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Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money

Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money

Written 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. Follow or Subscribe 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: "I’m 26 and No Longer Motivated by Money. Am I Unemployable?”

    Q&A: "I’m 26 and No Longer Motivated by Money. Am I Unemployable?”
    Oct 13 2026
    #758: Joe says that if you tell an employer you’re not motivated by money, you’re unemployable. Paula says that’s exactly the person she wants to hire. Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins Paula to answer a question from a 26-year-old whose net worth is already 10 times her annual spending. Then they take on two more: whether target date funds are worth it, and whether a dad of young kids should make a career change that cuts his income by 60%. In this episode, we discuss: Why not being motivated by money can make you a better hire The two traits Paula looks for when she hires How to tell whether a small business is a good place to work, and when it isn’t A quick test for whether you’d actually enjoy your coworkers When a target date fund makes sense, and when it holds you back How to decide whether to make a big career change now or wait Why your savings might be meant for exactly this kind of leap If you’ve saved enough that a paycheck no longer drives your choices, this episode will help you figure out what should. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS Note: Timestamps may vary slightly depending on dynamic ad placements. (02:32) She’s 26 and no longer motivated by money (07:23) What Paula looks for instead of money motivation (12:54) The hidden risk of working at a tiny company (24:55) The 8-hour layover test for coworkers (33:05) Why Paula put her parents in target date funds (40:24) Joe’s 30-minute alternative to target date funds (51:33) Why your 401(k) target date fund may be junk (58:33) The case for target date funds as harm reduction (01:08:01) Should he take a 60% pay cut to switch careers? (01:13:37) Why waiting “one more year” rarely helps 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED 👉 Building your own mix instead of a target date fund? See which account each fund belongs in: https://affordanything.com/assetlocation 👉 Episode #709, planning for a child with special needs, with Keith Wargo: https://affordanything.com/709-the-financial-reality-of-developmental-disability-with-keith-wargo/ 👉 Stacking Benjamins, Joe’s podcast: https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/ 👉 Strategic Coach, the entrepreneur coaching program Joe recommends: https://www.strategiccoach.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Steve Jobs Hated Malls and Hated the Name “Genius Bar.” How He Came Around, with Ron Johnson

    Steve Jobs Hated Malls and Hated the Name “Genius Bar.” How He Came Around, with Ron Johnson
    Oct 9 2026
    #757: Ron Johnson turned down a $120,000 Goldman Sachs offer to unload trucks for $40,000, and that detour led Steve Jobs to hire him to build the Apple Store. Years later, he took over JCPenney and watched it fail for a reason that had nothing to do with his vision. Ron Johnson created the Apple Store and worked directly for Steve Jobs for 12 years, after bringing designer products to Target. He later served as CEO of JCPenney and is the author of Shop Different. In this episode, we discuss: How to weigh a lower-paying job that teaches you more How to set goals big enough that people work harder How to persuade a team whose top priority is not getting fired How to change a strong-willed boss’s mind Why a bold plan fails without trust, and how to build trust first What a rush of early customers can hide about a new business How to get out of your head when you’re overthinking a decision Whether you’re weighing a career risk, building a business on nights and weekends, or trying to get people behind a bold idea, this conversation shows what it takes, and what it costs to skip a step. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS Note: Timestamps may vary slightly depending on dynamic ad placements. (02:14) Why a few columns made Steve Jobs furious (08:44) How he talked Steve Jobs into shopping malls (15:33) Why he turned down $120K to unload trucks (22:10) Why big goals beat small improvements (29:24) How to sell a risky idea to cautious coworkers (37:02) The $30 tea kettle that caught Steve Jobs’ eye (46:02) Why a record-breaking opening day was misleading (56:26) How a hotel inspired the Genius Bar (1:14:40) Why JCPenney failed: trust, not vision (1:35:54) How to escape analysis paralysis 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED 👉 Would you turn down $120K for work you love? Find out what’s really driving your money choices: https://affordanything.com/fiire 👉 Ron’s Book, Shop Different: https://amzn.to/4yFA1SH 👉 Ron’s website: https://ronjohnsonshopsdifferent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 48 mins
  • How Losing $500K in ‘08 Led One Trader to a Different Kind of Portfolio, with Jared Dillian

    How Losing $500K in ‘08 Led One Trader to a Different Kind of Portfolio, with Jared Dillian
    Oct 6 2026
    #756: In September 2008, Jared Dillian watched about half a million dollars of Lehman Brothers stock go to zero in a single week. He wasn't allowed to sell any of it. What he built afterward is a portfolio designed so he never goes through that again. Jared Dillian was a trader at Lehman Brothers from 2001 until its collapse, and ran its exchange-traded fund desk. He's the author of The Awesome Portfolio and taught finance at the university level for 13 years. In this episode, we discuss: Why to sell your company stock as soon as you're allowed to How living below your means gave him the freedom to start a business when Lehman fell How to gauge your real risk tolerance with a simple Las Vegas test How a portfolio split five ways (stocks, bonds, cash, gold, real estate) held up in 2008 Why a 20% cash cushion can be an advantage instead of a drag What long-term bond yields reveal about the economy that stocks don't What it would actually take to close the Social Security funding gap If most of your money sits in an index fund or your employer's stock, this conversation will help you figure out how big a drop you could actually stomach before the next real bear market tests you. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS Note: Timestamps may vary slightly depending on dynamic ad placements. (02:29) Walking into Lehman Brothers the day it collapsed (04:38) The $500,000 in company stock that went to zero (06:57) How cheap living let him start a business instead (19:54) Why buy-and-hold hasn't faced a real crash since 2008 (22:52) The Las Vegas test for your risk tolerance (27:07) A five-way portfolio that fell just 9.8% in 2008 (28:46) The one scenario where this portfolio struggles (29:33) Is 20% cash too much with inflation? (44:45) Why bond yields are the economy's warning light (51:25) Why half of retirees claim Social Security at 62 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED BEFORE YOU ADD BONDS OR REAL ESTATE FUNDS, KNOW WHICH ACCOUNT THEY BELONG IN 👉 https://affordanything.com/assetlocation Jared Dillian's website 👉 https://www.jareddillianmoney.com The Awesome Portfolio by Jared Dillian 👉 https://amzn.to/4ART5i4 Jared Dillian on X 👉 https://x.com/dailydirtnap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
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