Today our $Pro, Paula Pant, is going to reframe what it means to be an investor - does investing some money make you an actual investor? And what role should your emotions play when it comes to investing? Paula has broken the shackles of paycheck-dependence and has been sharing her expertise and experience with others on her wildly popular site AffordAnything.com, where she has given a TON of thought to how we should approach personal finance. In this episode, Paula specifically covers 3 pitfalls when it comes to how we think about investing our money: investing vs. being an investor, the natural human tendency of ‘resulting’, and sequence of returns risk. First we will hear from our $Pro and then we unpack her information together!

During this episode we enjoyed a Freshly Picked Citra by Southern Swells Brewing Co which you can find and learn all about on Untappd. A big thanks to Kate from Southern Swells for donating this delicious beer! And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts, Castbox, or wherever you get your podcasts- we’d love to hear from you.

Best friends out!

 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Today our $Pro, Paula Pant, is going to reframe what it means to be an investor - does investing some money make you an actual investor? And what role should your emotions play when it comes to investing? Paula has broken the shackles of paycheck-dependence and has been sharing her expertise and experience with others on her wildly popular site AffordAnything.com, where she has given a TON of thought to how we should approach personal finance. In this episode, Paula specifically covers 3 pitfalls when it comes to how we think about investing our money: investing vs. being an investor, the natural human tendency of ‘resulting’, and sequence of returns risk. First we will hear from our $Pro and then we unpack her information together!During this episode we enjoyed a Freshly Picked Citra by Southern Swells Brewing Co which you can find and learn all about on Untappd. A big thanks to Kate from Southern Swells for donating this delicious beer! And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts, Castbox, or wherever you get your podcasts- we’d love to hear from you.Best friends out! Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

Best friends Joel and Matt are the co-hosts of How to Money which is all about providing the knowledge & tools that normal folks need to thrive in areas like debt payoff, DIY investing, and crucial money tricks that will provide continuous help along your journey. We believe that access to unbiased and jargon-free personal finance guidance is more necessary than ever before. When you handle your money in a purposeful, thoughtful way that works for your lifestyle, you can really start living a rich life.

How to Money

How to Think About Investing with $Pro Paula Pant #056

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/df08f49f-2778-4795-a231-ae3200413e1c/transcript

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week’s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:
$23 apples
Allbirds AI audacity
Returns that are too good to be true
One more year syndrome
ALTs in 401ks
Boycotting college savings
529 flexibility
Horrible HELOCs
Preparing for property taxes increases (check out our review of Ownwell to automatically save)
Gen Z meets credit cards
WSJ finally understanding the ‘craft beer equivalent’
BNPL at Coachella
The annoyance economy

 

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

 

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

Time for a Friday Flight- our little sampling of the week&rsquo;s best financial news and what it means for your personal finances. There are a lot of headlines out there, but we boil them down to specific takeaways that will allow you to kick off the weekend informed and help you to get ahead with your money. In this episode we explain some relevant and helpful stories like:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">$23 apples</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmarkman/2026/04/20/how-39-million-shoe-company-allbirds-turned-in-to-an-ai-company/">Allbirds AI audacity</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.investopedia.com/meet-stretch-michael-saylor-s-new-tool-for-using-bitcoin-to-pay-a-big-dividend-here-s-what-to-know-11921210">Returns that are too good to be true</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-much-money-will-we-need-in-retirement-americans-answer-keeps-growing-110046631.html?">One more year syndrome</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://thealtview.substack.com/p/the-altviews-take-on-industry-propaganda">ALTs in 401ks</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/the-financial-planning-expert-whos-boycotting-529s-for-his-kids-6c3e32fc?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqeC8Gh4IhMfNVMJuvFSbrFnn3gbWzZjnl5iqAGD0pvHx-CFpRtrmlPH5rOciqI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69cdc35c&amp;gaa_sig=6Slr03np_wbb5eSda13Y2y_Jmdob8Fhuq-e3x0W78uRkecZd2vB2Ck8EEYuwfZQ55gR20C0dfUMV_02ekv_smA%3D%3D">Boycotting college savings</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/taxes/republican-tax-bill-529-college-savings-a035f7e7">529 flexibility</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/mortgages/article/helocs-have-changed-homeowners-may-not-like-new-rules-165717049.html?.tsrc=372&amp;ncid=crm_-2049726-20260409-1--A&amp;bt_user_id=WUeoX5mwecK2DaSO/oN8VLvO3xkPCPDioMLjVzMqjhsj2f5vdE98px8sSgKkclEQOoyr8ErgeaNQ4SGJzkfKyPGxNwLefpyFjZ3juw46aAJam9bYG6S7doD31WJfr1vO&amp;bt_ts=1775728995673">Horrible HELOCs</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/your-money/property-taxes-appeals.html?smid=em-share">Preparing for property taxes increases</a> (check out <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/ownwell-review/">our review of Ownwell</a> to automatically save)</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/article/gen-z-is-opening-more-credit-cards-and-seeing-their-credit-scores-drop-154613305.html?.tsrc=372&amp;ncid=crm_-2049726-20260409-1--A&amp;bt_user_id=WUeoX5mwecK2DaSO/oN8VLvO3xkPCPDioMLjVzMqjhsj2f5vdE98px8sSgKkclEQOoyr8ErgeaNQ4SGJzkfKyPGxNwLefpyFjZ3juw46aAJam9bYG6S7doD31WJfr1vO&amp;bt_ts=1775728995673">Gen Z meets credit cards</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/skimp-on-yogurt-splurge-on-skydiving-the-rise-of-the-frugal-rich-44b2e482?st=Nt8VEe&amp;reflink=article_email_share">WSJ finally understanding the &lsquo;craft beer equivalent&rsquo;</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://archive.is/Lbsdu#selection-3305.0-3704.0">BNPL at Coachella</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/business/annoyance-economy-costs.html?">The annoyance economy</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Credit card perks: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/shau19-htmomny">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<li aria-level="1">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

Friday Flight - Allbirds AI Audacity, 529 Flexibility, & Horrific HELOCs #1131

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e6491d04-1650-48b5-b095-b43501571c2d/transcript

The housing market is currently at a massive crossroads, and frankly, the old rules don't seem to apply anymore. We’re seeing a landscape of shifting interest rates, a potential reset in supply, and a level of volatility we haven't seen in decades. That’s exactly why we're going to hear from Dave Meyer - the Chief Investment Officer at BiggerPockets and a grounding voice in real estate data. We’re going to dig into the forces shaping the market right now in 2026, and then zoom out to look at the bigger trends that could influence how we buy homes in the years ahead... both as individuals and as investors. Today we discuss:
Defining “The Great Stall”
More analysis needed before purchasing a home
Factors leading to reduced housing demand
The impact of interest rates
Adjustable rate mortgages gaining in popularity
How investors should approach real estate today
Strategies for getting a 10% discount
Recency bias on homeowners and investors
Rising vacancy
House hacking
And much more!

 

Can’t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Dave: More housing talk on The Real Estate Podcast and On the Market and Dave’s over on Insta too.
Cashback credit cards: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

 

And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

The housing market is currently at a massive crossroads, and frankly, the old rules don't seem to apply anymore. We&rsquo;re seeing a landscape of shifting interest rates, a potential reset in supply, and a level of volatility we haven't seen in decades. That&rsquo;s exactly why we're going to hear from Dave Meyer - the Chief Investment Officer at BiggerPockets and a grounding voice in real estate data. We&rsquo;re going to dig into the forces shaping the market right now in 2026, and then zoom out to look at the bigger trends that could influence how we buy homes in the years ahead... both as individuals and as investors. Today we discuss:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Defining &ldquo;The Great Stall&rdquo;</li>
<li aria-level="1">More analysis needed before purchasing a home</li>
<li aria-level="1">Factors leading to reduced housing demand</li>
<li aria-level="1">The impact of interest rates</li>
<li aria-level="1">Adjustable rate mortgages gaining in popularity</li>
<li aria-level="1">How investors should approach real estate today</li>
<li aria-level="1">Strategies for getting a 10% discount</li>
<li aria-level="1">Recency bias on homeowners and investors</li>
<li aria-level="1">Rising vacancy</li>
<li aria-level="1">House hacking</li>
<li aria-level="1">And much more!</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Can&rsquo;t get enough How To Money? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Dave: More housing talk on <a href="https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcasts/real-estate">The Real Estate Podcast</a> and <a href="https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcasts/on-the-market">On the Market</a> and Dave&rsquo;s over on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thedatadeli">Insta</a> too.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Cashback credit cards: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/shau19-htmomny">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<li aria-level="1">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

Real Estate's Ticking Time Bomb w/ Bigger Pockets' Dave Meyer #1130

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c71daf6e-0fa4-4d75-8c4c-b41d012f8dd5/transcript

We’re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you’d like for us to answer on the show, we’d love for you to submit your own via HowToMoney.com/ask , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!

 

1 - Financial advisors: What’s a good price for a financial advisor and is it worth the cost?

2 - Paying for a minivan: Should I pay cash or take the 1.9% loan they’re offering?

3 - Set for life: Why aren’t y’all talking about the Trump accounts to supercharge your kids retirement accounts?

4 - eSIM: Is this the best option for travel abroad and where should I get one?

 

Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
Credit card perks: Check out our favorite credit cards that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.
Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the HTM Facebook group!
Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly HTM newsletter. It’s fun, free, & practical.
Money Gears: knowing what to do with your money is crucial to your personal finance journey.
MG7: and maybe you’re well on your way to financial independence but you’re looking for some financial reassurance, that’s when heading over to HowToMoney.com/Advisor and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.

 

During this episode we enjoyed a Satisfied by Piedmont Brewing! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you’re not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!

 

Best friends out!

We&rsquo;re kicking off the week by answering your listener questions! And if you have a question that you&rsquo;d like for us to answer on the show, we&rsquo;d love for you to submit your own via <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/ask/">HowToMoney.com/ask</a> , send us your voice memo. Regardless of how random or bizarre you might think it is, we want to hear it!
&nbsp;
1 - Financial advisors: What&rsquo;s a good price for a financial advisor and is it worth the cost?
2 - Paying for a minivan: Should I pay cash or take the 1.9% loan they&rsquo;re offering?
3 - Set for life: Why aren&rsquo;t y&rsquo;all talking about the Trump accounts to supercharge your kids retirement accounts?
4 - eSIM: Is this the best option for travel abroad and where should I get one?
&nbsp;
Want more How To Money in your life? Here are some additional ways to get ahead with your personal finances:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Credit card perks: Check out <a href="https://go.nextcard.com/shau19-htmomny">our favorite credit cards</a> that we use to maximize rewards and optimize our spending.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Other money nerds: Find a thriving community of fellow money nerds by joining the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623670287732189">HTM Facebook group!</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Newsletter: Sign up for the weekly <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/newsletter/">HTM newsletter</a>. It&rsquo;s fun, free, &amp; practical.</li>
<li aria-level="1">Money Gears: knowing <a href="https://www.howtomoney.com/start-here/">what to do with your money</a> is crucial to your personal finance journey.</li>
<li aria-level="1">MG7: and maybe you&rsquo;re well on your way to financial independence but you&rsquo;re looking for some financial reassurance, that&rsquo;s when heading over to <a href="http://www.howtomoney.com/advisor">HowToMoney.com/Advisor</a> and getting matched with a highly vetted financial advisor makes sense.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
During this episode we enjoyed a Satisfied by Piedmont Brewing! And please help us to spread the word by letting friends and family know about How to Money! Hit the share button, subscribe if you&rsquo;re not already a regular listener, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-money/id1337718773?mt=2">give us a quick review in Apple Podcasts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us to change the conversation around personal finance and get more people doing smart things with their money!
&nbsp;
Best friends out!

Ask HTM - Set for Life w/ Trump Accounts, Cash vs a Car Loan, & Vetting a Financial Advisor #1129

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f40346db-f341-4cd5-9faf-b41901546dab/transcript

How to Think About Investing with $Pro Paula Pant #056

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