Podcast · 334 episodes
Afford Anything | Get Smarter With Money
by Paula Pant | Cumulus Podcast Network · English
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.
Latest episodes
Q&A: We Have $80K in Cash and Want a 1–2 Year Sabbatical. Is It Enough?Q&A on balancing multiple financial priorities with different timelines; defining emergency vs cash reserves and sinking funds; structuring savings; sabbatical planning; Roth conversions during…29 Sep 2026 · 1 h 14 min
Why 60,000 New York Apartments Sit Empty in a Housing Crisis, with Kenny BurgosNew York City’s housing crisis is worsened by rent regulation and policy-driven economics that make many rent-stabilized apartments unprofitable to operate, leading to widespread vacancy (60,000+…25 Sep 2026 · 1 h 26 min
Q&A: I’m Tired of Managing My Rental Property. Should I Sell It?Q&A on whether to sell a rental duplex when it’s causing stress while abroad, plus a labor-market question about why recent labor force participation declines were entirely (or mostly) women.22 Sep 2026 · 1 h
All episodes
Q&A: We Have $80K in Cash and Want a 1–2 Year Sabbatical. Is It Enough?Q&A on balancing multiple financial priorities with different timelines; defining emergency vs cash reserves and sinking funds; structuring savings; sabbatical planning; Roth conversions during…29 Sep 2026 · 1 h 14 min · 27 chapters
Why 60,000 New York Apartments Sit Empty in a Housing Crisis, with Kenny BurgosNew York City’s housing crisis is worsened by rent regulation and policy-driven economics that make many rent-stabilized apartments unprofitable to operate, leading to widespread vacancy (60,000+…25 Sep 2026 · 1 h 26 min · 36 chapters
Q&A: I’m Tired of Managing My Rental Property. Should I Sell It?Q&A on whether to sell a rental duplex when it’s causing stress while abroad, plus a labor-market question about why recent labor force participation declines were entirely (or mostly) women.22 Sep 2026 · 1 h · 25 chapters
Why Self-Worth Predicts Your Income More Than Your SAT Score Does, with Marisa FrancoFinancial psychology—how self-worth predicts income and financial outcomes more than SAT scores, by shaping emotion regulation, motivation (approach vs avoid), and responses to success, feedback, and…18 Sep 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 19 chapters
Your "Diversified" Portfolio Might Secretly Be One Big Bet on AI, with Alec LitowitzThe episode argues that “adaptability” (A Q, Adaptability Quotient) is the key human advantage in an era where AI makes knowledge abundant but judgment and agency scarce.15 Sep 2026 · 1 h 57 min · 33 chapters
How a Blind Man and His Dog Survived 9/11 from the 78th FloorMichael Hingson, a blind man and guide-dog user, recounts surviving the Sept.11 Sep 2026 · 1 h 34 min · 38 chapters
Q&A: My Dream Job Won't Wait If I Take a Family Gap Year — Do I Quit Anyway?Q&A episode on whether to take a family gap year that may require quitting a beloved job, plus two finance questions: whether to pause IRA contributions to pay down a house, and how to use sinking…8 Sep 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 18 chapters
First Friday: Trouble in the Bond MarketFirst Friday macro episode mixing uplifting Nepal flood-rescue news with a U.S.5 Sep 2026 · 45 min · 9 chapters
Q&A: What Nepal Reveals About Wealth and SafetyThe hosts address a Nepal tragedy (a fast-moving glacier flood) as a lens on how wealth and safety depend on infrastructure and coordination; then they answer retirement-planning Q&As about (1) when…1 Sep 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 23 chapters
The Four Kinds of Rich Nobody Counts -- with Sahil Bloom [GREATEST HITS]The episode argues that “true wealth” is five-part: financial wealth plus mental, social, time, and physical wealth.28 Aug 2026 · 1 h 21 min · 29 chapters
This Historian Says We're Living in the Best Era Ever, with Joseph MooreEconomic history lessons on money, inflation, and investing; why “stocks for the long run” and other advice are historically contingent; and how today’s pessimism coexists with strong economic data.25 Aug 2026 · 1 h 43 min · 40 chapters
Everyone Wants a Piece of You. Here's How to Stay Whole -- with Luke BurgisHow to stay individuated while belonging to communities; why “pseudo-self” formation happens; and how online communities reduce friction, conflict resolution, and emotional growth.22 Aug 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 27 chapters
Q&A: I Reached Financial Independence Three Years Early … Now What?Q&A on (1) choosing between paying off a mortgage vs early retirement, (2) how to hire a CPA for complex personal taxes, and (3) why the host prefers the efficient frontier over risk parity.18 Aug 2026 · 1 h 9 min · 16 chapters
You Can't Buy Back Your 20’s — with Jack RainesHow to spend money in your 20s by treating it as a unique, stage-specific window for adventure and flexibility before career momentum and responsibilities reduce risk-taking.14 Aug 2026 · 1 h 21 min · 39 chapters
Q&A: Should We Retire in Our 40s With $4 Million and an 80% Stock Portfolio?Q&A on early retirement planning with an aggressive stock-heavy portfolio, plus whether to quit a corporate job for a growing side hustle, and how to use “tax gain harvesting”/asset location in…11 Aug 2026 · 1 h 12 min · 26 chapters
First Friday: We Lost 23,000 Jobs, Yet Somehow Unemployment is Down?!?!Macro “First Friday” roundup on the July jobs report (23,000 jobs lost; unemployment down), inflation fears, Fed expectations for September, bond yields (30-year Treasury ~5.2%), mortgage rates…7 Aug 2026 · 57 min · 25 chapters
She's Researched Money for 30 Years—and Never Seen It This Bad for Young People, with Beth KoblinerBeth Kobliner argues that young people’s pessimism is driven by worse job prospects for recent college grads, higher credit card debt, and delayed major life milestones (homebuying, marriage, first…31 Jul 2026 · 1 h 14 min · 37 chapters
Q&A: Would You Spend $60,000 on a Wedding Knowing It Could Be $800,000 Someday?Q&A episode covering (1) retirement planning for Mike (retire in ~12 years) and (2) whether to spend $60,000 on a wedding in New Zealand, plus (3) a Luxembourg listener’s question about behaviorally…28 Jul 2026 · 1 h 11 min · 21 chapters
He Tried 30+ Side Hustles Before 3 Actually Paid Off, with Cody BermanCody Berman’s path to financial independence by age 25, using aggressive cost control, a long list of side hustles, and a framework for “Nest Egg FI” vs “Cash Flow FI,” plus a framework for…24 Jul 2026 · 1 h 15 min · 31 chapters
Q&A: Her Brother Owns 3 Houses — Is That Why We Have a 'Housing Shortage'?Q&A on whether the U.S. has a true housing shortage (vs. wealthy people owning multiple vacant homes), plus practical guidance on simplifying and managing a retirement investment portfolio.21 Jul 2026 · 1 h 23 min · 30 chapters
The Hidden Math Behind Every Venture Capital Fund, with former Wharton Prof. David BellHow venture capital funds work, including risk stages, where VC money comes from (LPs), how general partners (GPs) get paid, the “2 and 20” fee/profit structure, and how incentives differ between…17 Jul 2026 · 1 h 1 min · 23 chapters
Your Zip Code Is Quietly Deciding What You Buy, with former Wharton Prof. David BellLocation-driven consumer preferences create “preference minority” opportunities for businesses; the internet liberates customers from local shelf limitations, and physical/tactile experiences can be…14 Jul 2026 · 1 h 2 min · 27 chapters
Is AI Making You Dumber? With Lorraine MarchandEntrepreneurship and hiring/culture practices, with a focus on how to use AI without cognitive decline and how to build human connection in remote or digital work.10 Jul 2026 · 1 h 17 min · 26 chapters
Q&A: We Have $1.5 Million. Can We Stop Now?When to stop accumulating and start optimizing for “happiness” (time, health, shared experiences), plus practical Q&A on investing, building a financial team, rental-property cash reserves, and…7 Jul 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 24 chapters