Why is personal finance so complicated? The internet is flooded with personal finance “experts” sharing short-sighted, error-prone advice. But long-term financial success requires thoughtful, patient, and well-researched strategies. Hosted by Jesse Cramer, a former aerospace engineer turned fiduciary financial advisor in Rochester, NY, Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors simplifies complex financial topics. With relatable stories, in-depth research, and practical tips, Jesse helps you m ...
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Want to achieve financial independence without missing out on the fun? FI Minded is for anyone who wants to achieve financial freedom, live life on their own terms, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey along the way! Whether you’re just starting to think about financial independence or already deep into the process, FI Minded gives you the tools and inspiration to make FI a reality - without giving up the things you love. Each episode, we’ll cover topics like: *Financial Independence Str ...
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Make better financial decisions and learn all about personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship with Philipp Muedder, StashAway’s Head of Personal Finance. He’ll chat with thought leaders and experts on how to FIRE, investing in ETFs, the evolution of cryptocurrencies, and more! If you enjoy what you hear, subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends. All of this really helps us make the show even better for you so that we can convince great guests to join us. Have feedback for us? ...
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The Women Who Disappeared...And Reappeared 63 Years Later | E169
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4:16What would you do if you had to start over, completely from scratch? In this episode, I share the wild true story of Audrey, a woman who vanished in 1962 and was just found alive, 63 years later. Her story sparked a thought experiment: if you had to reinvent yourself, new city, new career, new hobbies, what path would you choose? We’ll explore what…
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Travel Hacks to Upgrade Your Next Vacation (Without Spending More) | E168 Chris Hutchins
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47:27I get why some people aren’t into traveling. Long flights crammed in a middle seat, overpriced hotels that smell like smoke, and being miles away from the city center - none of that screams “dream vacation.” Now, I’m past the days of budget airlines and sketchy motels but I’m also not flying first class with lay-down seats or staying in luxury hote…
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19 Questions to Uncover Good, Bad, and Ugly Financial Advisors | Don McDonald - E107
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59:25Today, Jesse is joined by Don McDonald to offer a critical examination of the financial advising and annuity industries, warning retirees and near-retirees about misleading sales tactics that exploit fear - especially the fear of market losses. They emphasize the importance of working with fee-only, fiduciary advisors who are legally obligated to a…
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How to Start a Side Hustle in One Month | E167 Nick Loper
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49:51For most of us pursuing financial independence, the math is pretty straightforward: earn more, spend less, and invest the difference. But what if you could speed things up and discover a new passion along the way? That’s where side hustles come in. Not only can they give your FI plan a serious income boost, but they also let you explore projects th…
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Retirees’ Mistakes and Wake-Up Calls: Expectations vs. Reality - E106
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28:14Jesse explores insights from the Retirements and Perspectives study, which captures the experiences and expectations of individuals transitioning into retirement, especially those aged 50 to 75. With half of the participants recently retired and the other half preparing to retire within two years, the study offers a timely look at the "final glide …
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The Tariffs You Should Really Be Paying Attention To | E166
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6:07Tariffs aren’t just for global trade - you can apply the concept to your personal life to protect your time, energy, and values. As we gain more financial freedom, how we spend and make money should evolve too. In this short and reflective episode, I explore the idea of personal tariffs and how I have applied this to things that may seem like a goo…
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You’re Financially Free But It Doesn’t Feel Like It | E165 Shannah Game
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30:09You’ve run the numbers a hundred times. You’ve built the spreadsheets, projected the growth, and calculated your safe withdrawal rate down to the decimal. On paper, money isn’t an issue. You should feel secure. But you don’t. Because even though the math checks out, the feeling doesn’t. The scarcity mindset, the one that pushed you to save relentle…
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It’s Not Too Late: Smart Money Moves After 50 | Bill Yount - E105
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58:38Jesse explores the financial journey of late starters with guest Bill Yount, co-host of Catching Up to FI. In the opening monologue, Jesse shares his “Stupidly Simple Secret Sauce” for personal finance: spend less than you earn, grow income without inflating lifestyle, invest consistently, and prioritize savings. He warns against flashy success sto…
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Tariffs, Turbulence, and the Harsh Truths We Must Now Face - Bonus Episode
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44:22
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44:22Today, Jesse critiques emotional, reactive investing during volatile market conditions—especially in response to tariffs and recession fears—while promoting disciplined, evidence-based strategies. Tariffs, though intended to protect domestic industries, often raise prices and stoke inflation, ultimately harming consumers, businesses, and investor s…
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How to DOUBLE Your Income in One Year | E164 Andrew Giancola
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40:16In my mid-20s, I was making $50,000. Between San Diego’s high housing costs, dating, a car payment, and other expenses, I barely had anything left to put toward financial independence - let alone fast-track it. I was cutting costs everywhere - negotiating bills, rarely eating out, even walking instead of driving. Frugality was helping but man, the …
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"Tax-Free Retirement" - Smart Strategy or Overhyped Gimmick? And Other Listener Questions | AMA #6 - E104
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57:50
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57:50Jesse answers listener questions on financial planning, investment management, and retirement. He discusses the challenges of rising homeowner’s insurance costs in high-risk areas, the differences between Treasuries, CDs, and high-yield savings accounts, and the inefficiencies of using life insurance for tax-free retirement. He advises Casey, a fut…
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Welcome to FI Minded (Podcast Rebrand Announcement)
5:58
5:58
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5:58Want to achieve financial independence without missing out on the fun? FI Minded is for anyone who wants to achieve financial freedom, live life on their own terms, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey along the way! Whether you’re just starting to think about financial independence or already deep into the process, FI Minded gives you the tool…
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Is Real Estate the Best Path to Financial Independence? | E163 Chad Carson
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50:58
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50:58Is Real Estate the Best Path to Financial Independence? As a die-hard index fund investor, I used to have a clear answer. But after researching Chad Carson’s “small but mighty” real estate philosophy, I’m starting to see the potential. While I still prefer the hands-off nature of index funds, especially as I focus on growing my income - I can see r…
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Life Expectancy, Caregiving Costs, & Retirement Planning | Christine Benz - E103
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52:58
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52:58Jesse Cramer speaks with Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance at Morningstar, about insights from her book How to Retire. Before their discussion, Jesse contrasts gambling with long-term investing, emphasizing the risks of short-term market bets versus the reliability of patient investing. Christine highlights the shift in financial advice …
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When You and Your Partner See Money Differently | E162 Brian Page
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52:33
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52:33Love and money - a perfect match, right? If only it were that simple. Money is personal for everyone. We grow up with different values, learn different money habits from our parents, and develop our own financial preferences. So when two people with unique money mindsets come together, disagreements are bound to happen. Maybe one of you is a saver …
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The Truth About the U.S. National Debt (And How It Impacts You Personally) - E102
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41:25Today we take a look at the U.S. national debt, distinguishing it from household debt and analyzing its impact on individuals and investors. Jesse traces the debt’s history and explains its structure, funding through Treasury bonds, and refinancing process. The discussion covers Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), which suggests that as a currency issuer…
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Do You Know You Can Negotiate Your Medical Bills? Here’s how. | E161 Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington
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37:34In today’s conversation, we will learn how to negotiate your medical bills. Wait, you can do that? Yeah, this was new to me too. Maybe it was the confusing medical jargon or the assumption that hospitals charge fair prices, but negotiating never crossed my mind…and you know I love to negotiate just about everything. Not only should you be negotiati…
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Do Long-Term Investors *Need* to Invest in Real Estate? | Chad “Coach” Carson - E101
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53:12Jesse is joined by Chad Carson, who discusses residential real estate investing as a stable alternative to stocks and bonds. While real estate offers advantages like rental income, property appreciation, and tax benefits, Jesse also highlights challenges such as high costs, tenant issues, liquidity problems, and the time commitment required. Jesse …
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Spending Experiments: Learn What Purchases Make You Happy | E160 Carl Jensen
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55:52
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55:52Struggling to spend money? Same here. Honestly, I never thought this would be a problem as I got closer to financial independence. I mean, isn’t the goal to save up enough so we can finally spend on the things we want? Turns out, after 15 years of working hard to build wealth, it’s not so easy to let go. Add in some good old financial insecurities,…
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Favorite Moments, Shoutouts, and a Name Change?! …From Our First 100 Episodes - E100
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1:07:29
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1:07:29Episode 100 of The Best Interest Podcast! This is a celebratory and reflective milestone featuring guest shout-outs, listener-favorite clips, and a discussion on the show's evolution. Jesse shares the podcast's origins, his journey from aerospace engineering to financial planning, and how the podcast nearly faded before finding renewed purpose in 2…
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Fast-Track Your 2025 Money Goals Using These Strategies | E159 Justin Brown-Woods
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42:53
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42:53It’s the start of a new year, and you’ve set some financial goals like paying off student loans, saving for a down payment, or maxing out your IRA. Whatever your goal, how awesome would it feel if you could fast-track your progress? It’ll take focus and dedication, but with the right strategies, you can turbocharge your cash flow and get there fast…
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Will They Claw Back My Tax Breaks? Should I “Buy, Borrow, and Die?” And More - AMA #5 - E99
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43:38
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43:38Time for another AMA with Jesse! First, Randy asks what it means to be rich, leading to an interesting evaluation of personal values, goals, and circumstances. Jesse explores relativity, “keeping up with the Joneses”, and what it means to have “enough”. Then, Bob asks about the potential tax burdens on beneficiaries and heirs, and Tom wonders wheth…
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What Happens After I Reach FIRE? Withdrawal Strategy, Spending Changes, & Finding Meaning | E158 Jeremy Schneider
51:31
51:31
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51:31Since discovering financial independence, I have focused on wealth-building: choosing the right accounts, investing wisely, and cutting expenses to save more. But now that I’m approaching my FIRE number, a new question has emerged—what happens after I reach financial independence? On one hand, there’s the technical side: What’s the best way to with…
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What Do You Mean By “little p purpose”?! | Jordan Grumet - E98
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39:26Jordan Grumet, AKA Doc G, returns to the podcast to share the difference between “Big P Purpose” and “little p purpose” and why you should pursue the seemingly less significant latter. Bringing together his experience in hospice care and finance, Jordan shines light on how we can create our purpose through personal growth and the pursuit of passion…
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Anxiety-Free Purpose: Framework for Creating Purpose in Your Life | E157 Jordan Grumet
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46:38
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46:38Why save and invest? It’s a rhetorical question, but let’s think it through. When you save and invest, you’re sharing financial resources with your future self. This means your future self won’t have to worry about earning money. With that financial freedom, you gain time—the time you would’ve spent working. And with more time, you have more freedo…
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The Bad “Money Scripts” Someone Else Wrote for You | Brad Klontz - E97
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52:03
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52:03Jesse kicks today’s show off with a monologue on the importance of having the right temperament for investing - it’s not really about intelligence at all. Emotional stability and disciplined decision making outweigh expertise and intelligence when investing. The Dunning-Kruger effect and the paradox of choice are also highlighted, emphasizing the n…
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Creative Frugality: How to Do A Lot With A Little | E156 Jill Sirianni
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50:01
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50:01Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? With a little bit of creative frugality, I think it is possible to live below your means and buy the things that bring you joy. What do I mean by creative frugality? It is a two-part process. Number 1, identify the things you value and stop spending money on the things you don’t. That is what today’…
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But is NOW the Right Time to Invest in the Stock Market?! - E96
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55:44
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55:44Talking solo, Jesse tackles two important, ever-present investing questions in today’s monologue. Should I try to time the market? How do I beat the market? The truth is, the timeless advice stands: diversify your portfolio, steer clear of speculation, and invest early and often. Diversifying is like buying the haystack, rather than looking for the…
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Tax Loss Harvesting Myths Debunked: What You Need to Know Now | AMA #4 with Jesse - E95
59:45
59:45
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59:45Jesse is solo, answering your questions! Kate, a government worker with $650,000 in IRAs, is wondering how she can best rebalance her portfolio - and when. Dan seeks clarity on bonds' role despite recent poor returns, learning they offer portfolio stability and mitigate market volatility, critical for risk-averse investors. Peter asks about Social …
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Is Couponing Worth it, Using Your Old Student ID for Discounts, Weirdest Way You’ve Made Money, and More | E155 Joel Larsgaard, Jackie Cummings Koski, Justin Brown Woods
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54:14
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54:14Okay, this episode was so much fun to create. This is outside my normal format but equally as informative and probably more entertaining. In October, I attended FinCon, a conference for personal finance content creators. I know it is super nerdy of me but here you are listening to a personal finance podcast so you have no room to judge me. This was…
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10 Golden Rules of Personal Finance | E154 Jesse Cramer
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50:40There are so many rules in the personal finance space. Some are helpful, others not so much. Let's set aside the bad ones for a minute (for example, stop buying avocado toast) and discuss the helpful ones. What comes to mind? I went through this practice and wrote down a bunch in preparation for an episode with Jesse Cramer on The Best Interest. I …
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Silly Hacks, New Rules, & Unpopular Opinions - E94
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47:01Jesse’s running the show solo this week, bringing with him some interesting perspectives on tax tricks, whether you should rent or buy, and college education. In this episode, you’ll hear why side hustles might just be a waste of time, what makes detailed budgeting overrated, and how you’re actually spoiled just by having a queen sized bed! This ep…
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You Can Afford to Leave Your Job But You’re Afraid to Quit | E153 Tess Waresmith & Nicole Franklin
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48:35
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48:35There will be a point in your FI journey when a stable salary will become less important to you. You’ve built up your savings and investments to a place where you are comfortable. The freedom and flexibility over your time are more valuable than that regular paycheck. The thought of leaving your job has you nervous though. Even after running the nu…
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