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  • Am I crazy, or is the economy teetering on the edge of boom and bust?

    Am I crazy, or is the economy teetering on the edge of boom and bust?
    Jan 23 2026
    Jobs are still there. Markets are still standing. Inflation isn’t spiraling. So why does everything feel… off? In this episode, Pete the Planner tackles the growing disconnect between what the economic data says and how people actually feel about their money. This isn’t a recession episode—but it’s definitely not a “everything’s great” episode either. We dig into why households feel financially exhausted even as incomes rise, why good headlines don’t translate into confidence, and how higher prices, frozen decisions, and lingering uncertainty are quietly changing behavior. People aren’t panicking—but they are pulling back. Less splurging. More hesitation. A constant sense of “we’re fine, but only barely.” The show explores whether this tension is temporary or if we’re entering a new era of permanent caution—where trust takes longer to rebuild than balance sheets, and reassurance alone doesn’t calm nerves. Because maybe the real question isn’t whether a recession is coming… It’s whether people believe things will actually get easier. Plus, we close with BWOM and the latest news shaping how all of this plays out in real life.
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    1 Std.
  • If You Need Cash: Ranking Debt from Least Bad to Absolutely Not

    If You Need Cash: Ranking Debt from Least Bad to Absolutely Not
    Jan 16 2026
    Nobody wants debt. But sometimes life forces the issue. In this episode, Pete, Damian, and Kristen tackle a reality most people face at some point: needing cash quickly. This isn’t an endorsement of borrowing and it’s definitely not a how-to. It’s a ranking of consequences—a clear-eyed look at which debt options hurt the least, which ones quietly wreck your future, and which should be avoided almost entirely. The conversation starts with why people reach for the fastest money instead of the smartest option. Stress, fear, and urgency push otherwise rational people into bad decisions—especially during emergencies, income gaps, or unexpected medical or home expenses. The goal here isn’t perfection; it’s minimizing damage when options are limited. From there, the team works through a tiered ranking: The least bad (situational) options, like already-open HELOCs and family loans—tools that can work, but only with serious guardrails and clear boundaries. The middle ground, including personal loans and 401(k) loans, where predictability and structure help—but behavioral traps and long-term costs still loom. The high-risk zone, where credit cards, payday loans, and title loans turn short-term problems into long-term financial pain. Along the way, they break down why “easy” money is usually the most expensive, how minimum payments create dangerous illusions, and why slowing the decision—even briefly—can be the biggest financial win. If you’ve ever thought, “I just need some cash to get through this,” this episode helps you ask a better question: Which mistake does the least damage—and which ones should never be on the table? Plus, the episode wraps with BWOM and the latest financial news.
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    1 Std. und 11 Min.
  • Why most people will retire later than they expect

    Why most people will retire later than they expect
    Jan 9 2026
    Most Americans believe retirement is just a math problem: invest consistently, ride the market, and everything will work out. The data says otherwise. In this episode, Pete digs into new retirement research that reveals a hard truth—retirement success isn’t being derailed by bad investing, it’s being quietly sabotaged by behavior, debt, and timing . You’ll learn why the vast majority of workers never save enough (even when they think they are), how credit card debt and 401(k) loans silently drain long-term wealth, and why two-thirds of retirees cash out their retirement plans far sooner than expected. Pete also explains why retirement spending is far more unpredictable than most plans assume—and how fear, not extravagance, causes many people to make their most damaging financial decisions right at the finish line. This isn’t a lecture about stock picking or beating the market. It’s a reality check about how real people actually behave with money—and what you can do now to avoid the most common retirement traps. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing everything right… I think,” this episode is for you.
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    57 Min.
  • Pete's 2026 predictions

    Pete's 2026 predictions
    Jan 2 2026
    Pete the Planner's predictions for housing, higher ed, energy and a potential tariff mess We’re in the midst of the holidays—always a good time for reflection. And this week that means holding Pete the Planner accountable for bold predictions he made in January about the economy and U.S. fiscal policy in 2025. Pete hit a bunch of these out of the park—especially those related to Trumponomics—and he whiffed on several others. Because he’s a big-hearted guy not afraid of making mistakes, Pete this week presents his predictions for 2026, including positive portents for nuclear energy, his advance whiff of a stale housing market and a tough prognosis for higher education. His pick for the biggest story of 2026 might require some advance explanation. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether President Trump’s emergency tariffs levied earlier this year are invalid. If the justices find that the president exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner—which, to review, were paid by the companies that imported the products, not the countries or companies from which they came—the importers could be entitled to big refunds. As The Washington Post has reported, unwinding almost a year of Trump’s core economic policy likely could have serious consequences for the government’s finances and on the bottom linesof companies throughout the U.S. economy. It’s impossible to know how much money ultimately would be in play, but estimates of how much the U.S. had collected in emergency tariffs were close to $90 billion when the court heard arguments in early November.
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    43 Min.
  • The Pete the Planner origin story

    The Pete the Planner origin story
    Dec 26 2025
    Pete the Planner on Humor, Habits and the Psychology of Money On this episode of Off the Record, host Nate Feltman sits down with Peter Dunn, better known as Pete the Planner, one of America’s most trusted voices on personal finance. Dunn shares how a sixth-grade stock market contest launched his career, how he blends comedy and financial coaching to help people build better habits, and why the psychology of money matters more than math. He opens up about building Your Money Line, a fast-growing financial technology company using AI to deliver personalized advice to more than 800,000 people, and how leading a startup taught him hard-earned lessons about leadership, responsibility and giving back. A former columnist for USA Today and author of 10 books, Dunn discusses his national media presence, his roots in Indianapolis, and why financial wellness is critical in today’s workplace.
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    1 Std.
  • The New Year's Resolution Draft

    The New Year's Resolution Draft
    Dec 19 2025
    Let’s be honest: most New Year’s resolutions don’t make it to Valentine’s Day. So instead of pretending this year will be different, we’re drafting financial resolutions that actually survive real life. In this episode, we run The Financial Resolution Draft—fantasy-football style—selecting the smartest, most realistic financial moves for three life stages: your 20s, your 40s with kids, and your 60s nearing retirement. No vague goals. No financial TikTok nonsense. No personality changes required. Just one system per life stage that reduces stress, works with the money you already make, and doesn’t fall apart the first time something goes wrong. Because if your resolution needs motivation, it’s already dead.
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    1 Std. und 5 Min.
  • The 10 financial mistakes you need to try to avoid

    The 10 financial mistakes you need to try to avoid
    Dec 12 2025
    In this week’s episode, Pete breaks down the ten biggest financial mistakes Americans are making right now — from investing too little and too late, to overspending on housing, to making car decisions that haunt their budgets for years. With the economy shifting under everyone’s feet, these missteps are more common (and more costly) than ever. Pete walks through why these mistakes happen, what they really cost you over time, and the simple, practical changes that can keep your financial life from drifting off-course. If you’ve ever wondered whether your biggest threat is debt, bad timing, or Future You procrastinating… this is the episode to reset your path. Bite-sized, honest, and packed with clarity — this is your roadmap to avoiding the pitfalls that hold most households back.
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    55 Min.
  • Can this emailer retire at 54? Eh

    Can this emailer retire at 54? Eh
    Dec 5 2025
    This week on The Pete the Planner Show, we tackle a classic early-retirement temptation: what happens when you want out of the workforce before 59½, but almost all your money is locked inside qualified retirement accounts? A listener from Dayton writes in with solid savings, a paid-off home, and a serious case of “I can’t do this job anymore.” The problem? He wants $80,000 a year in retirement income, but he’s only 54 — and bridging those five and a half years before penalty-free withdrawals is tougher than people think. We break down his real numbers, explore strategies like 72(t) distributions and Roth conversion ladders, and explain why early retirement is often less about “Can I quit?” and more about “Can I cash-flow the gap years without blowing up my future?” If you’ve ever dreamed of early retirement (or Googled ‘how bad is the 10% penalty really?’), this episode is for you.
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    1 Std. und 10 Min.