Best Growwealth Podcasts (2026)

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First Friday: What 2026 Means for Your Money 41:40

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8h ago41:40

41:40

#677: Happy New Year! We're kicking off 2026 with a reality check on where your money stands right now. The Good News: Gas prices dropped below $3/gallon. Inflation cooled to 2.7%. The Fed cut rates again. GDP grew 4.3% (surprisingly strong). Gold hit $4,500 an ounce. And 19 states raised minimum wages. The Not-So-Good: Health insurance jumped 10-1…

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Q&A: Should You Keep Part of Your Money Outside the U.S.? 1:07:15

4d ago1:07:15

1:07:15

#676: Ally:How can I optimize my asset allocation and Roth contributions now that I’m over $1 million in assets? I’m 45, single, never married, with about $1.2 million in assets. Roughly $100,000 is in stocks, which might scare some people. Here’s my breakdown: Vanguard brokerage account: VTSAX $132,000, ISCV $5,000, VOO $5,000 Vanguard Rollover IR…

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[E] The Myths We Believed About Startups [GREATEST HITS] 45:37

8d ago45:37

45:37

#675: Welcome to Greatest Hits Week – five days, five episodes from our vault, spelling out F-I-I-R-E. Today’s letter E stands for Entrepreneurship. This episode originally aired in September 2018, at a moment when startup culture was loud, venture capital was abundant, and entrepreneurship was often framed as something that involves outside invest…

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[R] Remember When Inflation Was High and Rates Were Rising? [GREATEST HITS] 1:17:55

9d ago1:17:55

1:17:55

#674: Welcome to Greatest Hits Week – five days, five episodes from our vault, spelling out F-I-I-R-E. Today's letter R stands for Real Estate. This episode originally aired in May 2022, but the insights on long-distance investing remain just as relevant for anyone feeling priced out of their local market. We tackle the five biggest challenges of i…

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[I] Why Young Investors Focus on the Wrong Things [GREATEST HITS] 47:20

10d ago47:20

47:20

#673: Welcome to Greatest Hits Week – five days, five episodes from our vault, spelling out F-I-I-R-E. Today's second letter I stands for Investing. This episode originally aired in April 2022, but the framework remains one of the most practical guides we've shared for building wealth at any age. Nick Maggiulli joins us to reveal why most young inv…

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[I] The Hidden Information That's Costing You Money [GREATEST HITS] 1:03:10

11d ago1:03:10

1:03:10

#672: Welcome to Greatest Hits Week — five days, five episodes from our vault, spelling out F-I-I-R-E. Today's letter I stands for Increasing Your Income. This episode originally aired in August 2024, but the strategies are more essential than ever. Jeff Wetzler, Ed.D., reveals why the people around us withhold crucial information — and how asking …

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[F] Why Your Brain Sabotages Your Money [GREATEST HITS] 45:44

11d ago45:44

45:44

#671: Welcome to Greatest Hits Week — five days, five episodes from our vault, spelling out F-I-I-R-E. Today's letter F stands for Financial Psychology. And we're diving deep with a conversation that changed how thousands of our listeners think about money. This episode originally aired in November 2022, but the insights feel more relevant than eve…

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Are Credit Card Rewards Really Worth It in 2026? 1:00:14

14d ago1:00:14

1:00:14

#670: As we close out 2025, premium credit cards are more expensive and more complicated than ever. It’s fair to ask whether the points game is still worth the effort. We sit down with Chris Hutchins, host of All the Hacks, to talk about what’s changed in credit card rewards, and how to decide whether to stick with travel points, switch to cash bac…

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44 Years Old, $2 Million Saved – Why They're Still Hesitant to Downshift 55:43

18d ago55:43

55:43

#669: Slade (01:43) - Slade, 44, and his wife plan to downshift careers in the next five to seven years while raising their 11-year-old daughter. They want to know how to reallocate their $685K brokerage account and plan withdrawals to make the transition financially smooth. David (21:50) - David has a high school senior and is deciding how to pay …

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Why Taking a Year Off Might Be Your Smartest Money Move, with David Bach 1:53:51

22d ago1:53:51

1:53:51

#668: We’re joined in-studio by David Bach, bestselling author of The Automatic Millionaire and The Latte Factor. He’s updated his most popular book (over two million copies sold) and this is his last big launch as he heads into retirement. Together, we wrestle with a problem our listeners know well: what happens when you’ve built the habit of savi…

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Should You Ever Get a 50 Year Mortgage? — with Dr. Karsten Jeske 1:03:39

24d ago1:03:39

1:03:39

#667: Home prices have outpaced wages for more than a decade, and first-time buyers are stretching further every year. Now a new idea is entering the conversation, the 50-year mortgage. It promises lower monthly payments, yet it reshapes everything from equity growth to long-term risk. In this episode we sit down with Karsten Jeske, PhD, CFA from E…

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First Friday: The Strange Economics of Feeling Poor While Spending More Description: 43:21

20d ago43:21

43:21

#666: In this First Friday economic update, we explore the paradox defining our current economy: record-breaking retail numbers alongside plummeting consumer confidence. In this First Friday economic update, we explore the paradox defining our current economy: we're spending more than ever, while feeling worse about money than we have in years. The…

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Q&A: How Much Insurance Is Enough When You’re Protecting Your Wealth 54:24

1M ago54:24

54:24

#665: If you’ve ever stared at an insurance quote and wondered, “Is this really worth it?”, you’re not alone. Liability and umbrella policies can feel like an expensive mystery, especially when your net worth is growing and your risks are shifting. In today’s episode, we dig into a listener’s dilemma about soaring liability and umbrella insurance c…

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The Psychology of Sales, Discounts and Deals [GREATEST HITS] 1:03:10

1M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

#664: Have any of these thoughts ever crossed your mind? If I had more willpower, I’d achieve my financial goals. I’m doomed to fail with money. Budgets suck. They only show me what I did wrong and make me feel horrible. If so, you’re not alone. It’s not that you lack willpower. It’s not that you’re doomed to fail with money. It’s not that you’re a…

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Why AI Misleads Investors and How to Fix It 1:07:47

1M ago1:07:47

1:07:47

#663: We’re living through the first era in which an investor can ask a machine to read a decade of SEC filings in seconds. That sounds powerful, but also a little terrifying. Can we trust it? And how do we use it without falling for hallucinations or built-in optimism? In this episode, we dig into the practical, real-world ways AI can strengthen o…

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What If Everything We Know About Hiring Is Wrong?, with William Vanderbloemen 1:19:47

1M ago1:19:47

1:19:47

#662: Most teams hire for skills. The best teams hire for wiring. What if the reason someone accelerates your organization, or quietly derails it, has more to do with their response time, processing style, or sense of mission than their résumé? This episode dives into the hidden patterns that shape how people work, make decisions, and handle pressu…

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Q&A: She's Broke. He's Rich. And You're Asking About AI Stocks. 1:20:01

2M ago1:20:01

1:20:01

#661: When your income drops, debt spikes, and a rental property starts bleeding cash, it can feel like your entire financial foundation is cracking beneath you. Veronica, our first caller, is navigating all of it at once, from a near-foreclosure to a luxury car payment that’s strangling her budget. Her question is simple but enormous, how do you r…

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The Brutal Math of Caring for Aging Parents, with MarketWatch Columnist Beth Pinsker 1:02:42

2M ago1:02:42

1:02:42

#660: Caring for an aging parent can morph into a second full-time job, and even the most financially savvy adults get blindsided. Bank accounts freeze, home sales stall, and family savings disappear faster than anyone expects. In this episode, we dig into what really happens when you take over a parent’s financial life, from the first power of att…

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James Patterson Shows Why Comfort Can Be a Trap 1:08:50

2M ago1:08:50

1:08:50

#659: Imagine that you’re at the absolute peak of your career. You’re the CEO of a prominent advertising company at the age of 36, but you feel like you’re driving in the wrong lane. It’s wrong.Then you make a hard career pivot and it works out beautifully.My guests today know exactly what that’s like. We’re joined by James Patterson, the author wh…

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First Friday: When the Gov’t is Closed, Where Do We Find the Numbers? 37:21

2M ago37:21

37:21

#658: An unusual First Friday episode because we don't have a jobs report. However, we do know that in October, U.S. companies announced more job cuts in a single month than they have over any single month of the last 20 years. In other words, October was peak job cut month. By contrast, private payrolls, as reported by ADP, rose by 42,000 in Octob…

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Q&A: Can You Really Beat the Market by Copying Members of Congress? 59:18

2M ago59:18

59:18

#657: This week, Paula and Joe dig into a listener’s question about ETFs that track the stock trades of U.S. politicians — including the Democratic “NANC” fund and its Republican counterpart “KRUZ.” They explore whether this strategy is smart investing or just expensive entertainment. Then, they shift gears to home ownership headaches. Another list…

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Would You Shock a Stranger? What a 1960s Experiment Reveals About Your Money Decisions 1:28:17

2M ago1:28:17

1:28:17

#656: What would you do if someone in authority told you to do something that felt wrong? Most of us like to think we'd speak up, push back, stand our ground. But research tells a very different story. In fact, when Yale researchers conducted a famous experiment in the 1960s, they found that 65% of people would administer what they believed to be d…

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Q&A: How to Choose Between Financial Freedom and a First Home 1:14:26

2M ago1:14:26

1:14:26

#655: What would you do if, at the age of 23, you found yourself with $70,000 a year leftover after expenses? Would you pour everything into retirement and coast to financial independence, or stockpile a down payment before life gets pricier with kids, a mortgage, and maintenance costs? This week, we dive into that real-life dilemma and explore how…

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How to Stop Fighting About Money 1:25:49

2M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

#654: Fights about money are common, but they're rarely about math. They're about power, shame, vulnerability, and trust. And no amount of data or fancy spreadsheets is going to fix it. What you need is a better system for fairness, more open communication, and a shared ambition. In this candid conversation with Heather and Doug Bonaparte, we explo…

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Radical Transparency in Real Estate Predictions 1:02:15

2M ago1:02:15

1:02:15

#653: What happens when we actually check our predictions? In this episode we play clips from our 2023 conversation with Scott Trench from BiggerPockets and ask the uncomfortable question: were we right? Two years ago we made some big calls about the housing market. Mortgage rates had doubled. Prices hadn’t crashed. Inventory was vanishing. Everyon…

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Why High Earners Stay Broke, with Rose Han 1:12:33

3M ago1:12:33

1:12:33

#652: What if you did everything “right”, earned the degree, landed the six-figure job, and still felt broke? That’s exactly where Rose Han found herself. Fresh out of NYU with a finance degree and a Wall Street paycheck, she had a negative net worth, mounting stress, and a sinking feeling that traditional success wasn’t the path to freedom. In thi…

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Everyone Says Don’t Hold Bonds in Taxable Accounts. They’re Wrong 1:24:46

3M ago1:24:46

1:24:46

#651: Many who reach CoastFI find themselves in a strange in-between: financially independent enough to stop saving, but not ready to fully retire. When you’re living off a taxable brokerage for decades, does the “never hold bonds in taxable” rule still apply? This episode explores how traditional asset location advice meets real-life spending. We …

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How Money Moves Through Markets 1:13:26

3M ago1:13:26

1:13:26

#650: Sarah Williamson is the kind of person who shapes the decisions that move trillions of dollars. She earned her MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and holds both the CFA and CAIA designations, two of the most demanding credentials in finance. In this episode, she helps us understand how investing really works, who the major play…

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Q&A: Should You Buy a House Now or Invest Your Down Payment Instead? 1:08:54

3M ago1:08:54

1:08:54

#649: Many first-time buyers feel like they’re watching the train pull out of the station. If you’ve saved for years but can’t afford a home nearby, should you stretch to buy further (maybe hours) away or invest that cash instead? In this episode, we dig into the psychology, math, and lifestyle tradeoffs behind the “buy now or wait” dilemma. Plus, …

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First Friday: The Government Shuts Down -- But Bitcoin is at an All-Time High?!? 41:35

3M ago41:35

41:35

#648: The U.S. government is shutting down. Bitcoin just hit a record high. Inflation whispers are back. And Wall Street is buzzing with speculation. What does this all mean for your money, your portfolio, and your long-term financial freedom? On this First Friday episode, we unpack the economic headlines you can’t ignore — and help you separate si…

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Q&A: How Do You Maximize a Mini-Retirement? 1:01:15

3M ago1:01:15

1:01:15

#647: What if you and your partner want to take a few months – or even a year – off work? How do you handle health insurance once you leave your jobs? And how do you make sure the time off isn’t wasted, but becomes a launchpad for what’s next? In this week’s Q&A, we dive into those questions. We also cover three more listener questions: what to do …

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The Third Option Between Working and Retiring 1:12:29

3M ago1:12:29

1:12:29

#646: What if you didn’t have to choose between grinding full-time until retirement or quitting work altogether? By 40, Andy Hill and his wife had built a $500,000 portfolio and paid off their home. Instead of racing toward early retirement, they chose a third way: scaling back to part-time work, becoming equal partners in parenting, and reclaiming…

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Q&A: My Friend Won’t Invest - How Can I Help? 1:16:47

3M ago1:16:47

1:16:47

#645: Mike (02:50): After 15 years of intentional living, Mike is 80 percent of the way to financial independence. Now he’s trying to help friends take control of their own financial future. But what happens when one spouse is eager to learn and invest, while the other isn’t interested? Michael (27:07): For two years, Michael has tracked his net wo…

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The Hidden Psychology Behind Every Financial Decision You Make with Dr. Daniel Crosby 1:09:41

4M ago1:09:41

1:09:41

#644: Why do we both crave money and resent it? Why do some people sabotage their financial futures in the name of short-term comfort? And why is your brain — not the stock market — the biggest threat to your wealth? In this conversation, we explore the surprising ways that psychology and money intertwine. Our guest, Dr. Daniel Crosby, is a behavio…

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LIVESTREAM: A Former Fed Economist Reveals What's Really Happening, with Karsten Jeske (“Big ERN”) 1:03:19

4M ago1:03:19

1:03:19

#643: Picture this: you're at the Federal Reserve years ago. The chairman literally hangs up a conference call, waits 30 minutes, then calls back — suddenly everyone agrees on the rate decision. That's the kind of insider story Karsten Jeske (“Big ERN”) shares when he joins us to break down what's happening with the economy right now. Karsten worke…

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BONUS: Stagflation, Stocks & Social Security - What’s Next for Your Money? with Rob Berger 26:06

4M ago26:06

26:06

EXCLUSIVE: Is your money safe in today’s economy? In this bonus interview, Paula Pant sits down with financial expert Rob Berger to unpack the latest on inflation, interest rates, market valuations, and the future of Social Security. Together, Paula and Rob dive into the tough questions: Is the American Dream dead for Gen Z? Will there be another m…

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The Case for Investing in Individual Stocks, with Co-Founder of the Motley Fool, David Gardner 1:29:14

4M ago1:29:14

1:29:14

#642: Curious about how individual stock picking could sharpen your investing skills—even if you’re an avid index fund investor? Paula sits down with David Gardner, co-founder of The Motley Fool and author of Rule Breaker Investing, to delve into the world of contrarian stock strategies and the mindset behind picking standout companies. Timestamps:…

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Q&A: ChatGPT Built Her $1.2M Portfolio … But Should You Trust It? 57:44

4M ago57:44

57:44

#641: Cristina has a $1.2 million portfolio and hopes to make work optional within the next decade. Is she invested in the right way? Or should she change up her asset allocation? Anonymous and her husband plan to retire in 5 years. They have 10 rental properties and a $2.75 million portfolio. They dream of slow travel, generosity, and family time.…

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First Friday: Jerome Powell's Remarks at Jackson Hole 17:58

4M ago17:58

17:58

#640: The jobs report came out this morning and it was a painful one. The US added only 22,000 new jobs in August, according to the latest BLS report. And unemployment ticked up to 4.3%. What does this mean? Find out in today's First Friday episode! Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising …

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Q&A: How to Invest in Your Community (by Finding the Third Option) 48:36

4M ago48:36

48:36

#639: Aisha is excited to share how some life-changing advice has played out for her career. She wonders now: what limiting beliefs has Paula and Joe had to overcome in their businesses? Lesley is attracted to community bonds as a way to build collective wealth for the underserved. But do the same risks exist as they do in the traditional bond mark…

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[GREATEST HITS] James Clear: How Small Daily Actions Compound Into Life-Changing Wealth [RERUN] 1:18:41

4M ago1:18:41

1:18:41

#638: Fifty dollars. That's how much this couple transferred to their "Trip to Europe" savings account each time they cooked dinner instead of going to a restaurant. By year's end, they had funded their dream vacation — not through budgeting or willpower, but by hacking their habit loop. This story illustrates how James Clear approaches habit chang…

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Q&A: Can You Open an IRA for Someone Else's Kid? (And Should You?) 55:15

4M ago55:15

55:15

#637: Nick wants to set up an investment account for his nephew to contribute annually, creating a nest egg for college since the parents are already opening a 529. He's unsure whether a standard brokerage account, IRA or other options work best when you're not the parent. Diana asks whether she needs TIPS in her portfolio to protect against inflat…

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How to Talk to Your Parents About Money, with Behavioral Economist Etinosa Agbonlahor 1:00:21

4M ago1:00:21

1:00:21

#636: Behavioral economist Etinosa Agbonlahor joins us to discuss "money scripts" — the unconscious beliefs we inherit or develop about finances. Agbonlahor, CEO of Decision Alpha and former Director of Behavioral Science Research at Fidelity Investments, is the author of "How to Talk to Your Parents About Money." She studied financial management a…

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Q&A: Gold vs. Stocks – and Why Inflation Panic Makes You Poor 1:34:57

5M ago1:34:57

1:34:57

#635: Arielle’s head is spinning from the seemingly contradictory advice she hears about the best investments to hedge against inflation and a possible recession. What’s she missing? Dave is curious about private investments after listening to a recent First Friday episode. What are they, and should he consider them for his portfolio? Abbey is stok…

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Wharton Professor: The 7 Hidden Types of Entrepreneurs | with Lori Rosenkopf 1:20:00

5M ago1:20:00

1:20:00

#634: Picture this: you're 26 years old, fresh out of Wharton, and you decide to start a business with two friends. You spend years building a digital marketing firm that eventually works with Dollar Shave Club and Madison Reed. You bootstrap the entire thing without taking a dime of venture capital funding. That's exactly what one Wharton graduate…

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Q&A: How to Spot Investment Scams Before You Lose Everything 1:15:39

5M ago1:15:39

1:15:39

#633: Paul is worried the private equity investment he’s about to make could be a scam. How can he do his due diligence and stay protected when there’s a shortage of reliable information? Rob is questioning the purpose of a bond allocation in his eight-figure investment portfolio. Is he on to something, or is there a legitimate case to add them? Da…

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How to Get Everything You Want at Work 1:44:34

5M ago1:44:34

1:44:34

Your Next Raise is open for enrollment! ⁠https://affordanything.com/how-to-negotiate-your-next-raise #632: There are 10 conversations that a person should have at work in order to do a better job, have better relationships at work, and make more money. Melody Wilding, Professor of Human Behavior at Hunter College, joins us to talk about how you can…

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Q&A: Is ChatGPT's Portfolio Better Than VTSAX? 1:42:08

5M ago1:42:08

1:42:08

Your Next Raise now open for enrollment! https://affordanything.com/how-to-negotiate-your-next-raise #631: Jason's analysis of his retirement plan shows that the simple path beats the efficient frontier. Is he right or is he missing something? Minerva is worried about the impacts of tax inefficiency to her wealth. Are her investments properly locat…

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BONUS First Monday: How Did the BLS Get the Jobs Report So Wrong? 17:30

5M ago17:30

17:30

Special bonus episode. The Bureau of Labor Statistics issues massive job revisions on Friday morning. The revisions wipe out nearly 90% of previously reported gains for May and June. This raises fundamental questions about how our most trusted economic data gets calculated. In this episode, we break down how the system works. We examine why the rev…

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First Friday: We Were Wrong About 258,000 Jobs (This Changes Everything) 51:51

5M ago51:51

51:51

#630: Interesting observations about the current housing market, meme stocks (again), GDP, Fed Meeting, Stock Market, and the latest Jobs Report updates. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changin…