11 Lessons Every Investor Needs to Know with Ben Carlson

11 Lessons Every Investor Needs to Know with Ben Carlson

Author: Chris Hutchins September 4, 2024 Duration: 55:15
#191: Grow your wealth and build a resilient portfolio by making smarter decisions with these 11 investing lessons. Financial advisor Ben Carlson and I share actionable insights on managing risk, overcoming psychological barriers in investing, and the power of simplicity and diversification to ensure long-term, fulfilling financial success. Ben Carlson is the Director of Institutional Asset Management at Ritholtz Wealth Management and the author of four books on investing and personal finance. He runs the popular blog A Wealth of Common Sense, where he shares insights on financial markets and investing strategies. Ben also co-hosts Animal Spirits, one of my favorite podcasts. Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/ben-carlson-money-lessons Resources Mentioned Ben Carlson: Website | Animal Spirits Podcast | X 20 Lessons From 20 Years of Managing Money My All-Time High in Savings You Probably Need Less Money Than You Think For Retirement Wealthfront Risk Parity Fund | What is Risk Parity? JP Morgan: S&P 500 Market Concentration Chart Fractional Vacation Homes: Pacaso Paula Pant’s Podcast: Afford Anything Safe Withdrawals: Free DIY Withdrawal Rate Toolbox | Safe Withdrawal Rate Series Study: Spending Habits of Retirees ATH Podcast Ep #41: Beating Inflation, Alternative Assets, and Simplifying Your Finances with Ben Carlson Ep #59: Save Money, Build Wealth and Just Keep Buying with Nick Maggiulli Ep #91: Die With Zero: Net Fulfillment Over Net Worth with Bill Perkins Ep #117: Navigating a High Rate Market: Buying a Home, Preparing for a Recession and Where to Put Cash with Ben Carlson Ep #168: Building an Investment Portfolio to Grow and Protect Your Wealth with Chris Doyl Ep #180: Stocks vs. Real Estate: What’s the Best Investment to Build Wealth? Ep #186: 25 Money Rules (and When to Break Them) with Brian Feroldi Ep #189: Beyond the 4% Rule: Smarter Strategies for Financial Independence with Karsten Jeske Join our Newsletter Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts Email us for questions, tips, deals and feedback Full Show Notes (00:00) Introduction (02:30) Experience in Investing Is Not the Same as Expertise (03:24) Intelligence Doesn’t Guarantee Investment Success (05:42) No One Lives Life in the Long Term (07:32) Experiences Shape Your Perception of Risk (10:12) The Biggest Risks Are Always the Same yet Different (13:29) Optimism Should Be Your Default (20:03) There Is No Such Thing as a Perfect Portfolio (22:31) Overthinking Can Be Just as Debilitating as Not Thinking at All (24:30) How to Think About a Simple Portfolio with International Exposure (26:17) Less Is More (30:17) Ways to Reduce Overthinking (32:02) Tax Loss Harvesting vs. Direct Indexing (39:02) Why Ben Wrote a Post on 20 Money Lessons (40:11) Lesson #10: There Is a Big Difference Between Rich and Wealthy (43:37) The Reason Ben and Chris Invested in Holiday Homes (48:27) What's a Reasonable Amount to Save? (51:29) You Probably Need Less Money Than You Think for Retirement (56:47) The Final Biggest Takeaway Connect with Chris Newsletter | Membership | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever feel like there's a smarter, more efficient way to navigate your finances, your travels, and your daily routines? That's the core question driving All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life. Hosted by Chris Hutchins, this podcast is built on a simple, powerful idea: maximizing value doesn't mean sacrificing enjoyment. Instead, it's about the strategic choices that free up resources-both money and time-for what truly matters. Chris approaches life as a series of systems to be optimized, drawing from his own experience saving millions through meticulous analysis. The conversations here are practical and wide-ranging, moving seamlessly from credit card points strategies and investment philosophies to the less tangible hacks for personal fulfillment. You'll hear from a diverse roster of experts and icons, including Tim Ferriss, Tony Hawk, Codie Sanchez, and Gary Vaynerchuk, who all bring their unique perspectives on building wealth and designing a compelling life. Each episode feels like a focused workshop, offering actionable advice you can use immediately, whether it's planning a luxury vacation for a fraction of the cost or rethinking your approach to career and leisure. This isn't just about frugality; it's about unlocking freedom and excitement through smarter decisions. Tune in for a consistently insightful blend of tactical moves and deeper conversations that challenge the conventional trade-offs between spending, saving, and living well.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
Podcast Episodes
I Built an AI Assistant That Works While I Sleep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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#265: Chris explores how modern AI tools have eliminated the barriers to building software, why planning matters more than coding skill, how anyone can turn a simple problem into a working app faster and cheaper than eve…
Deep Dive on Bilt Rewards and New Bilt 2.0 Cards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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#264: Learn how the Bilt ecosystem works, from earning Bilt Rewards to the new cards, transfer partners, perks, and where the real value is. Whether you’re new or already earning, this is a practical guide to using Bilt…
How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:43
#263: Chris breaks down exactly how he’s earned millions of points and miles, and why simplicity matters more than optimization. He covers signup bonuses, spending strategies, credit score impacts, business cards, cash-b…
Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026 with Kevin Rose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:45
#261: Chris and Kevin reflect on 2025’s biggest wins and lessons, then dive into how they're planning 2026. They share their goals, the tools they're using, and why they're designing a year that’s easier, not just more o…
Top 10 Takeaways from 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:24
#260: Chris distills the most powerful lessons from over 50 episodes in 2025 into 10 actionable takeaways that changed how he thinks about money, time, health, relationships, purpose, and more. Link to Full Show Notes: h…
Choosing the Problems Worth Struggling For with Mark Manson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:44
#259: Learn how to pick the challenges in life that actually matter. We break down how to stop optimizing for the wrong things, why values trump goals in decision-making, practical strategies for building real friendship…
My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:54
#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys va…
End of Year Checklist for Your Taxes, Points and Miles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:17
#257: We break down essential tax and financial decisions to make before year-end. Learn how to maximize deductions, optimize charitable giving, manage investment gains and losses, and take advantage of retirement and ho…