If You’re Worried About Money, Hear This w/How to Money

May 6, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Financial stress from money worries impairs cognitive function, reducing effective IQ by about 14 points and leading to poorer decisions at work and with finances, as studies show. Joel Larsgard, co-host of the How to Money podcast and a real estate investor in Atlanta, shares how his parents' struggles with overspending and job loss fueled his focus on personal finance. Drawing from his radio work with consumer expert Clark Howard, Joel emphasizes personal agency: mastering basics like budgeting and emergency funds frees mental space, reduces family conflicts like divorce risks, and builds wealth regardless of macroeconomic headwinds. Host Dave Meyer connects this to his own house-poor upbringing, highlighting how channeling anxiety into proactive steps like real estate investing creates security.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Financial Stress Impacts Cognition** - Studies show money worries reduce IQ-like 14 points, harming job performance and decisions
2 (01:32) **Joel's Childhood Money Trauma** - Parents followed bad advice on house/car, leading to layoffs, fights, lasting anxiety
3 (04:00) **Hosts Share Family Struggles** - Both grew up house-poor with divorce/fights, channeled into budgeting drive and real estate
4 (05:16) **Financial Literacy as a Skill** - Like learning real estate (150-200 hours), basics accessible to middle-class paycheck-to-paycheck earners
5 (07:33) **Macro Headwinds vs Personal Control** - Harder (high rates/prices) but easier (info access, auto-401k); Gen Z invests proactively
6 (10:55) **Lifestyle Expectations Trap** - Abundance fuels keeping up with Joneses (pools, Teslas, loans); lower wants for freedom
7 (18:20) **First Property: 2009 House Hack** - Bought sub-$100k Atlanta SFH, rented room to match/beats rent; locked low prices despite uncertainty

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Most Americans are worried about money. Paying the bills, having enough for retirement, and being able to afford emergency expenses. And, like many of us, you may have grown up in a household watching your own parents constantly worry or fight over finances. This is one of the crucial anxiety points of Americans—and rentals can change that.

Today, Joel Larsgaard from the How to Money podcast shares his story about how rental properties, and just paying attention to his money, changed his worldview and his family’s financial future. He, too, saw his parents constantly keeping up with the Joneses—buying more house than they could afford, buying expensive cars, struggling to keep up. Joel vowed never to worry the way his parents did.

After discovering personal finance, Joel did what most new real estate investors do: a “no-brainer” house hack. Then he bought another, and another, and another—and over the past sixteen years, built a slow, scalable, financial freedom-enabling rental portfolio, without taking a ton of risk or biting off more than he could chew.

Joel admits it’s harder to invest in 2026, but that’s what makes it a necessity in today’s economy.

In This Episode We Cover

The “no-brainer” rental property new real estate investors should buy first

Why money stress is much more dangerous than most Americans realize

The slow, steady, low-risk rental property plan Joel followed to build an entire portfolio

How to be prepared to invest in 2026 when home prices and rental costs are higher

The world seems like it’s falling apart, but here’s why you should still invest