Techie Personal Finance Bootcamp

Can you imagine building a thriving career in tech, overcoming societal stigmas, and then going ahead to establish a non-profit to help others do the same? That's exactly what our guest today, Rick Wolter, has done, and he joins us to share his inspiring journey. Rick shares how he went from being basically tech illiterate to landing a job in tech and helping others with similar backgrounds of being formerly incarcerated to do the same. Underdog Devs, is a non-profit dedicated to helping individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those with a history of incarceration, kickstart their careers in software development. Interested in giving back? Visit https://www.underdogdevs.org/ to make a charitable donation or contact Rick if you have equipment you'd like to donate or have time to be a mentee. https://twitter.com/RwoltX https://twitter.com/UnderdogDevs Register for the End Of Year Tax Strategies workshops here

Ever wondered why your spending seems to mysteriously multiply when your income increases? Join us as we dive deep into the world of lifestyle creep - the silent financial nemesis that can sabotage your present financial status and future plans. In today's episode, we unveil the facets of lifestyle creep, explaining how unchecked spending patterns may lead to a personal inflation phenomenon that might just be draining your wallet. From exploring the ripple effects of a pay rise to breaking down the psychological triggers such as ‘keeping up with the Joneses', we scrutinize the root causes that fan the flames of lifestyle creep. But we don't just stop there - we also provide actionable tips and tricks on how to keep this financial behemoth at bay. We emphasize understanding your financial landscape, setting clear priorities, and making small adjustments to ensure your spending aligns with your long-term financial goals. Whether you're a rookie in your career or enjoying a significant salary bump, tune in for some valuable insights that will keep your financial health in prime shape.

Have you ever wondered how a construction worker would transition into a career in cybersecurity? Our friend Danny, who did just that, offers a riveting account of his unique tech journey. A Microsoft scam was a pivotal moment that sparked his curiosity and propelled him to explore the complex world of cybersecurity. His story is a testament to the idea that traditional educational background need not always dictate your career path. Danny generously shares several resources for those intrigued by the tech field, especially the realm of cybersecurity. Shifting gears, career transitions become the focus of our conversation. Those mulling over a career change will find Danny's advice immensely valuable - he stresses the importance of thoroughly researching roles, networking, continuous learning, and the art of asking the right questions. Personal cybersecurity is another crucial topic we delve into. With insights drawn from Danny's own experience, we discuss the necessity of maintaining digital hygiene and implementing protective measures to safeguard your data. This episode is a compelling mix of inspiring stories, practical tips, and valuable resources designed to guide you on your path to a successful tech career. So, tune in, get inspired, and get ready to embark on your tech journey. Danny's Substack https://zendannyy.substack.com/ Danny's Free Course https://www.udemy.com/course/intro-to-linux/ Danny's Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@zendanny

What's Next for Student Loan Forgiveness? In this podcast, we discuss the recent news that the previously announced student loan forgiveness is no longer a legal solution. We cover what to expect now that payments are restarting in October, including the new SAVE repayment plan, and the temporary ramp-up period. We also discuss the new path that the Biden administration is taking to try to achieve student loan forgiveness, and what that might mean for borrowers. Key takeaways:

Is Purchasing a Home in 2023 a Good Financial Decision? In this episode, we'll discuss the pros and cons of purchasing a home in 2023. We'll cover topics such as: We'll also provide some tips for making an informed decision about whether or not to purchase a home in 2023. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer or a current homeowner, this episode is for you. We'll help you understand the financial implications of homeownership and make the best decision for your individual circumstances. Listen to the episode today to learn more!

In this episode, we'll talk about how to increase your income. Whether you're looking to make more money to retire early, have more security and flexibility, or simply to make ends meet, there are a number of things you can do to make more money. How to Know If You Need to Make More Money There are a few signs that you may need to make more money. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, if there are important goals that seem impossible to achieve, or if you've already dug into your budget and cut out unimportant and low-value expenses, then it's possible that you need to increase your income. Why Even Though You're Making a Ton of Money It Doesn't Seem Like Enough There are a few reasons why even though you're making a lot of money, it may not seem like enough. One reason is that the cost of living can vary dramatically from city to city. Another reason is that you may have a high cost of living due to your lifestyle choices. For example, if you like to live in a big house or drive a fancy car, then you're going to need to make more money to support those lifestyle choices. Finally, you may be supporting others financially, such as a spouse, children, or family members. If this is the case, then it's important to factor in the cost of supporting those people when you're considering your income needs. How to Increase Your Income There are a number of ways to increase your income. Some of the most common methods include:

Do you own a home with a ton of equity? In this episode, I talk about the awesomeness of a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). I cover the pros, cons, and how they compare to other options that may be available to you.

Isai Cortez is a Tax Attorney and owner of Bismark Tax, Inc in Los Angeles, CA. He's also the founder of SynkBooks and an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law. Isai shares his story, which goes all the way back to age 4 when his family was in a situation that made him want to be an advocate and help people understand their taxes. This episode is full of of great stories and advice that spans entrepreneurship, finances, and life. https://www.linkedin.com/in/isai-bismark-cortez-01048143/ https://app.synkbooks.com/team/ https://bismarktax.com/isai-bismark-cortez-esq/ https://twitter.com/IsaiBCortez

Huge news dropped today regarding student loans. There will be student loan forgiveness! That’s not all, as most people expected, student loan forbearance was extended through December 31st, 2022. Finally, there will be a new income-based repayment plan that will reduce the burden of student loan payments on the remaining balances. The forbearance is pretty self-explanatory, but they included the wording of “final”. They used similar wording with previous extensions but after the forgiveness announcement, it’d be unlikely additional forbearances will occur. Here are the big questions around student loan forgiveness and the details I’ve managed to pull together from multiple sources over the course of the day. I was hoping more logistics would be available, but I’ll keep you in the loop as I find out more.

This was a fun episode to record with my mom, Jessica Casarez, who has been working for the same insurance agency for the last 37 years. Insurance coverage is almost like a foreign language and she does an amazing job and translating and simplifying the information. Topics covered: https://schatzins.com/

Dr. Aimee shares important information about fertility. It's her goal to let as many women avoid saying, I wish I would have known sooner. In this episode Dr. Aimee answers the following questions: https://twitter.com/_EggWhisperer https://eggfreezingparty.com/what-is-an-egg-freezing-party

Are you worried about a possible recession? In this episode, I tackle current events that may lead to a recession in 2022 and identify what you need to know to navigate your way through a recession confidently.

Do you need estate documents? I invited my friend and Estate Planning Expert, Will Beyers to shed some light on that answer. Will does a great job summarizing what each document does and provides some context on when and why they will be needed. The documents discussed in this episode are: Wills, Financial Power of Attorney, Medical Power of Attorney, and Trusts We also dove into the importance of naming a caregiver if you have children, as well as, why most people drag their feet on setting up their estate documents. will@beyerslaw.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/williambeyersiii/ https://www.beyerslaw.com/

In her prior career, Kristal worked as a Software Engineer at BuzzFeed and Marqeta, Director of Operations at a cryptocurrency startup, and as an assistant to executives and leadership at Uber, Affirm, and Sledgehammer Games. She served the largest Latinx in tech community, Techqueria, as a community leader and helped to grow and nurture the community by thousands of additional members. https://joinyearone.io https://www.linkedin.com/in/kgarcia4/ https://twitter.com/kristal_s_ kristal@joinyearone.io

Do you know all of the amazing benefits and flexibility of an HSA (Health Savings Account)? The best features are that they are triple tax-free: That's not all. There could be real savings just by comparing a high deductible health plan to a pricier option. In this episode, I tackle a framework I use to help clients make an informed decision on whether they should use an HSA.

Purchasing a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make, but the significant debt you accrue in the form of a mortgage can sometimes carry a lot of emotional baggage. In this episode, I acknowledge some of the reasons people want to pay off their mortgages, but my recommendation a majority of the time is to NOT pay off their mortgage faster than they need to. I'll cover 5 major reasons NOT to pay off your mortgage early. The 4th one is maybe one of the biggest reasons, but no one ever talks about it. 🤔 You can explore this topic more by Podcast or Video by clicking the link below. https://youtu.be/baEWikJ3Bu4 https://www.levelupfinancialplanning.com/5-reasons-not-to-pay-off-your-mortgage-early/

Jonathan Jennings is a software engineer who works in the AR, VR, and videogame spaces and currently helming his indie VR game at Weird Kid Studios named Galactic Bar fight. He’s been a guest lecturer at University and National Conferences. His first published essay Black Unicorn is available to read in the book Game Devs & Others: Tales From The Margins. He’s been involved in multiple development roles including rapid prototyping, core mechanic programming, user Interface engineering, multiplayer programming, and publishing processes for release among others. He has over 9 years of development across both games and VR / MR / AR applications experience and titles he has worked on have had over 2 million cumulative downloads across several platforms. When not working he is most likely playing and studying the latest giant mainstream release or an obscure indie game. Galactic Bar Fight : https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/4219555588059267/?locale=en_US Weird Kid Studios: https://www.weirdkidstudios.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/notifications/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Jonathan-Jennings-5 Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/Jonathanj Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonnyJ17

The Backdoor ROTH is an advanced planning strategy for high earners and big savers. Should you use a Backdoor ROTH? Two reasons why you'd use a Backdoor ROTH strategy is: 1. You are phased out of making ROTH Contributions due to your high income. 2. You are a big saver and have already maxed out your 401(k) contributions The process to implement a Backdoor ROTH will depend on if you are doing the smaller Backoor ROTH or the MEGA Backoor ROTH. I also cover the biggest mistake I see when people attempt a Backoor ROTH without assistance. The pain in the butt "pro-rata rule". This is not a ROTH vs. Traditional debate. You can max out all traditional contributions if that is your tax strategy and then take advantage of the Backdoor ROTH strategies!

My guest today is Gina Covarrubias, Certified Life Coach, B.S. Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering (Purdue University), M.S. Mechanical Engineering (University of Utah) Her distinctive background blends life coaching expertise with 12+ years engineering/technology experience in government, academia and corporate aerospace. Gina founded Deliberate Doing LLC, an exclusive STEM coaching service dedicated to helping technical professionals defeat career despair. She solves the common STEM problem: “What is next for my life?” As a former engineer, she can identify with technical experts who question their personal or professional existence. Her function as an Engineering Life Coach is to teach mental strength and conditioning. Just as electronic gadgets require upgrades and reboots, so does your brain. Gina invites you to connect with her for free coaching to start your own mental upgrade today! deliberatedoing.com/events (for free upcoming webinars), deliberatedoing.com/resources (for free self-help videos and career blog) https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginacovarrubias/

Join me as I interview a real estate expert, Patrick Soukup of Soukup Real Estate Services in Fort Collins, CO. We cover a wide range of topics from real estate as an investment and personal residence. Patrick also shares his insights on whether we are in a real estate bubble, how to search for a home when you're out of state, and his real estate investment philosophy. https://www.soukuprealestate.com/our-team https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-soukup-cpm-36497225/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqjpWM9lXcMIEMktSjR_DCg