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.

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

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.

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

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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• Download this week's show (MP3)

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

The political season finally kicks off with Monday's Iowa Caucus. But for months, all of the candidates from both parties are talking about how they would improve your bottom line. To help us figure out what's going on, we invited Money Magazine's Senior Writer Ian Salisbury to parse the rhetoric. If you want more information, check out Ian's article, "Which Candidate is Best for Your Portfolio?"

• 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 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

Special guest Helaine Olen, co-author of "The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated" returns to the show to discuss her new book and what ten steps you can take to simplify your life. Helaine's previous book, "Pound Foolish" is a must-read for anyone who wants to know about the dark side of the personal finance personal finance industry:

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

Helaine tells us how she and future co-author University of Chicago professor Harold Pollack stumbled onto a fantastic idea for a new book by accident.

When Pollack interviewed Olen about Pound Foolish, he made an off­hand suggestion: everything you need to know about managing your money could fit on an index card. To prove his point, he grabbed a 4″ x 6″ card, scribbled down a list of rules, and posted a picture of the card online. The post went viral.

I love the simplicity and elegance of the book and the advice offered...and of course, Helaine is a terrific guest!

Thanks to everyone who participated this week, especially Mark, the Best Producer 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