Subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and new episodes will show up every week!

Never subscribed to a podcast before? Here’s Apple’s fantastic tutorial.

Our launch week festivities continue! Today we debut the middle portion of our podcast: our contributors!

PK from DQYDJ.net has been with us since episode one. You’re going to come to appreciate his obscure references, spot-on tie ins, biting humor and overall good advice. PK will appear on most episodes of Stacking Benjamins.

Kathryn is the Makin’ Sense Babe and is new to the podcast! Her criteria for joining? She said, “I’d totally party with you guys.” I saw one of her videos and couldn’t stop laughing. If anybody had a more bizarre sense of humor than OG & I, I had to ask them to be on the show.

My mom’s neighbor Doug handles trivia segments and end credits. He’s appeared on three 2 Guys & Your Money episodes.

Enjoy the show!

AWESOME STACK OF SHOW NOTES

> Open

> Show affiliate link: Hotels.com - up to 50% on published rates

> Stat of the Week! – 92% of people surveyed don’t believe there’s anything to worry about in the market this summer AND don’t think interest rates are a problem.

> PK’s Fractional Sense – Introduction to PK

> Doug – Trivia Question

> Makin’ Sense Babe – The REAL Reason People Go To College

> Doug – Trivia Answer

> End Show

The post Why People REALLY Go To College – Stacking Benjamins Podcast Episode #2 appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Shannon Ryan joined us to kick off the new Stacking Benjamins podcast yesterday, and we received a ton of great feedback and requests to “get this in writing.” So, we owe a big thank you to Shannon, who sent over her tips for us. If you missed the podcast, here are some great tips to help kids learn about money. Enjoy!

The post Summer Money Activities for Kids appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Subscribe to the podcast through iTunes and new episodes will show up every week!

Never subscribed to a podcast before? Here’s Apple’s fantastic tutorial.

The Stacking Benjamins website isn’t yet ready, but the first episode of our new podcast is complete and hot off the grill! THE Shannon Ryan from The Heavy Purse joins us in the basement to talk about educating children about money. Not looking forward to bored kids this summer? You’re in luck. Shannon’s brought some great tips that we know you’re gonna love.

This week we’ll have new shows for you Monday, Wednesday and Friday to celebrate the launch of Stacking Benjamins! I’m incredibly glad you’re listening. Make sure and do us two favors, if possible:

1) Chat about the new show on social media.

2) Write a review for iTunes.

Why am I asking? While most of the time I like reviews but won’t ask for them, the next few weeks are important. If we have enough listeners in the first week AND we garner enough reviews, we may land a spot on iTunes New & Notable section, and that helps our show marketing tremendously.

Coming later this week:

Wednesday – We introduce PK from DQYDJ (wait till you hear his new intro….) and Kathryn, the Makin’ Sense Babe. Also we have a couple stats from Bank of America that are worth talking about.

Friday – Len Penzo and Dominique Brown make their debut on Stacking Benjamins by interviewing each other about their values, financial goals and money habits. Joe & OG discuss movies for the first time on the new show.

And now….show notes!

THE OFFICIAL STACKING BENJAMIN SHOW NOTES (insert your own fanfare HERE)

<> Open

<> Show affiliate: Expedia.com

<> The Stacking Benjamins Manifesto: There is only one route to wealth.

<> Interview: Shannon Ryan from The Heavy Purse – 5 Steps To Teach Kids About Money This Summer

Shannon Ryan shares some cool tips to make your summer easier.

Shannon Ryan is a CFP who believes strongly in the value of financial education. We’re glad she could visit the basement to share some not-so-obvious tips. These hints will make the summer easier for you as a parent and more fun for children.

Don’t have children? Check out these tips anyway. Shannon’s approach is familiar because she’s teaching kids early the same skills that many adults struggle to internalize.

Link to Shannon’s book The Heavy Purse & her Money Club workbooks.

<> End Show

The post Teaching Children About Money – Stacking Benjamins Episode #1 appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Memorial Day is right around the corner. Have you started planning your summer vacations yet?

Do you take a family vacation every year? Where do you typically go and how much does it cost you? What if I told you that you that for the same amount of money (or less), I could teach you how to go somewhere nicer or do more at that vacation spot you love. Yes, it is possible. Let’s check out the list!

My 5 “Not So Obvious” Family Vacation Tips

1) Stop Planning – I know, it almost sounds counterintuitive to what you should do to save money on your vacation. Typically, you’re taught to plan where you’re going in advance because if you wait until the last minute, everything will be much more expensive. While this is still the case for some items, there are benefits to waiting before choosing your exact destination. Websites such as TravelZoo or CheapCaribbean offer last minute deals on all-inclusive getaways and cruises all over the world. I once saw a weeklong trip to Aruba for only $800, which included the flight, the hotel stay, some events, and all of the food! Sometimes it pays to wait.

2) Stay Connected to Your Friends – With the help of Facebook, it’s pretty easy to stay connected to your friends today. And, since our world is becoming so globalized, your friends will most likely move to all corners of the world. While this may be tough to deal with at first (since you no longer get to see your friends every day), it provides a great reason to visit a new area on the globe and to do it for cheap (since you’ll be staying with your friend)! Just offer to pay for their food for the week and it’s suddenly a win-win situation.

3) Buy Groceries, Not Fine Dining – The purpose of your vacation is most likely to explore a new area that you’ve never experienced, not to eat at a chain restaurant that is prevalent in your own hometown. With a week-long vacation, it is much cheaper to go to the grocery store at the beginning of the trip than to eat out for every meal. This small tip could very easily save you $200-$400!

4) Learn From the Locals – No matter where you’re vacationing to, there will be “must see” attractions that are sent your way which aren’t really that great of an experience. Unfortunately, you won’t know this until your money is already spent! Do your due-diligence on this one and try to learn from the locals. Find a blog about local fun or connect with a friend or a friend that can give you some quick tips on what to see. Often times, the best attractions are the ones that are free!

5) Explore, Then Do – For many of us, when we go on vacation we feel like we have to hurry up and do as much as we can, but this is no way to vacation at all. Once you finally get home, you’re more exhausted than when you left, and you’re way poorer than you expected too! Instead of charging forward and doing a bunch of activities that are presented to you that first day, take it easy and go for a stroll around the city. Make a mental note of what you’d like to do and see. Not only will you enjoy yourself more, but you’ll have save some of that money in your pocket.

How do you save money on family vacations without skimping on fun? Let’s share notes in the comments below….

Photo: Stevendepolo

The post 5 Surprising Tips to Supersize Your Family Vacation appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

All of us know that we’re supposed to have a cash reserve right? There are always going to be emergencies that come along that we didn’t expect, and that’s when our cash reserve is the most important. So, why is it that many of us struggle to even have a comma in our cash reserve? We’ve gone through our whole lives attempting to save, but we don’t even have a thousand bucks in cash. Here are five reasons why your cash reserve might not be working.

1) It’s Too Accessible – Many of us are just trying to beef up our checking account and keeping our emergency money in with the funds we use to pay bills. When you do this, it’s just way too easy to dip into your cash reserve. Instead, you need a completely separate account that you can’t spend with a debit card. If you really need to use the money, you’ll have to make a transfer either online or at the bank. This small barrier will help keep your reserve safe.

2) Not Enough Flexibility in Your Cash Flow – One of the biggest reasons we dip into our cash reserves is because we don’t have enough cash flow from month to month. Money is so tight that the slightest unexpected expense leads us into our reserve. To ensure that your cash fund doesn’t go anywhere, you need to reduce your monthly expenses.

3) Too Much Instant Gratification – We live in a world where everyone expects to get what they want right now! I urge you not to be that person. Most of the time, what we want and what we need are two totally separate things. If you don’t need that special something and you’re going to have to dip into your reserve to get it, just don’t buy it! I know it can be tough to walk away, but there are always deals to be had elsewhere.

4) You’re Feeling Rich, Time to Spend – Everyone has their number where they start to feel wealthy. For some, this is $1,000. For others, it’s $10,000. When their cash reserve reaches “their number”, they suddenly feel like they are rich and can afford to spend some money, rather than just leave it in their account for a rainy day. My friends recently did this when looking for a car. Initially, they were only going to spend $6,000, but when their cash reserve kept growing and growing, so did their “need” to have an expensive car! All of the sudden, they spent $13k on a car rather than their initial plan of $6k. Now they’re feeling tight with money. Go figure.

5) No Incentive to Keep It There – Saving money is honestly pretty boring. When you put that money into a savings account, it probably earns 0.05% interest, which equates to a few bucks a year. Your savings don’t have to earn such a low amount though. There are some banks out there that will pay more than 1.0% for your savings, and if you have the will-power to have your reserves in your checking account, you could earn more than 3% at some credit unions. Getting $20 or more per month is way more fun than a dollar or two.

The post 5 Reasons Your Cash Reserve Isn’t Working appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Have shows come automatically to your iPod! Use the 2 Guys iTunes page here.

Listen to shows on your smartphone! Try the Stitcher app here

Want to listen at your computer later? Right click the podcast and save the file to your desktop.

Wondering WHY  your budget, money and investments aren’t performing as well as they should? We have the answers on this week’s show. Also, we welcome the Makin’SenseBabe to the show, as she joins Dominique Brown and Len Penzo to discuss people who place restrictions on estates….you know those people who say “You can’t inherit my money unless you quit smoking….OR…..you can’t have the cash until you finish college….” Is that wrong? Should people do that with their money?

We discuss the new Stacking Benjamin’s podcast and how to subscribe next week to the new show AND we share our feelings about Iron Man 3…and much much more.

Just for fun, check out our brand spankin’ new logo:

As always, these notes will fill in during the day on Monday.

Podcast Show Notes

<> Open

<> Stat of the Week: 37% of people say they can reach their retirement goal without using stocks.

<> Shortwave: Ruling your inheritor’s lives after you’ve died. Should you?

<> Top 5 Money Management Systems

<> End Show

Iron Man 3 (Both Joe & OG saw it this week!)

(OG & Joe both…thumb sideways)

Stacking Benjamins notes

- New Feed Next Week

- 3 Shows During First Week (Mon/Wed/Fri)

- Please give us a review on iTunes and use social media to share the new podcast!

The post Systems for Better Money Management – 2 Guys & Your Money #40 appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Mother’s Day is almost here. Did you buy flowers? Plan something special? Remember that Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun…it needs to be personal and warm. If you think that expensive equals expensive and warm, I’d say that….yes…..you’ve drank the consumerism Kool-Aid.

This was too good to pass up. Here are some surprising Mother’s Day facts that you can share with the family (I recommend the ones about sex….follow up that conversation with religion and politics…..).

Enjoy!

Infographic brought to you by: Rather-Be-Shopping.com

What’s your favorite Mother’s Day memory?

The post Surprising Mother’s Day Facts appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Every year I meet a couple people who tell me “I forgot to file my taxes.” How do you forget to file???? Here’s the steps to make it all right with the government.

Did you file your taxes this year? Did you know that nearly 10 million U.S. citizens fail to file by April 15^th each year? Some avoid filing on purpose, but many just plain forget. So don’t worry. If it slipped your mind, you’re not alone.

If you still have yet to calculate your refund/payment, do this immediately. Even though you’re late, the process is still the same. Get the appropriate forms and gather all of your tax information and either head to your accountant or calculate your taxes yourself (whatever it is that you typically do). Once you know whether you owe money into the government or if you’re getting a refund, you can take the next steps to file.

What Is The Penalty?

For most of us, we plan on receiving a refund each year. Some of us even plan on getting as much back at $4,000 or more. This shouldn’t really be your goal since you’re basically allowing the government to use your extra money interest free, but that rant is for another article I suppose. If you have always received some money back each year, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about for filing late. There is no penalty. I was actually surprised to learn this, but it makes complete sense. Why should the government charge you if they just get to keep your money a little longer. In fact, they would probably rather that you never filed your taxes!

If, however, you typically owe money into the government each year, then you will most likely have to pay in a little extra for your late payment. There are three types of penalties that you’ll have to pay: Failure to File Penalty, Failure to Pay Penalty, and Interest.

Failure to File Penalty

This penalty occurs because you did not file your taxes by the deadline and you owe money to the government. The amount of money you owe depends on how late you are to file. If you’re a month late, then you owe and additional 5% on top of what you already owe. For each month that it’s late, you have to add an additional 5%, up to a maximum penalty of 25% (if you’re 5 months late or more).

Failure to Pay Penalty

This penalty occurs when you file, but you just don’t pay the amount you owe. The penalty is 0.5% for each month that you have still not paid in full. There is not maximum penalty, so it’s definitely best to pay the full amount as quickly as you can.

Interest

In addition to the traditional penalties, the government also want’s the money back with interest. While this amount changes all the time, it is currently set at 3% interest per year, but it is calculated based on every day that your return/payment is late. Again, it’s best to pay this sooner rather than later.

Basically, to sum it up, if the government owes you money, you have nothing to worry about. Just file your taxes and you’ll receive your check shortly, with no penalty. If you owe money in, then you’ll have to pay quite a few penalties. So, rather than play the “wait and see” game, you should calculate your taxes and file them as soon as possible.

Photo: 401(k) 2013

The post I Forgot To File My Taxes appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Only one episode left! Man, are we excited for the launch of Stacking Benjamins on May 20th.

On this episode we kick guests to the curb to gift you with another of our famous Top 5 lists: The Top 5 Most Overrated Investments. PK discusses inflation. We give a lucky listener a copy of Jean Chatzky’s Money 911. Of course, we top it all off by talking about the movies we saw this week.

As always, more detailed show notes will appear here during the day on Monday.

Show Notes:

<> Open

<> Stat of the day: New Study….Money DOES make you happier.

<> PK’s Fractional Sense: Inflation in your portfolio

<> Let’s Give Something Away: Jean Chatzky’s Money 911 is going to a lucky listener this week.

<> Top 5 Most Overrated Investments

<> Movies:

OG “Unforgiven”

Joe “42″

The post The Most Overrated Investments – 2 Guys & Your Money #39 appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.

Before working from home, I spent a ton of time in the car and could justify XM Radio. After a long day on the road, I wanted good television or a movie available on a whim. That led me to investigate Netflix and finally sign up. At that point, I had two subscriptions monthly: XM and Netflix.

That was just the beginning.

I love the Tour de France, so when changing my cable over to dish, I signed up for a premium package. At the time I felt lucky. The total number of channels I was about to receive dwarved the cable lineup and the price stayed exactly the same. Bonus!

Oh, but I wasn’t done.

We’re Detroit Tiger baseball fans, so through our Xbox (and its Gold subscription annual fee) we sprung for the MLB Baseball season ticket so we could watch our favorite sports team. Of course, ESPN shows a full slate of sports over my satellite provider, too, also through the Xbox.

In short: I’m wired to the gills…and paying for it.

Paring down my electronics

You may think, “Man, he’s wasting money hand over fist!” In the old days, when I owned my business, nothing could have been further from the truth. Sure, I was spending every month on subscriptions, but I was also able to justify the expense by the large sums of money I was bringing home. Now, as a financial writer, I don’t see that same level of income. I also find that because I’m wired to the internet constantly, my needs have changed. I enjoy reading blogs and perusing Flipboard.

It’s time to cut back.

First, I need a plan. This is the plan:

Satellite

It’s time to broach the subject with Cheryl: I’m investigating options such as Roku, that would allow us to stream channels via the internet over our television. I also have discovered that I can get the Tour de France over the internet. If I’m streaming this event over the internet, I can save tons of money.

Cost of Roku (x2 for two televisions): $160
Cost of Hulu Plus: $8 / mo.

Cost of Tour coverage: $20

Savings from Cutting Satellite: $80 / mo.

Total Savings: (COST of $80 first month, then monthly savings of $72 per month – July, which will be savings of $52)

XM Radio

This is a no-brainer. We have XM in two cars now…we’ll pare it back to a single vehicle. While I can hear the frugalistas yelling, “Get rid of it completely!” I travel too much to do that. We’ll keep it in the car we constantly travel across country in, but dump it in my car. I’ve gone from 45k miles per year in the car to less than 5k, while our primary car has already been driven 55k miles in just over a year.

A holdover from my working days: I have the expanded sports package to hear every sport, rather than the ½ and ½ (they totally rip you on this) in my existing car.

XM Radio Subscription cut savings: ($14.50/mo.)

Total Savings: ($14.50 / mo.)

Netflix:

If you listen to our podcast, you’ll know how much I enjoy movies. I saw 72 films last year alone. However, the disc service isn’t getting the use from me that it once did. Sure, I want it around Oscar time to watch my favorite flicks, but now I can stream videos for a low fee through the iTunes store or Amazon. There’s no need for Netflix on my monthly subscription. I love the original programming and access to older television series available through Netflix, so I’m holding onto that subscription for now:
Cutting to Streaming Only Savings: ($12.00/mo.)

The Big Finale

Total Savings: $98/mo. (except the first month, when I’ll pay $180 for two Roku boxes and July of each year for Tour de France, when I’ll only save $78 on July bill).

Not bad….nearly $1,200 a year and I’m not missing out on any of my entertainment options!

A Giveaway: How About Winning A Great Television?

Nothing helps you streamline all of this media like a quality television. Luckily, I’m part of a big giveaway this month to help you get just that! I know, you can thank me later. However, by spending just a few moments following some good financial blogs on Twitter and liking them on Facebook, you’ll be signed up to win a Samsung UN50EH6000 50-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV!

Check it out:

(That’s an affiliate link, if you’d prefer to just buy one!)

If you’d like cash for annuities, you’ll love the folks who helped us bring this contest to you, by the way. It’s great to have partners to give this stuff away, isn’t it?

The contest ends May 31, so enter quickly!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post My Plan to Save $1,200 by Streamlining Subscriptions AND a Giveaway! appeared first on The Free Financial Advisor.