Episodes

Majd Maksad and his company, Status Money, recently completed a study all about peer pressure and the effects it has on your money. If I'm going to be honest, I've probably made a money decision or two in the past based on peer pressure. Would it surprise you to know that peer pressure actually can help people save money and change their spending habits? This Podcast Episode: Peer pressure can help consumers cut their spending by a whopping $600 a month, according to a new independent study by the University of Chicago and University of Maryland using technology from statusmoney.com. With more than half of Americans having less than $1000 in savings and 17% negative net worth, peer pressure could help combat what some experts are calling a debt epidemic. I wanted to get to the bottom of this and chat with Majd about these findings and how Status Money is helping people with their own money decisions. Many of the key findings were particularly interesting and I think they say a …

Jessica Nazarali always had a big business dream - she knew she wanted to help people and be involved with personal development but wasn't sure how to execute that. When she started a blog about healthy food in 2011 she quickly realized that her dream could become a reality. She now runs a popular podcast called It Girl Radio and It Girl Academy to help other women realize their business dreams...but she definitely learned some money lessons along the way. On This Podcast Episode: Jessica joined me all the way from Austrailia for this episode, and she's dishing about the realities of running a successful company and online company that earns well over six figures. We tackled some tough questions in this interview including:How do you begin to overcome self-doubt and fear with running your own businessHow to feel worthy of making money when you run your own businessWhat stumbling blocks in her own money journey that she had to overcome to be successful at helping othersIs running …

I get sent a lot of books to review for the podcast - some great, some just ok. I sat down with Danielle Town's new book on a Friday afternoon, Invested - How Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger Taught Me to Master My Mind, My Emotions & My Money (with a little help from my dad), and I couldn't put it down until I read every last word! On This Podcast Episode: I've had a lot of cool and interesting podcast interviews but this chat with Danielle takes the cake. Her book is all about this 12-month journey that she took with her dad & investing guru, Phil Town, on her journey to financial freedom. The best part, the book details how you and I can follow the exact same process that she went through. Naturally, I was excited to talk to Danielle about her journey, the struggles, and have her dish any great pearls of wisdom that you should know on your own investing journey. You'll want to bookmark this podcast episode for sure (and rush out and read her book). (This episode doe…

I've been fortunate enough to be a guest on a lot of different podcasts lately where I get to share my own money story. Inevitably, I'm always asked, "What is your best money advice." I love that question because it gives me a chance to talk about those things that seemingly no one talks about when it comes to your money. On This Podcast Episode: Working with people over the last 12 years, I've seen a lot about how people manage their finances - the good and not-so-good ways. What I have learned, regardless of the income, is there are a lot of things that no one tells you about your money. In this episode, I'm dishing my top five things that I believe no one really talks about when it comes to money but really should. I think if we did, maybe we might all be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Shout Out to Our Podcast Sponsor: Thanks to Audible! Audible is offering MM listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audible.com/mymoney and browse the unma…

I've been a fan of the No, You Go podcast for a while now and was so excited to be able to do a podcast swap. They are three badass women who share in frank, funny, and honest discussions about lots of issues in life that we're all trying to figure out.  I'm also featured on their podcast talking about money taboos, the best financial advice to take and ignore, and dishing about the dreaded "b" (budgets) word.  On This Podcast Episode: Jenn, Sara, and Katel (hosts of the No,You Go Podcast) are sharing their own career and money journeys in this hilarious and honest podcast episode. They each are superstars in their own right and they aren't afraid to roll up their sleeves and talk about their struggles figuring their way through being good with their finances.  We also dove deep into their own money questions in the last segment and heard a first-hand story from Sara about credit card fraud and why you should always stay on top of your credit report (even if your score is rocki…

News out of Washington D.C. is not the cheeriest these days almost midway through 2018, so it’s refreshing when electronic-pop trio SHAED (pronounced “shade”) has become a ray of sunlight on the nation’s capital evolving music scene – a badge of honor this young band wears proudly. Following in the footsteps paved by other notable D.C. area legends as Bad Brains, Fugazi and hall of famer Marvin Gaye, SHAED has their sights on a breakout year with an upcoming national tour and stellar new EP due out later this summer. On This Podcast Episode: SHAED is somewhat of a family affair, with twin-brothers Spencer and Max Ernst on the music side and Chelsea Lee bringing the vocals. Spencer and Chelsea are even engaged, and all three recently moved into a home together, where the band housemates were inspired to write and record their latest collection of songs. Not only a band, but the three are also close friends, jamming Frank Sinatra and old-school jazz as they cook dinner every night.…

It's time to tackle some more of your Ask Shannah questions. On this podcast episode, I'm going to be giving some tips and suggestions for making cross-country moves, starting over somewhere fresh without a job and what to do with extra cash when you get a big promotion. On This Podcast Episode: I'm chatting about three awesome questions in this podcast episode. Tune in to hear my suggestions to these questions:I'm moving to a new city, quitting my job, and looking for a new job. How can I best manage my money during this time?We're moving cross-country with our cat to start a new master's degree program. How can we set ourselves up and make smart money moves during this transition?I just got a big promotion at work and now I'm trying to figure out if I should put that money into a 401(k) or towards my student loan payments. What do you suggest? Shout Out To Our Sponsor: Thanks to ZipRecruiter for sponsoring this episode. Right now, my listeners can try ZipRecruiter for free. …

You'd think when you arrive in the U.S. getting set up financially would be easy. Not so fast. When Warren Hogarth of Empower came to the U.S. from Austrailia in 2004 he quickly realized he was at a disadvantage with all things financial - getting credit and building your credit was no easy task. On This Podcast Episode: I had a candid conversation with Warren about his transition to the U.S. and how "the system" attempted to keep him down when it came to his finances. Luckily, he's sharing some of the money lessons he learned during that time as well as the journey he's taken to turn the disadvantages into a new app, Empower. Warren spent eight years as a Partner at the #1 VC firm in the world, Sequoia Capital. They've invested in companies like Square, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and AirBnB, and Warren stood shoulder-to-shoulder with founders to build large, enduring businesses (3 went from zero to over $1 billion). If you take away one thing for this episode, it should be his best p…

The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is $33,391 according to Business Insider and from my experience, many of us spend money on items in our wedding that might not be the most beneficial to our bank account. I recently was a guest on Aleisha McCormak's Bridechilla podcast, so I figured it would great to have Aleisha share with you some of her favorite wedding do's and don'ts when it comes to spending your cash. On This Podcast Episode: She's a comedian and a TV presenter from the U.K. who turned her wisdom from planning her own wedding into a top-rated iTunes podcast, Bridechilla. Seriously, even if you aren't planning a wedding, you're going to enjoy hearing Aleisha dish wisdom about some of her favorite wedding do's and don'ts - including her f**k it bucket suggestion - and how to survive the day as stress-free as humanly possible. Shout Out to Our Sponsor: Thanks to Brooklinen for sponsoring this episode. My Brooklinen sheets are seriously the best, most comfortable …

Let’s face it, the cruise industry does even get what a traveler in their 40s wants to do, see, and explore and they certainly do not know what an experience is these days. Let alone an experienced millennial traveler in their 20s and 30s just like you. So when you're thinking about where to spend your travel dollars...if you're anything like me, you're looking for an experience. When we think of cruising usually old school visions of the 70s TV show the Love Boat might pop into our brains, with endless buffets of gluttony, shore excursions to remote location in a beat-up tour bus with no air conditioning and of course the horror stories we see online of ships making people sick, flooding or just horrible customer service. These are the cruise ships of your parents and grandparents. On This Podcast Episode: Prompted by a question from Rebekah, who was searching for a unique travel experience, I uncovered U by Uniworld. U by Uniworld have begun a cruising revolution with their n…

I'm dedicating today's podcast episode to an Ask Shannah question that came in a couple of weeks ago from Tabitha and Robert: "Hey Shannah, I'm reading a lot of articles that talk about the extreme side of personal finance and I find myself falling prey to the stereotypes that I'm not succeeding in my finances unless I'm 100% debt-free and that just seems impossible to me. I read all these articles about people who are retiring by 40 and paying off massive amounts of debt, but I'm not sure that's the vision I have for my life...please provide some insight." On This Podcast Episode: The topic of extreme personal finance is one I have a lot to say about. I'm breaking down the good, the bad, and all the in-between on this episode in what I hope will be a thought-provoking discussion about the journey to be 100% debt-free. In fact, I recently was quoted in a U.S. News & World Report article about this very topic with some other like-minded CFP® professionals who share my viewpo…

Now that we're well past tax-time, I wanted to reboot an episode that will help you give your 401(k) a little love. It's quite possible that fees may be eating your 401(k) returns and you aren't even aware of it. There is a lot of confusion out there about how 401(k)s even work, let alone that some funds may be costing you a bundle. Let's demystify some of that! On This Podcast Episode: I'm rebooting one of our top episodes and chatting with a podcast guest that's always a favorite, Chris Costello from Blooom (with three o's). I've honestly never seen a company quite like Blooom and I always love when we can chat about 401(k)s. We're covering:Why fees even matter in your 401(k)How you can figure out your ideal stock/bond ratioWays you can control fees - to some extentWhy your behavior has a lot to do with your 401(k) balanceHow to figure out how much you're actually paying in feesClick here for a FREE analysis of your 401(k) with Blooom. Help us out and support the podcast by…

Ok, let's get real for a minute here. We're all familiar with the term prenup, whether you're a fan or not. However, did you know that there is a new marriage trend - the postnuptial agreement? Just as it sounds, it's a legal agreement that is formed after you're married for a myriad of reasons. Let's go straight to the source, Chicago-based attorney Jennifer Guimond-Quigley to demystify this new marriage trend. On This Podcast Episode: As controversial as they might be, if you're thinking about a prenup or a postnup, the first place you should start is getting some education around these hot-button documents. Jennifer Guimond-Quigley is joining us on this episode to demystify what you need to know about prenups, and breaking down the differences between postnups in a fun and an easily digestible way (no crazy lawyer speak here, just a totally educational and enjoyable conversation). Jennifer is the owner and managing attorney at the Law Office of Jennifer Guimond-Quigley. She …

There are so many money apps and programs on the market that it's hard to know which one is the "best." Unfortunately, you usually have to try a few before you find the one that is going to be your money bff. Not to worry though, I've tried just about all of them and I'm giving you the down low on some of my favorites.  On This Podcast Episode: I'm breaking down some of the best of the best money apps, programs, products and more. If you're looking for some new favs, check these out.Best Budgeting App - You Need a Budget (hands-down one of my favorites)Best Points Credit Card- (still) Chase Sapphire Preferred CardBest Online Checking Account - I'm a fan of Aspiration. Listen to my interview with their CEO AndreiBest Investing App - Acorns (they're doing some really cool things over there at Acorns)Best Way To Think About Buying a House - Have you heard of Unison? We've had them on a podcast episode talking about innovative ways to afford a down paymentBest Way To Reduce Your Cred…

We have such a broad audience on this podcast, which is something I’m proud of. We've got listeners of all ages looking for some money wisdom. One thing that is universal, no matter what decade you find yourself in, is the desire to make smart money moves along the way. Who's with me? On This Podcast Episode: Have you ever wondered what you should be doing with your money, or focusing on, now that you're in your 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's? Truth is, many of these smart money tips work for just about every age and you can use them as a checklist to see where you’re at regardless of your age. Here's a short cheat sheet:20’s – Figure out how to spend your money30’s – Decrease your take home pay and ramp up your lifestyle fund40’s – CYA – cover any exposure you may have that puts your money at risk50’s – Figure out what’s your number Shout-out To Our Sponsor: Thanks to our new sponsor Brooklinen - the best and most comfortable sheets I’ve slept on. Brooklinen.com has an exclusive…

Whether you believe in karma or a higher power or just good old juju coming from the universe, sometimes two roads can lead to one path in our lives. That’s exactly what happened with my husband Jeff and myself a few years back and that’s what happened with this week’s musical guests, the Young Fables. Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford (the Young Fables) are a dynamic duo of singer-songwriters that steadily has Music City talking about their unique and honest approach to songwriting, along with their infectious live shows. Heavyweights like Sheryl Crow and Keith Urban have even become “Fable Fanatics.” Oh, and they happen to be a duo that fell in love in real-life as well. On This Podcast Episode: The Young Fables joined us from Nashville to talk about finding love and the music they were meant to play, how their Kickstarter fundraiser went over the top live on the radio and their new album, Old Songs that’s due May 4. My co-host for the podcast is my husband, Jeff Game, a travel,…

Saving money seems to be the Achilles heel for most of us. Either you can't seem to figure out how to get out of the endless paycheck-to-paycheck cycle or you are on the other end of the spectrum and saving so much that you're also not having a lot of fun in life. Saving money is one of the core personal finance principles but just like my guest, Jamila Souffrant, you have to figure out what you're saving money for in order to have fun with it. On This Podcast Episode: Jamila Souffrant, host of the Journey to Launch podcast and her husband set out with a big goal of saving $85K in one year and close to it in another year. Oh, and they have two children with another on the way. Jamila had a big goal of leaving the corporate world behind to forge her career in personal finance and to retire by the time she turns 40 in a few years. She's well on her way, and dishing some of her best "secrets" to supercharge your own savings. Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen …

The Ask Shannah questions are piling up so today I'm tackling two questions that I feel will resonate with you.  On This Podcast Episode: Question #1 - How Much Should I Have Invested (and saved) At Certain Ages - while there are some common goals that are often suggested by personal finance experts, there isn't a hard-fast number for how much you should have invested and saved. Even if you haven't started yet, now is as good of a time as any. However, in the episode, I'm going to offer some common suggestions you can use to figure out if you're on track. Question #2 - Should I Make Weekly Credit Card Payments - well, the most important factor is that you're making your credit card payment on-time, however, these micropayments have become popular with people trying to better their credit score and pay off debt faster. See what I have to say about making weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly credit card payments. Have an Ask Shannah question, submit it here. Shout Out To Our Sponsor…

We've all heard of those people who launch online businesses and make a million dollars, and yet it all still seems a bit unbelievable. Almost on accident, Melyssa Griffin transformed her once website design job into a multi-million dollar online business teaching others how to transform their own business...but at the end of the day, she felt a bit purposeless. Something I think we all can relate to, no matter our career.  On This Podcast Episode: If you're thinking this whole making money online thing is not realistic, then you need to meet Melyssa. She's not only incredibly successful at her own business, but she spends her day helping others find their own Pursuit With Purpose (that's even the name of her podcast). However, the money lessons that Melyssa has learned along the way might shock you (and you need to hear no matter what your career is).  Ask Shannah - How can I get my partner (soon to be spouse) on the same money page with me? Shout Out to Our Sponsor: Audib…

Whatever career path or life choices we take with our lives may often time require a backup plan if something does not work out how we envision. But, what if we have one vision for our lives and no matter how long it takes or how much hard work comes with that dream this is exactly the direction we are headed and nothing will stop us or get in our way? Frontman of the power pop/rock band Jukebox the Ghost Ben Thornewill, always knew music was part of his life plan, from growing up playing classical music to getting a college degree in music and now ten years on as a successful chart-topping band. On This Podcast Episode: Jukebox the Ghost is bringing power pop/rock back with their blend of monster piano jams, hard rock guitar licks, and epically powerful vocals. Now, the Brooklyn-based trio of Thornewill on vocals/piano, Tommy Siegel guitar/vocals, and Jesse Kristin on drums/vocals have a sonically layered new album out right now, “Off to the Races.” We caught up with Thornewil…

So how do you exactly build wealth? That is the trillion dollar question. While there isn't one way to answer that question, there are some steps that you can take to begin to build your own definition of wealth (and I'm not talking about having millions of dollars in your bank account). The art of building wealth starts with thinking about your money in a different way than you have in the past and maximizing what you do have. On This Podcast Episode: I'm sharing some of the smart money moves for building wealth that I've seen working with hundreds of people over the last twelve years. Regardless of income, the real question remains, what does true wealth look like to you (hint, it's different for everyone). Let's meet Gary Zimmerman from Max - the company that helps you "Max My Interest" so your cash is growing and always positioned with the best interest rate. Don't think it matters? What're a few dollars here or there? Gary is going to demystify this myth and show you why ma…

Even though much of the U.S. has been blanketed with snow, rain and cold weather it’s actually spring right now – many are spring breaking as we listen to this episode. On This Podcast Episode: It is never too early or too late for that matter to start planning your epic summer vacation plans or maybe a fall/winter escape in the offseason. Whatever travel plans that may float your boat, we want you to make smarter travel money moves right now! Start your smart travel moves right now by listening to this escape-worthy episode as we talk about finding cheaper Europe deals, using social media to your advantage and where you can hop on the tequila train. Ask Shannah - this is a great question about the future cost of education and whether contributions to a 529 plan make sense if education is free in the future. Since I don't have a crystal ball, I'm only able to make some educated guesses.  Links Mentioned:Roomer TravelNorwegian AirHotel TonightKayak My co-host for the podcast is …

It’s 2018, and if you ask me, it’s time to do things better and definitely more affordable. Thanks to technology, we’re seeing a lot of our money transactions transform before our eyes. Think about how we save money with apps like Acorns, invest online with companies like Betterment, and on this podcast episode we’re talking about redefining the banking and mortgage process with two companies (BankMobile and Better Mortgage) that are using technology to do it better! On This Podcast Episode: This episode is dedicated to doing money things better. We’re introducing you to Luvleen Sidhu from BankMobile and Vishal Garg from Better Mortgage to unlock your thinking about two industries that were in dire need of some serious modernizing. Luvleen Sidhu had enough with big banking fees and wanted to do it differently. In 2013, Americans spent $32 billion on overdraft fees, which is three times as much as they spent on breast cancer and lung cancer combined and more than they spent on ve…

You're at work, doing your job, day in and day out, and the struggle is real. You've got a crazy co-worker that you share a cubicle with who is always telling you stories of their latest adventures and a boss who is completely unapproachable. Or maybe you're just trying to figure out how in the heck to ask for a promotion. We're calling in Matt Ritter from the Safe For Work podcast to answer all your questions. On This Podcast Episode: Matt Ritter went from Lawyer to Comedian to Executive Recruiter to Podcast host - a journey I can totally relate to. In his new podcast, Safe For Work, Matt, and co-host Liz Dolan are dishing answers to questions that you've always wanted to ask. On this episode, Matt and I are dishing some of his favs.How to ask for a raiseWhen to ask for a promotionHow to weigh salary vs. other concerns between two job offersHow do you value perks (comp for travel, relocation, free meals, etc) Getting pay less than co-workersWhen to leave a job for dream job vs.…