PLUS loans. There may not be an easy solution here.Pete: “Past performance is not indicative of future performance.” I feel like this mantra did not make its way to higher ed. Try graduating in 2008-2009. Jobs just weren’t there; universities were pushing a message of a future that just didn’t pan out.Student Loan Refinancing:“When the CARES Act became a thing, it pushed off the obligation to may a payment on federal student loans until the end of September, now the end of 2020 through Executive Order. No accumulation of interest for the time frame, and no payment. There’s now a giant group of people who refinanced their student loans through very popular, trendy, consumer student loans debt services. Why is that? Why, when you consolidate your debt, did what happened in the CARES Act mean nothing to you?“Damian: Timing is everything. If you have taken your federal loans, consolidated them into a private loan with one of those companies, all of these benefits are no longer applicable to you. You are now on a payment schedule with a private lender and that is your lot in life. 

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today is alllllll about Student Loans. Peter and Damian throw words back and forth to hand out critical information on the sad realities of student loans! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret... Read More The post Ep. 375: The Hottest Topic Under the Sun: Student Loans? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today is alllllll about Student Loans. Peter and Damian throw words back and forth to hand out critical information on the sad realities of student loans! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMToday, Pete gives what he calls “mystic” advice to a listener’s question from the mailbag and Damian is called DAD (again)!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“I’ve been a longtime listener and reader of your content. My wife and I are 36 and we have a 6 year-old daughter. We’re pretty frugal, so this new COVID-19 world feels about normal to us. We live on $30K, so far I’ve saved 13 into a brokerage account. Health and Life insurance are solid. I also will receive a military retirement will kick in in 2022 at $25k per year. I’ve also saved about $8k so far into my daughter’s 529 Plan. She also has full access to my G.I. Bill that should cover her college expenses. Additionally, we’ve saved $93K in a Roth IRA and $250K in a Roth 401(k). Should I redirect my savings entirely to a taxable brokerage account to fund early retirement?“Damian: I think he’s sitting in great shape: pension, great amount of money saved already. You can always get those contributions out of a Roth IRA. I don’t know if I would neglect that. Putting everything else into a taxable account is mere personal preference at this point.Pete: Practical advice: absolutely do what he asking about doing. It really takes on legs when the pension kicks in in two years. This could be a real retire at 50 situation. Mystic advice: Are you feeling purposeful in your financial gifts? How much impact do you want to make with your wealth? Or do you want to?Mailbag Question 2:“I have a 529 account that I set up when our only child was in school. We failed to use all of the funds for her education. At this point, it is unlikely that she will pursue another advanced degree, is single, and has no children. I read that we can change the beneficiary on the amount to our child’s spouse (assuming she does marry), knowing the levels of student debt young people carry now. Is this a possibility down the road?“Damian: You can change the beneficiary to a family member. The IRS’ definition of ‘family member’ is fairly broad, so yes. This is possible. All new this year, something in 2020, due to the SECURE Act.Pete: She could arguably put it on her Tinder profile? Maybe? Click PLAY below for the full show! And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out Hey Money!

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today, Pete gives what he calls “mystic” advice to a listener’s question from the mailbag and Damian is called DAD (again)! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal... Read More The post Ep. 374: How Are You Using the Income You Make? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today, Pete gives what he calls “mystic” advice to a listener’s question from the mailbag and Damian is called DAD (again)! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMToday we are digging all the way into the mailbag! Pete and Damian respond to listener questions about credit card debt, 529 accounts, and talk financial stability!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“I recently took a job after being downsized in January, making about $20K less. I accumulated about $38K in credit card debt. Some of the interest monthly is about as high as the payment itself. Should I take a loan against my 401(k) to pay off the high-balance ones and keep paying the lower balance ones? Or should I do so to pay off all the loans?“Damian: Let’s think about not taking the easier way out. Can we make the numbers work within the income you have? If it’s doable, it’s a much better option than taking a 401(k) loan out.Pete: The 401(k) loan should be our last possible option; even if that includes some major lifestyle and systemic changes. If what led to the $38K debt hasn’t stopped, taking a loan from your future is the worst possible thing to do.Mailbag Question 2:“My son is 7 now. I’m exploring 529 accounts. What is an optimal amount to save every month if he goes to a private college? Is it okay to split my savings across multiple 529 accounts? Any other savings vehicles you can suggest?“Damian: That money will grow tax-free, when it comes out for a qualified purpose, It comes out tax-free. That’s a beautiful thing. Seek the double or triple tax-advantaged tools.Pete: There are at least two tax advantages to 529 accounts. For example, here in Indiana, there is a state tax credit. In Florida, there is not, however. There could be several options, but talk to an expert first, as age, vehicle type, and other factors could be at play. Click PLAY below for the full show! And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out Hey Money!

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today we are digging all the way into the mailbag! Pete and Damian respond to listener questions about credit card debt, 529 accounts, and talk financial stability! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for... Read More The post Ep. 373: Stability Is More Valuable Than You Think appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today we are digging all the way into the mailbag! Pete and Damian respond to listener questions about credit card debt, 529 accounts, and talk financial stability! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for... Read More

HAVE A QUESTION? GET ANSWERS.EMAIL US: ASKPETE@PETETHEPLANNER.COMToday we’re talking about tax debt, stock splits, and The Million-Dollar Question! Pete and Damian are back with their usual hijinks talking about the latest money news and listener questions!Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.No time to listen? BUMMER. Here’s some of what happened:Show Notes:Mailbag Question 1:“My son-in-law did not pay taxes owed and has a $10k debt to Uncle Sam. My daughter is freaked out. I told them to go onto the IRS.gov website to set up a payment plan. Also, who would be the best person to see to make sure they don’t get into this mess again?“Damian: $10,000 is a bit more than pocket change. But it’s easy to get on the website to set up a payment plan; no need to get a third-party involved. Try and get this figured out, and don’t wait longer than you have to.Pete: Getting behind can happen quite easily with self-employed folks who don’t set money aside for taxes. Also, relationship communication needs to increase, as this is an awful time to have a $10k tax debt.Mailbag Question 2:“Apple announced a big stock split; 4-to-1. Why do companies take their stock, cut it up, shrink the price, and then give people more shares of the stock at a lower price?“Damian: The thought is they hope to make the company more liquid and reachable for the average investor. More people can buy shares of the company in full, versus buying fractional shares. This lets more get in on Apple and make some money. This does not lessen the overall value, it simply adds more shares at a smaller per-share price.Pete: So this move is to entice investors from around the world! It also gets people’s attention; “Oh, now I can afford it!” Click PLAY below for the full show! And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out Hey Money!

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today we’re talking about tax debt, stock splits, and The Million-Dollar Question! Pete and Damian are back with their usual hijinks talking about the latest money news and listener questions! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new... Read More The post Ep. 372: The Million-Dollar Question With Damian Dunn appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Today we’re talking about tax debt, stock splits, and The Million-Dollar Question! Pete and Damian are back with their usual hijinks talking about the latest money news and listener questions! Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Jump into the conversation with us! Gold-Star Gayle, from Austin, TX is back to share the wisdoms!  Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances. No time to listen?... Read More The post Ep. 371: Talking Retirement with Gold-Star Gayle! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Jump into the conversation with us! Gold-Star Gayle, from Austin, TX is back to share the wisdoms!  Don’t forget! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances. No time to listen?... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Do you wonder about your credit score? So many of us do. Do you know about these options to get back on track? Pete and Damian get into their thoughtful moods to provide some expert suggestions... Read More The post Ep. 370: We Love the Advice Here; Can You Help Us? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Do you wonder about your credit score? So many of us do. Do you know about these options to get back on track? Pete and Damian get into their thoughtful moods to provide some expert suggestions... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Annnnnd we’re back again for another round of answers to real life listener questions. Pete and Damian offer their best expert suggestions to help. Listen for a special offer code! HEY MONEY is your new secret... Read More The post Ep. 369: Pensions & Retirement – Decisions, Decisions! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Annnnnd we’re back again for another round of answers to real life listener questions. Pete and Damian offer their best expert suggestions to help. Listen for a special offer code! HEY MONEY is your new secret... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com The first 6 months of this year have been a doozy. Pete and Damian run the numbers. Listen for a special offer code! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.... Read More The post Ep. 368: 2020 Halftime Financial Market Report appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com The first 6 months of this year have been a doozy. Pete and Damian run the numbers. Listen for a special offer code! HEY MONEY is your new secret weapon for advice in your personal finances.... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com We’ve got a special, special treat for your ear canals today: Pete is joined by The Queen of the Desert herself, our very own financial expert, Kristen! Listen for a special offer code!... Read More The post Ep. 367: Questions with Kristen: “Queen of the Desert!” appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com We’ve got a special, special treat for your ear canals today: Pete is joined by The Queen of the Desert herself, our very own financial expert, Kristen! Listen for a special offer code!... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Let’s walk through some of the factors of what it means to be “financially stable.” Pete and Damian have worked hard on this new formula. You’ve gotta hear this. Listen for a special offer... Read More The post Ep. 366: How Can You Tell If You’re Financially Stable? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Let’s walk through some of the factors of what it means to be “financially stable.” Pete and Damian have worked hard on this new formula. You’ve gotta hear this. Listen for a special offer... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Maybe things around here are slipping back to “normal.” Pete and Damian have the pleasure of answering some incredibly hard questions from our listeners. ::whisper::  Listen for a special offer code! HEY MONEY! is your... Read More The post Ep. 365: Can I Help My Adult Child Learn About Money? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Maybe things around here are slipping back to “normal.” Pete and Damian have the pleasure of answering some incredibly hard questions from our listeners. ::whisper::  Listen for a special offer code! HEY MONEY! is your... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com And we’re back for a new week. Pete and Damian highlight the latest reports and dig into the mailbag to address what’s happening in our listeners’ lives. ::whisper::  Listen for a special offer code!... Read More The post Ep. 364: The Latest Market Reports: We’re Dumbfounded! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com And we’re back for a new week. Pete and Damian highlight the latest reports and dig into the mailbag to address what’s happening in our listeners’ lives. ::whisper::  Listen for a special offer code!... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com And we’re back for a new week. Today, Pete and Damian dig back into the mailbag to address what’s going on in our listeners’ lives. ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! your... Read More The post Ep. 363: $40K Interest-Free Loan From My In-laws. Yes or No? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com And we’re back for a new week. Today, Pete and Damian dig back into the mailbag to address what’s going on in our listeners’ lives. ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! your... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com And we’re back for a new week. Today, Pete and Damian dig back into the mailbag to address what’s going on in our listeners’ lives. ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! your... Read More The post Ep. 362: “Quite the Financial Quagmire,” He Says… appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com And we’re back for a new week. Today, Pete and Damian dig back into the mailbag to address what’s going on in our listeners’ lives. ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! your... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com The coming changes resulting from COVID-19 will spread across industries. Specifically, today, Pete and Damian talk restaurant business, the food world, and …social distancing? ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! your... Read More The post Ep. 361: The Future of Restaurants – Special Guest: Neal Brown appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com The coming changes resulting from COVID-19 will spread across industries. Specifically, today, Pete and Damian talk restaurant business, the food world, and …social distancing? ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! your... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com More changes could be coming to our economy.  Although here, Pete and Damian are back in the mailbag,  answering financial questions from our amazing listeners.  ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY... Read More The post Ep. 360: July Could Get Ugly; Is A New Stimulus Coming? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com More changes could be coming to our economy.  Although here, Pete and Damian are back in the mailbag,  answering financial questions from our amazing listeners.  ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Ah, yes….this feels like the good old days.  Pete and Damian are back in the mailbag,  answering financial questions from our amazing listeners.  ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! No... Read More The post Ep. 359: Are We “New Normal” Yet? + The Rest of 2020 appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com Ah, yes….this feels like the good old days.  Pete and Damian are back in the mailbag,  answering financial questions from our amazing listeners.  ::whisper::  Listen to get a special offer code for HEY MONEY! No... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show we return to the fundamentals: Q&A!  Pete and Damian answer some tough questions. In these trying times, people all over and across income levels are weathering this storm. Let’s... Read More The post Ep. 358: Coronavirus Domino Effects + Pete Was Wrong! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show we return to the fundamentals: Q&A!  Pete and Damian answer some tough questions. In these trying times, people all over and across income levels are weathering this storm. Let’s... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show... Pete and Damian answer questions? Eh, maybe not. But they do shed light on a very important topic as we all seek to recover from the “Economic Pandemic”! ::whisper::... Read More The post Ep. 357: What Is The Future of Our National Debt? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show... Pete and Damian answer questions? Eh, maybe not. But they do shed light on a very important topic as we all seek to recover from the “Economic Pandemic”! ::whisper::... Read More

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show... Pete and Damian visit all kinds of thoughts on saving the world? Eh, maybe not; keeping it local takes center stage! ::whisper:: Remember, keep this link in your bookmarks!... Read More The post Ep. 356: Economic Pandemic; Rebuilding from Recession appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Get answers. Email us: askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show... Pete and Damian visit all kinds of thoughts on saving the world? Eh, maybe not; keeping it local takes center stage! ::whisper:: Remember, keep this link in your bookmarks!... Read More

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show... Pete and Damian ask questions, too!  ::whisper:: Remember, keep this link in your bookmarks! — HEY MONEY! Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes: We want to show you... Read More The post Ep. 355: Can We Call This An Economic Pandemic? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show... Pete and Damian ask questions, too!  ::whisper:: Remember, keep this link in your bookmarks! — HEY MONEY! Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes: We want to show you... Read More

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show, the team discusses the CARES Act. Pete and Damian bring in a special guest: “The Queen of the Desert” herself, Kristen!  ::whisper:: Hey, you should keep this link in... Read More The post Ep. 354: The CARES Act Stimulus Bill: An Overview appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show, the team discusses the CARES Act. Pete and Damian bring in a special guest: “The Queen of the Desert” herself, Kristen!  ::whisper:: Hey, you should keep this link in... Read More

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show, everyone is trying to find a new normal. Pete and Damian are social distancing, not for the first time as they pull out common questions from the mailbag.  ::whisper::... Read More The post Ep. 353: The Most Interesting Week of 2020, So Far appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com This week on the show, everyone is trying to find a new normal. Pete and Damian are social distancing, not for the first time as they pull out common questions from the mailbag.  ::whisper::... Read More

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com Peter Dunn and Damian Dunn — no relation — take questions from our listeners and offer their financial expert-level responses on the air (with a bit of humor to make it go down... Read More The post Ep. 348: All Things Considered, Should We Relocate? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com Peter Dunn and Damian Dunn — no relation — take questions from our listeners and offer their financial expert-level responses on the air (with a bit of humor to make it go down... Read More

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com Pete and Damian are back to solving financial issues for a new week. Oh! But first, here’s a quick prelude: We are so excited for the soft launch of Hey Money tomorrow exclusively for... Read More The post 347: Do We Make Enough Money? Is There Hope? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Have a question? Let us know! askpete@petetheplanner.com Pete and Damian are back to solving financial issues for a new week. Oh! But first, here’s a quick prelude: We are so excited for the soft launch of Hey Money tomorrow exclusively for... Read More

Get ready to dive in! In this episode, Pete and Damian spare no details exploring our writers’ financial lives. There is far too much to discuss; let’s get into it, post haste!Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes!Show Notes:Scenario: Writer, Jake and his wife bring in over $250,000 jointly, per year. She’s maxing out her 401K, he’s contributing 11% and increasing it by 2% each year. He currently has $20,000 saved, she has $50,000 saved. They are renters at $2100 per month, have student loans, car payments, live in Southern California, and are considering IVF ($20,000) in their family planning. They want to take out a $235,000 mortgage on an investment property.Question 1: – Should they make this home purchase or do something else with cash flow? — Pete and Damian have a lot to say about this! Using every bit of information, they present some compelling arguments for not going through with this move. Click PLAY to hear how they dissect the facts!Question 2: Pete and Damian help settle a 5-year debate between co-workers: Co-worker #1 says his 401(k) – comprised of 6 funds – is more diversified than the S&P 500. Co-worker #2 believes the S&P is in itself (already) diversified because it’s made up of 500 different holdings. …Who’s right? — Peter swings for the fences saying, “Having a large number of financial holdings…IS in itself a diversity of money, but not diversification of styles. The S&P 500 is not diverse enough to be your only holding.”  Listen to understand more about what that means.Question 3: A young, 19 year-old student needs to learn how a credit card works, asking: “What happens when you hit your limit? Do you just get more?” — Pete speculates if the absence of “No” has created so many financial behavior issues…Something SpecialREMEMBER: We’re rolling out a new thing! Hey Money – our new service for everyone! Get instant access to financial experts whenever you need it to help you solve your toughest (or easiest) money conundrums. Get on the Hey Money Launch List for EXCLUSIVE first access. The Launch List is the only way to access Hey Money for the first few weeks when we launching in early February.

Get ready to dive in! In this episode, Pete and Damian spare no details exploring our writers’ financial lives. There is far too much to discuss; let’s get into it, post haste! Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes: Scenario: Writer,... Read More The post Ep. 346: What Should We Do With Our Cashflow? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

In an uncommon feat, This episode is dedicated to Brendan. Pete and Damian feel so much gratitude to our writer's email that he earned the entire show dedicated to his three questions Click PLAY below to see if you could use any of the same answers they came up with for Brendan.Can't listen? Check the Show Notes!Show Notes:Scenario: Writer, Brendan and his Wife are both about 30 years old and have three young children. After expenses and student loan payments, they have about $1500 cash left.Question 1: Should they put that #1500 toward 529s for their kids and just pay the minimums to student loans? — Damian says, "Do both." Reap the benefits of compound interest and pay down debt. Have a plan for how much you want to accumulate in the 529 plans. Listen to hear if Pete actually agrees..Question 2: Brendan needs life insurance. He currently pays for a $400,000 policy and has a preexisting medical condition. Would he be better off getting a term policy? — Damian says, "Look into a 20 or 30-year fixed term for yourself and have the agent shop you around with respect to your medical condition. Can't hurt to look."Question 3: Should they save to pay for their kids’ future weddings (among all the quality-of-life benefits they enjoy)? Brendan and his spouse disagree. —— This is about your priorities. — Damian says, "This is a nice-to-do. Don’t put the psychological weight of identifying money for that on yourself. Not saving for a wedding, specifically, is the best move here."

In an uncommon feat, This episode is dedicated to Brendan. Pete and Damian feel so much gratitude to our writer’s email that he earned the entire show dedicated to his three questions Click PLAY below to see if you could use any... Read More The post Ep. 345: Brendan, This One’s For You appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

New to the show this week, Pete and Damian present: The Best Email of the Year!  Believe us, you don’t want to miss this one. They’ll explain it all when you click Play below. Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes:... Read More The post Ep. 344: Want to Retire? Ask The Right Questions appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

FIRST SHOW OF THE NEW DECADE! Starting 2020 off in the right way, Pete and Damian are…still here.  Seriously, to welcome us all into a new season, it’s only right that the team introduce you to something new. Click play to hear... Read More The post Ep. 343: Bridging the Financial Questions Gap, Finally. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

FIRST SHOW OF THE NEW DECADE! Starting 2020 off in the right way, Pete and Damian are…still here.  Seriously, to welcome us all into a new season, it’s only right that the team introduce you to something new. Click play to hear... Read More

Coming up this week: Pete and Damian try even harder to try to figure out what they can disagree on!  For the final show of 2019, the dynamic duo try to empty out the mailbag and answer what they can... Read More The post Ep. 342: What Can I Do With My Money? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Coming up this week: Pete and Damian try even harder to try to figure out what they can disagree on!  For the final show of 2019, the dynamic duo try to empty out the mailbag and answer what they can... Read More

It’s almost 2020, people! As we wrap up 2019, we’re digging deep into the mailbag to discuss more of our listeners’ questions.  Listen to this show to hear a variety of situations  and Pete and Damian’s expert insights. Perhaps you’ve been... Read More The post Ep 341: 2019 Holiday Variety Pack appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

It’s almost 2020, people! As we wrap up 2019, we’re digging deep into the mailbag to discuss more of our listeners’ questions.  Listen to this show to hear a variety of situations  and Pete and Damian’s expert insights. Perhaps you’ve been... Read More

This week’s show is, in a word: focused.  Pete and Damian really drill into the most general area there is: Retirement. The mailbag was opened and brought out a question from a listener that Pete could get excited over: “Here’s my financial... Read More The post Ep. 340: The Ultimate Retirement Question: $ or %? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week’s show is, in a word: focused.  Pete and Damian really drill into the most general area there is: Retirement. The mailbag was opened and brought out a question from a listener that Pete could get excited over: “Here’s my financial... Read More

New this week, Pete and Damian spend the entire show on The 401(k). Our writer is suffering a crushing blow with this from the mailbag: “I lost my job after 27 years of employment there. What should I do with my 401(k).”... Read More The post Ep. 339: After Job Loss, What Happens to my 401(k)? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

New this week, Pete and Damian spend the entire show on The 401(k). Our writer is suffering a crushing blow with this from the mailbag: “I lost my job after 27 years of employment there. What should I do with my 401(k).”... Read More

Familiar and funny as ever, Pete and Damian disagree. Our regular listeners will know what an occasion this is. "I'm going to receive a $130,000 inheritance. What should..." WAIT! Before you tune out the rest of the question, there are some home-buying gems you should hear in this show.Can't listen? Check the Show Notes!Show Notes:The writer has a $130K inheritance coming. While we listen with jealous ears, he writes should he use it to pay down his current mortgage, or save the $130k for the next home purchase? How should he use the inheritance in the smartest way possible?Without knowing all of the details, Pete and Damian discuss the range of options with two different time horizons: 10 years from retirement and 30+ years from retirement.Peter and Damian disagree, one claiming a better option would be to grow the $130 through market instruments, and the other backing a more cashflow-forward approach. 

Familiar and funny as ever, Pete and Damian disagree. Our regular listeners will know what an occasion this is. “I’m going to receive a $130,000 inheritance. What should…”  WAIT! Before you tune out the rest of the question, there are... Read More The post Ep. 338: Inheritance Is Coming. What Should I Do? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Familiar and funny as ever, Pete and Damian disagree. Our regular listeners will know what an occasion this is. “I’m going to receive a $130,000 inheritance. What should…”  WAIT! Before you tune out the rest of the question, there are... Read More

Up next on the new show, Pete and Damian wince as their writer begins his question with a stunning headline: “I just bought a new home and I instantly regret it.” You have got to check this one out. Can’t listen?... Read More The post Ep. 337: New Home Buyer’s Remorse! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Up next on the new show, Pete and Damian wince as their writer begins his question with a stunning headline: “I just bought a new home and I instantly regret it.” You have got to check this one out. Can’t listen?... Read More

This week, we’re talking about the chaos that can ensue in your financial life. Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes: Chaos—while fun to spell and fun to say is not so fun when it comes to your financial... Read More The post Ep. 336: Signs of a Chaotic Financial Life appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week, we’re talking about the chaos that can ensue in your financial life. Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes: Chaos—while fun to spell and fun to say is not so fun when it comes to your financial... Read More

Back into the mailbag! New on the show, Pete and Damian try to find balance in their skepticism toward a retirement-bound writer. With over $1M in investable assets and a continuing part-time job, why is he still concerned about outliving his... Read More The post Ep. 335: With $1M Saved, I Can Retire Now, Right? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Back into the mailbag! New on the show, Pete and Damian try to find balance in their skepticism toward a retirement-bound writer. With over $1M in investable assets and a continuing part-time job, why is he still concerned about outliving his... Read More

New week, new show! This time, Pete is joined by… Damian! They wax so poetic about retirement and advisors that they had to extend the segment! Is it possible to be saving TOO MUCH money for retirement? Find out when... Read More The post Ep. 334: Am I Saving TOO MUCH Money? Help. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

New week, new show! This time, Pete is joined by… Damian! They wax so poetic about retirement and advisors that they had to extend the segment! Is it possible to be saving TOO MUCH money for retirement? Find out when... Read More

This week, Pete and Damian talk examples of the classic phrase: “Have your cake and eat it too:” You can save $3.8M in your lifetime? Do Student Loan payments build credit? New spouse, new house & new baby: Am I ok? Three very real... Read More The post Ep 333: This Is Motivation to Start Saving! (Maybe.) appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week, Pete and Damian talk examples of the classic phrase: “Have your cake and eat it too:” You can save $3.8M in your lifetime? Do Student Loan payments build credit? New spouse, new house & new baby: Am I ok? Three very real... Read More

Introducing Power Percentage™. You have been trying to measure your financial life for years. You measure it by your credit score, your net worth, your income, your savings or retirement account balances… yet none of those reward you for good behavior... Read More The post Ep. 332: Power Percentage™ appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Introducing Power Percentage™. You have been trying to measure your financial life for years. You measure it by your credit score, your net worth, your income, your savings or retirement account balances… yet none of those reward you for good behavior... Read More

The tag team is back again! This week, Pete and Damian tackle Considerations when Preparing for a Prenuptial Agreement, Going into Debt to buy Furniture, and ‘Retirement Confidence.’ Three very real topics, for very real people! Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes:... Read More The post Ep 331: Preparing for A Prenup & More! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

The tag team is back again! This week, Pete and Damian tackle Considerations when Preparing for a Prenuptial Agreement, Going into Debt to buy Furniture, and ‘Retirement Confidence.’ Three very real topics, for very real people! Can’t listen? Check the Show Notes! Show Notes:... Read More

Another week, another show! Press play and listen as Pete and Damian weigh the HELOC vs. the ‘Double Move.’ Yes, it’s HELOC, not to be confused with a mythical Master of the Universe. Can’t listen? Check the Notes. Show Notes: HELOC means Home... Read More The post Ep 330: Is A HELOC the Winning Option? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Another week, another show! Press play and listen as Pete and Damian weigh the HELOC vs. the ‘Double Move.’ Yes, it’s HELOC, not to be confused with a mythical Master of the Universe. Can’t listen? Check the Notes. Show Notes: HELOC means Home... Read More

Pop in your earbuds or turn the sound on and listen while you work. In this latest edition, Pete and Damian tell you why they love Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Feel like you don’t know enough about what those are... Read More The post Ep. 329: Why HSAs are one of the best financial products on the planet appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Special guest Gayle Evezich joins Pete and Damian to discuss starting a minimalist journey. The post Ep. 328: Dipping your toe into minimalism appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian discuss college funds, Power Percentage, and more. Special guest this week is Kristen Ahlenius from Your Money Line®. The post Ep. 327: How many 529 accounts does our family need? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

It's the age old question -- "When do I bite the bullet and just get a new car?" Damian and Pete do their best to answer this question.

It’s the age old question — “When do I bite the bullet and just get a new car?” Damian and Pete do their best to answer this question. The post Ep. 326: Getting rid of an old car which starts costing you money appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian discuss the prudence of pre-nuptial agreements. The post Ep. 325: Prenups are certainly something appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week Pete and Damian explore alternative uses for a Roth IRA. The post Ep. 324: Using a Roth to buy a house appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian help a guy deal with a $60,000 inheritance. The post Ep. 323: What should we do with this inheritance? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian help a guy deal with a $60,000 inheritance.

Pete and Damian answer questions around money and relationships. The post Ep. 322: One of the two topics married couples argue about the most appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian answer questions around money and relationships.

Pete and Damian tackle two emails in which the solution is to not buy the house. The post Ep. 321: Don’t buy the house appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian tackle two emails in which the solution is to not buy the house.

Pete and Damian give you an update on what the market is doing and why you should care. The post Ep. 320: Stock market update appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian give you an update on what the market is doing and why you should care.

An emailer wants to know if his self-created “merit” based college funding idea makes sense for his sons. The post Ep. 319: I’ll pay for college if you get good grades appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

An emailer wants to know if his self-created “merit” based college funding idea makes sense for his sons.

Pete and Damian discuss ABLE plans and how they can help families with children with special needs. The post Ep. 318: Children with special needs and ABLE accounts appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian discuss ABLE plans and how they can help families with children with special needs.

Pete and Damian discuss the proposals to wipe out student loan debt. Are they realistic? Are they fair? The post Ep. 317: Wiping out all student loan debt and starting over appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete and Damian discuss the proposals to wipe out student loan debt. Are they realistic? Are they fair?

Whether you realize it or not, our financial lives have changed drastically in the last few decades. We used to not be charged with dealing with our pasts and our futures. Today we are. The post Ep. 316: Why our financial lives are more complicated than they used to be appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Whether you realize it or not, our financial lives have changed drastically in the last few decades. We used to not be charged with dealing with our pasts and our futures. Today we are.

Alvaro from Colombia emails to see whether or not a degree belongs on a balance sheet. Pete, Damian, and Phil Schuman, Director of Financial Literacy at Indiana University, weigh in. The post Ep. 315: Should your college degree be on your balance sheet? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Alvaro from Colombia emails to see whether or not a degree belongs on a balance sheet. Pete, Damian, and Phil Schuman, Director of Financial Literacy at Indiana University, weigh in.

Nothing drives me crazy quite like bad advice about repairing credit. It can ruin a person’s financial life. Chad Meadows joins me in studio while Damian is on vacation. The post Ep. 314: Credit advice that I hate appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Nothing drives me crazy quite like bad advice about repairing credit. It can ruin a person’s financial life. Chad Meadows joins me in studio while Damian is on vacation.

This week we tackle the world of disability insurance. Also, we discuss my nightmare flight. The post Ep. 313: Do you really need disability insurance? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week we tackle the world of disability insurance. Also, we discuss my nightmare flight.

Last week, 50 year olds were mooching off of their parents. Now, elderly parents are mooching off their 50 year old children. It’s all spinning out of control! The post Ep 312: Now an elderly mom is mooching appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Last week, 50 year olds were mooching off of their parents. Now, elderly parents are mooching off their 50 year old children. It’s all spinning out of control!

We celebrate Mother’s Day 2019 with lots of family financial awkwardness. The post Ep. 311: When 50 year olds mooch off their elderly parents appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We celebrate Mother’s Day 2019 with lots of family financial awkwardness.

Should a couple looking to get on their feet accept a living inheritance? No. Here’s why. The post Ep 310: Saying no to a living inheritance appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Do you ever wonder why certain financial products get bad reputations? Square peg and round holes are the problem. The post Ep. 309: Financial products and their square peg round hole nature appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Pete the Planner and Damian Dunn work through questions and Pete tells an unbelievable vacation story. The post Ep 308: Rental properties and how they impact Power Percentages appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Emailer Linda wants to retire sooner rather than later. Can she? The post Ep. 307: Linda wants to peace out appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner show,  Damain Dunn and Pete discuss how to stop underutilizing your financial advisor. The post Ep. 306: How to get the most out of your financial advisor appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

A new segment debuts this week — Back to the Basics. We explore what numbers make homeownership possible for you, and how to make sure you don’t end up over-housed. The post Ep. 305: Back to the Basics – Housing appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

A couple argues over converting Roth IRAs, another couple has house fever, and a 58 year old woman is scared her job is coming to a close. Damian Dunn joins Pete the Planner once again. The post Ep. 304: Settling marital arguments appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

A 20-year old with money to save in NYC, a couple wondering how get their biggest bang for their buck from Social Security, and repairing your credit when you’re in you 70s. Special guest Damian Dunn joins the party. The post Ep. 303: Wait, a 20 year old in NYC can save money? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on the show, my daughter Ollie stops-by to ask me random financial questions. Plus, should Joanna cancel the life insurance her parents bought her when she was a kid? The post Ep. 302 Should we cash-in the life insurance my parents got me when I was a baby? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Do you ever feel like our government leaders aren’t in touch with the financial lives most Americans live? I feel that way all the time. That’s precisely why I jumped at the opportunity to interview presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Pete,... Read More The post Ep. 301: Does presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg understand our financial lives? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Do you ever feel like our government leaders aren't in touch with the financial lives most Americans live? I feel that way all the time. That's precisely why I jumped at the opportunity to interview presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Pete, or Mayor Pete to most, is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. He grew up in South Bend before attending Harvard and then Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.Upon graduating, Pete went to work for management consulting giant McKinsey. He eventually found his way back to Indiana, ran for state Treasurer, lost, and then was elected mayor of South Bend. He's a veteran of the War in Afghanistan and is now running to be the democratic nominee for President of The United States.Pete currently lives in South Bend with his husband Chasten and their two rescue dogs Truman and Buddy.I just finished reading his new book Shortest Way Home: One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future. It's a great read, and I highly recommend it. I was thrilled to welcome him to the program. I hope you enjoy hearing the answers to questions we've all wanted to ask our leaders.Journalist Adam Wren sits in for the post-interview analysis.TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEWPete the Planner: [00:00:00] This week on the Pete the Planner we answer your money questions but better yet. No we don't. I ask the questions this week of presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend. He joins me now. Mayor Pete welcome to the program.Pete Buttigieg: [00:00:15] Thank you. Good to be with you.Pete the Planner: [00:00:16] It's good to be you. I've I've listened to you in my ear for the last couple days on your nine hour audio book. So I feel like you're somehow Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder. I have this long-held belief that presidential candidates and our government leaders sometimes don't have a finger on the pulse of what real Americans are going through financially. And so that's why I wanted to have you on today. Some things stuck out in your book, you have an $800 mortgage payment, which to me I think is classic American financial lifestyle. You are a person that has an understated mortgage payment that allows you some financial freedom. And I just wonder of the people who've put their name in the hat so far. How do you feel your story resonates with people from just a personal finance perspective?Pete Buttigieg: [00:01:04] Well I mean one thing I can say is that you know Chasten and I live a pretty middle class lifestyle in a middle class neighborhood in Middle America. You know I certainly am conscious of the situation for people on the coast who have just spiraling housing costs are part of the country the costs have been a little more flat. You still have to work hard to manage that order for things to be affordable in our community. You know one thing I think about a lot is that you know we I was able to refinance my house a few years after purchasing it to take advantage of lower interest rates. But what we've not been able to do is do the same with the student debt that's also a very big part of our our finances because of Chasten's studies that he undertook in order to become qualified as a teacher.Pete the Planner: [00:01:53] I'm curious and you as you look at that and you look at your careers how does that play in your ability to save for financial independence? You obviously have a unique career as a government official. And I'm curious if you stayed on the path you are on from a savings perspective now could you achieve your retirement goals are you banking on bigger paydays to come to achieve that?Pete Buttigieg: [00:02:16] Well it would be a bit of a stretch for us candidly so you know we obviously when you're in public office you're not counting on that being a career, or at least I think you shouldn't. But you know in order for example in my particular case in order to for my Defined Contribution Fund -- defined benefit retirement to kick in at best I would need to be in office for 10 years, which isn't in the cards. I've decided to be a two term mayor. And that's about it. You know I've gone through periods where I had no income at all because I was a full time candidate at that time I was able to use reserve income as a naval officer to supplement that just a little bit but that created some unique challenges. You know we've talked a lot about using debt and financial planning to do smoothing to try to smooth your income over time when you're not independently wealthy if you choose public service your income's about as spiky as it gets sometimes. You know frankly we're contemplating that for the future too if we're looking at a period where once again for some period of time I'm a full time candidate.Pete the Planner: [00:03:24] I'm currently obsessed with financial fragility and I feel like for Americans of every income level it's a real thing and I wonder during that period of time you're running for state treasurer when you were considering am I going to finance my life on credit cards. Was it the most financial stress you've ever personally been in? And how do you think. I'm not trying to get you to compare it Pete to what Americans financial fragility. I'm just curious is dead like how you think of the two the worse you've ever been and then what it feels like to have one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in medical bills?Pete Buttigieg: [00:04:01] Yeah I mean I don't want to compare my situation to others because everyone's a little bit different but I can certainly relate to the situation of seeing that debt grow faster than your cash is that what you're trying to live a very reasonable lifestyle and asking yourself what you would do if your plans don't pan out. You know I had saved enough that that was able to get me through the first part of my period as a full time candidate but eventually I had to rely on credit card debt as well. And then once I had happily won an election and had this job I was able to chip away at that bring that back down to where I could start saving again. But you know the real thing and fragility is a good term. The real thing to worry about is if you get a curve ball if I had had not expected illness if something made it impossible for me to continue seeking or to take office if some unexpected financial shock had come my way. You know so many Americans are living within just one or two mishaps of a financial hole opening they would not be able to dig themselves out. And you know we need to start making policies that are more sensitive to that at a more commonsensical about creating the financial resilience that would allow ordinary Americans to weather those shocks more readily.Pete the Planner: [00:05:13] One of the more poignant sections of your new book Shortest Way Home: One Mayors Challenge and a Model for America's Future is when you talked about the hard waste collection jobs that the city of South Bend had to eliminate because of technological advances. Now those folks were offered other positions within the city. My question, Pete, is in the next decade or so how can Americans be prepared for these technical technological efficiencies eliminating these old blue collar jobs and what are people to do?Pete Buttigieg: [00:05:44] Well the biggest thing we have to realize is that it's increasingly going to be true especially for people in my generation that we may find ourselves changing not only jobs or careers more often than our parents change jobs or even employers. This is a trend that's only going to accelerate and frankly it's not confined to blue collar positions either. You know there are a number of positions that benefit increasingly perhaps even accounting and law that are subject to automation. Now the good news is overall macro economically it looks like many of these technological trends will create as many jobs as they do away with. The question is how can any one individual be ready to succeed in that environment. And we as a country I think need to do a much better job of equipping people with the skills they're going to work across different disciplines. You know if you're on a factory floor right now as manufacturing becomes more and more advanced the part of your job that matter most and the parts of your job that are going to serve you well even in a different career are things like problem solving critical thinking interpersonal interaction upward and lateral management they're not necessarily individual technical skills. You've got to teach those too but those are going to be changing at a faster and faster pace.Pete the Planner: [00:06:56] Now you grew up in a college town in South Bend Your parents were professors at Notre Dame. You went to Harvard You're a Rhodes scholar but I wonder in today's environment in America is college oversold to too many high school students. Because frankly in the work that we do here in my office Pete we're picking up the pieces of broken dreams of education that are too expensive. Your thoughts on that.Pete Buttigieg: [00:07:18] Well it's not for everybody and you know many of the most intelligent and capable people I worked with in the city workforce are not necessarily college graduates. So I do think in our in our haste to make sure we were a country where everybody wants to and ought to go to college has the opportunity. We may have taken our eye off the ball of making sure that we also show a lot of regard for education that's outside of the university system -- technical education and the kind of training associated with getting ready to go into the workforce more quickly. That being said you know college is just about creating workers. It's also about helping us grow as citizens. And one thing we're focusing on in South Bend right now is lifelong learning that accounts for everything from all the job training to college to things that currently aren't officially considered education but probably ought to like the skills you might learn from a relative around how to do a particular process in the home or language skills and find a way to credential all of those something like a sort of life transcript will capture all of the unique skills and capabilities that individuals get because in this changing world it's more and more difficult to predict in advance which of those skills will be the most relevant.Pete the Planner: [00:08:33] Now your husband Chasten tells me that in terms of sharing a household budget you're a pretty good partner that occasionally you spend too much money on books but you don't give him too much trouble on itemizing on his Target trips. I wonder in that 30 seconds we have left. What's it been like as as a man combining your finances with another person. I mean that's what Americans deal with every day in relationships.Pete Buttigieg: [00:08:55] I think for any couple it's really challenging and the most important thing is communication. You know what really causes stress and in any marriage when it comes to finances and surprise if you know something's coming or you have a view about a plan or something you'd like to do and then you can communicate about it prepare for it. It's when. Sometimes maybe out of discomfort one partner hesitates to share with another when when bills are getting out of hand or where there's a big expense coming up but you're always better off even if it's uncomfortable bringing it up sitting down and talking about it than letting it bite you later and cause of surprise.Pete the Planner: [00:09:32] Mayor Pete Buttigieg presidential candidate for the United States of America. And the person who's been my ear on my trip home from Orlando this week listening to his audio book. Safe travels on your road. Mayor, thanks so much for joining us on the program.Pete Buttigieg: [00:09:45] Sure thing. Pleasure to be with you.

Young listener Lincoln wants to know how to begin investing. We dedicate the whole episode to his great question. The post Ep 300 How to start investing appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

You know what stinks? Losing your job. You know what stinks more? Losing your job when you’re in your 50s. The post Ep 299 Losing your job in your 50s appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week we tackle exorbitant daycare costs, firing your male investment advisor, and more. With Special guest Blair DuQuesnay from Ritholtz Wealth Management.

This week we tackle exorbitant daycare costs, firing your male investment advisor, and more. With Special guest Blair DuQuesnay from Ritholtz Wealth Management. The post Ep. 298 Firing your male financial advisor appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

The podcast is back! And it has a new sound. A flurry of shows are on the way! Prepare yourself for a big week. The post Ep 297 The effect of the government shutdown appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

  Do you ever wonder how banks really make their money and why they have stopped encouraging saving money? This week we welcome Chad Meadows (ChadForce) to the show and he gives us the inside scoop on what you should know... Read More The post Ep. 296: What you need to know about banking appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete the Planner Show, we meet Debbie. Currently 35 and steadily saving for her retirement, she’s wondering how much longer she’ll need to be in the workforce. Boasting a full time gig and steady second job,... Read More The post Ep. 295: Debbie appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we bring you a Petepourri episode. This was the last show we recorded in 2018, and the last episode I join Pete before bidding adieu to my team at Pete the Planner.... Read More The post Ep. 294: A 2018 Petepourri appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we meet David. Currently residing on the west coast, David and his wife recently took a pay cut for her to stay home with their kids. In light of the pay cut,... Read More The post Ep. 293: David appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions! It’s been a minute since we’ve dove into your questions, but do not fret, we’re back. In one of our final episodes for 2018, we explore... Read More The post Ep. 292: Health insurance wrap-ups appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Raven. Raven has all the right things going, in all the right places. She’s been actively paying down her student loans and is ready to get serious about her housing... Read More The post Ep. 291: Raven appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete the Planner®, we’re wrapping up 2018. We may be a little early… but oh well. Pete and I dig into the financial goals for 2018 we each set for 2018, and evaluate our success.... Read More The post Ep. 290: 2018 Wrap-up appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Vanessa. Since they began working in their 20s, Vanessa and her husband have been saving to fund their retirement. Fast-forward twenty years, and she’s not sure they’ve been saving enough. In addition,... Read More The post Ep. 289: Vanessa appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we are NOT answering your money questions! Instead, we are joined by Joshua Becker to discuss a topic Pete is obsessed with: minimalism. As we head into the holiday season, we all prepare to acquire more… stuff. However,... Read More The post Ep. 288: Minimalism with Joshua Becker appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Dawn. Recently remarried with a new blended family, Dawn and her husband feel all over the place financially. Together they have seven kids, all still living at home. And up until last... Read More The post Ep. 287: Dawn appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re getting into the holiday spirit! Well the Thanksgiving spirit, that is. We can’t go a show without answering one of your money questions, so we kick off this week’s episode with a 529 question,... Read More The post Ep. 286: Thanksgiving edition appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on, The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Stella. She’s never been one to save and is feeling the repercussions as she prepares for retirement. Stella has carried some bit of debt for a majority of her adult financial life and is... Read More The post Ep. 285: Stella appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions. We’re joined this week by lead financial concierge of Your Money Line, Damian Dunn, and no- Pete and Damian still aren’t related (even though we wish they were.)... Read More The post Ep. 284: How to cut out eating out appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show®, we meet Holly. After staying home to focus on raising her four children, Holly has returned back to the workforce. But it’s taken a little while for her to hit her stride in navigating... Read More The post Ep. 283: Holly appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Kendall. On paper, her financial life looks amazing. And believe it or not, her financial life is even better in real life. She’s 23, recently got a raise, and paid off ALL her... Read More The post Ep. 282: Kendall appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions! We kick the show off with an emailer who has been berated by his friends for saving for retirement. Tired of the snide remarks, our email... Read More The post Ep. 281: Timing when to retire and paying off mortgages early appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Ruby. She’s 45 and bringing in about $100,000/year. However, finding herself at an impasse with her health, Ruby needs to take a step back and get herself back on track. In order... Read More The post Ep. 280: Ruby appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Elaine and her husband, Steve. Elaine and Steve never seem to be on the same page when it comes to money. Steve owns his own business, making it even more difficult... Read More The post Ep. 279: Elaine & Steve appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions! We had some pretty big questions flood the inbox this week, and in light, we’re bringing in some experts. In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Dr.... Read More The post Ep. 278: Behavioral investing & student loan forgiveness appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show,  we meet Kal. He’s got an impressive Power Percentage™, a great start to his retirement fund,  and his only debt is a small car loan that will soon be a thing of the... Read More The post Ep. 277: Kal appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We’re back this week on The Pete the Planner® Show, and we’ve got something special. We’re answering more of your money questions! We’ve got three very different questions, and of course, the biggest waste of money of the week.  Kicking off... Read More The post Ep. 276: Joint bank accounts and 2nd mortgages appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show we meet Annie. Annie has diligently built up her savings and is ready to leave her debt in her 20s. She’s feeling an itch to pay off her debt with her savings, but... Read More The post Ep. 275: Annie appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re doing something fun! As opposed to the last 10 years of the show, we’re sticking to one topic for the entire show. In light of Pete’s four-part series in USA Today, we’re dedicating... Read More The post Ep. 274: How to start a retirement plan at age 50 appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Virginia. Over the past couple of years, Virginia and her wife have been diligently saving in anticipation of growing their family. However, now that they’re pregnant, they’re overwhelmed with the constant change that comes with... Read More The post Ep. 273: Virginia appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, Damian Dunn joins us for a special edition episode we like to call, Peter and friends. To kick things off this week, we dive in with a question about  401k allocations, and I learn... Read More The post Ep. 272: Peter and friends appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show we have an eclectic combination of topics… to say the least. We’re discussing a very important topic in this episode,  that is not talked about enough. Financial stress impacts us in many ways, but one of the most... Read More The post Ep. 271: Effects of Financial Stress appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show we have an eclectic combination of topics… to say the least. We’re discussing a very important topic in this episode,  that is not talked about enough. Financial stress impacts us in many ways,

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Nicole (not to be confused with Producer Nicole.) Nicole is tired of commuting over two hours round trip to work and has eyes on investing in real estate. But before she... Read More The post Ep. 270: Nicole appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Nicole. Tired of commuting over an hour, she has eyes on investing in real estate. But before Nicole does anything, she wants the best way to pay down her $27,000... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet one of our first international guests! Hailing from Central America, our guest Roger is ready to get serious about funding his retirement. Over the past 10 years, Roger has paid off over... Read More The post Ep. 269: Roger appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet one of our first international guests! Hailing from Central America, our guest Roger is ready to get serious about funding his retirement. Over the past 10 years, Roger has paid off over... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions. Our first question comes from a listener with a case of home-buyers remorse. His dilemma? He can afford his current housing situation, but he doesn’t want to... Read More The post Ep. 268: Home buyer’s remorse and 401k roll-overs appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions. Our first question comes from a listener with a case of home-buyers remorse. His dilemma? He can afford his current housing situation,

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Jackie. She’s 56, recently remarried, and feeling all over the place financially. After losing her dad two years ago, she inherited his estate but hasn’t done much with it. Currently living... Read More The post Ep. 267: Jackie appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we meet Jackie. She’s 56, recently remarried, and feeling all over the place financially. After losing her dad two years ago, she inherited his estate but hasn’t done much with it. Currently living... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions. To kick things off, Pete and I dive into an email asking for a simplistic review over 401k fees. Following our 401k fees exploration, we... Read More The post Ep. 266: 401k fees, refinances, and the weirdest financial product appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re back answering more of your money questions. To kick things off, Pete and I dive into an email asking for a simplistic review over 401k fees. Following our 401k fees exploration, we... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we meet Ashley. Well-weathered for 26 years old, she filed for bankruptcy this summer to put the terrible financial past of her previous marriage in the rearview mirror. And, in addition, she has... Read More The post Ep. 265: Ashley appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we meet Ashley. Well-weathered for 26 years old, she filed for bankruptcy this summer to put the terrible financial past of her previous marriage in the rearview mirror. And, in addition, she has... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re bringing back… you! We tried a few things out this summer, but we’re bringing back our feature guest format. However, this time around, we’re not focused on your million dollar day. We... Read More The post Ep. 264: Lynwood appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re bringing back… you! We tried a few things out this summer, but we’re bringing back our feature guest format. However, this time around, we’re not focused on your million dollar day. We... Read More

On this episode of The Pete the Planner Show, it’s a phone-a-friend edition! We have three very niche questions for the show and needed to call in a few experts. To kick things off, Pete received an email from a lady listener with some... Read More The post Ep. 263: Phone-a-friend appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete the Planner Show, it’s a phone-a-friend edition! We have three very niche questions for the show and needed to call in a few experts. To kick things off, Pete received an email from a lady listener with some... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, Pete and I are back answering three more of your money questions. Our first question comes from an emailer whose friend has extended his advice on “what he’d do if he was in... Read More The post Ep. 262: Taking advice from friends, housing situations, and student loans appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, Pete and I are back answering three more of your money questions. Our first question comes from an emailer whose friend has extended his advice on “what he’d do if he was in... Read More

This week we bring you: the final episode of RePete. We tried a little something different this summer, but you asked and for once we’re listening. The next extension episode you hear will feature a guest asking their financial question(s) to... Read More The post RePete Ep. 7: Complicated financial tools back to basics appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week we bring you: the final episode of RePete. We tried a little something different this summer, but you asked and for once we’re listening. The next extension episode you hear will feature a guest asking their financial question(s) to... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show we’re joined in studio by lead Financial Concierge on Your Money Line, Damian Dunn! Damian visits us at PTP HQ about once a month, so we take advantage and invite him to co-host when available. In this... Read More The post Ep. 261: Target funds, HSAs, and stock cashouts appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show we’re joined in studio by lead Financial Concierge on Your Money Line, Damian Dunn! Damian visits us at PTP HQ about once a month, so we take advantage and invite him to co-host when available. In this... Read More

On this episode of RePete we’re joined by Rick Unser to talk about your 401k! (Ok, not your 401k specifically, but you know what I’m getting at.) Pete and I wanted someone to help us understand 401ks on a deeper level and what... Read More The post RePete Ep. 6: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about your 401k appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of RePete we’re joined by Rick Unser to talk about your 401k! (Ok, not your 401k specifically, but you know what I’m getting at.) Pete and I wanted someone to help us understand 401ks on a deeper level and what... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re answering more of your money questions! First, in our trio of questions, we received an email from a woman getting ready to change jobs and has some choices to make while doing so.... Read More The post Ep. 260: Funding dual college tuitions and early 401k cash-outs appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, we’re answering more of your money questions! First, in our trio of questions, we received an email from a woman getting ready to change jobs and has some choices to make while doing so.... Read More

We’re back with the second installment of our Expert Series on RePete! This week we’re joined by Phil Schuman, Senior Director of Financial Literacy at Indiana University and our partner in MoneySmarts U, to dive into what a soon-to-be college student... Read More The post RePete Ep. 5: What college students REALLY need to know prior to freshman year appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We’re back with the second installment of our Expert Series on RePete! This week we’re joined by Phil Schuman, Senior Director of Financial Literacy at Indiana University and our partner in MoneySmarts U, to dive into what a soon-to-be college student....

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions! The first in the lineup? A question about quarrels over money between two honeys. Financial conversations are usually about as awesome... Read More The post Ep. 259: Sharing money with your honey and emotional housing attachments appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions! The first in the lineup? A question about quarrels over money between two honeys. Financial conversations are usually about as awesome... Read More

On this episode of RePete we’re dedicating a whole show to your dear friend, home equity. Yes! This will be the first in our expert series where Pete and I bring in an expert on a topic we want all the... Read More The post RePete Ep. 4: The ins and outs of home equity appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of RePete we’re dedicating a whole show to your dear friend, home equity. Yes! This will be the first in our expert series where Pete and I bring in an expert on a topic we want all the... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show,  Pete and I could not be answering three more different financial questions. We dive into this episode with an email so good that it’s either an incredible prank… or genuinely the best email ever.... Read More The post Ep. 258: Investing early, international schools & retirement questions appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner® Show,  Pete and I could not be answering three more different financial questions. We dive into this episode with an email so good that it’s either an incredible prank… or genuinely the best email ever.... Read More

We’re back with another RePete! This week’s question of the week: what lessons did you learn from your parents? Over the course of this episode, Pete and I realize a lot of lessons we’ve learned from our parents that we apply... Read More The post RePete Ep. 3: Lessons from our parents appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We’re back with another RePete! This week’s question of the week: what lessons did you learn from your parents? Over the course of this episode, Pete and I realize a lot of lessons we’ve learned from our parents that we apply... Read More

We’re back answering more of YOUR money questions! Why? Well, it’s what we do. To kick off this week’s show Pete and I read an email from a listener who’s hustling her way through just shy of $50,000 of debt.... Read More The post Ep. 257: How to prioritize debt pay off while saving for retirement appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We’re back answering more of YOUR money questions! Why? Well, it’s what we do. To kick off this week’s show Pete and I read an email from a listener who’s hustling her way through just shy of $50,000 of debt.... Read More

We’re back with another episode of RePete! This week’s question of the week: who are your financial role models? I’ve always searched for a role model, consciously or subconsciously, in almost every aspect of my life. It was no different when... Read More The post RePete Ep. 2: Who is your financial role model? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

We’re back with another episode of RePete! This week’s question of the week: who are your financial role models? I’ve always searched for a role model, consciously or subconsciously, in almost every aspect of my life. It was no different when... Read More

This week, on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete is answering… the worst money question ever. And what makes this question the worst? Well, let us explain. A younger follower of ours, who recently graduated from college, is on the up and... Read More The post Ep. 256: The worst financial question ever. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week, on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete is answering… the worst money question ever. And what makes this question the worst? Well, let us explain. A younger follower of ours, who recently graduated from college, is on the up and... Read More

We’ve got big things happening at PTP HQ,  we’ll be releasing a second episode of the Pete the Planner® Show each Thursday! You likely noticed the change from The Million Dollar Plan to The Pete the Planner® Show, and now we are finalizing all... Read More The post RePete Ep.1: What is work/life balance? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete answers more of your money questions. And, for the first time ~ever~ I’m on the other side of the control room!!! I join Pete in the studio this week and let me tell... Read More The post Ep. 255: Helicopter Parents & Entrepreneurship appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show Pete and I have more of your money questions, answered. For the first time ~ever~ I’m on the other side of the control room!!! I join Pete in studio this week and let... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions. To kick off this episode, we’re joined in studio by Christy Fogg from Journey to Joy Counseling! Why has Christy graced us with her... Read More The post Ep. 254: Money conversations and college saving plans appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions. To kick off this episode, we’re joined in studio by Christy Fogg from Journey to Joy Counseling! Why has Christy graced us with her... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions. We kick off this episode with a retirement question from an emailer, “I’m 64 and trying to figure out when to retire. If... Read More The post Ep. 253: Healthcare, mortgages and leather puzzles appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions. We kick off this episode with a retirement question from an emailer, “I’m 64 and trying to figure out when to retire. If... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions! We’re covering a wide range of topics this week (which if your a friend of the show, should not come as a surprise... Read More The post Ep. 252: Is it possible to not retire… successfully? appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are back answering more of your money questions! We’re covering a wide range of topics this week (which if your a friend of the show, should not come as a surprise... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show we’re back with more of your money questions, answered. Pete and I dive into this episode with a common question we get from our friends of the Sandwich Generation in the great debacle of,... Read More The post Ep. 251: The Sandwich Generation and cryptocurrencies, oh my! appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show we’re back with more of your money questions, answered. Pete and I dive into this episode with a common question we get from our friends of the Sandwich Generation in the great debacle of,... Read More

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are answering your money questions. To start this week’s show, we piggyback off of a question he answered in his USA Today column, “Why does my investment advisor charge based... Read More The post Ep. 250: Your money questions, answered. appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete the Planner Show, Pete and I are answering your money questions. To start this week’s show, we piggyback off of a question he answered in his USA Today column, “Why does my investment advisor charge based... Read More

Imagine setting your financial goal, aggressively saving for it, and achieving it. But now… you’re not sure how to more evenly spread out your savings. You and your husband both contribute to your retirement fund(s) and have an emergency fund fully... Read More The post Ep. 249: Janet appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine setting your financial goal, aggressively saving for it, and achieving it. But now… you’re not sure how to more evenly spread out your savings. You and your husband both contribute to your retirement fund(s) and have an emergency fund fully...

This week on The Pete The Planner Show, Pete’s back in studio!!! After a couple months on the road, Pete joins me back at HQ and his mic has never sounded more clear. In this episode, we cover four very different topics.... Read More The post Ep. 248: Pete’s back in studio appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete The Planner Show, Pete’s back in studio!!! After a couple months on the road, Pete joins me back at HQ and his mic has never sounded more clear. In this episode, we cover four very different topics.... Read More

You just moved across the county and are still acclimating to your new (and more expensive) cost of living. Trying to make the most of your current income, you’re working your way through a chunk of student loan debt paying... Read More The post Ep. 247: Nick appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

You just moved across the county and are still acclimating to your new (and more expensive) cost of living. Trying to make the most of your current income, you’re working your way through a chunk of student loan debt paying... Read More

This week on The Pete The Planner Show  we wrap up our road series! Pete’s in Phoenix for the final leg of his travel… for right now and I’m in HQ maning the board. In this episode, Pete’s diving into his... Read More The post Ep. 246: Pete’s in Phoenix appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete The Planner Show  we wrap up our road series! Pete’s in Phoenix for the final leg of his travel… for right now and I’m in HQ maning the board. In this episode, Pete’s diving into his... Read More

As the parents of two young girls, one of you and your husband’s major financial goals is to set them up to become fiancially successful adults. You’re actively contributing to their college funds and always on a mission to create... Read More The post Ep.245: Laine appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

As the parents of two young girls, one of you and your husband’s major financial goals is to set them up to become fiancially successful adults. You’re actively contributing to their college funds and always on a mission to create... Read More

Imagine already knowing before you’re 30 that you want to retire early. You and your fiance live on the east coast and are both teachers. You’re getting married in August and are trying to have a budget wedding, but that... Read More The post Ep. 244: Jerry appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine already knowing before you’re 30 that you want to retire early. You and your fiance live on the east coast and are both teachers. You’re getting married in August and are trying to have a budget wedding, but that... Read More

This week on The Pete The Planner Show we’re back with another road series edition! This episode we dissect Power Percentage™ from Philadelphia. When measuring how well you’re doing in your financial life, your income alone isn’t a good representation. This is... Read More The post Ep. 243 Road Series: Pete’s in Philadelphia appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete The Planner Show we’re back with another road series edition! This episode we dissect Power Percentage™ from Philadelphia. When measuring how well you’re doing in your financial life, your income alone isn’t a good representation....

Imagine being a single parent having sole custody of your two young children. You’re trying to save but the West coast cost of living doesn’t lend itself to your budget . You do not receive any child support and have had... Read More The post Ep. 242: Lucy appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine being a single parent having sole custody of your two young children. You’re trying to save but the West coast cost of living doesn’t lend itself to your budget . You do not receive any child support and have had... Read More

On this episode of The Pete The Planner Show, we’re back again with a road series edition. This week, I’m recording from Austin, TX.  However it’s not just any edition, it’s a bit of a Petepourri edition. My travel schedule is in... Read More The post Ep. 241 Road Series: Pete’s in Austin appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete The Planner Show, we’re back again with a road series edition. This week, I’m recording from Austin, TX.  However it’s not just any edition, it’s a bit of a Petepourri edition. My travel schedule is in... Read More

Imagine being well over half-way to retirement, but not being sure if you’ve been saving enough. You are an on-call archaeologist working part-time and your husband is a high-school teacher, together you bring in $93,000 a year. Your five-year-old daughter... Read More The post Ep. 240: April appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine being well over half-way to retirement, but not being sure if you’ve been saving enough. You are an on-call archaeologist working part-time and your husband is a high-school teacher, together you bring in $93,000 a year.

In the second instalment of our road series, were recording this week’s episode from Atlanta, Georgia! Millennial producer Nicole is manning the board from home, as I dive deeper into my 2018 travel season. And this week on The Pete... Read More The post Ep. 239: Pete’s in Atlanta talking about taxes appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

In the second instalment of our road series, were recording this week’s episode from Atlanta, Georgia! Millennial producer Nicole is manning the board from home, as I dive deeper into my 2018 travel season. And this week on The Pete... Read More

Imagine wanting to retire early to pursue a growing side business full-time. But before you retire, you would like to buy a bigger home in the next couple of years and possibly a new/newer to you car. With a consistent... Read More The post Ep. 238: Greg appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine wanting to retire early to pursue a growing side business full-time. But before you retire, you would like to buy a bigger home in the next couple of years and possibly a new/newer to you car. With a consistent... Read More

This week on The Pete The Planner Show we debut a new mini special: The Road Series. As travel season gears up, for the next few weeks I’ll be joining the show from location while Producer Nicole mans the board at HQ.... Read More The post Ep. 237: Pete’s with Parrots in Pasadena appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Pete The Planner Show we debut a new mini special: The Road Series. As travel season gears up, for the next few weeks I’ll be joining the show from location while Producer Nicole mans the board at HQ.... Read More

Imagine, returning to work after having two boys and having taking on steep daycare costs. You bought a modest house a few years back full of functional flaws, with the intention to one day renovate. You’re behind on savings and... Read More The post Ep. 236: Elaine appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine, returning to work after having two boys and having taking on steep daycare costs. You bought a modest house a few years back full of functional flaws, with the intention to one day renovate. You’re behind on savings and... Read More

It’s been an exciting whirlwind of events in the PTP headquarters the past couple a months, and this week we’re taking time to step back and take a deep breath. As things calm down,  I’m trying to dodge being sick... Read More The post Ep. 235: A Petepourri Episode appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

It’s been an exciting whirlwind of events in the PTP headquarters the past couple a months, and this week we’re taking time to step back and take a deep breath. As things calm down,  I’m trying to dodge being sick... Read More

Imagine, getting back on track with plan in focus. You’re contributing to your 401k, paying down debt, but you’re ready to take on another task. With an approaching decrease in rent, will you be able to afford a down payment... Read More The post Ep. 234: Return of Tina appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine, getting back on track with plan in focus. You’re contributing to your 401k, paying down debt, but you’re ready to take on another task. With an approaching decrease in rent, will you be able to afford a down payment... Read More

In this week’s episode of The Pete The Planner Show, we’re talking about socially responsible investing. This, this buzzing topic, is what has everyone talking. They’re boycotting stuff, claiming they’ll never do business that feels *this* way or *that way* about... Read More The post Ep. 233 Socially Responsible Investing appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

In this week’s episode of The Pete The Planner Show, we’re talking about socially responsible investing. This, this buzzing topic, is what has everyone talking. They’re boycotting stuff, claiming they’ll never do business that feels *this* way or *that...

Imagine being a $100,000 household, living on East coast with two young kids. Currently, both kids are in daycare, but in the fall the oldest will start kindergarten. With only one child in daycare, soon your budget will welcome back... Read More The post Ep. 232: Peggy appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Imagine being a $100,000 household, living on East coast with two young kids. Currently, both kids are in daycare, but in the fall the oldest will start kindergarten. With only one child in daycare, soon your budget will welcome back... Read More

This week, we meet Devante. Devante’s main concerns, in his own words: “As an immigrant to the U.S., I am determined to do things smarter/more efficiently than my parents did when we first arrived here over 20 yrs ago. I am... Read More The post Ep. 231: Devante appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week, we meet Devante. Devante’s main concerns, in his own words: “As an immigrant to the U.S., I am determined to do things smarter/more efficiently than my parents did when we first arrived here over 20 yrs ago. I am... Read More

I make it no secret that my inbox is never short of full, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hearing your feedback and your take-a-ways from the show or a column of mine you’ve read, are one of... Read More The post Ep. 230: Hollywood Squares Mailbag Edition appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

I make it no secret that my inbox is never short of full, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hearing your feedback and your take-a-ways from the show or a column of mine you’ve read, are one of... Read More

Meet, Sara. Sara’s main concerns, in her own words: “My husband and I are in our late 20’s and currently live in a metropolis part of the midwest where we bought our first home soon after we graduated from college. We... Read More The post Ep. 229: Sara appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Meet, Sara. Sara’s main concerns, in her own words: “My husband and I (ages 29 and 28,) moved to Chicago from college and purchased our first home in April 2015 before marrying in June 2015 (no children). We do not... Read More

On this week’s episode of The Pete The Planner Show, we’re talking about allllll the market volatility in the last several market sessions. And, oddly enough, this isn’t even the biggest hubbub in the nation right now due to the 24-hr... Read More The post Ep. 228: Market Volatility with Tadas Viskanta appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this week’s episode of The Pete The Planner Show, we’re talking about allllll the market volatility in the last several market sessions. And, oddly enough, this isn’t even the biggest hubbub in the nation right now due to the 24-hr... Read More

Re-meet, Ann. Ann’s main concerns, in her own words: “Greetings from your episode #9 guest! We’ve run into a unique “problem”…. Our household income has more than doubled but with minimal lifestyle inflation, leading to a surplus of $104,000 a... Read More The post Ep. 227: The Return of Ann appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Re-meet, Ann. Ann’s main concerns, in her own words: “Greetings from your episode #9 guest! We’ve run into a unique “problem”…. Our household income has more than doubled but with minimal lifestyle inflation, leading to a surplus of $104,000 a...

On this episode of The Pete The Planner Show our favorite millennial producer Nicole… has had quite the week. And in light, she’s found herself with some problems and we’re talking her through them. Over the past year Nicole’s financial habits have... Read More The post Ep. 226: Solving Nicole’s Problems appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

On this episode of The Pete The Planner Show our favorite millennial producer Nicole… has had quite the week. And in light, she’s found herself with some problems and we’re talking her through them. Over the past year Nicole’s financial habits have...

Meet Beth Beth’s main concerns, in her own words:  “We’re narrowing in  on mid and short term priorities now that we know the husband needs to stay home with kids. Working through the setbacks and obstacles of child card, not... Read More The post Ep. 225: Beth appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Meet Beth Beth’s main concerns, in her own words:  “We’re narrowing in  on mid and short term priorities now that we know the husband needs to stay home with kids. Working through the setbacks and obstacles of child card, not... Read More

Meet, Joe. Joe’s main concerns, in his own words: “My wife and I come from different sides of the tracks. She was raised in a well-to-do family in which her mom stayed home, and the funds to provide were never short.... Read More The post Ep. 224: Joe appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Meet, Joe. Joe’s main concerns, in his own words: “My wife and I come from different sides of the tracks. She was raised in a well-to-do family in which her mom stayed home, and the funds to provide were never short.... Read More

This week on The Million Dollar Plan, w’re talking about Millennials and their money habits. It has become overwhelmingly clear that over the past 20 to 30 years, our financial lives and habits have changed drastically. It is actually much, much more... Read More The post Ep. 223: Millennials & Money appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on The Million Dollar Plan, w’re talking about Millennials and their money habits. It has become overwhelmingly clear that over the past 20 to 30 years, our financial lives and habits have changed drastically. It is actually much,

Meet: Boris. Boris’s main concerns, in his own words: “My main financial focus is on the costs that go away in retirement. Most of my top monthly outlays are to items that will go away and/or reduce when we retire.... Read More The post Ep. 222 Boris appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Meet: Boris. Boris’s main concerns, in his own words: “My main financial focus is on the costs that go away in retirement. Most of my top monthly outlays are to items that will go away and/or reduce when we retire.... Read More

This week, we bring you a very special edition of The Million Dollar Plan: Teaching Kids About Money. This is an episode, I have waited a very long time to do. It’s no secret I LOVE talking and teaching about money, especially... Read More The post Ep. 221: Teaching Your Kids About Money appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week, we bring you a very special edition of The Million Dollar Plan: Teaching Kids About Money. This is an episode, I have waited a very long time to do. It’s no secret I LOVE talking and teaching about money, especially... Read More

Meet Mark. Mark’s main concerns, in his own words: “I have not been working since 2016, following a divorce and am still on the job search. Only debt really is home and car (bought a low-mileage 3 year old Lexus... Read More The post Ep. 220 Mark appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Meet Mark. Mark’s main concerns, in his own words: “I have not been working since 2016, following a divorce and am still on the job search. Only debt really is home and car (bought a low-mileage 3 year old Lexus... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re talking about celebrating financial successes. Going into the new year we lay a blueprint to the financial goals we want to achieve. We work continuously, maintaining the momentum the whole year through,... Read More The post Ep. 219: Celebrating Financial Successes with Mr. Kinetik appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re talking about celebrating financial successes. Going into the new year we lay a blueprint to the financial goals we want to achieve. We work continuously, maintaining the momentum the whole year through,...

Meet, Bryan. Bryan’s Maine concern, in his own words: “In the past 3-4 months, I’ve become a little obsessive about getting us back in the groove of goals towards finances. I think a lot has been spurred by us having... Read More The post Ep. 218: Bryan appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

Meet, Bryan. Bryan’s Maine concern, in his own words: “In the past 3-4 months, I’ve become a little obsessive about getting us back in the groove of goals towards finances. I think a lot has been spurred by us having... Read More

When we recorded this, it was our LAST radio episode of 2017. It only felt right  to end the year with a special edition of the Million Dollar Plan. This week, we present: The 2017 PTPTV Investment Wrap-up. And it just so happens,... Read More The post Ep. 217: 2017 Investment Wrap-up with Tadas Viskanta appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

When we recorded this, it was our LAST radio episode of 2017. It only felt right  to end the year with a special edition of the Million Dollar Plan. This week, we present: The 2017 PTPTV Investment Wrap-up. And it just so happens,... Read More

This week, we met Derek. Derek’s main concerns, in his own words: “I’m 38 years old and have been divorced for 3 years now. I currently have no consumer debt, and a mortgage with about 150,000 left on it. I feel... Read More The post Ep. 216: Derek appeared first on Pete the Planner®.

This week, we met Derek. Derek’s main concerns, in his own words: “I’m 38 years old and have been divorced for 3 years now. I currently have no consumer debt, and a mortgage with about 150,000 left on it. I feel... Read More

This week, we met Hank. Hank’s main concerns, in his own words: “After college I spent about a decade pursuing my passion of coaching triathletes rather than go into the corporate world. I took a job managing a bike shop... Read More

It is no secret, I get a lot of emails. And for whatever reason, recently, I have been getting some intense emails coming through my inbox.  We are talking intro, three full body paragraphs, and conclusion with a SparkNotes sheet,... Read More

This week, we met Pepe.  Pepe’s main concerns, in his own words: “I am 27 and have been following your advice for two years now. I should say I have had a sincere interest in your advice for two years... Read More

This week on The MIllion Dollar Plan, we’re setting some goals. As we sunset 2017, we’re laying the blueprint to our 2018. We set goals, to get us going on the path for each area of our life’s successes. Throughout... Read More

Meet, Nancy. Nancy’s main concerns, in her own words: “My husband and I are in the process of getting our 5 year plan in order. My husband and I each make just over $100, 000 (plus $30-40,000 in bonuses). We’ve... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan we dive into cryptocurrencies. This is a topic that I’ve wanted to do on the show for years now, but I haven’t known who/where to turn to. So, I turned to the inter-webs. It was there... Read More

Meet Harry. Harry’s main concerns, in his own words: “My wife was a HS teacher for 14 years and stopped working for a few years as she was primary caregiver to her grandfather. She has re-entered the workforce as a... Read More

Meet Drew. Drew’s main concerns, in his own words: “My wife and I are a young, married couple with our first baby on the way. We both work, and we’re trying to plan for the future, save as much as... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re talking about change. Making a change, and following through with it can be hard. Making a financial change, and following through with it can be hard. Making any alteration in your day-to-day... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re talking about change. Making a change, and following through with it can be hard. Making a financial change, and following through with it can be hard. Making any alteration in your day-to-day... Read More

Meet Becky. Becky’s main concerns, in her own words: “I am retired and live well within my means.  I’m hooked on saving money and have excellent credit. My main financial focus is eliminating all outstanding debt (I have a car... Read More

Meet Becky. Becky’s main concerns, in her own words: “I am retired and live well within my means.  I’m hooked on saving money and have excellent credit. My main financial focus is eliminating all outstanding debt (I have a car... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re embracing the Thanksgiving spirit. We might be a week early but at PTP Headquarters, Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. When planning this show, we were prompted with the concept of, “on... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re embracing the Thanksgiving spirit. We might be a week early but at PTP Headquarters, Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. When planning this show, we were prompted with the concept of, “on... Read More

This week, we met Kira. Kira’s main concerns, in her own words: “My situation is a little unusual. My plan is to sell our house in the next year and move to Nashville, where my daughter lives. We plan to... Read More

This week, we met Kira. Kira’s main concerns, in her own words: “My situation is a little unusual. My plan is to sell our house in the next year and move to Nashville, where my daughter lives. We plan to... Read More

This week, it’s a bit of a “gripey Old Man” Pete edition of The Million Dollar Plan. After over 160 flights and 13 weeks of travel, I’m finally home. We’ve been on a bit of a Petepourri kick, so we kept it... Read More

This week, it’s a bit of a “gripey Old Man” Pete edition of The Million Dollar Plan. After over 160 flights and 13 weeks of travel, I’m finally home. We’ve been on a bit of a Petepourri kick, so we kept it... Read More

This week, we met Chris. Chris’s main concerns, in his own words: “My in-laws have struggled through financial issues for most of their lives. Now that problem is hitting home for my family. They are moving in with our family... Read More

This week, we met Chris. Chris’s main concerns, in his own words: “My in-laws have struggled through financial issues for most of their lives. Now that problem is hitting home for my family. They are moving in with our family... Read More

This week, we met Frank. Frank’s main concerns, in his own words: “I’m in about $22,000 worth of debt between personal and credit card loans. My wife and I are expecting baby number two very soon and I need to... Read More

This week, we met Frank. Frank’s main concerns, in his own words: “I’m in about $22,000 worth of debt between personal and credit card loans. My wife and I are expecting baby number two very soon and I need to... Read More

This week, we celebrated a special episode for The Million Dollar Plan. While I have been doing radio (going on) eight years now, there has been one guest I have been waiting for. In honor of our 200th episode, Mrs. Planner joined... Read More

This week, we celebrated a special episode for The Million Dollar Plan. While I have been doing radio (going on) eight years now, there has been one guest I have been waiting for. In honor of our 200th episode, Mrs. Planner joined... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re combating retirement (or as I should say, income independence) from a COMPLETELY different angle. Usually on this show we look at and discuss ways to get/save a bunch of money. But today... Read More

This week on the Million Dollar Plan, we’re combating retirement (or as I should say, income independence) from a COMPLETELY different angle. Usually on this show we look at and discuss ways to get/save a bunch of money. But today... Read More

This week, we meet Stella. Stella’s main concerns, in her own words: “I got a late start financially because I got a PhD, but I’ve educated myself a lot and am passionate about being in control of my finances. I’d... Read More

This week, we’re talking budgeting. Through the different online sites, apps and e-resources, setting a monthly budget can get lost in all the noise. We live in a world of convenience, but when it comes to budgeting–convenience is one of... Read More

Meet Mike. Mike’s main concerns, in his own words: “My wife and I are early retired, slightly, for a couple of years now. She was a stay at home mom and has been retired for decades. I now make six... Read More

Y A few weeks back, we introduced a special edition of The Million Dollar Plan, called “Pete’s Potpourri.”  We talked a little bit about this and a little bit of that. Some might say, a bit of a “potpourri” episode, if you will. After almost 13 weeks of traveling, countless emails, and multiple ideas, this week we brought back: Pete’s Potpourri, pt. 2. My inbox always has an interesting mix to the emails that come through. Some, make me laugh. Others, compel me to share. In this week’s episode a few of the emails featured I hand picked, others I read for the first time, in real time, with you. So sit back, and enjoy our special edition of The Million Dollar Plan, Pete’s Potpourri, pt. 2. Have a question or comment for me?  Hit me up at askpete@petetheplanner.com. You never know, your question/comment might get featured in a blog or podcast post.

Meet, Wayne. Wayne’s main concerns, in his own words: “My government job is stressful, I feel burned-out, and I need a change. When I turn 57 in 4 months, I’m eligible to retire from a with a monthly pension of... Read More

This week, we’re talking about wake-up calls. Whether it’s your health, your relationships or your finances–you are well aware if a certain component of your life is not where it needs to be.  You don’t have to receive an ominous... Read More

Meet, Olivia. Olivia’s main concerns, in her own words: “I wasn’t a credit wizard in my early 20’s and early 30’s. It took a lot of hard knocks to show me the light. Now I have seen said light, and... Read More

Meet Wendy. Wendy’s main concerns, in her own words:  If we were to stay in the Midwest in our current jobs, I wouldn’t be worried about our financial future at all. However, my husband, who is active duty military, is... Read More

This week, I welcome back my friend Paul Ashley from First Person Advisors. Paul has been featured on my show two times prior to this week’s episode, and you can find both by clicking here and here. *clicky, clicky* There... Read More

Meet Cassie. Cassie’s main concerns, in her own words: I find managing money difficult, but over the past several years I’ve educated myself on financial responsibility and budgeting. I am quite proud of what I have accomplished–curbed my unnecessary s...

Meet Maybel. Maybel’s main concerns, in her own words: I am not sure WHAT to do next, or how to go about it.  When I left my previous employer, I became a contract worker and stopped contributing to retirement to build... Read More

In a special early week edition we’re focusing on how our data is handled, specifically with the credit data bureaus. In early September of 2017, one of the big three credit bureaus (Equifax) had a data breach causing potential reproductions... Read More

Meet Autumn. Autumn’s main concerns, in her own words: We have roughly $1500-1700/mo in extra income and we would like to know how we should allocate this money. We have ideas of contributing more to my HSA, start ROTH’s, contribute... Read More

This week: we’re talking about banking. *Specifically* with that special someone of yours. Your “lovey-dovey”, if  you will. This is an episode that has been a long time coming. And after seeing a friend of mine this past week while... Read More

In this week’s episode–we shake things up a little bit. It’s what we do here in PTP headquarters. If you listen to my radio show, and usual Thursday podcast postings, you’re familiar with my four-segmented show. Now stay with us–for... Read More

Meet Red. Red’s main concerns, in his own words: My wife and I are in our mid 30’s. We have one child who is 8 y.o, of which we recently found out has Type 1 Diabetes. I work for the... Read More

This week, we’re talking about the chaos that can ensue in your financial life. Chaos—while fun to spell and fun to say is not so fun when it comes to your financial life. If you’re waiting on your next paycheck... Read More

Meet Brielle. Brielle’s main concerns, in her own words: My biggest hurdle is balancing it all. We have a two and four year old that we will send to day care and preschool and starting in Sept. My children both have... Read More

This week, I’m joined by CJ McClanahan. CJ is an accomplished writer, speaker, executive coach and long-time personal friend. Over the past 10 years CJ has helped me grow personally, entrepreneurially, and is the reason I got into radio. Over the...

Meet Tina. Tina’s main concerns, in her own words: I am a single mother of a 4 year old. I owned a home but after a legal case I sold my home via short sale in 2015 after owing since 2000... Read More

This week, we’re talking about: Selling Your Home.  A daunting feat, that if done correctly–can be a sizable pay off. When selling your home (or getting ready to sell your home) you’re preparing to leave the house. Your main focus... Read More

Meet Allison. Allison’s main concerns, in her own words: I am a single Federal Government employee who would like to retire at 62. I currently make just over $100,000, but I live in the high cost of living area of... Read More

Meet Jeff. Jeff’s main concerns, in his own words: I’m 34, married with a 1-year old, based in Los Angeles (pretty high cost of living), and work for a tech startup. My wife works in law enforcement, but we have different... Read More

In this week’s episode, we’re talking about a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Some might say, a bit of a “potpourri” episode, if you will. There are a couple different things I want to cover,... Read More

Meet Katie. Katie’s main concerns, in her own words: I’m graduating from college in May 2017 and have a job making 72,000 as an engineer. I have no debt, no car payment, and a small amount in an IRA, so... Read More

In this episode, we’re talking about: Family & Money. Now as a husband, father, son, and friend–while I’m no relationship expert, I do have experience in a handful of different ones.  Today I’m going to cover the good, the bad,... Read More

Meet Lynette. Lynette’s main concerns, in her own words: My husband (38) and I (34) paid off all our debt, except our mortgage. We have a toddler, and a dog. We’re about to move to another state and will be... Read More

On this episode of the Million Dollar Plan, I answer your questions. Once a month, or every four weeks or so, I like to dive into my mailbox and revisit some of your emails. They intrigue me–I never know what I’m... Read More

Meet Jordan. Jordan’s main concerns, in his own words: I am a school teacher with two children under 4 and a third on the way. I have a net worth of $110,000 but only an income of $50,000 because my... Read More

This week, I’m talking about rules. You need rules to live by. For each component of your life you need to set some personal rules, or standards if you will, that apply to you and your everyday obligations. If you don’t–you are going to struggle through each part of you life. And that..sounds..miserable. Anyways, when I say you need rules, these rules do not have to be  you declaring complex, multi-part thesis statements in order for you to gain credit. No. These rules just need to be personal standards you set up as barriers and guidelines that work for you, your obligations and goals. *Example time* One of my co-worker’s rules is that she doesn’t eat fast food. It isn’t that she is against it, she’s just set a standard to make a conscious decision of picking a different option. So, when she has lunch in the office and someone brings in taco bell she’s not lusting and drooling for a part of that cheesy gordita crunch. Nope, she’s good. She’s set her rule and it has become a part of her every day life style. You can go about setting these rules, in which ever way you’d like. They can be religious, they can be ethical, they can be apart of a moral standard you uphold–whatever. Your rules just need to set up guidelines that are going to get to you abide by said rules every day. So, what are your financial rules? If you don’t have any or are still working through what you want your financial standards to be, that’s ok. Grab a piece of paper, start writing them down. I want to know about, and I’m going to talk about these more with you today, what your: * Budgeting and Spending Rules * Debt and Saving Rules * Major Purchase Rules * Rules about Your Future As you move through different stages of your financial life, some of your rules may change a little bit. Again, that’s ok, just make sure that your rules/standards consistently reflect your financial obligations and goals. I’ll be here to help you stick to your rules and work towards your goals.  

In October of 2016, I talked with Omar about a daunting feat: to retire by 40. When we first talked to him, here were his main concerns in his own words: I think my wife and I could make for an interesting case study. We’re both 30 with aspirations of achieving very early financial independence/retirement by 40. Neither one of us are doctors/lawyers/engineers (I feel like all the high-earners typically are), and started at 22 out of college with a combined income of $47,000 per year (living right outside of NYC – yikes!). My wife actually stepped away from her job at 24 to pursue an additional bachelor’s degree in an entirely different field (she had originally majored in dance and English, then went back to school for astrophysics … yes, you read that correctly) while I walked away from what I had envisioned my lifetime career being (working in the professional sports world) to pursue a job at a market research firm in sales. We had somewhat of an epiphany last year after our first child was born that we really had seen our salaries/careers inflate without our lifestyle following behind (we’re currently making a combined income of $195,000 per year before bonuses). The epiphany moment occurred after an opportunity for a significant life change (moving to California, and a chance for a large pay bump for me but to be a single income household and have my wife stay home without baby) came and we passed on it. We determined that more money wouldn’t increase our level of happiness – but more time would. After sitting down and attempting to learn as much as possible about investing, we fell into the blogosphere of the early retirement/financial independence world (I actually uncovered Pete through Stacking Benjamins which came via a Paula Pant recommendation). After consuming dozens of podcasts/blogs/personal finance books, we’ve worked pretty hard to optimize our finances as much as possible in the last year. A year ago I didn’t know the difference between a traditional 401K vs. a Roth 401k; fast forward a year and I can hold a pretty solid conversation regarding why I don’t believe in the advantages of a Roth 401k for someone pursuing early retirement (I’d rather execute a Roth IRA conversion ladder upon early retirement). With all that being said, most of what I’ve learned is self-taught, and would be nice to get a second opinion and explore any angles I may have not thought about or left out. This could either be an interesting podcast for people who are good with their money but can see what possibilities are there if they strive to become great (worst case scenario here is I’m a few years off and 45 is more realistic). It could also be an awful podcast since Pete could crush my hopes and dreams or people would find a couple making nearly $200K a year and trying to retire by 40 unrelatable and downright obnoxious (actually, this pretty much describes how my wife would have felt 2 years ago … heck, she might even feel this way now!). Almost a year later, he’s back to discuss his progress and his goals. Planning to still retire by 40, Omar (currently 31) has a little over $300,000 in investments and his big push for 2017 is to set aside $100,000. With medical bills, housing repairs and other unexpected life happenings in 2017, Omar is having to do a little investing re-evaluation to hit his $100k.  

This week, we’re talking about The Four Stages of Your Financial Life. In your financial life there are 15, yes count’em, 15 things that you need to do. 15 sounds daunting, doesn’t it? If you write them all down that’s not a quick post-it note, it is a full blown and hardy list. That’s why I’ve broken up your financial life into four stages for you to accomplish those 15 things in. Because how much nicer of a number does four sound than 15. Your financial life starts between the age of 18 to 22 and goes all the way until you retire around the age of 67-ish. In your financial life, you are going to work through four different stages. I like to call those: Survivin’, Drivin’, Arrivin’ and Thrivin’ (yes, I know those rhymed). Within each of those four stages I have broken up those 15 things you need to accomplish appropriately in each. When you have completed the designated set of “to-do’s” in each category, you can move onto the next the stage. Before we dive into all you need to get done, we’re going to do a little self-evaluation. If you’ve been following my blog or podcast for a while you know I’m big on the self-evaluation. It gives us a starting point. A great inside to not only where you are in your financial life, but it will tell us the stage you’re in and whether there are things you need to catch up on or plan for. In this episode I will break down each stage and the tasks they include for you to successfully, at your own pace, make it to the next stage of your financial life. You may be sitting there reading this and asking yourself, “How long does it take to make it through each stage?” Excellent question. It will be different for each individual, and that’s the beautiful thing about it. It may take a fresh college graduate who started a respectable salaried job right after school only two or three years to get out of survivin’. While it may take someone who has restarted their financial life 10 years to accomplish all the tasks in the first stage. This is where the 15 things come into role as: goals. Goals are apart of why I created these stages, to help focus on individual tasks to be accomplished. If you aren’t setting and working towards a goal(s), then you could be survivin’ for the rest of your life. You don’t want that, and I don’t want that. Focus on working towards your goals. The more your focus on them, the sooner you’ll make it through to the next. I’ll be here to help you through each and every stage along the way.

Meet Melissa. Melissa’s main concerns, in her own words: My base pay is $74,800 plus overtime on top of that. I have been saving for a house aggressively since January 2015 at about $700 a paycheck (last month I scaled that down to $500) plus any extra money I made from switching to work the night shift as well as tax refunds. I now have $58,000 saved. $50,000 will be for the down payment and the rest is a catch-all for vacations, car repair, and immediate house expenses when I find one. I am looking to buy a house later this summer, I know my expenses will increase some and the amount I am saving will decrease. I already have a separate emergency fund of $50,000. I max out my retirement at $18,000 a year that, as of January 2015, is all Roth (total value $189,000), a Roth IRA $5,500 a yr (total value $74,000) and an play account of several single stocks I purchased for $1,500 (total value $1,900), plus a separate international travel account of $700 that I deposit $200 a paycheck into. My question is what do I do next? My minimum retirement age is 53 (I will have access to retirement funds without penalty) but I have a mandatory retirement age of 57. I am looking to buy a house on a 10 or 15 yr mortgage if I can comfortably afford the payments. I plan to have the house paid for when I retire. I will have a pension that I estimate will be $2,900 a month. If my plan stays the same and I choose to move back to my home state after retirement, I have some paid off land and I’d like to build a home on using $$ from the sale of this house. But where else can I save money for growth that I can access when I retire at age 53 and how does that work from a tax stand point? Please help, I don’t know where else to go from here.

*important editor’s note: in light of recent listeners’ feedback, it has been brought to my attention last week’s show had too many jokes, too many personal stories, and not enough information. This week, I switched it up a little bit. All information, no jokes. If a joke just happens to slip, at least I can say I tried* I’ve been getting a lot of questions on the blog and during my podcast lately about life insurance. And honestly–not nearly enough of you have the amount of coverage you and your family need. This–I’m going to be frank– is alarming to me. I’m not sure if some of you don’t understand how much is necessary, if you don’t know where to start, or if you just don’t realize the quick u-turn things will take for your family should something bad happen to you.You need life insurance. You really need life insurance. I get it, I don’t like thinking about not being around to support my family, but who does? (I chose a great topic to do a joke-less episode)but  none-the-less just because you don’t want to think about it doesn’t mean it evaporates into thin air and becomes any less important. However, I digress. Life insurance isn’t us trying to out run the inevitable, it’s about creating one less worry after the passing of a loved one. It is meant to pick up any financial pieces for your family should anything bad ever happen to you or a loved one. Over the course of your lifetime you are going to pay several thousand dollars for a benefit you’ll never see a cent of, and that’s okay! Because life insurance isn’t for you, it’s for your survivors. Buying life insurance isn’t just a financial decision, it’s a long-term commitment to caring for your family. In this episode I’m going to break down all you need know about making sure you have the adequate amount of coverage, into three segments. *****During this episode, I misspoke and said AD&D stood for Accidental Death and Disability. That’s not right. Apparently removing jokes from my brain made me ignore dismemberment. AD&D stands for Accidental Death and Dismemberment. Ah yes, dismemberment. 

Meet Brian. Brian’s main concerns, in his own words: My wife and I are in our early 30’s. We have been on the wrong track financially for years. We got ourselves into some serious financial trouble early on in our marriage. Since then we have made a serious turn around. We have paid off somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-80K in debt in the last 2 years. We are starting to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have paid off her student loans, our car, and all credit cards. We feel like it’s time to start preparing for the next step and don’t really know where to turn. I have 14k left on student loans and a small amount of medical. We have very little in retirement and about 8k in savings. We need guidance on where to go from here.

This week on the Pete the Planner® Show, I’m going to be talking about: The Reality Gap. Ah,  the reality gap–so, this is what I’m really into right now and I’m going to explain and walk you through this concept. But first I want to talk about that there are actually a lot of applications to this, however for the time being, what I want you to focus on is your financial health reality gap. So, if you will, think about your financial life and how you think you’re doing in two different ways: how you think you’re doing , a little self evaluation if you will, of where you feel your financial life is at. This may stem from how you good you feel about your  current income level or how you good you feel about the medical bills, student loans, ect. that you are paying off. And then, you knew this had to be the second part, *sigh* there is how you are actually doing. After evaluating on how you think you’re doing, we need an objective measure to show us how you’re actually doing and the difference between how you think you’re doing and how you’re actually doing. That, my friend, is the Reality Gap.

Meet John. John’s main concerns, in his own words:  My wife and I just welcomed our second (and last!) child. We have a comfortable lifestyle – both have stable jobs, we purchased a new home back in 2015, and save a respectable amount each month. However, the ‘unknown’ for us is if we are saving enough for our own future and our children’s.  We have just under $18K in savings across our combines savings accounts, which we contribute a little of $1K to each month. $11K of that is an untouched Emergency Fund where most of our monthly savings contributions go. Now on to the debt… We currently owe $304K on a 30yr mortgage. We purchased a new home in 2015, valued somewhere in the neighborhood of $360K. I have a car under 5yrs old which we are aggressively paying off so that we eliminate that debt by the end of 2017. My wife also has a car that is currently leased and has student loan debt which we are going to tackle more aggressively once my car is paid off at the end of the year. Once my car and student loan debt are paid off, we intend to aggressively contribute to paying down more principle on our mortgage since we want this home to be our last.  So I guess my questions are: Do we tackle our debt (outside of mortgage) more aggressively first since we have a decent head start on an Emergency Fund? Or, do we move those extra debt payments into retirement contributions to our 401Ks or Roth IRA? In the next few years, we would love to be debt free outside of our mortgage, and be able to cut my wife’s hours back to only two shifts a week instead of three (she is a nurse), or have her stay home completely.

Meet Serena. Serena’s main concerns, in her own words:  I’m starting a new job, so I feel like I’ll finally be earning enough to open an individual retirement account (in addition to my employer’s pension plan); however; I still have a lot of student loan debt. With these competing priorities, I’m worried about how my husband and I are going to save enough money to buy a house in a few years.

Meet Dylan. Dylan’s main concerns, in his own words: We are both in law enforcement and live together with two children under three years of age. She was out of work for a year and a half with child care and we have 26K in credit card debt and a 178K mortgage and about 15K in medical bills.  My power percentage is 32. We have almost identical incomes at 71K each and she puts in 15% (75k current total) and I put in 12% (200k current total) into separate 457b (Deferred Compensation). We have pensions through work. I am 48 and will retire at 59 1/2 with a full pension.  She is 34 and will retire at 53 with a full pension after 25yrs of service.   We can’t seem to save any extra money for a down payment on a new home. I am very worried we don’t have enough saved for a comfortable retirement and provide for the children.

This week, I cover the top three signs of financial stability. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen thousands of different financial situations—good and bad. These three signs have consistently been apparent in the good ones. * At least three months’ of expenses saved. An emergency fund. Seems simple enough right? From my experience, it can sometimes take people years to keep that amount in a savings account. You really need to go out of your way to make sure this is a lump sum completely separate from the cash account you use for everyday purchases. Start by just saving one month of expenses first. Work your way up to three as soon as you can. * At least a 20% Power Percentage™. Don’t know your Power Percentage™? Read more about it here or listen to my podcast about it. The quickest and easiest way to bump up your percentage is to increase your retirement contributions. * A clear understanding of your #1 financial goal. In other words, for the next extra dollar that comes into your household, do you have a plan for exactly where it will go? No matter what is happening in your life, keep at least one goal for your finances. Don’t let yourself become stagnant. If you’ve just hit a rough patch, your first goal is to rebuild your emergency fund. If you just paid off a large debt, have a plan for where the extra money will be going now that it’s not going to a monthly payment. I get it, bad stuff will happen, but you cannot let instability set in. Ready to create stability in your life? Make the decision to take these steps today.

M$D: Done. Meet Aurora. Aurora’s main concerns, in her own words: We are a dual income, one child family, who already has a million dollars saved for retirement.  Our emergency fund is only at $26K and we don’t really budget our income (almost $250K).  Should we reduce down our future savings to boost our lifestyle now or work to really budget our money better?? In fairness, we take two nice vacations each year but still feel strapped for cash monthly. Our power percentage is 34% but we’d like to make it higher.  Do you have any thoughts on where to go from here?? We have wills and our son (7) has $85K set aside for college.  

If you’re like most people, you haven’t been able to avoid all the discussion surrounding healthcare in the past few weeks and months. To cut through all the static, I brought on Paul Ashley from First Person Benefit Advisors onto my show to ask the most pressing questions. Since the Affordable Healthcare Act was passed in 2010, Republicans have wanted to repeal and replace it. But what does that mean? What does it look like in our every day life? We talk about the real differences between Obamacare (the ACA) and Trumpcare (the AHCA). No matter where you stand on the political scale, healthcare affects every one of us and it’s important to know what each side believes as well as the reality of each bill in the midst of so much opinionated coverage. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does healthcare cost so much?” or “How are other countries able to have what looks like ‘free’ healthcare?” then this episode is for you. Follow Paul Ashley on Twitter or check out First Person Advisors here.

I’m dedicating this entire episode to Barb! Barb, a wonderful audience member from a speech I gave last week in Michigan, asked the best question I’ve heard in years. What do you do when, 10 to 15 years from retiring, you realize your Power Percentage isn’t where it should be and you aren’t sure if you can turn the ship around?  Whoa. Am I excited to tackle this one. This episode is the turn around episode and we take on more Power Percentage challenges. To answer Barb’s question, I start with diagnosing the problem. How can you truly know you’re struggling? In what area are you struggling? Power Percentage answers this. More often than not, it’s a lifestyle problem. It always boils down to poor financial behavior. You’re either spending too much, in too much debt, or not saving enough. The hard truth is, no matter what caused it, the financial struggle is oftentimes due to your behavior. I know, I know, we all have different situations and circumstances, but if you’re looking at retirement and you aren’t fully prepared, saying, “It’s not my fault” is the same thing as saying, “I can’t fix it.” Look in the mirror and stop lying to yourself. You’re either on a path to retirement or you’re not. There is no “kinda”. That being said, how can you truly fix this? To answer this, I look at a couple case studies. Overall, I break it down in a few steps: * Figure out exactly how much they need to pay per month to make sure their mortgage is completely paid off by retirement. * Immediately crank up your Power Percentage by increasing your retirement contributions. No excuses. At this point, you’re probably asking, “Where is the money for this supposed to come from?” And this is where I get real with you. The reason you’re in a tough spot is because you’ve let other priorities move ahead of retirement. So should you live a rough life just to retire successfully? The answer is YES. We are talking about putting away enough money to survive without your income. If this sounds terrifying, it’s because it is. * Never absorb a pay raise again. Put your raise directly toward your retirement fund. * After these steps, it comes down to slimming down your lifestyle (i.e. cutting vacations, dining out less, downsizing your home, etc.) Feeling a reality check coming on? Watch the episode on PTPTV and share with someone else who needs a reality check.