Explore the BiggerPockets Money podcast.

Passive income is the name of the game when it comes to real estate investing. While equity can help you build wealth, passive income is what can get you on the road to financial independence. But what if you got a late start in your investing career? With so many millionaire twenty-or-something-year-olds on the internet, it seems like you have to start investing at age eighteen to hit financial freedom. This couldn’t be more wrong. Even if you feel like you’re a late bloomer when it comes to investing, you’re probably only a few years away from hitting FI—if you make the right decisions. This is the quandary that today’s guest, Nicole, finds herself in. Nicole has recently gone through a divorce and lost a good chunk of her net worth thanks to it. But, she’s poised on investing in real estate so she can hit financial independence sooner rather than later. Thanks to her service in the military, Nicole has access to the ever-so-helpful VA loan, allowing her to purchase homes with little (or no) down payment. She also has a military pension that will kick in soon, allowing her to mitigate her cost of living even more. So, does Nicole have enough time to build her rental empire and enjoy the Floridian beaches on her time off? In This Episode We Cover Why it’s never too late to start investing for your future  Using VA loans to purchase house hack properties with little to no money down Short-term rentals, medium-term rentals, and other rental property strategies  Generating more income through side hustles, job-hopping, and more The 2022 housing market and the risks/benefits of buying in today’s hectic atmosphere  Whether or not to invest in retirement accounts when your main goal is cash flow And So Much More! Check the full show notes here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-282

Inflation can be a detriment to any early retirement plan. At first, you may think you only need a certain amount of money to retire, and maybe you’re adjusting for inflation when you do these calculations. But what happens when inflation runs more than triple the average or crosses into double-digit numbers. How does your investment strategy change? How does your “dream retirement” come true when it costs ten percent more than you originally accounted for? These are all questions that average Americans are asking themselves: when can I retire? Can I retire? How can I afford food or gas or pay my bills? Although we can’t solely blame high inflation on the Federal Reserve, we can see how their policies lead to the situation we’re in now. Someone who stood up against the policies of quantitative easing and massive stimulus packages, is former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Tom Hoenig.  Tom was in favor of quantitative easing back at the start of the great recession, but as this power to pump more money into the economy started to get abused, he rallied against the choice of the fed. Today, Mindy and Scott use this episode to ask Tom the hard-hitting questions that average investors want answered so they can make the best financial moves possible while still building wealth.  In This Episode We Cover The rampant inflation of the 1980s and how it affects Fed policy to this day Quantitative easing explained and how it artificially inflates asset prices How asset values and price inflation go hand in hand  The goal of the Federal Reserve and how many of their policies have backfired  Whether or not the 4% rule still stands true in an inflationary environment  What a “good” unemployment rate looks like and how it maps the health of the economy How investors can prepare to take advantage of times of economic uncertainty and high inflation  And So Much More! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums Finance Review Guest Onboarding Scott's Instagram Mindy's Twitter Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show Podcast Talent Search! What Every Investor Should Understand About Inflation How the Unemployment Rate Affects Us All (Yes, Even the Employed) The Fed’s Doomsday Prophet Has a Dire Warning About Where We’re Headed Tom Hoenig on Wikipedia Check the full show notes here: https://biggerpockets.com/blog/money-281

Investing in real estate is a proven way to build wealth, produce more cash flow, and retire early. But, not everyone is cut out to do every type of real estate investing. Some strategies take dramatically more time and effort than others. House hacking may be perfect for investors or couples without kids, live in flips could work best for those with some rehab experience, and BRRRR investing is reserved for those with proven investing experience. While some of these strategies are as simple as buying a house and renting out a side, others require far more of a time commitment—time that many investors, like today’s guest Jeff, may not have. Jeff is already an established investor, currently living in a house hack that’s helping him offset his mortgage. But, he wants to expand into more return-focused real estate like live in flipping and BRRRRing. But, with a high-paying job and lots of money in the bank, Scott and Mindy ask the question, “is real estate investing even worth it for Jeff?” Should he be sticking to stocks or does a labor-intensive rehab clearly outweigh the costs? If you’re wondering whether or not you should choose the real estate investing path to FI, make sure you hear out the arguments in today’s episode.  In This Episode We Cover Whether or not PMI (private mortgage insurance) is worth it on a low down payment loan How to make moves to buy a rental property in today’s hot housing market  Active income vs. passive income and which yields greater benefit  Live in flipping and the benefits of doing your own work on a rehab What to do when you have too much cash on hand in an inflationary environment  Rolling over your 401k to maximize your non-taxable retirement income And So Much More!

Health insurance for early retirement? Is that even a thing? If it is, it doesn’t seem self-evident in the United States. For most early retirees within the USA, you have a couple of options for healthcare—make a low enough income to qualify for government-subsidized healthcare or pay an exorbitant amount of money to either buy healthcare upfront or pay out of pocket any time you get sick. But, that’s not a terribly safe way to live, especially when you’re working with a (relatively) fixed income. Throughout their world travels, Amy and Tim from GoWithLess have had to learn this the hard way. They were originally insured on a healthshare plan but found it far riskier than they would have liked. Now, as they travel throughout the United States, Mexico, and the world, they’re making sure they’ve covered all bases so a random surgery or two doesn’t force them back into the working world. Early retirement health insurance is one of the biggest reasons that financial independence-chasers stay at their jobs, so if you’re itching to get your post-work-life travel on, listen to this whole episode. In it, Amy and Tim drop gems about finding health (and auto) insurance when retiring early (or abroad). They also discuss the best questions to ask a healthcare provider or broker, what to look for in a healthcare plan, and how to save money with digital nomad insurance.  In This Episode We Cover How Amy and Tim’s post-pandemic travel plans unraveled in 2020 and 2021 House-sitting, dog-sitting, and other ways to creatively lower your travel costs  “Quick traveling” and the time/mental energy it takes to be a full-time nomad Roth conversions and using resident-specific tax benefits to convert more The top questions to ask a healthcare broker when choosing health insurance  Car insurance as a retiree and how to pay less to be more protected  And So Much More!

If you want to know how to save money, just look at your expenses. Odds are, if you’re like most people, you aren't budgeting or tracking your expenses to a tee. But there’s no need to be so hard on yourself, even our money mages themselves, Scott Trench and Mindy Jensen don’t always write down every cent spent. That being said, if you’re planning for a big trip, different expenses, or a sudden life change (like leaving your job), there is no better time than NOW to start tracking your expenses. Today’s guest, TJ, knows this all too well. TJ makes a phenomenal income and already has a multi-million dollar net worth. But, he still suffers from money anxiety and not knowing how much he’ll need to step away from full-time work. Not only that, TJ is planning to take his children on a two-year-long expedition around the globe, all while TJ and his wife aren’t bringing in their regular high incomes. But he isn’t just relying on his salary for monthly cash flow. TJ has also invested in rental properties as well as real estate syndications—both of which are providing him thousands a month in passive cash flow. But, after the globe-trotting ends, will TJ have to find himself another job or can he happily ski his way to early retirement upon re-arrival?  In This Episode We Cover Retirement accounts, private pensions, and setting your future self up for financial success Cash savings and emergency funds, plus who needs them (and who doesn’t) Rental property investing and real estate syndications for passive cash flow Reducing spending and building a “future budget” that forecasts future spending Money anxiety and how to mitigate it even if you have a high income and net worth The 4% rule and using it to easily map out your date of financial independence  And So Much More!

“Hustle culture” has been a term for the past decade or so. It somehow became a badge of honor to prove that you’re working the hardest, longest, and most stressful job around. You can handle it, you’re making money, putting in the hours, but what do you have left at the end of the day? This constant grind is what Mindy likes to call the “death race to FI” due to its unnecessary harshness on your free time, relationships, and mental health. Pete McPherson foresaw this “hustle culture” taking over his life when he quit his sixty-hour week accounting job and decided to start his own business. This wasn’t the first, or second, or fiftieth time Pete had started a business, and he was driven to never set foot in an office again. He wasn’t making phenomenal money the first year, but he made enough to provide for his family, and that was enough for him. Mindy and guest host Sarah Putt from OT 4 Lyfe talk with Pete about the rarely discussed downsides of chasing early retirement and financial independence. Make no mistake, even if you decided to work twenty hours a week, like Pete, you can still make plenty of money all while being able to watch your favorite movies in the middle of the day or spend time with your kids! In This Episode We Cover The detriment of “hustle culture” and why working hard doesn’t mean burning yourself out  The importance of having an available safety reserve in case you get let go from a job Jumping into entrepreneurship and developing the grind to make it work Learning from your mistakes and seeing every failure as a lesson Picking your “good enough” number and living life on your terms Why time freedom is the ultimate goal of FI, not exorbitant wealth  And So Much More!

Emergency funds, frugal experiments, free photons, and “thoughtful spending” were just a few things that came to light during Carl and Mindy Jensen’s January 2022 budget recap. If you didn’t know already, Mindy has been publicly tracking her expenses and budgeting for BiggerPockets Money listeners (and the world) to see. But of course, as soon as Mindy shared her public budget, things started to go awry. Nothing says “let’s start the month off right” like car repairs, furnace replacements, and sky-high gas prices. But, Mindy isn’t a quitter! Even with some big emergency expenses, she and Carl have managed to stay within budget for most of their costly categories in spite of life's fun financial curveballs.  Carl and Mindy discuss their January “frugal experiment” including hotels and air fryers, how “dry January” became “moist January”, and why this financial powerhouse has opted out of the traditional emergency fund. If you’re starting this year with a few budget busters like Carl and Mindy, don’t let it keep you from hitting your overall 2022 spending goals. Track it, stick with it, and shoot for FI! In This Episode We Cover How expense tracking inadvertently stops you from overspending  Using money in the most efficient way possible so you can increase your “thoughtful spending”  Budgeting wins (and challenges) that Mindy and Carl faced this January  Preparing from unexpected budget busters and whether or not an emergency fund is necessary  How to allocate large bills throughout the year so you don’t go over budget  Splurging on things you truly enjoy while keeping everyday costs as simplistic as possible And So Much More!

Lifestyle creep, budget hesitancy, and cash scarcity are problems you’d likely hear from someone just getting into the realm of financial independence/literacy. But, funnily enough, these wealth woes aren’t coming from newbies—they’re coming from two asset-stacking veterans, Mindy Jensen and David Pere from The Military Millionaire Podcast. While on the outside David and Mindy may look like squeaky clean financial figures, they’ve realized recently that they have to tighten up their systems to maximize wealth. Mindy has seen a slow and steady lifestyle creep, and although her income can support her, she still wants to have a strong sense of strategy when it comes to budgeting and expense tracking. David has tried time and time again to budget, but it’s never really gone to plan. He also is feeling a bit stressed at times due to his “cash poor, asset rich” lifestyle that has allowed him to build so much wealth. Our two hosts serve as financial therapists for one another other in this episode as they dive deep into how each other can re-strategize their financial situations. Even the gurus don’t always get it right! In This Episode We Cover How to turn budget hesitancy into expense-tracking mastery  Stocking up your emergency reserve so you (and your business) can survive life’s hiccups Entrepreneur income and why you should go lean on your business spending, without compromising quality Lifestyle/income creep and how to fight it so you can save and invest more  Why everyone (even our money gurus) make mistakes from time to time And So Much More!

Rental properties can be a phenomenal second source of income for the majority of us who work at regular jobs. One or two rental property purchases every year or so can slowly, but surely, build a strong foundation for financial independence, sometimes within only a few years. Today’s guest Connor has taken this approach to wealth building and now sits on six rental units, splitting some of the profits with his partners. Connor runs a lot of the operation for these rental properties. He has a background in construction management, making him an integral piece of any future BRRRR, flip, or rehab project he and his partners decide to take on. But, could these real estate partnerships be slowing down his personal wealth growth? And if so, how does he mitigate the risk of being an independent investor in a cash-intensive business? Aside from his real estate portfolio, Connor also wants to simplify his personal portfolio, plan for future baby expenses, maximize his retirement, and get a better handle on his financial situation in total. Scott and Mindy leave Connor with some clear action items that may help him achieve financial freedom in his five to seven-year time horizon!  In This Episode We Cover Real estate partnerships and establishing the value that you bring to them Generating more income (and reducing expenses) through live in flips and house hacking Land contracts and seller financing on rental properties that allow you to scale faster Student loan repayment, deferral, and when you should plan on starting up your payments again Shopping for a baby as frugally as you can so you can invest for their future  And So Much More!