Jonathan Clements has been a frequent guest on the NGPF Podcast. Here's one of our most popular podcasts from a conversation we had back in 2018 to discuss his book From Here to Financial Happiness: Enrich Your Life in Just 77 Days.

Details

• 0:00–1:10 Introduction
• 1:11–6:17 Jonathan’s scoop on From Here to Financial Happiness
• 6:18–8:11 The fundamental importance of compounding interest
• 8:12–10:11 Meeting the magical “tipping point” after a tough dozen years
• 10:12–13:45 “Hyperbolic discounting” and bringing retirement to life
• 13:46–14:55 How the book is more of a conversation with the author and with yourself
• 14:56–17:03 What are the most difficult questions readers have to answer?
• 17:04–18:53 Jonathan’s favorite pithy comments
• 18:54–21:16 Most annuities are sold, not bought
• 21:17–21:51 A word from NGPF
• 21:52–25:26 Why experiences greatly outweigh possessions
• 25:27–32:36 His 3 best and worst financial decisions
• 32:37–36:03 Human capital, the key concept to investing
• 36:04–37:09 Conclusion

Resources: 

• Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on finding flow
• Jonathan’s Blog: Humble Dollar

QUOTES:

• “The meek may not inherit the earth, but they are far more likely to retire in comfort”
• “I have a lot of scorn for overly complicated and overly expensive financial products that get cooked up on Wall Street… So I say, ‘In the financial world, complexity may suggest sophistication, but it’s usually a rouse to bamboozle and fleece investors.'”

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Be sure to check out NGPF's NEW! Behavioral Economics unit which launched in early August. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.