BiggerPockets Money Podcast
BiggerPockets
- 1 hour 1 minuteCan I Hit Financial Independence by 50 with THIS FI Number? (Finance Friday)
Is your FI number TOO high? Whether you are ultra-conservative with your finances or want a lavish retirement lifestyle, setting a high bar could make your financial independence journey much harder…but not impossible. Today, we’ll provide a roadmap for building massive wealth!
Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! With a six-figure income and a six-figure net worth at just 25 years old, Austin Crofoot should have no problem reaching financial independence by age 50, right? The only issue is that his FI number of $5,000,000 is much higher than most. As you’re about to hear, he’ll need to make several “bets” over the next few years, cross his fingers, and hope that at least one of them pays off in a huge way.
Like many in the FIRE community, Austin also wants to avoid the middle-class trap. Scott and Mindy will show him how to balance his retirement accounts with a mix of cash, brokerage accounts, and real estate investments—giving him the financial flexibility to pursue entrepreneurial ventures and retire on his terms. Stick around to hear how Austin can take advantage of a rebounding housing market by taking on assumable mortgages with rock-bottom interest rates!
In This Episode We Cover
The “levers” Austin needs to pull to reach his $5,000,000 FI number
The roadmap to achieving financial independence by age 50
How Austin built a six-figure net worth by just 25 years old
Building wealth by taking on assumable mortgages with low interest rates
Why the Austin, Texas housing market is poised to bounce back in 2025
Reducing your taxable income to maximize Roth IRA contributions
And So Much More!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-616
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
14 March 2025, 11:00 am - 39 minutes 29 secondsDitch Corporate! Start Taking the “Slow” Path to Retirement w/Tae Kim | Life After FIRE
The “death march to FI” isn’t for everyone. If you’re tired of climbing the corporate ladder or lacking a sense of purpose at your W2 job, it’s not too late to escape the rat race and design the life you want, just like the “Financial Tortoise,” Tae Kim, did!
In this episode of “Life After FIRE,” Tae returns to the show to discuss his move from the corporate world to a job that gives him the freedom and flexibility to travel, spend more time with his family, and actually enjoy the journey to FIRE. For years, Tae was dead set on achieving his goal of becoming a chief financial officer (CFO), but as he approached the summit, he realized just how much freedom and control he was giving up. So, he started implementing a plan to quit and pursue entrepreneurship instead!
In four years, Tae went from making $0 on YouTube to over $250,000 per year. Today, he and his wife are comfortably coast FI, traveling the world, creating personal finance content, and continuing to save for retirement where they can. Stay tuned as Tae shares how he “reinvented” himself in his late 30s and the moment he realized he had “made it” on YouTube!
In This Episode We Cover
Why Tae quit the corporate grind right before reaching his lifelong goal
Building a financial runway that allows you to pursue entrepreneurship
Crucial financial steps to take before leaving your nine-to-five job
How to start an online business that gives you financial freedom
Why it’s never too late to “reinvent” yourself and design the life YOU want
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
Buy the Book “The Quitter’s Manifesto”
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
How to Become a “Quiet” Millionaire and Avoid the Financial Guru Trap
(00:00) Intro
(01:08) Tae’s Money Story
(05:57) Quitting Corporate
(10:51) “Making” It on YouTube
(18:23) Expectations vs. Reality
(24:20) Current Income & Expenses
(27:58) Design the Life You Want!
(30:49) Connect with Tae!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-615
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
12 March 2025, 11:00 am - 44 minutes 51 secondsHow the Top 1% Invest (and How Do YOU Compare?)
How do the top 1% of Americans invest their money, and how do your investments compare? We’re breaking down the data, showing what the wealthiest Americans are invested in and how to copy their 1% portfolio so you can invest like the ultra-wealthy. To be in the top 1% of Americans, you must have at least eight figures. And while that’s a Fat FIRE number, most of us don’t need tens of millions to retire early. But copying some of the tactics of the top 1% could get you there faster.
One thing slingshots average Americans to the top 1%, and even the top 0.1%, but you don’t have to bank on this huge bet to get there. Surprisingly, the top 1% invests in assets that YOU already have access to, not elite-only investment opportunities or massive business deals. They’re invested in FAR more passive assets than you’d think, so you don’t HAVE to build a real estate portfolio to get there.
What gives you the best chance of hitting the top 1% in wealth? Maybe you don’t want to go that far—how do you get to the top 10%? Scott and Mindy share a few strategies that could skyrocket your net worth into the tens of millions—if you’re willing to do the work. Plus, they reveal where to park your money once you reach the top.
In This Episode We Cover
The average net worth of the 1% and the 0.1% in America (less than you’d think)
How the 1% invest their money and why they AREN’T heavily invested in real estate
The best investment for the chance of breaking into the top 1%
The “middle-class trap” that the 1% escape, but the upper-middle-class can’t
How the top 1% invest now compared to pre-pandemic and pre-2008
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
Fed Assets by Wealth Percentile Group in 2024
Get $100 Off Your Tickets to BPCON2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Grab “The Millionaire Next Door”
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
BiggerPockets Money 325 - How to Buy Yourself a 6-Figure Income Stream w/Tim Delaney
Fed Assets by Wealth Percentile Group in 2024
(00:00) Intro
(01:12) Top 1% Net Worth
(08:49) The Top 1% Portfolio
(16:05) How Their Investments Evolve
(17:40) Cheat Code to 1% Status?
(21:12) Average American vs. 1% Investments
(29:46) Best Investment to Become 1%?
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-614
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 March 2025, 11:00 am - 55 minutes 46 secondsAre You Headed for FIRE or the Middle-Class Trap? (Finance Friday)
If there’s an issue that keeps aspiring early retirees up at night, it’s the dreaded middle-class trap. At just 28 years old, this financially savvy couple is already looking for ways to avoid this issue. Whether you’re just starting your FIRE journey or approaching early retirement, we’ll show you how to do the same in today’s episode!
Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! So far, Leah and Zach Landis are doing everything right. They earn high incomes, they spend very little, and they invest the difference. Well on their way to retiring early, they plan to quit their jobs by age 45 or sooner! But will their current asset allocation get in the way of their big goal? What kind of bridge will they need to tide them over until traditional retirement age? Will having children impact their financial freedom?
Fortunately, Leah and Zach have all kinds of options. Tune in as Scott and Mindy dive into the couple’s budget and discuss their best path forward. Along the way, we’ll debate whether they should pause their 401(k) contributions, double down on brokerage accounts, and deploy their cash savings on their “dream” home!
In This Episode We Cover
Breaking down Leah and Zach’s best path to FIRE by 45 (or sooner!)
The middle-class trap explained and how to avoid (or escape) it
The BEST ways to invest your cash and make it work harder for you
How much you should expect to pay in taxes once you reach retirement
When to stop growing your 401(k) plan (and where to invest instead)
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
BiggerPockets Money 219 - Syndications: Everything You Need to Know BEFORE You Invest
Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA from Equity Trust
Get $100 Off Your Tickets to BPCON2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Buy the Book “Rich Dad Poor Dad”
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
BiggerPockets Money 456 - The Harsh Reality Real Estate Syndications (and Investors) Face in 2024
(00:00) Intro
(01:05) Leah & Zach’s Money Journey
(08:20) Money Snapshot
(12:27) Buying the “Dream” Home
(18:33) Best Ways to Invest Cash
(26:51) Avoiding the Middle-Class Trap
(36:28) Maxing Out the 401(k) & HSA
(47:06) Don’t Get Trapped!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-613
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
7 March 2025, 12:00 pm - 1 hour 6 minutesThe Tax-Free Retirement Strategy 95% of Americans Don’t Know About
The wealthy are using one unique retirement account to build their fortunes tax-free. You may have never heard of it, but knowing about it can change the course of your retirement planning, allowing you to invest in much more than stocks, index funds, and bonds in your retirement accounts.
We’re talking about making passive real estate income tax-deferred, flipping houses and sheltering the profits for when you retire, or having a rental property portfolio producing massive passive income, all with the tax benefits of your 401(k), IRA, or Roth IRA.
We’re, of course, talking about the self-directed IRA (SDIRA) and the sizable benefits that come with it.
To help, John Bowens (Certified IRA Services Professional) from Equity Trust is on the show to share the tax advantages most Americans have zero clue about. Scott starts the interview by coming in hot, throwing out his most significant objections to an SDIRA. We were even surprised by just how many benefits this single account has and how you can use it in ways most people would never assume of a retirement account.
We’re talking about how to buy rental properties IN your retirement accounts (and profit from them tax-free/deferred), whether a self-directed IRA or 401(k) makes the most sense for you, the “material participation” rule that you CANNOT afford to break, and how much this account costs to set up. This is a game-changing account for retirees who want to live a rich life, so do not skip out on it!
In This Episode We Cover
Scott’s biggest objections to the self-directed IRA (is he wrong?)
How to get tax-free/deferred passive income from real estate in your retirement accounts
The one tax that you MUST know about before investing in an SDIRA
Can you get a mortgage for a rental property in an SDIRA?
How much an SDIRA costs to set up and keep going (less than you’d think)
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
How to Access Retirement Funds Early
Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA from Equity Trust
Want More Smart Tax Strategies? Grab “The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor”
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
The Self-Directed IRA: What You Should Know About This Wealth-Building Tool
(00:00) Intro
(08:26) Tax-Free Real Estate Gains
(16:45) One Tax to Watch Out For
(19:59) Self-Directed 401(k)s vs. IRAs
(27:36) Making $34,000 Tax-Free!
(30:42) The "Material Participation" Risk
(35:41) Financing Rentals in an SDIRA
(39:40) SDIRA Fees and Costs
(50:05) Completely Passive Income
(51:56) Active Investing in an SDIRA
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-612
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
4 March 2025, 12:00 pm - 43 minutes 59 secondsScott and Virginia Trench Talk Goal Setting, Spending, Prenups, and Future Plans
How has Scott achieved so much financial success already in his early 30s? He’s got a secret weapon nobody else has: Virginia Trench! That’s right, the woman behind half of the puns you hear on this podcast is coming on the show! She's sharing her view on Scott’s early (and extreme) frugality, massively successful financial planning dates, goal setting as a couple, prenuptial agreements, and the Trenches’ recent decision to sell a solid chunk of their index fund portfolio.
Virginia met Scott before he was CEO, before he had a sizable rental portfolio, and before he became one of the internet’s favorite money nerds. Together, they’ve worked hand-in-hand, building a FI lifestyle that fits their family while chasing their own individual dreams, including Virginia becoming a published author with her new book, Our Secrets Were Safe, coming out this summer!
In this episode, we peel back the curtain and get a glimpse into how Scott and Virginia run the Trench household and its finances. What’s the one thing they have trouble not spending on? What is their repeatable process for achieving enormous financial goals? And is Scott secretly the world’s worst/best baker? If you’re a long-time listener, this is an episode you can’t miss!
In This Episode We Cover
The repeatable money date that Scott and Virginia use to keep their family finances in shape
Goal setting as a couple and how to reach seemingly impossible milestones
Prenuptial agreements and why Scott and Virginia would recommend one for couples
What Virginia thinks about Scott’s recent decision to sell off their index funds
The one spending problem that Scott and Virginia both admit they struggle with
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
BiggerPockets Money 301 - Why You’re (Probably) Wrong About Prenups
Preorder Virginia’s New Book, “Our Secrets Were Safe”
Grab Scott and Mindy’s Book, “First-Time Home Buyer”
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
BiggerPockets Money 607 - Has the FIRE Formula Changed? Why 100% Index Funds Isn’t the Answer
(00:00) Intro
(01:47) Super Frugality and FIRE Goals
(04:57) Spending and Blind Spots
(08:42) Getting a Prenup
(12:08) Financial Planning Dates
(17:08) Goal Setting 101
(24:57) Scott Goes Coconuts
(321:05) Selling Index Funds
(35:49) Grab Virginia’s Book!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-611
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
28 February 2025, 12:00 pm - 1 hour 9 secondsTeacher Retires Early at 45 Thanks to Strategic Living (FIRE in Paradise!)
Teachers aren’t known for their high salaries, so how did this one reach early retirement and FIRE at just 45 years old? Through “aggressive” saving and smart cost-of-living choices, Amy Minkley was able to quit her demanding international teaching job only three years after finding out about the FIRE movement. Now, she spends her days living in paradise and hosting “FI Freedom Retreats” once or twice a year for like-minded FIRE-chasers.
To reach FIRE in your 40s, you must make some strategic moves like Amy. Thankfully, you don’t need to make six figures to retire early in 2025. Throughout Amy’s career, she never entered the “high income” threshold but could still save aggressively, thanks to the perks of teaching at international schools. We’re talking free rent, subsidized travel, and plenty of paid vacation.
But it wasn’t always the dream life that it sounds like. Amy had constant stress and was routinely feeling burned out, forcing her to take multiple sabbaticals, change where she lived, and deal with some of the money trauma that had plagued her past. Now, she’s FIRE, thriving, and living entirely on her terms. You can (and should) do it, too!
In This Episode We Cover
How to reach FIRE in your 40s even if you feel like it’s too “late” for you
Why teachers should look into teaching abroad to save a significant portion of their income
Investing from abroad and what to do when you have little-to-no social security contributions
How much cash you should keep on hand when you’re ready to retire early
Living off the three percent rule (instead of the traditional four percent rule) by moving to low-cost-of-living areas
Why you must take a sabbatical at least once in your working career
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
Save $100 on Real Estate’s Biggest Event of the Year, BPCon2025
Reach FIRE Faster with "Set for Life"
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
From Making $40K/Year as a Teacher to Reaching FI in 4 Years by Doing THIS
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-610
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 February 2025, 9:00 am - 1 hour 7 minutesFinance Friday: Chasing FIRE by 35 WHILE Supporting Extra Family Members
Is something stopping your FIRE? Today’s guest wants to retire early at 35, but with a shaky budget, extra expenses, and a problematic rental property, her path to early retirement isn’t clear. In today’s episode, we’ll break down her finances and help her get back on track!
Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Sarah earns a great salary and diligently saves for retirement each month. You’d think she’s on pace to leave her W2 job in a few years, but there’s one problem—she has more expenses than the average person. Financially responsible for two extra family members, Sarah pays for their mortgage, food, and lifestyle, all while covering her own expenses!
Does Sarah’s financial situation need a major shake-up? Tune in as Scott and Mindy debate whether it’s time for Sarah to part with a property that’s bleeding money, strategize about when to put it on the market, and discuss what to do with the money from the sale. We’ll also touch on the tough conversations Sarah needs to have with family members if she wants to achieve her retirement goal!
In This Episode We Cover
The three things Sarah must do to achieve her goal of FIRE by 35
How to reach your financial goals despite extra expenses
What to do with a rental property that has negative cash flow
The BEST time to put an investment property on the market
How to budget for future children (family planning 101!)
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
Find Investor-friendly Tax and Financial Experts
Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA from Equity Trust
Achieve FIRE with Scott’s Book, “Set for Life”
Sign Up for the BiggerPockets Money Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
BiggerPockets Money 12 – How to Become an “Overnight” Success in 10 Short Years with David Greene
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-609
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 February 2025, 9:00 am - 47 minutes 48 secondsCPA Shares Tax Tips to Lower Your 2024 (Yes, 2024) Taxes
2024 may be long gone, but it’s NOT too late to lower your taxes for the previous year. If you have real estate or retirement accounts, you already hold the key to minimizing your taxable income and owing less to Uncle Sam. But how do you do it? We’re sharing 2024 and 2025 top tax reduction strategies in today’s show with expert CPA and real estate investor Amanda Han!
Do you know about the real estate tax “loophole” that helps everyday investors cut their taxable income by tens of thousands? Got an employer-contributed retirement plan? You could STILL use it to lower your 2024 taxes! And why should you NOT take the standard deduction if you’ve bought a home in the past few years? We’re answering all of these questions so you can keep more of your hard-earned money.
Finally, what audit red flags is Amanda seeing with her clients? There’s one easily avoidable audit trap that MANY Americans are falling into that could take just minutes to circumvent. Should we even be talking about income taxes if President Trump plans to eliminate them? Amanda, Mindy, and Scott are sharing their opinions on whether this will reach fruition.
In This Episode We Cover
How to save on your 2024 tax bill and moves to make before Tax Day 2025
The easily avoidable audit red flag that Amanda has seen spike lately
The real estate tax deduction that could save those earning $150K or less tens of thousands
Most commonly missed tax write-offs that many Americans can take but forget about
Will President Trump abolish income taxes during his second term?
Whether to pay your estimated taxes OR invest instead and take the interest hit
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
Find Investor-friendly Tax and Financial Experts
Buy Amanda’s Book, “The Book on Tax Strategies for the Savvy Real Estate Investor”
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
(00:00) Intro
(00:56) You Can STILL Save on 2024 Taxes
(05:54) Lowering Your Taxable Income
(10:27) You Can STILL Contribute for 2024!
(14:22) Estimating Your Taxes
(16:22) Itemizing vs. Standard Deduction
(18:21) Commonly Overlooked Write-offs
(21:41) Audit Red Flags!
(23:06) Will Tax Rates Rise or Fall?
(28:03) Opportunity Zones Have Changed
(31:08) How to Prepare for 2024/2025
(35:15) Connect with Amanda!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-608
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 February 2025, 9:00 am - 39 minutes 15 secondsHas the FIRE Formula Changed? Why 100% Index Funds Isn’t the Answer
Is a 100% index fund portfolio no longer the FIRE formula? The market has changed, and maybe your portfolio allocation needs to change with it. With index funds at all-time-high prices and price-to-earnings ratios at an eye-watering 29, you might be feeling a bit worried about whether your FIRE will last or you’ll even make it to FIRE in the first place. You’re not crazy; Scott is feeling the same way, too.
Recently, Scott decided to make a move much of the FIRE community would protest—he sold 40% of his index fund portfolio to reallocate to real estate. Why did he do it now, even as a strong index fund believer? On the other hand, why is Mindy sticking with her stock and index fund portfolio, ready to ride out whatever potential market downturn could be coming our way?
Scott explains, in detail, why real estate is a better choice for him at the moment, the reason prudent FIRE chasers should question the conventional wisdom of a 100% index fund portfolio, and why his new rental property could act as a hedge against a significant market downturn. If Scott is selling his index funds, should you?
In This Episode We Cover
The historical price-to-earnings ratios making index funds a riskier bet
How holding 100% index funds could throw your FIRE off by a decade
The optimal portfolio for retiring early on the four percent rule
Is real estate a safer bet than stocks in 2025?
Real estate cash flow vs. selling stocks for income and why one is much easier to actualize
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
BiggerPockets Money YouTube Channel
Get Early Access to Real Estate’s Biggest Event of the Year, BPCON2025
Get to FIRE Faster with “Set for Life”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-607
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
14 February 2025, 9:00 am - 48 minutes 32 secondsThe Points Guy's Travel Hacking Tips to Fly for FREE in 2025
Travel hacking allows you to fly and travel for free, often in luxury, without spending tens of thousands of dollars on flights or hotels. So, how do you do it without managing thirty different credit cards in your wallet? Brian Kelly, AKA The Points Guy, world-renowned travel hacking expert and author of the new book How to Win at Travel, is here to show you as we rapid-fire our top credit card rewards questions at him.
In this show, you’ll learn how to fly to Europe, Asia, and beyond for FREE, even in business class, all by spending the same amount of money you typically would every month. These cards can turn your weekly grocery run into free flights, hotel stays, cashback, and more, plus give you huge perks like airport lounge access, travel protection, and even a credit to spend on your next trip. Love free money? This is how you get it.
Plus, we’re asking The Points Guy what cards he has in HIS wallet, what he spends on which card, and why he does NOT recommend staying loyal to a specific airline, even if you travel often. These tips alone could save you thousands of dollars this year while turning your economy seat into a lie-flat first-class experience. Don’t let your money go to waste; start travel hacking!
In This Episode We Cover
How to travel for free by spending money on groceries, eating out, and business expenses
The Points Guy’s three favorite credit cards that everyone should keep in their wallet
Why you (probably) shouldn’t stay loyal to a specific airline, even if you have their credit card
Why Chase points can get you even MORE free travel than American Express points
Evaluating annual credit card fees and whether a $300+/year credit card is worth it
Best credit cards for renters and those who live a frugal lifestyle (but still want to travel!)
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Email Mindy: [email protected]
Email Scott: [email protected]
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Follow BiggerPockets Money on Instagram
“Like” BiggerPockets Money on Facebook
Get Early Access to Real Estate’s Biggest Event of the Year, BPCON2025
Learn to Save and Spend the Right Way with “Set for Life”
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
How to Earn Free Vacations With Travel Rewards Credit Cards
(00:00) Intro
(01:39) Travel for FREE!
(06:06) Best Credit Cards for Beginners
(13:48) Annual Fees
(17:56) Brian’s Favorite Credit Cards
(20:51) Airline and Hotel Partner Cards
(27:49) Keeping Track of Cards
(29:34) Best First Card?
(31:21) Cards for Low-Spenders
(34:03) Inheriting Points?
(36:52) WIN at Travel!
(39:01) Get Your Points!
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-606
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
11 February 2025, 9:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App