Afford Anything

Afford Anything

You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life. How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles? On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing. But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think. In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models. Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.

Episodes

The Surprising Science of Six-Figure Thinking

April 25, 2025 • 66 mins
#602: Ever looked back at an old Facebook post and cringed? According to Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic, that discomfort is evidence of something powerful: your personality has changed, even if you didn't notice it happening. In our latest episode, Khazan, who recently wrote a book on the science of personality change, breaks down how our personalities aren't fixed traits but flexible characteristics we can intentionall...
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Q&A: The Stock Market Sucks. Is Private Equity Any Better?

April 22, 2025 • 56 mins
#601: Nick and his wife have $100,000 to invest, but they’re worried about the volatility of the current stock market. Should they look into alternative investments such as private equity? Even though Roth IRAs come with tax-free withdrawals in retirement, Josh is worried about his tax bracket going up and neutralizing the benefits. Is he right to be concerned? The retirement portion of Cindy’s financial three-legged stool is set...
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Mini-Retirements Are the New Early Retirement – with Mom of Six, Jillian Johnsrud

April 18, 2025 • 103 mins
#600: Jillian Johnsrud was falling apart. After suffering a miscarriage, she couldn't pull herself together to return to her job as a youth pastor in DC. She decided to take a month off. That unexpected break became Jillian's first "mini-retirement" — a deliberate step away from work for at least 30 days to focus on something meaningful.  Today, Jillian is a mom of six who has taken more than a dozen mini-retirements with her kid...
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Q&A: Retirement Math That Actually Works; Cashing In on the World Cup; and Why Your Parents' Housing Advice Is Wrong

April 15, 2025 • 78 mins
#599: Becky and her husband are about to semi-retire. But the four percent retirement withdrawal rule doesn’t make sense for them. Are there other financial frameworks they should explore? Kris is excited about a potential boost in local real estate values when the World Cup comes to town. Will this have any significant impacts on his property?  Peyton’s parents are pressuring her to buy a house, but she’s worried this will cripp...
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Tax Strategies You Might Be Missing, with Natalie Kolodij

April 11, 2025 • 91 mins
#598: Tax day is approaching, and if you're like most people, you might be overlooking deductions that could save you money. In our latest podcast episode, tax strategist Natalie Kolodij joins us to reveal common tax misconceptions and share strategies that could potentially lower your tax bill. "The tax code is 70,000 pages," Natalie explains. "There's so much. So I really like to have people focus on a handful of things to be m...
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Are We Heading for a Recession?, with Bob Elliott, former Head of Ray Dalio’s Investment Team at World's Largest Hedge Fund

April 8, 2025 • 87 mins
#597: A recession is coming, and it might be worse than most people expect. That's the sobering assessment from Bob Elliott, former Head of Ray Dalio's Investment Team at Bridgewater Associates, when he joins us on the podcast. Bob explains that several economic factors are converging to create challenging conditions. The combination of current trade policies, persistent inflation issues, and a Federal Reserve that's constrained i...
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First Friday: Tariffs Grab Headlines, But These Financial Changes Nobody Is Talking About Will Impact You Too

April 4, 2025 • 59 mins
#596: Yesterday, the White House rolled out the biggest tariffs in a century, sending markets into their worst decline since the pandemic. While headlines focus on supply chains and inflation, there are important economic stories you're not hearing about. During the first half of this month's First Friday episode, we dig into what nobody's talking about. And in the second half, we grapple with the headlines. Student loan rules ju...
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Q&A: The Scary Shift from Saving to — Gulp! — Actually Spending Your Money

April 1, 2025 • 65 mins
#595: Eva is finally closing in on her financial independence goals, but she’s grappling with how to make a smooth transition from accumulation to decumulation. What should she consider? John has noticed a game-changing omission from recent discussions about traditional versus Roth IRAs. Is this as big of a deal as he thinks it is? An anonymous caller is excited to convert his primary residence into a rental property. But he’ll o...
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How to Travel on $75 Per Day, with Nomadic Matt Kepnes

March 28, 2025 • 75 mins
#594: Ever wonder if you could afford to travel for months at a time? According to Nomadic Matt, who's visited more than 100 countries over the last 19 years, you can see the world on just $75 a day. That's about $27,375 per year, less than many people's current cost of living. Matt Kepnes, better known as Nomadic Matt, joins us to challenge common assumptions about travel costs. He explains that long-term travel can actually be c...
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Q&A: You Made a Money Mistake. Now What?

March 25, 2025 • 61 mins
#593: An anonymous caller is brooding over a mistake he made in 2023 when he decided to contribute to his Roth instead of a pre-tax account. How does he get over this? June is annoyed that she triggered short-term capital gains and wash sales when she sold assets in her taxable brokerage last year. How does she avoid these issues in the future? Zerai wants to add mid and small-cap exposure, but his 457 plan has a limited selectio...
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Why Your Brain Rewards You for Avoiding Your Boss, with Dr. Joel Salinas

March 21, 2025 • 88 mins
#592: Ever wonder what's happening in your brain right before you knock on your boss's door to ask for a raise? Dr. Joel Salinas, neurologist and brain health expert, joins us to explain the neurology of negotiation. When you avoid difficult conversations, your brain actually rewards you with a small dopamine hit. That temporary relief feels good, reinforcing the avoidance behavior. But Dr. Salinas explains this creates a proble...
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The Hidden Tax of Avoiding Tough Conversations, with Harvard Law Senior Fellow Bob Bordone

March 18, 2025 • 109 mins
#591: Imagine you're about to ask your boss for a raise. Your stomach tightens. You've rehearsed what to say, but doubt creeps in. Should you be more assertive? More understanding of company constraints? Bob Bordone, who has taught negotiation for 25 years including 21 years at Harvard Law School, joins us to explain why you don't have to choose between empathy and assertiveness. In fact, combining them is key to successful negoti...
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Small Cap Showdown! Paul Merriman vs. Dr. Karsten Jeske Battle … with Millions Hanging in the Balance

March 14, 2025 • 115 mins
#590: In the left corner, we have Paul Merriman, the seasoned finance veteran weighing in at 183 pounds. In the right corner, Dr. Karsten Jeske, the scrappy newcomer at 208 pounds. The bell rings, and the small cap value debate begins. This episode features a financial boxing match between two investment heavyweights with dramatically different perspectives. Paul Merriman champions diversification through the efficient frontier, w...
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Q&A: How Much Risk Should My Mom Take in Retirement?

March 11, 2025 • 56 mins
#589: Kimmy is worried that her mom’s retirement portfolio is invested too conservatively. Is she right to advise her to take on more risk? Peyton has heard the financial advice about staying away from Whole Life Insurance as an investment, but what about as a savings account for children? Is there good a use case for this? Jeff and his wife are in a great financial position, but they fear that their retirement savings are too he...
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First Friday: The Economic Maze We're Navigating Together

March 7, 2025 • 36 mins
#588: Jobs are growing, interest rates are holding, and your student loan options just hit pause. Welcome to this month's economic rollercoaster. The economy is sending mixed messages this month. We added 151,000 new jobs in February, slightly better than January's 143,000. But unemployment ticked up to 4.1 percent. Health care is booming (52,000 new jobs). Restaurants and bars? They're hurting (lost 27,500 jobs). Federal governm...
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Q&A: Should You Cash Out Your ETFs? The Hidden Consequences of That Decision …

March 4, 2025 • 67 mins
#587: Debi is stressed about saving a down payment to buy a house in her high-cost-of-living area. Should she cash out her brokerage account to speed up the process? Lucas and his wife are high earners, but they’re tired and ready for a change. What strategies can they use to maximize their investments and confidently step away from their jobs? Grant is thrown off by recent discussions about the efficient frontier. It sounds a lo...
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Money Doubles Every 10 Years (and Most People Never Notice!), with Scott Yamamura

February 28, 2025 • 75 mins
#586: If you are a complete beginner at finances, or if you know someone who is, this episode is for you. The biggest hurdle for beginners? Money seems complex and intimidating. But Scott Yamamura, author of Financial Epiphany, explains personal finance doesn't have to be complicated. He breaks compound interest into three easy-to-grasp frameworks: Money as a Multiplying Ability: Just like athletes have peak physical abilities ...
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Q&A: The Hidden Tax Drain in Your Investment Strategy

February 25, 2025 • 55 mins
#585: Michael rebalances his portfolio every year. But he’s worried that triggering capital gains taxes on his brokerage account will cancel out the benefits of reallocation. Is there a better approach? Sam has an opportunity to switch jobs, but she’s confused about how an Employee Stock Ownership Plan stacks against her current employer’s 401(k). Is she getting a good offer? Carlos is excited about early retirement in Brazil, b...
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Sahil Bloom: Which of the Five Wealth Types Are You Neglecting?

February 21, 2025 • 82 mins
#584: Think about how you spend an average day. Would the 10-year-old version of yourself be impressed? What about the 90-year-old version? These two powerful questions frame our conversation with Sahil Bloom, founder and managing partner of an early-stage venture fund with investments in over 60 startups and author of The Curiosity Chronicle, a newsletter that reaches more than a million readers worldwide. Sahil shares the story...
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Q&A: Everyone Is Arguing About Roth IRAs And We Have Thoughts

February 18, 2025 • 67 mins
#583: Contrary to recent discussions, Jesse has concluded that a traditional IRA is the smarter way to go for most people once marginal tax rates are factored in. Is he missing something?   An anonymous caller is four years away from early retirement but she’s unsure if her portfolio allocations are in the right place. How and when should she start converting equities to cash? Luz is confused about how to handle company stock opt...
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