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Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money

Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money

By: Paula Pant Personal Finance Expert | Cumulus Podcast Network
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45 million downloads. One question: what does it actually take to build wealth? Each week, Paula Pant brings in economists, investors, business leaders, authors, and researchers to dig into the five pillars of financial freedom — financial psychology, increasing income, investing, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Deep insights rooted in economics and behavioral finance. First-principles thinking. No surface-level tips. to hear new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Get smarter with money. Build wealth.© Afford Anything LLC Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • Q&A: We Have $1.5 Million. Can We Stop Now?

    Q&A: We Have $1.5 Million. Can We Stop Now?
    Jul 7 2026
    #730: What does it actually mean to have "enough" — and how do you know when it's time to stop optimizing and start living? AVOIDING THE REAL ESTATE MISTAKES IN THIS FREE GUIDE COULD SAVE YOU $10,000 OR MORE 👉https://affordanything.com/mistakes In today's episode: Jax, a longtime listener, has hit a mindset shift — prioritizing sabbaticals and shared experiences over pure accumulation. He wants to know if his financial strategy still matches his values, how to deploy his home sale proceeds, when to assemble a financial team, and whether he and his wife have truly reached Coast FI. Megan and her wife are realtors in Baltimore who also flip houses. They're weighing whether to keep flipping, build a rental portfolio, or lean harder into retirement accounts and index funds — and want a framework for balancing it all as they plan for more travel and time with family. And Reema lives with her husband in the home she grew up in — which her mother still owns. As they plan renovations and think ahead to her mother's eventual estate, she's looking for guidance on how to split the inheritance fairly with her siblings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • First Friday: Jobs Are Cooling, Prices Are Climbing, and NYC is Freezing the Rent

    First Friday: Jobs Are Cooling, Prices Are Climbing, and NYC is Freezing the Rent
    Jul 3 2026
    #729: The U.S. added 57,000 jobs in June. Economists expected 115,000. Meanwhile, inflation hit a three-year high. The Personal Consumption Expenditures index - the Fed's favorite inflation gauge - jumped 4.1 percent year-over-year. That combination creates a problem. Weak jobs usually push the Fed to cut rates. Hot inflation pushes them to hike. In this First Friday episode, we break down which way the Fed might lean at its September meeting, and why traders see an 80 percent chance rates stay frozen for now. We also dig into Kevin Warsh's debut as Fed Chairman. His first official statement ran only 132 words, one of the shortest in Fed history. He cut forward guidance – the practice of making guesses about what the Fed will do next. He removed the names of dissenting voters. His statement mentioned price stability but skipped maximum employment, and we explain why that omission matters. Central banks around the world moved in the opposite direction. The European Central Bank raised rates for the first time since 2023, responding to a 10.9 percent surge in energy prices. The Bank of Japan hiked rates to their highest level in 31 years. Australia, Norway, Indonesia, the Philippines and Israel joined in. Brazil was the only country to cut rates – down to 14.25 percent. We cover China's consumer spending decline, the first since the pandemic ended, driven by a 16.1 percent drop in auto sales and a real estate crash that drained middle-class wealth. We end the episode with a deep dive into NYC's rent freeze – who gets the benefit, and who pays the price? ⏱️ Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising segments. (00:00) US Job Market Cooling Off (04:52) Fed’s Stance on Interest Rates (07:29) New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s Priorities (17:21) Global Interest Rate Hikes (21:47) Impact of Stable US Rates & Global Trends (26:24) Inflation Data and Predictions (30:38) Consumer Sentiment: US vs. China (40:00) NYC Rent Freeze: History, Policies, and Today Share this episode with a friend, colleagues, and your landlord: https://affordanything.com/episode729 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Q&A: What $2.4 Million at 37 Actually Looks Like (It's Not What You Think)

    Q&A: What $2.4 Million at 37 Actually Looks Like (It's Not What You Think)
    Jun 30 2026
    #728: What do you do when you suddenly have $850,000 and no idea what to do with it? GET TOTAL CLARITY ON WHERE EVERY DOLLAR BELONGS 👉 https://affordanything.com/cornerstone On today’s Q&A, one caller recently inherited $850,000 from his mother. He's already wealthy, earns over $500K a year, and has a solid net worth — but he's anxious, lost, and doesn't want to make a decision he can't undo. Paula and Joe walk him through exactly what they'd do. Then, a federal law enforcement officer responds to Jane from episode 722. He pushes back on our diagnosis of her stress — and makes a compelling case that it's not the mandatory retirement age that's the problem. It's the minimum. He shares how he's survived the final stretch of a career he no longer loves, and what he'd tell Jane about the years she still has ahead. Finally, a caller who is pregnant, recently promoted, and about to have a very hard conversation with her employer. She wants to go part-time after maternity leave — but HR is bureaucratic and the stakes are high. When should she ask? How should she ask? And should she be saving differently right now just in case they say no? Mentioned in today's episode: Interview with Family Law Attorney Aaron Thomas https://affordanything.com/episode582 Full show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode728 Download the Four Cornerstones worksheet to see exactly where every dollar belongs https://affordanything.com/cornerstone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
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