Afford Anything

#706: When the numbers look straightforward—but the rules, timing, and future are uncertain—how do you decide what to do next?

#705: Jon McNeill, former president of Tesla and COO of Lyft, starts with a simple problem: his teenage son is about to start driving, and he’s worried about texting behind the wheel. Instead of setting rules, he builds a solution.

#704: How do you make smart financial decisions when you’re balancing debt, investing, and big life changes … all at the same time? Today, Brigham and his wife, ages 25 and 23, wonder: can they buy a $500,000 home AND still support a stay-at-home parent?

#703: April’s jobs report comes in much stronger than expected, with 178,000 jobs added and unemployment ticking down to 4.3 percent.

#702: Olivia is saving for a specific three-year goal and wants to know whether a money market fund is the right place to store that cash, or if a traditional savings account would be safer.

#701: Forget the idea that you need a magic number to retire.

#700: Today we’re tackling three different financial questions from our listeners. First, we’ll hear from Melanie, who is deciding whether to pursue a promotion that would increase her salary by $30,000 but may add more stress, even though she’s already close to financial independence.

#699: You've probably heard that mindset matters. But what does that actually mean, and is there science behind it? Nir Eyal, author of Beyond Belief, joins us to break down the research.

#698: We explore financial decision-making at different stages of life: A high-earning federal couple debates whether to pause retirement contributions to accelerate a $200,000 down payment.A part-time healthcare provider seeks clarity on balancing a 401k and a traditional IRA.And a longtime listene

#697: Most people regret the things they never tried. Venture capitalist Bill Gurley says that pattern shows up again and again in research on end-of-life regrets — including regret about the careers people never pursued.

#696: (01:50) Jeremy has been a careful budgeter for years, but a surprise car repair has him tapping his emergency fund. With rates falling, he’s wondering if cash is enough or if he should try bonds or a CD ladder to keep up with inflation.

#695: The U.S. lost 92,000 jobs in February, pushing unemployment to 4.4 percent.That result contradicts a different report released two days earlier showing 63,000 jobs added, leaving economists trying to square the circle.

#694: There are about 90 million unique job titles in the U.S. labor market. Ninety million. If you are trying to negotiate a raise, switch companies or launch a side hustle, that number has consequences. If titles do not line up, you cannot easily compare pay, scope or seniority.

#693: AI learns your job in weeks … and you start wondering if you still have one. That question shapes our conversation with Dr. Ben Zweig, CEO of Revelio Labs, a workforce data company that uses AI to build large employment databases and study labor market shifts.

#692: Anonymous (02:01) is excited about early retirement and family time but worried about his brother-in-law, who just returned from a vacation in Mexico with a bold plan: sell everything, move there, and buy an Airbnb to live in one unit and rent out the others.

#691: Your IQ used to be your biggest career asset. Then AI scored in the 99th percentile on the LSAT, the SAT, and the MCAT — and suddenly the cognitive skills that once set you apart became something anyone can access for free.

#690: Blanca (01:28): Blanca, an immigrant mother raising a 14-year-old, wants her son to think critically about college—not just as an experience, but as a financial decision.

#689: Most people think forgetting a name means their brain is failing. Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a neurologist who taught at Johns Hopkins and Harvard, sees thousands of patients convinced they have Alzheimer's – only to discover they're dealing with poor sleep or stress. Dr.

#688: Anonymous: "Anonymous Sheryl" is 38, mortgage-free and exhausted after 15 years of teaching. She’s torn between pushing a few more years toward FIRE or switching to relief teaching now for better work-life balance. How do you trade speed to FIRE for sustainability without blowing up the plan?

#687: Your tax refund might be $300 to $1,000 bigger this year, and that's just the beginning of what's changing with your money. The Tax Foundation estimates most Americans will see significantly larger refunds thanks to seven major tax cuts. The child tax credit increased by $200.

#686: Rachel: Rachel is new to investing and has noticed the stock market being dominated by AI companies. She wants to make sure her portfolio is balanced without overexposing herself.Should she rethink her index fund strategy to protect against a potential AI bubble?

#685: You're not an investor. You're a saver.

#684: Most people search for the perfect portfolio — the one allocation that works in every market, at every age, for every goal. This interview starts by explaining why that portfolio does not exist.

#683: Candy now — or a toy later? You slide play money across the table and let your kid choose. That moment kicks off this episode, where Dr. Stephen Day joins us to talk about building a “mini economy” at home. Dr.

#682: Grab the FREE handbook: affordanything.com/financialgoals For 76 years, the British cycling team lost — every season, without exception. Then they changed how they approached improvement, focusing on tiny gains instead of dramatic overhauls.

Pant debunks common real estate investing myths from her own experience as a landlord. Why 'real estate always goes up' is dangerous, when renting beats buying, and the hidden costs nobody talks about.

Pant challenges traditional budgeting by applying first principles thinking. Why most budgets fail, what to do instead, and how anti-budgets might be more effective for most people.

Morgan Housel discusses his thesis that financial success has less to do with knowledge than behavior. The most important investing skill isn't analysis — it's emotional regulation.

Pant explores the concept that every 'yes' is a 'no' to something else. The opportunity cost of financial decisions extends beyond money to time, energy, and attention.

Ramit Sethi challenges the frugality mindset that dominates personal finance culture. His argument: cut costs ruthlessly on things you don't care about so you can spend lavishly on things you love.

Paula Pant explores decision fatigue and how it impacts financial choices. Why you buy things you don't need at 9pm, why grocery delivery might be worth the fee, and how to design your environment to reduce bad financial decisions.

Collins discusses the psychology of financial independence: what happens when work becomes optional. The identity crisis, the loss of structure, and finding meaning without a paycheck.

JL Collins returns to discuss why the simple investing strategy (index funds, low fees, stay the course) consistently beats the 'optimal' strategy that most financial advisors sell.

Stanford professor Jamil Zaki shares research on empathy — not as a fixed trait but as a skill that can be developed. How empathy affects financial decisions, relationships, and well-being.