Millennial Money

A few listeners sent us some Octoberfest questions, so we decided to do an Octoberfest themed episode. Since we recently featured Munich on a Travel Tuesday episode, we thought we’d tie these two together. Usually, Octoberfest can last from the beginning of September through the first weekend of October, where you drink a lot of beer, maybe do some German folk-dancing in lederhosen, watch some wiener dog races and eat a lot of meat in tube form. On This Podcast Episode: Here are some cool fun-facts and highlights from some of the bigger Octoberfest’s around the country, as well as the lowdown on Munich itself. My co-host for the podcast is my husband, Jeff Game, a travel, and music journalist that’s always on the hunt for a good story to tell. Links Mentioned: * Octoberfest Facts * Best Cities for Octoberfest * Oregon Octoberfest Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram    

Traveling these days is not just about exploring a new place, eating amazing food and creating new memories. We have to capture all those moments on Instagram and show off our latest vacation, right? On This Podcast Episode: This week on Travel Tuesday we go over some photo tips on how to make your Instagram stand out from your friends. My co-host for the podcast is my husband, Jeff Game, a travel, and music journalist that’s always on the hunt for a good story to tell. Links Mentioned: * Rule of Thirds * Jeff’s Instagram * Travel and Leisure Tips Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram  

The listener questions have been piling up so I thought it would be a good time to answer four awesome questions about budgeting, couples & money and life insurance. If you have a specific question for the future – head on over to this link and drop me a question. On This Podcast Episode: * Learn some tips about how to balance relationships with money * Find out some super good budgeting tips for all those yearly expenses * Discover a strategy to win with personal loans * Let’s chat about term life insurance and individual coverage Links Mentioned: * Have Life Insurance * PolicyGenius * NerdWallet Life Insurance Calculator Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram Disclosure: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) and financial strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes.    

It’s hard to think about retirement when you’re just starting out in your career – but it’s absolutely the best time to be thinking about it. I personally don’t like the word retirement…I like to think about it as lifestyle savings. Whatever word you want to use, the fact of the matter is that we all need to be thinking about smart retirement moves and saving whatever we can for the day in the future when we don’t want to work anymore.  On This Podcast Episode: * Let’s get real about our retirement savings (Here’s a great calculator to use) * I’ll share my own story of success and starting over with my savings * Learn why starting early really does make a difference * If you’re already saving, what else could you be doing * How to think about your retirement savings Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram Disclosure: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) and financial strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes.

We’re all fully aware of the Equifax debacle where millions and millions of people’s information has potentially been exposed to hackers. We’ve also heard of breaches at places like Target and Sonic. Most of us aren’t thinking that our retirement and brokerage accounts are actually primed and ready for hackers – but they are – and you need to be prepared. On This Podcast Episode: The answer is yes – your retirement and brokerage accounts can get hacked. Reason number  3 million 52 as to why you need to stay on top of your money, at least every month, to make sure you haven’t been breached. We’ll chat about what you need to know to keep your accounts safe and some steps you should take in case you are hacked to make sure you can get the money put back into your account…because there aren’t laws around that. Links Mentioned: * Vanguard Online Fraud Policy * SEC Investor Fraud Account Info Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram Disclosure: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) and financial strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial adviser prior to investing. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes.    

We love discovering new cities and people around the country that are making an impact on their communities and changing lives. We recently found one such very cool and funky place. This week we are shining a light the entrepreneurs of Jackson, Tennessee. On This Podcast Episode: The CO in Jackson is ground zero where people walk into this booming hotbed of entrepreneur spirit with a simple idea and with some hands-on training, turn it into the business of their dreams. Get inspired as we talk with entrepreneurs in the heart of America, escape rooms and starting a business over tacos. My co-host for the podcast is my husband, Jeff Game, a travel, and music journalist that’s always on the hunt for a good story to tell. Links Mentioned: * The Co * Jackson Escape Rooms * Visit Jackson Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram Disclosure: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) and financial strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial adviser prior to investing. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes.    

Robo-advisors are a fast-growing trend, with some experts predicting they’ll manage 10% of all global assets under management by 2020. The investment platforms allow users to manage their portfolios through computerized algorithms rather than consulting a personal advisor and are popular with younger, tech-savvy millennials. But, are robo-advisors overrated, or are they really the next best thing? On This Podcast Episode: I had a chance to chat with Steve Williams, Senior Vice President and Head of Financial Planning in the U.S. with BMO Private Bank, about his thoughts on robo-advisors. I wanted to find out some of the pros and cons for robo-advisors and what new millennial investors should be thinking about. Links Mentioned: * Top 15 Robo Advisors 2017 * Pros and Cons of Robo Advisors Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram Disclosure: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) and financial strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial adviser prior to investing. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes.    

What’s better than making a little extra cash each month? The rise of Airbnb rentals has allowed a whole generation of millennials to become business owners by renting out your home, apartment, or condo. While the extra cash is great – there are a few money tips you need to think about to make sure you’re playing by the rules. On This Podcast Episode: * Learn about the important 14-day rule when it comes to rental property * Understand the limitations of your homeowner’s or rental insurance * Find out why an umbrella policy might be a good money move * Figure out how to set up your Airbnb rental to make sure you’re keeping good records to maximize profits and in case of an IRS audit Links Mentioned: * Airbnb Host Guarantee * How to Record Your Airbnb Income and Expenses

So you want to know how to save more money, do you? It’s probably the #1 question I get asked all the time and I wish I could tell you that it’s more complicated than it is. To save more money you’ve either got to a) make more, b) spend less. Since you can’t always control making more money, let’s focus on the spending less bit (without having to give up the fun stuff you like to do. On This Podcast Episode: * Why saving more money might be as easy as looking at your bank account * Throw out your boring savings accounts and give them fun names to inspire you * Dip your toes into negotiating some of your recurring bills each month * Use your own credit to better your credit * and many more saving tips Thanks for Tuning In: Thanks for tuning in to listen to this episode of Millennial Money. If you have any comments or questions about today’s episode, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media. Also, please leave an honest review for Millennial Money on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and much appreciated! You’re awesome! Want More: * Shannah on Twitter * Shannah on Instagram * Jeff on Twitter * Jeff on Instagram Disclosure: The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) and financial strategies may be appropriate for you, consult your financial adviser prior to investing. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes.    

  If credit card debt has you stressed and frustrated you’re not alone. Some 171 million Americans have more than one credit card and many have some sort of debt on that card. However, there are so many benefits and perks when it comes to credit cards these days that if you figure out how to win at the “credit card game” you can take all the good and throw out all the bad. Top Rewards Credit Card: I’m a huge fan of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Plus and Chase Sapphire Reserve cards. Both cards do have an annual fee (the Reserve card with a whopping $450 annual fee) but the rewards on both cards are fabulous. Using the Chase Rewards center you can book flights at a 25% point reduction – which goes a long way. * Three points for every $1 you spend on travel and dining out * One point for every $1 you spend on everything else * $300 annual travel credit * Access to 900 plus airport lounges * Free rental car insurance * $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry * Sign up bonus of 50,000 points if you spend $4,000 in 3 months Top Airline Credit Card: If you fly American, one of the best is the Citi AAdvantage Select World Elite Mastercard. I’m a personal fan of this card myself. Yes, there is an annual fee, but you save on bags for yourself and 3 friends when you travel each time. That means more money back in your pocket and helps make travel a bit more budget friendly. If you fly other airlines be sure to check out their credit card – when it comes to airline cards – you want to use the card that matches up with your frequent air travel. Top Credit Card For Shopping: Who doesn’t order almost everything on Amazon these days? Soon we’ll be having our burgers and fries from Shake Shack delivered via Amazon (can’t wait for that). Amazon also, of course, has a solid credit card to help you earn cash back on all your shopping. The Amazon Prime Rewards Visa comes with $0 annual fee (but you must sign up for Amazon Prime at $99 a year –but you get free 2-day shipping in exchange). No biggie again if you’re shopping all the time. You earn: * $70 Amazon  gift card for new cardholders * 5% cash back on Amazon.com purchases * 2% cash back on purchases at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores * 1% cash back on your charges for everywhere else Top Credit Card for Students: The Capital One Journey Student Credit Card earns the top marks in this category that still offers 1% cash back on all purchases and you can get a boost to 1.25% if you simply pay your bills on time – easy. This card has no annual fee but a high APR, so make sure you pay your bill in full each month. Once you make five months of on-time payments Capital One will offer you a higher limit so you can continue to boost your credit score. Top Cash Back Credit Card: Who doesn’t love a little extra cash in their pocket? The Citi Double Cash Card has been on the top of the cash back credit card list for a few years now and I understand why. It comes with no annual fee and you can earn points without any restriction – two points for every $1 you spent and paid off. Think of it as a little motivation to pay your bill in full each month. Other Favorites: Best Hotel Card –

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