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Smart Start Money provides information on making smart money decisions. Providing tips, personal experiences, and opinions on saving smart and spending smart. Times have changed since getting a job and keeping the same place of employment for a lifetime. The average time spent with one employer is now three to five years. Companies are replacing workers with lean staff that previously held more people to accomplish the same tasks. This has resulted in periods of unemployment for many people making it challenging to save for retirement and stay debt-free. The rising costs of healthcare, consumer goods, and wages that often do not seem to keep pace with the cost of daily life make it more important than ever to make smart financial decisions. Millions of people struggle each day to get ahead. The intention of Smart Start Money is to not only provide insight into saving or spending but also open conversations. Discussions relating to the economy, employment, and even the occasional forbidden topic of politics are possible. If the subject matter has a correlation to helping people with their finances or questioning the so-called experts, it is open for dialogue. It has never been more important than ever to save and stay out of debt. No one has all the answers when it comes to personal finance. People come from all different backgrounds in life. The choices we make and the opportunities available are never identical. We can all learn from each other.
Episodes
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Financial Lessons Learned From the Pandemic
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
What are some good financial lessons that everyone is learning from the pandemic?
The current global pandemic the world is experiencing will forever change many lives individually, entire families, and future generations. For people that lose loved ones, there is no recovery that will ever be made. The psychological and economic impact of the Coronavirus will never be forgotten, but some lessons can be learned.
From a financial and economic perspective, it will be important to learn from this experience to be better prepared for the future. Not everything has been a complete disaster. I am hopeful there will be some real changes in the future that we can make by learning from this experience.
This podcast episode talks about some of the expected financial lessons America and the world are going to learn from the pandemic.
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Monday Apr 27, 2020
Monday Apr 27, 2020
401k and Employer Matching Contributions
It is true that not taking advantage of an employer matching contribution to a 401k is like giving up free money. However, there are reasons some people chose not to contribute to their 401k even when an employer will put in some money to help.
This podcast episode talks about why more people do not take advantage of an employer-provided 401k and particularly when there is a matching dollar amount.
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Thursday Apr 23, 2020
The Income Gap Is Likely Going to Get Wider
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
Thursday Apr 23, 2020
The wealth gap in America is likely going to get a whole lot bigger.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives socially, economically, and will forever change some families who experience lost loved ones. The lasting effects are going to likely remain for decades while future generations feel the impact of what not only America is experiencing, but the entire world. Before the Coronavirus, a growing gap between the wealthy and poor already existed. The separation between the rich and poor has increased substantially in the last 40 years.
The wealthy and powerful are better positioned for recovery from a pandemic and for this reason the income gap is about to get a whole lot wider.
This podcast episode talks about the income gap in America and how the Coronavirus with an economic shutdown is going to speed up the gap further between the rich and poor. There are solutions, but changes need to be made to ensure all of America has a future.
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Questions or Comments About the Podcast? Email: info@smartstartmoney.com
Monday Apr 20, 2020
How Much Should a Recent College Graduate Be Putting in a 401k?
Monday Apr 20, 2020
Monday Apr 20, 2020
Should a recent college graduate be putting 15% into their 401k?
Saving for retirement is and should be one of the most important financial goals for just about anyone. However, for a recent college graduate with a first job in the professional world, it is important to have a financial foundation in place first before putting too much money into retirement.
This podcast episode talks about the importance of having a financial foundation before putting too much money away for retirement. Saving for retirement is important and starting at a young age can make it easier to reach a goal. However, there are some dangers if an early withdrawal is needed.
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
Payday Loans: The Evil Truth
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
Payday Lenders Are Not There to Help
People that find themselves in an emergency money situation have several choices to choose from for solving the problem. Credit cards, an emergency fund or a loan from a relative is sometimes an answer to short term financial issues. However, a lot of individuals are forced to use Payday loans. These easy loans come with little or no credit requirements. They can be a simple way to get money fast for someone in a bad financial situation. Even though Payday loans might give people quick access to cash, they are an evil business in the world of loans.
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Monday Apr 13, 2020
America: Retirement and the Future
Monday Apr 13, 2020
Monday Apr 13, 2020
How Do We Fix the Future of Retirement in America?
The pandemic currently being experienced around the world has certainly disrupted lives socially and economically. Although it seems most people are dealing with it the best they can and experts continually state everything will eventually be better, I am personally concerned about the future of retirement. Future generations and plans for retirement might not only be affected by the downturn seen in the stock market along with the economy most recently but also the impact is likely going to last for some foreseeable time.
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Thursday Apr 09, 2020
Rent or Buy a House?
Thursday Apr 09, 2020
Thursday Apr 09, 2020
Renting vs Buying a House
There is always some debate over the better choice when it comes to renting or buying a home and there are valid arguments to each side. If you are debating over the decision to rent or buy, there are some key details to consider.
This podcast episode looks at the advantages and disadvantages of homeownership.
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Monday Apr 06, 2020
Profiting Politicians and Lawmakers: Insider Trading and Politics
Monday Apr 06, 2020
Monday Apr 06, 2020
Insider Trading and Politics
Insider trading has been known to be an illegal practice for some time. For politicians and lawmakers trading on information not available to the public is really nothing new. However, trading on non-public information for Congress was supposed to theoretically stop in 2012 with the Stock Act that was put in place to prevent these people from taking advantage of their positions for financial gain.
With the recent pandemic of COVID-19, many people on Capitol Hill, including lawmakers and congressional aides, have made questionable financial transactions potentially based on information they received that was not public. The alleged misuse of information for financial gain is clearly a problem both legally and from an ethics standpoint, if just not even morally wrong.
This podcast episode takes a look at the issue of politicians and how they need to be held accountable for their actions when it comes to profiting from non-public information.
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Thursday Apr 02, 2020
Will Buying an Electric Car Save Money?
Thursday Apr 02, 2020
Thursday Apr 02, 2020
When it comes to saving money buying an electric car may be something a person considers. But is it really worth the money for the possible savings?
For someone looking to get out of debt or save more money, an electric car might appear to be a good purchase. Spending much less on gasoline could potentially put more money back into the pocket of a driver. But are we really at a point yet where it makes sense to convert over to a pure electric mode of transportation?
This podcast episode looks at electric automobiles and if driving one will truly save money.
Visit Our Website: https://smartstartmoney.com
Subscribe to the Podcast: https://smartstartmoney.podbean.com/
Questions or Comments About the Podcast? Email: info@smartstartmoney.com