So here you are, listening to, or about to listen to the second episode of the “Better Off” podcast. Like you, I love podcasts. I subscribe to many, probably too many. But that’s how I found our guest this week, the one and only James Altucher.

Last spring, I was walking on an isolated Long Island beach, picking up trash on Earth Day, listening to his podcast, The James Altucher Show, and was so blown away that I said out loud, “I need to interview this guy!” And that’s exactly what I did. After getting in touch via Twitter, James was a guest on my radio show and we’ve been pals ever since, hence his appearance on the podcast today.

Aside from hosting his own successful podcast, James is also a serial entrepreneur and investor. How smart is this guy? As you’ll hear right off the bat, he’s smart enough to know that when it comes to investing, he’s not smarter than the market, which is why these days, he prefers the robo-advisor model, which essentially prevents him (and the rest of us) from making stupid decisions. Makes sense since he’s a lover of technology. One day we’ll get his thoughts on virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

James is also an accomplished author with more than a dozen books under his belt. You can now add another one to the list with the recently released Reinvent Yourself. More than anything else, that’s exactly what initially drew me to James: his ability to continually reinvent himself, as well as his authenticity and his willingness to talk about it. He really is an open book. And he’s not just talking about his successes, of which he’s had many, but also his failures, of which he’s probably had more. This guy has made millions and lost it all, more than once! More than twice! Yet he somehow continues to reinvent himself and come out on top.

As you hear this interview I suspect you may think, “How can I be more like this guy?” If so, you should definitely check out his book, Choose Yourself and his newest release, Reinvent Yourself.

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

Have a finance related question? Email us here or call 855-411-JILL.

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"Better Off" theme music is by Joel Goodman, www.joelgoodman.com.

Happy 2017!  A New Year means a new show, our first one in a while :)  What's the one word we all hear these first few days of January?  Resolutions!  We all make them, yet sadly few of us follow through on them.  Go to the gym.  Start a new diet.  Get more sleep.  The list goes on and on.  What about your finances?  Seems to me that should be at the top of the list. Since the new year is the perfect time to take a close look at your finances and career choices, we thought we'd have on an expert in the field.  So we went all the way to Toronto and found Leanne Jacobs, author of "Beautiful Money."  Okay, we didn't actually go to Toronto, though we would have to watch some hockey!  Leanne came to us to talk about her book, her life, what led her to where she is now and to help you tackle your resolutions.

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Considering she has a degree in Biomedical Toxicology it's a pretty interesting story.  As she writes in her book, her work is about teaching clients how to create wealth in an authentic, joyful and mindful way. So if you're one of the many wondering what you can do this new year to improve your financial life or career, give this a listen, it may come in handy.

P.S. we have a new podcast!  It's called Better Off and it's sponsored by Betterment.  It's similar to the radio show yet a bit different.  We'd love hear your feedback!  You can download it via iTunes, Spotify or Google Play.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

This weekend we say goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017!  It also means that there's no chance we're doing a live show this weekend...so you get one more holiday best-of from the Jill no Money team, aka me and Mark. Consider it our New Year's gift to you.  P.S. stay tuned for an EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT IN 2017,  which we think you'll enjoy :) Back to this week...

First up you're going to hear from a guy you should be thanking every time you contribute to your 401(k):  Ted Benna, who is more commonly known as the "father of the 401(k)" because he created and gained IRS approval of the first savings plan.  That's right, he's the guy responsible for your 401(k).  Pretty cool, huh?  It's amazing to hear his story and the history of the plan and how the whole thing came about.

In hour two we chat with Rana Foroohar, journalist and author of "Makers and Takers," a book that discusses how the misguided financial practices and philosophies that nearly toppled the global financial system have come to infiltrate all American businesses.  Rana shows how the “financialization of America," the trend by which finance and its way of thinking have come to reign supreme, is perpetuating Wall Street’s reign over Main Street, widening the gap between rich and poor, and threatening the future of the American Dream.

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Surprise, surprise...it's Christmas/Hanukkah weekend, which means we get to reinvent ourselves...in other words, you're getting a "best-of" show -- consider it our gift to you! 2016 saw a first for Jill on Money: a single guest for an entire show!  Who would be worthy of such an honor?  The one and only James Altucher.

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I'm guessing by  now that you're at least somewhat familiar with James.  If you're not, this describes him in a nutshell:

• Serial entrepreneur
• Investor
• Author
• Podcast host
• Self-proclaimed minimalist

More than anything else, what initially drew me to James is his ability to continually reinvent himself.  This is a guy who has been down many different career paths, made millions, lost it all more than once, yet somehow always comes out on top.  I really think you'll enjoy his story.

And if you didn't get it as a Christmas gift, I highly recommend you check out his book, Choose Yourself.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Here's a little secret I'll let you in on...this show, #302, is the last "new" show of 2016.  The following two weekends will be Christmas and New Year's...and I've got news for ya...Mark and I won't be working!  So, as the year comes to an end, it's a perfect time to review some year-end financial planning tips.

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For such an occasion there's no one better than Michael Goodman, founder and president of Wealthstream Advisors.  Not only is Michael a dear friend of mine, he's also my advisor.  There's my full disclosure :)

Michael and I discussed a variety of financial planning topics to ponder before you shut down for the holidays:

• Selling assets in your portfolio now versus waiting until next year
• Gifting to charities and family members
• Contributing to traditional and Roth IRAs (and conversions)
• Making last minute 529 plan contributions
• Considering how tax changes could affect you

And Michael has one crucial piece of advice regarding your long-term financial plan.  Come on now, it's not that easy, you're gonna have to listen to the interview for that one!

That's it, that's our last "new" show of 2016...hope you enjoyed it!  We'll whip up some good stuff for you guys over the next couple weekends...stay tuned!

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Last week it was a listener turned finance coach as a guest...this week it's a former professional basketball player turned passive investing evangelizer, as our guest.

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Before becoming a big shot in the investment world, Dave Butler was draining big shots on the basketball court at Cal and was even drafted by the Boston Celtics.  Despite being drafted by an NBA team, Dave decided to take him game overseas, playing for a few years in Turkey and Japan.

After his playing days were over, Dave went back to California, earned an MBA from Cal at the Haas School of Business and ultimately joined Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA). To the average person, Dimensional may sound like just another investment firm.  But it's not.  It's different.  DFA's goal from day one has been to redefine investment advice, by adhering to the passive approach.  Instead of relying on forecasting or falling prey to the vast amount of "investment pornography", Dimensional draws information about expected returns from the market itself, letting the collective knowledge of its millions of buyers and sellers set security prices. Dave advises us to focus on low costs, diversification, tax efficiency, transaction efficiency, rather than trying to beat the market.

During Dave's time at Dimensional, assets under management for financial advisors have grown from $2 billion to approximately $250 billion, so it's probably worth listening to this one time Rhodes Scholar candidate.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Can you believe it's already December?  Christmas is just weeks away and before you know it we'll be talking about financial resolutions for the New Year.  Before that happens we've still got a few more shows left in 2016...and on this week's, it's a first: a listener-turned-guest!  More like listener-turned-personal finance coach.

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Before he was a guest, John Madison was a fan of the program.  Already a CPA, John was no stranger to the finance world, but for a variety of reasons, that line of work wasn't exactly doing it for him.  He wanted to do more.  With a little help from us, John realized his real passion was personal finance.  So what did he do?  He became a personal finance coach.

Over time John eventually started 60 Minute Finance in 2015.  The site is designed to educate and empower individuals and couples to make well-reasoned decisions regarding their personal finances, affording them increased opportunities for meeting their personal and wealth-building goals.  John is not selling anything.  His only goal is to educate motivated people to improve their financial condition and meet their goals while maintaining their personal values.

Give it a listen...who knows, you might become the next listener turned guest in 2017!

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

It's Thanksgiving weekend...which means Mark and I are still suffering from food comas...which means this weekend you get a best-of version of Jill on Money!

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After making a list, checking it twice and soliciting votes from you, the audience, we've narrowed it down to a handful of guests we will be rerunning between now and the end of the year.  So, for this weekend, a time when it's all about spending time with family and loved ones, perhaps enjoying a movie, we decided to go with Dave Isay in hour one and Alysia Reiner in hour two. 

Dave Isay is the founder and president of StoryCorps, whose mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.  As you're sitting around this weekend and have some free time I highly recommend you download the StoryCorps app and check out the Great Thanksgiving Listen.

Alysia Reiner is an actress you've likely seen in the movie Sideways or the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.  We chatted with Alysia over the summer about her latest movie, Equity, the first ever female driven Wall Street film.  Not only did Alysia star in the film, she also co-wrote and produced it.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

On the show this week we dive into the FinTech world, discussing next-generation online brokers with Hardeep Walia, founder and CEO of Motif.

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If you're a regular listener of Jill on Money, then you know we're fans of the FinTech world.  Whether it's Betterment or Rebalance IRA, we're all for the combination of finance and technology.  Now you can add Motif to that list.

Led by founder and CEO Hardeep Walia, Motif is a next-generation online broker whose mission is to simplify complex investment products and make them universally accessible.  The company's flagship product allows individual investors to act intuitively on their insights by turning them into a "motif" of stocks...basically purchasing a basket of stocks based on a theme.  Motif also offers a variety of retirement and non-retirement products, including:

• Traditional IRAs
• Roth IRAs
• SEP IRAs
• Trust Accounts
• Guardian Accounts

Before launching Motif, Hardeep spent more than six years at Microsoft, where he was General Manager of the company's enterprise services business.  He also serves on FINRA's Technology Advisory Committee.

Now here's the deal...Mark and I were promised some Motif gear...a hat, a hoodie, a vest, anything...unless the package was stolen, it still hasn't arrived.  As of now, we're big fans, but if something doesn't arrive soon, that could change :)  Just saying...

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

We talk about President-elect Donald Trump and what it means to you and your money plus some financial planning advice with guest Paul Auslander.

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Whew, what a week.  Trump beat Clinton.  Stocks tanked.  Trump spoke in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.  Stocks rallied.  And continued to rally throughout the week.  Which led to me being inundated with questions from readers/listeners/viewers, the most common one being, "what should I do with my retirement account?"  Yes, I have the answer...but come on now, it's not gonna be that easy...you'll have to listen to the show for the answer!

Now, as we near the end of 2016, it's a good time to take a crash course in financial planning.  Who better to teach it than Paul Auslander, Director of Financial Planning at ProVise Management Group.

For nearly 30 years Paul has been designing and implementing strategies for his clients with one goal in mind...to help them worry less about their financial futures.  While trying to help our listeners worry less, Paul touched on a variety of topics, including:

• The implementation of the fiduciary standard for retirement accounts
• Commission based products
• Fee only planners
• Likelihood of the Fed raising rates
• Low return environment for 2017

A little bit of something for everyone!

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Sick of low interest rates for your safe money?  DepositAccounts.com founder Ken Tumin joins us to explain how to find better rates.

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Tired of your money earning little to no interest as it sits in the bank?  Us too!  That’s why after years of referencing DepositAccounts.com, we thought it was a good time to actually chat with the man behind it all.  Ken Tumin!

Ken founded the site in 2005, originally as a blog and a side hobby. Little did he know that the blog would go gangbusters, allowing him to leave his full-time job and focus on helping you, the user, get the most bang for your buck.  Along with in-depth reviews, the site displays nearly 300,000 rates for savings accounts, checking accounts, CDs, IRAs and more.  Ken and his team cover it all by tracking national banks, regional and local banks and credit unions.  Do yourself a favor and check it out, chances are you'll find a better option in just a few clicks.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

With just over a week until the election, it's time to take measure of Clinton vs. Trump, by the numbers. Thankfully our guest Jeffrey Levine, Chief Retirement Strategist and Director of Retirement Education with Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM as well as CEO and Wealth Advisor with BluePrint Wealth Alliance, helped us sort through the candidates' plans.

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Medicare/Social Security: Both candidates want to slow the pace of health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug manufacturers, but similarities stop there.

Although Trump called for privatizing Social Security in the past, he recently said he wants to keep the government plan in place because he believes it would be “honoring a deal.” He plans to address “the tremendous waste, fraud, and abuse in the program. But we’re not going to hurt the people who have been paying into Social Security their whole life and then all of a sudden they’re supposed to get less.” Trump's stance has generally been that he will do everything in his power to avoid touching Social Security – a position that doesn’t actually jive with that of many other Republicans – but he postulates that he will be able to do this my merely cutting waste and growing the economy. This would seem to be an incredibly difficult, if not impossible task, even using the most optimistic of projections.

Clinton wants to create a caregiver credit “that prevents penalizing those who are out of the workforce due to caring for others,” which sounds great in theory, but Levine has some serious questions as to how it would actually work in the real world. To beef up the SS retirement system, Clinton “opposes raising the full retirement age, privatization of Social Security, and any reduction in benefits or cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs)."  Levine notes that when Social Security was established, the average life expectancy was far less than what it is today, and yet the full retirement age has only increased by one year over that time. Consider that in 1940, roughly 54 percent of men and 61 percent of women surviving to age 21 lived to reach age 65. Fast forward 50 years and, by 1990, about 72 percent of men and nearly 84 percent of women could expect the same results. Under a Clinton administration, the Social Security Wage Base (currently $118,500 in taxable earnings), would increase.

Historically speaking, roughly 90 percent of earned income was subject to Social Security taxes. As the wealth and income gaps have widened in recent years though, that number has dropped closer to 83 percent. To restore that mark closer to historical norms, Clinton would need to raise the Social Security earnings cap to about $250,000 – a massive increase from where we stand today. It should be noted that even with no cap whatsoever, other changes would still have to be made to keep Social Security solvent over the long run. Clinton also seeks to make income other than earnings subject to Social Security taxation. This too, would represent a major change.

Taxes The following are tax plans to date according to the candidate’s websites and the Associated Press.

Under a Trump administration, the following tax changes have been suggested:

• Reduce the seven tax brackets to just three, at 12 percent, 25 percent and 33 percent, and cut the top income tax bracket to 33 percent from its current level of 39.6 percent.
• Cut the corporate rate from 35 percent to 15 percent, also cutting taxes on “pass-through” business income for small businesses to 15 percent.
• Eliminate the estate tax, which, as of 2016, has a $5.45 million exemption ($10.9 million for married couples) and a 40 percent tax.
• Steepen the phase-out of itemized deductions under the existing Pease limitation, which currently phases out deductions at 3 percent for every dollar that adjusted gross income exceeds $300,000 ($250,000 if single).
• According to the Tax Policy Center, Trump’s tax proposals would add a $11.2 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. Trump has largely disputed such estimates, citing that under his leadership, economic growth would double to about 4 percent, leading to more workers,. better paying jobs, and thus, more revenue.

Under a Clinton administration, the following tax changes have been suggested:

• Increase several taxes on wealthier Americans, including a 4 percent surcharge on incomes above $5 million, effectively creating a new top bracket of 43.6 percent.
• Imppose a minimum 30 percent tax rate on income above $1 million a year
• Cap deductions for wealthier taxpayers.
• Increase the estate tax exemption to former 2009 parameters of 3.5 million ($7 million for married couples), with the tax rate of 45 percent.
• Maintain current tax levels for the bottom 95 percent of taxpayers, which according to the Tax Policy Center and the most recent income and tax data released by the IRS and reported by the Tax Foundation, would mean those who earn income of $179,760 or less annually. That said, the Clinton campaign has said taxes would not rise for those making less than $250,000.
• Clinton has proposed expanding the child tax credit by doubling the credit to $2,000 per child.
• Clinton's tax proposals – when viewed in isolation – are estimated to reduce the national debt by $1.2 trillion over the next decade. However, when adding in other proposals, the national debt would increase by more than $10 trillion.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Why are we so crazy about money? That was the question we asked guest, psychologist Lisa Damour. The reason, according to Lisa, is that feelings and money get knotted up and become hard to untangle.  Lisa directs Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls, writes a column for the New York Times’  Well Family online report, serves as a regular contributor to CBS News, and is the author of the New York Times best seller, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood. She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice, consults and speaks internationally, and is a faculty associate of the Schubert Center for Child Studies and a clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve University.

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One of the toughest parts about our relationship with money is that it becomes the vehicle to express so many other emotions. In our conversation, Lisa discusses how to make peace with intergenerational trauma, how to break the habit of enabling adult children and how to talk to our family members about the difficult subject of money.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

In honor of National Estate Planning Awareness Week, we invited estate attorney Virginia Hammerle on the show to break down how to tackle the often emotionally fraught topic. Hammerle says instead of diving in head-first, it is helpful “to focus on an isolated issue, like titling of a bank account or making a beneficiary designation,” which can lead to a broader discussion of family finances and estate planning.

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Once you break the ice and start the process, figure out what you are trying to accomplish and try not “to get stuck on the next fifty years,” says Hammerle. “Every estate plan can be changed and in fact should be revisited every few years." Here are the basic documents that you will likely draft:

• Will: A legal document that ensures that your assets are passed to your designated beneficiaries, in accordance with your wishes. In the drafting process, you name an executor, who is the person or institution that oversees the distribution of your assets. If you have minor children, you need to name a guardian for them.
• Letter of Instruction: This may also contain appointment of someone who will ensure for the proper disposition of your remains. This is especially important if you are choosing something that is contrary to your family’s tradition.
• Power of Attorney: Appointment of someone to act as your agent in a variety of circumstances, like withdrawing money from a bank, responding to a tax inquiry or making a trade.
• Health Care Proxy: Appointment of someone to make health care decisions on your behalf if you lose the ability to do so
• Trusts: Many have either revocable (changeable) or irrevocable (not-changeable), depending on family and tax situations. For 2016, the first $5.45 million of an estate is exempt from federal estate taxes. If an estate is above the threshold (or twice that for married couples), a revocable trust may be suitable to consider.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Amid the Jewish holidays (Happy 5777!) and Mark's big Asia adventure, we are re-airing our great interview with generational expert, Cam Marston. Can Gen-X and Millennials get along? Are Boomers and Gen-Y finding love?  Cam explains how to better communicate across generations. We'll be back with a brand new show next week!

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Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Entrepreneur Brian Wong is a paradox: a whip smart twenty-something business owner, who is a really nice guy; a wonky tech enthusiast, who probably wishes he could be in the NHL, rather than be a brand expert; and an author who provides lots of tips, but acknowledges "There is no one way. There are lots of ways." Brian joined the show to discuss his new book, "The Cheat Code: Going Off Script to Get More, Go Faster, and Shortcut your way to Success."

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Brian, the self-proclaimed extroverted introvert, is an incredibly grateful man. He has learned quickly that "truly golden relationships start when your goal is not to force anything but to share some of yourself with people, learn from them." Here are some of his pearls of wisdom:

• Know your strengths
• Tune out stop trying to be in touch with everybody all the time (in other words, be careful how you use social media)
• Stop comparing yourself to others
• Get out more...There's no substitute for meeting people and gaining new experiences.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Stop trying to beat the market, because you can't. That sage advice comes from investment legend Charley Ellis, who has been keeping tabs on the debate between active and passive investment management for five decades. In his new book “Index Revolution: Why Investors Should Join it Now” Charley argues that indexing is the most efficient and cost effective way to achieve your long term financial goals. He states it clearly: “The stunning reality is that most actively managed mutual funds fail to keep up with index funds.”

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Ellis founded Greenwich Associates in 1972, creating a financial industry consulting firm that would become a go-to resource for the biggest fund managers and Wall Street firms. One of his many claims to fame is that he was the first industry insider to publicly proclaim that most active portfolio managers do not keep up with the benchmarks they are trying to beat, and that investors are better off in low-cost index funds. That admission occurred in 1975, when he wrote a timeless article, titled The Loser’s Game. In the article, he explained the quandary that active managers face and quantified their disappointing results. It was the same year that Vanguard launched the first index mutual fund. In addition to writing and talking about the industry, Charlie serves on as an Investment Committee member of Rebalance IRA.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

How did the billion dollar video game Tetris become a global addiction? According to Dan Ackerman, author of “The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World,” the history of Tetris is a start up story, which involves the Russia-US relations before the fall of the Soviet Union. Dan's day job is a Section Editor/Reviews - PCs & Laptops at CNET and can be seen regularly on CBS This Morning and other news outlets, so we also pump him about Apple's iPhone 7 and the exploding Samsung phone!

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The story of Tetris involves protagonist Henk Rogers, a Dutch immigrant to the US who hacked his elite high school’s computer, before going to college in Hawaii and then moving to Japan. Rogers created the Japanese role-playing game industry (think “Dungeons and Dragons”) and scored a big hit called “The Black Onyx”. At the same time, Alexy Pajitnov was in the USSR and created Tetris, but ended up giving it away because there was no way to make money on it. Once the Russian government realized that Westerners were willing to pay up for the distribution of the game, the chase was ON!

HOW WE DOIN'?

The Census Bureau said Americans finally got a raise last year after eight years of stagnating incomes. In the 2015 Poverty and Income Report, median (the point where half of households fall below and half are above) income rose 5.2 percent in 2015 to $56,516 and picked up in all regions of the US, across all age groups, and for most ethnic and racial groups. Even with the solid gain, income (adjusted for inflation) remains below the median of $57,423 in 2007, just before the Great Recession began and is still 2.4 percent below the peak it reached in 1999, when it was $57,909.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

Kelly Peeler, the founder and CEO of NextGenVest is back on the show to discuss the NEW FAFSA availability date--October 1st! Considering that families leave $2.7 billion of unclaimed financial aid on the table, primarily because they don’t complete the FAFSA form, Kelly says it is important not to procrastinate! Her team at NextGenVest can help students make smart decisions around paying for college in an accessible way. One way they do so is to provide a "Money Mentor" (trained college students) for every high school or college student, who can make the process of applying for college and getting aid much easier…Just TEXT 646-798-1745 “I want help paying for college”

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NextGenVest will send you the list of documents that you need to assemble and will help you come up with your specific list of financial reach and safety schools. Kelly also explains that Financial Aid and applications are two separate tracks and details what families need to know about the merit aid/grant/loan process. Here are various sources of college money:

• Family savings/income
• Federal Grants: do not have to be repaid (Pell Grant-awarded annually, so you have to complete FAFSA every year)
• State Aid: TAP – access for in state
• Fed/State/Direct/PLUS loans
• Institutional grant from a specific college
• Private scholarships
• HELOC/Private loan

After graduation, you can go to student.ed.gov to learn about repayment options for federal loans and you can also check out the private student loan refinancing market from companies like SOFI, Common Bond or Earnest.

Check out Kelly’s TED Talk!

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio

"Use the Internet to get off the Internet," says our guest Laura Virili, a social media goddess. I love the idea of using social to create a connection and then going offline to deepen that connection. In our conversation, Laura discusses how to leverage LinkedIn and other platforms for professionals, challenges us to figure out what makes us different from others on those platforms and warns against pushing out meaningless content when we should be listening.

• Download the podcast on iTunes
• Download the podcast on feedburner
• Download this week's show (MP3)

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer/Music Curator in the World. Here's how to contact us:

• Call 855-411-JILL and we'll schedule time to get you on the show LIVE 

• Send an email: askjill@jillonmoney.com 

• Tweet us: @jillonmoney and @MTalercio