The Stacking Benjamins Show

What actually separates people who build lasting wealth from everyone else? Not the tips. Not the apps. The habits. Joe put the question to a panel of financial planners, coaches, and bloggers -- and turned it into a game. Seven habits, three rounds, two points up for grabs. Monica Scudieri, who paid off $257,000 in debt and reached financial independence in 10 years, joined OG and Jesse Cramer to find out how well the conventional wisdom matches what actually works.
What You'll Walk Away With
The seven millionaire habits Kiplinger identified -- and which ones the panel nailed, missed, and argued about
Why continuously educating yourself about money remains one of the highest-leverage habits at any income level
The networking truth wealthy people understand that most people don't -- and why "who not how" changes everything about how you approach your career and finances
Monica's story: how she turned a divorce, $257,000 in debt, and three rounds of unemployment into financial independence in a decade
Why living below your means isn't about deprivation -- it's about creating the margin that makes every other habit possible
The pay yourself first argument that actually holds up when your budget is genuinely tight
Why OG thinks waking up early is the worst advice in personal finance -- and what he thinks actually matters instead
The book recommendations that shaped each panelist's financial philosophy -- including a deep dive on why passive investing still wins
Why diversifying your income streams landed on the millionaire habits list -- and what that looks like in practice
The complete list of seven habits, revealed at the end -- including the two the panel never guessed
Why This Matters Now
Millionaire habits get discussed constantly and followed inconsistently. The gap isn't usually knowledge -- it's the unsexy reality that these habits have to run in the background for years before the results become visible. This roundtable is worth listening to not because the list is surprising, but because the people talking about it have actually lived it.
From the Basement
Joe, OG, Jesse Cramer, and Monica Scudieri from Grab Your Slice play two rounds of the millionaire habits game while the year-long trivia competition quietly shifts -- Monica guesses closest on a 1940 McDonald's complete meal price and earns Paula Pant's first point in a while. OG extends his lead. Jesse goes 0 for the day and seems fine about it. Doug intervenes on the trivia question to add a milkshake, which turns out to be decisive.
Resources Mentioned
Grab Your Slice of Financial Independence by Monica Scudieri -- available wherever books are sold
Monica Scudieri financial coaching -- schedule a free 30-minute call at grabyourslice.com
Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors -- Jesse Cramer's podcast, wherever you listen; upcoming two-part series on the 14 risks retirees face
Automatic Wealth by Michael Masterson -- recommended by Monica as her foundational book
A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel -- recommended by Jesse
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and Essentialism by Greg McKeown -- recommended by OG
The Truth About Money by Ric Edelman -- recommended by Joe
Networking With the Affluent by Dr. Thomas Stanley -- referenced in discussion
Stacking Benjamins Vault -- stackingbenjamins.com/vault
Stacking Benjamins Community -- stackingbenjamins.com/basement
Stacking Benjamins "Benjamins After Dark" Meetups -- stackingbenjamins.com/BAD

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Thirty years ago Beth Kobliner wrote the book that a generation of financial planners handed to their clients' kids. The core advice still holds. But the world around it has changed dramatically -- frictionless spending, gambling apps disguised as investment platforms, and a housing market where the average first-time buyer is now 40. Beth comes back to the basement with an updated edition of Get a Financial Life and a clear-eyed take on what's harder now, what's easier, and what was always just common sense.
What You'll Walk Away With
Why the shift to invisible, frictionless money has made spending harder to track -- and the two-week experiment that fixes it without turning into a second job
The yours, mine, and ours account system for couples where one person saves and one person spends -- and why autonomy is the key to avoiding money resentment
Why putting a price tag on your goals changes your spending behavior more than any budget ever will
The biggest mistake first-time home buyers make right now -- and the math on why a 10% down payment often beats waiting for 20%
Used versus new car: the $20,000 gap that makes the decision simple -- and the negotiation script that puts you in control at the dealership
Student loan reality check for 2026 -- what's changing by July, where to run the numbers, and who qualifies for public service loan forgiveness now that it's actually working
Why paying off a 22% credit card is mathematically equivalent to earning 22% guaranteed -- and what that means for how you prioritize your money
The gambling platform statistic that should alarm every parent of a 20-something: 25% of Gen Z and millennials consider online gambling an investment
The annuity conversation most advisors won't have honestly -- what they're actually selling, what the fees really cover, and the two use cases where they might actually make sense
Why an annuity inside an IRA is, in OG's words, an abomination -- and the three questions to ask before signing anything
Why This Matters Now
Whether you're in your 40s and wishing you'd read this at 22, or you're handing it to someone who just graduated, the fundamentals Beth laid out three decades ago are still the fastest path to financial stability. What's changed is the noise around them -- and the sophistication of the products and platforms designed to get in the way.
From the Basement
Beth Kobliner joins Joe and OG to walk through the 30th anniversary edition of Get a Financial Life -- covering homes, cars, student loans, debt, and the new financial traps that didn't exist in 1996. The headline segment digs into a CNBC piece on why retirees are thinking about annuities wrong, which turns into one of the more honest annuity conversations the basement has had. Doug arrives with Spice Girls trivia that everyone over 35 finds embarrassingly easy. The meatloaf debate breaks out at the end and resolves nothing.
Resources Mentioned
Get a Financial Life by Beth Kobliner -- 30th anniversary edition available wherever books are sold
Beth Kobliner -- bethkobliner.com
studentaid.gov -- loan simulator and repayment plan options
Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book -- invoice price research before car negotiations; edmunds.com, kbb.com
CARFAX -- used car history reports; carfax.com
Carvana, Autotrader, CarGurus -- used car shopping platforms
CNBC annuities article by Greg Iacurci -- linked at stackingbenjamins.com
JP Morgan Guide to the Markets -- referenced in discussion; search "JP Morgan Guide to the Markets"
Stacking Benjamins Newsletter (The 201) -- stackingbenjamins.com/201
Stacking Benjamins Vault -- stackingbenjamins.com/vault
Stacking Benjamins Meetups -- stackingbenjamins.com/meetup
Stacking Benjamins Community -- stackingbenjamins.com/basement

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A new study just confirmed what most people in their 40s already feel but rarely say out loud: running out of money is scarier than death. Gen X is leading that number at 73% -- and the reasons why make a lot of sense when you look at what that generation is actually navigating. No pensions. Rising costs. Longer retirements. Markets that never seem to settle. Joe, OG, and Len Penzo dig into the data, the psychology, and the practical steps that actually move the needle.
What You'll Walk Away With
Why Gen X is more worried about retirement than either baby boomers or millennials -- and the pension gap that explains most of it
The Social Security stress test OG recommends for every retirement plan -- and why neither he nor Len think it's going away
Why checking your portfolio every time the market drops is one of the most expensive habits a long-term investor can have
The automation argument that cuts through the discipline myth -- and why your systems matter far more than your willpower
Why the debt normalization shift that happened sometime in the late 1970s is still costing people their retirement today
The three-layer retirement income framework OG and Anna walk through -- Social Security, pensions and annuities, and investment withdrawals -- and how to find your gap number
The 4% rule explained in plain math -- including the inflation adjustment most people skip and why it matters enormously
What sequence of return risk actually means in practice -- and the floor strategy that keeps you from panic-selling at exactly the wrong moment
Why running out of money in retirement is mostly a planning problem, not a math problem -- and what that distinction changes
The ongoing battle to name OG and Anna's financial basics segment -- and why "The Financial Dwarves with Happy and Grumpy" didn't make the cut
Why This Matters Now
If you're in your 40s and that 67% statistic landed somewhere uncomfortable, you're not behind -- you're paying attention. The gap between fear and a plan is smaller than most people think, and this episode maps it out in terms you can actually act on this week. The math is real, the tools exist, and the biggest obstacle for most people isn't knowledge. It's starting.
From the Basement
Joe, OG, and Len Penzo dig into a sobering Investment News study on retirement fears before OG and Anna kick off season two of their financial basics series with a full retirement income planning walkthrough -- complete with a guidebook you can download and follow along. Doug arrives with Festivus trivia that everyone over 40 finds insultingly easy. The segment naming debate continues with no resolution in sight, though The Study and The Financial Dwarves with Happy and Grumpy both made spirited cases.
Resources Mentioned
Len Penzo -- lenpenzo.com; book: True Money Stories on Amazon
JP Morgan Guide to the Markets -- search "JP Morgan Guide to the Markets" for monthly market data
SSA.gov -- Social Security earnings history and benefit projections
Stacking Benjamins Basics Guide -- season one and season two workbooks free at stackingbenjamins.com/basicsguide
Stacking Benjamins Vault -- stackingbenjamins.com/vault
Stacking Benjamins Community -- stackingbenjamins.com/basement
FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/Why-Americans-Fear-Running-Out-of-Money-in-Retirement-More-Than-Dying-1840
Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201

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Ever spend an entire afternoon trying to save 38 cents… while completely ignoring the $10 decision sitting right in front of you?
Yeah. We’ve all been there.
In today’s roundtable, we’re diving into the money habits that actually build wealth, and the ones that just make you feel productive while your financial progress spins its wheels. From lifestyle inflation to automated savings to the tiny “money hacks” people obsess over, this episode is all about separating the moves that matter from the stuff that just wastes your time.
And trust us… the conversation goes everywhere in the best possible way.
Joe teams up with Len Penzo and the mysterious Mrs. Adventure Rich for a fast-moving discussion about:
Why automating your savings beats relying on “discipline”
The sneaky danger of lifestyle inflation after every raise
Whether investing spare change is brilliant… or basically pointless
The financial habits that create real momentum
Why focusing on tiny wins can sometimes cost you bigger victories
The retirement risks most people completely overlook
Inflation’s hidden effect on your future lifestyle
Whether the 4% rule still holds up
How to stay motivated when your financial goals feel far away
Why you should start “living retirement” now instead of waiting decades
Of course, because this is the basement:
Doug shows up in yoga pants and Ugg boots
Len reveals his long-range financial “strategic plan”
Joe and Len turn into old men reminiscing about dime Slurpees
Somebody compares grocery shopping to psychological warfare
And there’s at least one discussion involving sandwiches that goes completely off the rails
What makes this conversation especially interesting? About halfway through, you’ll realize this discussion originally happened years ago… and somehow every single topic still feels ripped from today’s headlines. Different year. Same money traps. Same smart moves. Same need for a financial plan that actually works in real life.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re spending too much energy on the wrong financial goals—or you just want smarter ways to make progress without making yourself miserable—this episode belongs in your playlist today.
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Getting to your first $25,000 saved is harder than anything that comes after it. Not because the math is complicated -- because the habits aren't built yet, the fixed expenses are already set, and the standard advice about cutting small treats completely misses where the real leverage is. Scott Trench, VP of Operations at BiggerPockets and author of Set for Life, brings a roadmap that challenges almost everything you've heard about getting started -- and it begins with a decision most people aren't willing to make.
What You'll Walk Away With
Why the first $25,000 is the hardest milestone -- and why cutting lattes and happy hours won't get you there
The three budget categories that actually matter -- and why they account for two thirds of what most people spend
Why saving your next $1,000 is more valuable than earning your next $1,000 -- and the tax math that proves it
The house hacking strategy that can eliminate your largest monthly expense entirely -- even if you never want to be a full-time landlord
Why stocks are less risky than bonds for long-term investors -- and the age-based argument Scott makes that most people miss
The counterintuitive case for spending more on fun -- once you've handled the big fixed expenses first
Why developing a specialty may actually be riskier than being adaptable -- and what that means for your career strategy
The retirement account trap that catches early savers off guard -- and when maxing out isn't the right first move
How to actually vet a financial advisor before handing over your money -- and why the problem is often as much the client as the advisor
Why international stocks belong in your portfolio even when they've underperformed -- and the rebalancing math that changes the picture
Why This Matters Now
This conversation was originally recorded years ago, but it was pulled from the vault for a reason: saving that first $25,000 feels harder today than it did then. Costs are higher, decisions feel riskier, and it's easier than ever to feel stuck before you even get started. The core framework Scott lays out hasn't changed -- and if anything, it applies more directly now than when it was first recorded.
From the Basement
Scott Trench joins Joe and OG to walk through the early chapters of Set for Life -- the ones that challenge conventional saving wisdom before getting into the real estate strategy BiggerPockets is known for. The headline segment takes on a Bloomberg piece about bad financial advisors and a lawsuit against American Funds, and OG gets considerably more animated than usual about both. Doug arrives with muni bond trivia that turns out to be exactly as straightforward as it sounds -- which is either reassuring or anticlimactic depending on your expectations.
Resources Mentioned
Set for Life by Scott Trench -- biggerpockets.com/setforlife
The Truth About Money by Ric Edelman -- referenced by Joe as a foundational personal finance read
FINRA BrokerCheck -- finra.org/brokercheck; referenced for vetting financial advisors
Stacking Benjamins Scorecard -- stackingbenjamins.com/scorecard
Stacking Benjamins Vault -- stackingbenjamins.com/vault
Stacking Benjamins Community -- stackingbenjamins.com/basement

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